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

What is the most traditional pierogi? ›

Pierogi Ruskie

This is because the origins began in the Ruthenia region, which is partly where modern-day Poland and Ukraine sit, and has also been known as Red Russia and Eastern Galicia in the past. These are the most popular pierogi in Poland – the dough is filled with cottage cheese, potato and onion.

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.

How to make pierogies taste good? ›

In a large NON-STICK fry pan, melt the butter with the olive oil. 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!

What is the difference between Ukrainian and Polish perogies? ›

These stuffed dumplings are common throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Varenyky is the more commonly used term in Ukraine, often eaten with sweet fillings, while pierogi are the national dish of Poland.

What do Polish people eat with perogies? ›

Traditionally pierogi are served with simple toppings such as fried onions, lardons, melted butter, sour cream or pork rinds. But not everything needs to be savoury!

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.

Is it better to boil or pan fry perogies? ›

If you have the time, boil the frozen pierogies first, to get the pasta perfect for sautéing. However, it's not a must—you can also cook frozen pierogies right in the skillet without boiling them—and they will turn out delicious.

What spices to put on pierogies? ›

Sprinkles with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Spoon the caramelized onions from the pan (along with any butter in in the pan) all over the pierogies. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping the pierogies once in between. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve immediately with the chipotle sour cream.

What state eats the most perogies? ›

T's Pierogies, the "Pierogy Pocket of America," is an area including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, Detroit, parts of the northern Midwest and southern New England which accounts for 68% of annual U.S. pierogi consumption.

Are pierogies traditionally boiled or fried? ›

Boiling Pierogi is the most popular method of cooking Pierogi because it adds no additional calories to your meal. It also offers a soft, delicate texture which is the more traditional way of eating Polish pierogi.

What is a good sauce for perogies? ›

If Pierogi could speak Italian, they would be covered in fragrant Marinara, Arrabiata or Puttanesca. These tomato-based sauces go well with Potato & Cheese (Ruskie), Spinach & Cheese or Meat Pierogi. If you're stuffing the dumplings with spicy meat and/or beans, Mexican-style Tomato Salsa will complement them nicely.

What is a good substitute for sour cream in perogies? ›

Yogurt or buttermilk will give similar flavor. For added texture, mix cream cheese in with the buttermilk.

How are pierogies traditionally eaten? ›

In autumn and winter a lot of Poles eat pierogi with braised sauerkraut and dried forest mushrooms. They are also part of the customary Christmas Eve dinner. Traditionally pierogi are served with simple toppings: fried onions, lardons, melted butter, sour cream or pork rinds.

What is the most popular pierogi in Poland? ›

Ruskie pierogi are probably the most popular kind of pierogi in North America and Poland. The other popular pierogi in Poland are filled with ground meat, mushrooms and cabbage, or for dessert an assortment of fruits (berries, with strawberries or blueberries the most common).

Are traditional pierogies fried or boiled? ›

Boiling Pierogi is the most popular method of cooking Pierogi because it adds no additional calories to your meal. It also offers a soft, delicate texture which is the more traditional way of eating Polish pierogi.

What is a Ukrainian pierogi called? ›

Pyrohy or Varenyky – Did you know? In Ukraine, pyrohy are best known under the name of Varenyky. The word 'varenyky' comes from the Ukrainian word 'varyty´ or 'to boil' because this product is cooked in boiling water. This comfort food is spelled many different ways: pyrohy, pyrogy, pyrogie, pierogi, perogi and others.

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