Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (2024)

Homemade pierogies (or vareniki as our Baba calls them) are really all about the fillings. Here are ten pierogi filling recipes that are flavor-packed and delicious! Savory or sweet, traditional or unusual. You get to choose!

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Pierogi-making day is a winter tradition in my household. Usually once or twice a year we sit down to make a TON of pierogies, more than we could ever eat.

We freeze them on baking sheets prior to cooking, for future frozen pierogi dinners.

My kids have been forming pierogies since they were about 3 years old. While their early attempts weren’t always perfect, after a few years of practice they are pierogi-making machines!

New to making pierogies?

Probably the most difficult part is filling pierogies. If it’s your first time I recommend sticking to dry fillings, like mashed potatoes. Filling pierogies with fried mushrooms or fresh fruit is tricky.

If you need a recipe for the dough, check out Brad’s family’s traditional vareniki recipe.

Since I’m gluten-free, I developed a gluten-free pierogi recipe based on the traditional recipe.

Traditional pierogi filling Options

Here are a few fillings that come straight from Baba’s cookbook. These are the ones that my husband grew up eating and are still his favorite.

  1. Mashed Potatoes and Cheese:Make 3 cups of traditional mashed potatoes. Once the potatoes have cooled slightly, add in 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1/4 cup of chopped green onions, 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese, and 1 egg.
  2. Cottage Cheese:Mix 3 cups of dry curd cottage cheese with 2 eggs and 1 tsp salt (unless the cheese is already salted, then skip the salt).
  3. Mashed root vegetables:Steam and puree any root vegetables that you enjoy. Add salt and pepper to taste. Anything works with this pioneer recipe: turnips, rutabaga, or beets. I recommend sprucing things up by adding a bit of crumbled goat cheese. Mmm… beet and goat cheese pierogi!

A few new favourites

Here are a few pierogi fillings that my husband and I have created over the years. The first two we came across while traveling in Poland. The last two were inspired by our local hipster pierogi bar.

  1. Mushrooms:Saute 4 cups chopped mushrooms with 1/2 cup of diced onion. When the vegetables are soft, add 2 tsp dried dill and salt to taste. It can be hard to fill a pierogi with mushrooms, so feel free to thicken the mixture with a 1/2 cup of plain mashed potatoes.
  2. Sauerkraut: Drainedsauerkraut is a delicious filling. Or mix 1 cup of drained sauerkraut with 1/4 cup of potatoes for a slightly thicker filling.
  3. Refried beans: Fry 1/4 cup of diced onion and 1 tsp of garlic until soft. Mix with 1 can of refried beans and 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Serve with salsa and sour cream.
  4. Kimchi:Finely dice 1 cup of fresh kimchi. Mix it with 1/2 cup of mashed potato for a spicy pierogi.

Sweet Fillings

Fruit-filled vareniki are also one of Brad’s childhood favs. Serve sweet pierogies with whipping cream for a unique dessert!

  1. Fresh fruit:Mix 1 cup of thinly sliced fruit or whole berries and mix with 1 Tbsp of sugar, to taste. Soft fruit, like peaches, plums, and berries works better than apples, oranges, or bananas. (This is a smaller batch, for about 8 pierogies).
  2. Chocolate:Fill each pierogi with 1 square of good-quality dark chocolate, then top with a sprinkling of chopped roasted hazelnuts and 1 tsp of cream cheese.
  3. Pumpkin Pie:Mix a 14 oz can of pumpkin puree with 1 cup of soft cream cheese. Add in 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.

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Comments

  1. Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (4)orien major

    Can use use pie fillings (canned0 In perogies?

    Reply

  2. Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (6)Brenda Lippe

    Do you have a recipe for Pierogies using cabbage and meat ( like chicken or pork)? I saw one on the Food Network but I didn’t get the recipe and of course, I cannot find it on the website

    Reply

    • Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (7)Emillie Parrish

      Sorry, I’ve never made pierogies with meat. My husband’s family (where the pierogi-making tradition comes from) is vegetarian. 🙂 Good luck in you search. Cheers, Emillie

      Reply

  3. Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (8)Amber

    My grandmother would combine mashed potatoes, ground beef, minced garlic salt and pepper and shredded cheddar cheese

    Reply

    • Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (9)Emillie Parrish

      Yum! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

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Pierogi Filling Recipes: Savory, Sweet, and Traditional (2024)

FAQs

Is pierogi sweet or savory? ›

Pierogi are Eastern European stuffed dumplings that are usually boiled. As with many traditional foods, there are regional varieties with fillings ranging from sweet to savoury, meat to meatless.

What is the most traditional pierogi? ›

The most famous is the Biłgoraj pierogi stuffed with buckwheat, potatoes, and cheese and then baked in the oven. Pierogi are an important part of Polish festive seasons, particularly Christmas Eve (Wigilia supper) and Christmastide.

What is the traditional way to serve pierogies? ›

Sour cream's tangy touch: Enjoying pierogi with a spoonful of sour cream is traditional. Its creamy consistency and tangy undertone enrich the pierogi experience. Caramelized onions: The sweetness of caramelized onions perfectly complements savory pierogi.

What is a good sauce to put on perogies? ›

These timeless pierogi sauces are beloved classics, great for anyone looking for cherished recipes.
  • Traditional Sour Cream Sauce. ...
  • Rich Butter and Onion Sauce. ...
  • Tangy Tomato and Basil Sauce. ...
  • Creamy Garlic and Herb Sauce. ...
  • Spicy Chipotle Mayo Sauce. ...
  • Ukrainian Pierogi Dipping Sauces. ...
  • Polish Pierogi Dipping Sauces.
Aug 21, 2023

What are traditional pierogies made of? ›

Pierogies are dough that's filled with either potatoes and cheese or sauerkraut. The dough is folded kind of like a dumpling, then cooked in boiling water. Last, they're pan-fried in butter and often times served alongside sour cream.

How to make pierogies taste good? ›

Add onion and drained pierogies and season to taste with salt and pepper or House Seasoning. Cook over high heat until the onion is soft and browned and pierogies are nicely browned. The pasta shell will get a little crunchy - it's delish! Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

What is the difference between Ukrainian and Polish perogies? ›

Varenyky is the more commonly used term in Ukraine, often eaten with sweet fillings, while pierogi are the national dish of Poland. Different to pelmeni as they are usually vegetarian, varenyky and pierogi can be served fried in butter, usually as an appetiser or a dessert.

Are traditional pierogies fried or boiled? ›

The pierogies need to be boiled in salted water. Make sure you use a big pot with lots of water so those dumplings can move around. Add them to the pot when the water is at a rolling boil and stir them once – just to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.

Are pierogies Russian or Polish? ›

pierogi, one or more dumplings of Polish origin, made of unleavened dough filled with meat, vegetables, or fruit and boiled or fried or both. In Polish pierogi is the plural form of pieróg (“dumpling”), but in English the word pierogi is usually treated as either singular or plural.

What side dish goes with perogies? ›

Sautéed Green Cabbage

An easy and delicious side dish that's simply seasoned with salt, black pepper and a splash of apple cider vinegar for extra bite. A perfect complement to perogies and on the table in 15 minutes!

What vegetables go well with perogies? ›

Enter: my Roasted Pierogies with Vegetables.

I love my greens, so I wrote this recipe for fresh broccoli and green beans, but it would also be DELICIOUS roasted with asparagus, spinach, or even carrots. Trust me, whatever you have in your fridge or pantry is great.

What is the difference between perogies and pierogies? ›

Also called perogi or perogy, Polish pierogi (pronounced pih-ROH-ghee) or homemade pierogies are small half-moon dumplings. They're also chock-full of fabulous fillings. Interestingly, the word pierogi is actually plural. But the singular form pieróg is hardly ever used.

What are the most popular pierogi fillings in Poland? ›

Pierogi with meat fillings are quite popular as well: pork, beef, chicken and veal stuffings, often served with bacon bits. More sophisticated versions of the dish come with lamb, duck or goose meat. The meat is first cooked – which often results in a flavourful broth – and then ground.

Is it better to fry pierogies in butter or oil? ›

Perogies taste great when you brown them in butter in a frying pan with some onions. Dollop of sour cream, some kishka on the side.

What can I eat with perogies if I don't have sour cream? ›

Plain yogurt is a fairly reliable substitute in a recipe. I even grew to like the taste of it unmixed, like on a baked potato in place of sour cream.

What does pierogi taste like? ›

Pierogis often include some kind of sweet-and-sour combination, like fruit mixed with sour cream — but they don't have to. Some of the yummier varieties I still have to try are pierogis stuffed with beets and Philly cheesesteak. I think they'd also be good with crispy fried mushrooms inside.

How would you describe pierogies? ›

Pierogi (/pɪˈroʊɡi/ pih-ROH-ghee)[a] are filled dumplings made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling and cooked in boiling water. They are often then pan-fried before serving. Pierogi are most often associated with the cuisine of Central and Eastern European nations.

What food category is pierogi? ›

pierogi, one or more dumplings of Polish origin, made of unleavened dough filled with meat, vegetables, or fruit and boiled or fried or both. In Polish pierogi is the plural form of pieróg (“dumpling”), but in English the word pierogi is usually treated as either singular or plural.

Where would you eat small sweet or savoury dumplings called pierogi? ›

Pierogi, a mainstay of the Polish diet since the 17th Century, remains both a nostalgic dish and a way for chefs to flex their creative muscle. In Slovakia, they're known as pirohy. In Ukraine, they're called varenyky.

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