Homemade Polish Pierogi (Polish Dumpling) Recipe

Pierogi (singular pieróg) are boiled semicircular dumplings made from a chewy wheat-based dough that encases a variety of savory and sweet fillings. After boiling, pierogi are often pan-fried in butter until crispy, then drizzled with extra butter.

The first written description of pierogi appears in the late seventeenth century, but many Poles claim pierogi have been around much longer than that. They’re associated with Saint Hyacinth, a thirteenth-century Polish priest believed to have either miraculously saved crops (a service for which he was thanked with pierogi) or to have fed hungry people pierogi. The legends vary, but “Swiety Jacek z pierogami!” (“St. Hyacinth and his pierogi!”) is an old-timey expression of surprise, and Hyacinth has since become a sort of patron saint of pierogi.

In Poland, you’ll find pierogi at bary mleczne (“milk bars”), affordable cafeterias serving simple fare, and at kiosks and fast-food shops, which mainly deal in frozen pierogi. Pierogi were brought by Polish immigrants to the US, where they’ve undergone innovations such as cheddar cheese-studded potato filling or cream cheese–based dough recipe.

As a basic dumpling template, pierogi leave a lot of room for regional and seasonal variation. Some of the most famous pierogi-adjacent dumplings are:

• Uszka (“ears”): tortellini-like pierogi stuffed with meat and/or mushrooms and served in a clear borscht for Wigilia, Polish Christmas Eve dinner.
• Leniwe (“lazy”): Wrapper-less dumplings made with farmer’s cheese and/or mashed potatoes incorporated directly into the dough. Just like Italian gnocchi or gnudi, there's no stuffing or crimping required.
• Varenyky: Ukrainian pierogi made from a sour cream- or cheese-based dough, instead of eggs.

Pierogi dough can be made from buckwheat flour (popular in Eastern Poland, Slovenia, and Serbia), self-raising flour, semolina, or bread flour, but the most basic type of pierogi dough is made from all-purpose flour.

1. 1. To make pierogi dough, mix flour with salt and form a mound. Make a well in the center and crack an egg in it. (At this point you can add oil, melted butter, sour cream, milk, or cream cheese.)
2. 2. Whisk the egg while slowly adding a little water, to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture.
3. 3. Knead the dough and allow it to rest before shaping.

The fun of pierogi really happens with the fillings. The first recorded pierogi recipe called for kidneys, veal fat, and greens seasoned with nutmeg, but the savory pierogi you’ll find today are most often filled with:

• Sauerkraut and/or mushrooms (especially for Wigilia).
• Mashed potatoes, twaróg (farmer’s cheese), and sautéed onion (aka Ruskie pierogi).
• Ground meat and sautéed onion.
• Lentils (a specialty of the Podlaskie region in northeastern Poland).

Sweet pierogi are filled with:

• Fruit, such as bilberries, strawberries, cherries, or apricot (sometimes served as a main course in the summer).
• Poppy seed paste.
• Twaróg (farmer’s cheese) sweetened with sugar and flavored with vanilla extract, lemon zest, and/or raisins.

In addition to being stuffed with a variety of different fillings, pierogi are almost always served with toppings, such as:

• Caramelized onions
• Sour cream
• Melted butter or brown butter
• Crumbled bacon
• Chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, or dill
• Fried breadcrumbs

To make a meal out of pierogi, try serving savory pierogi with a side of sautéed brussels sprouts, cabbage, or apples. Sweet pierogi are often served with sweetened sour cream, whipped cream, cinnamon, jam, apple sauce, or varenye (whole-fruit syrup).

• Pierogi dough should be smooth and elastic. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle with extra flour. If the dough is crumbly, knead in a little extra water.
• To ensure the filling stays inside the pierogi, avoid overfilling (or it might pop out during boiling!).
• Seal pierogi tightly, so that there are no holes in the seams. If the dough won’t stick together when crimping, moisten your fingers with a little water or egg wash.
• After filling, you can lightly dust pierogi with cornstarch to prevent sticking. This will also help the pierogi get crispy when pan-fried.
• You can freeze shaped pierogi on baking sheets and boil from frozen. Increase the cook time by about two minutes, since the frozen pierogi will drop the water temperature and take longer to cook.
• To avoid crowding, boil them in small batches, about six at a time depending on the size of your pot.