Potato Perogies Recipe (2024)

This Potato Perogies Recipe with caramelized onions is made with simple ingredients that come together into the most delicious bites of homemade comfort food. Make them fresh, or freeze to get a head start on dinner on a busy weeknight, these pierogies or vareniki will become your favorite.

If you’re looking for lazy pierogies, check out this Lazy Pierogie Recipe made with potatoes and this dessert cheese version of the lazy pierogies. Also, check out our favorite Pelmeni Recipe.

What is a Pierogi or Perogies?

A pierogi (singular) or perogies (plural) are boiled dumplings that are popular in many Eastern European countries, including Ukraine, Russia, and Poland. Being Ukrainian, we call these little potato dumplings vareniki.

While the name and pronunciation vary, they all refer to a dumpling that can be filled with a variety of vegetarian fillings ranging from potatoes, sauteed cabbage, farmer’s cheese, and berries as just some of the options.

Inexpensive and made with pantry staples that we all most likely have on hand, perogies are a type of comfort food that fills your belly and your soul. This Pierogi Recipe is filled with mashed potatoes and lots of caramelized onions. If you’re a fan of cheese, shredded cheddar will make a great addition to the filling as well.

In our family, my grandma would make these in huge batches and freeze them. Then, when we came to visit she would boil them and instantly remind everyone once again why she’s the best grandma ever.

Other Perogie Filling Options

If you’re looking to venture out from the most traditional perogi filling try these other choices:

• sauteed cabbage and mushroom
• mashed potatoes and cheddar
• farmer’s cheese & dill
• sweetened farmers cheese
• fresh strawberries or blueberries
• apple butter (just cook down some jarred apple sauce to make apple butter filling).

Can I freeze Pierogies?

This Pierogies Recipe is the perfect make-ahead meal. The Pierogies freeze nicely and are ready to be cooked when you are. Comfort food at its best!

When I make this Pierogi Recipe I love to double or triple the recipe and make a whole bunch and freeze them.

To freeze, just place the Perogies on a floured tray and freeze them. Then, transfer into Ziploc bags and store for up to a month (for best results).

Whenever you are having a busy day or when you’re just not in the mood to cook all you need to do is boil the frozen Perogies and dinner is ready in minutes!

What is the best way to cook frozen Perogies?

Once you have your Perogies made and frozen, the hardest part is done. All you need to do is bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then, add the amount of perogies desired and cook for about 4-5 minutes after the Perogies float to the top. Drain and add to a bowl. Add butter and gently toss to coat. Then, enjoy your delicious and simple perogies dinner.

Scroll all the way to the bottom for the detailed recipe instructions with recipe ingredient amounts.

Perogies Dough Ingredients:

• Warm Milk – whole milk will produce softer dough. Warming the milk allows the flour to absorb the liquid quicker. Milk with less fat or buttermilk can be used as well.
• Egg – the eggs enrich the dough and make it softer.
• Unsalted butter – adds softness to the dough. Butter can be replaced with oil.
• Salt – the salt ads flavor.
• Flour – all-purpose flour is fine.

Potato Filling:

• Potatoes – using Russet or Yellow/Yukon potatoes work best for the filling.
• Onions – onions add a lot of flavor to the filling and will separate bland perogies from rich and flavorful perogies. Do not skip the onions, if you at all can.
• Salt & pepper – add flavor and accentuate all the flavors in this potato filling for perogies.

How To Make Potato Perogies Dough

• Mix the dough: In a bowl mix the milk, egg, salt, and 3 cups of flour until a thick mixture forms. Add butter and continue kneading it in until fully incorporated. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form round balls.
• Cover, and let rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The longer the dough is rested the easier it will be to roll it out.

How to make the best Potato Pierogi Filling

• Caramelize diced onions in a couple of tablespoons of oil until translucent and browned for about 10 minutes.
• Boil peeled & quartered potatoes in salted water until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and mash the potatoes with the potato masher.
• Add half the caramelized onions, salt, and black ground pepper. Mix until combined. Taste and adjust for salt.

How to shape Perogies

• Work with one dough piece at a time.
• Roll: On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inches thick. Sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking, as needed.
• Cut out 2-inch circles (or 3-inch circles) with a cookie cutter or an upside drinking glass with the same diameter.

• Collect the scraps around the cut out circles, knead them together and shape into a ball. Keep covered.
• Add filling: Add 1 teaspoon of potato filling to the center of each circle, staying off the edges.
• Fold the circles with filling into a half-moon shape. Pinch the two sides firmly all around to seal the filling inside.
• Set the formed perogies on a floured surface (or baking sheet if you plan to freeze them).

How to Cook the Perogies:

• Boil the perogies: Bring 4 – 6 quarts of water and 2 tbsp salt to a boil over high heat. Next, add the perogies in batches of 20-25 perogies. Stir gently to prevent sticking and cook for about 4 minutes after they float to the top. To check if they are ready, remove one perogy from the water cut it in half and taste it.

• Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large bowl. Remove Perogies from the water with a colander and add to the bowl. Leave for a minute to allow the butter to melt and the steam to escape. Toss gently to coat the perogies with butter.
• Sprinkle the remaining caramelized onions on top. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (optional).

Pro Tips

• Use warm milk or liquid for making the dough. Warm temperature speeds up the absorption of the liquid into the flour.
• Rest the dough and do not skip this step. Resting the dough relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to roll. The unrested dough will keep springing back as you try to roll it.
• Do not reshape the dough into a taught ball before rolling out or all the relaxed gluten formations will tighten up again and make the dough spring back as you try to roll it out. If this happens, just cover the dough and leave it on the counter for 10-15 minutes to rest and relax the gluten.
• Do not add too much flour as you’re rolling the dough. Adding too much will cause the dough to become more dense and heavy.
• Do not touch the edges with the filling. The grease and moisture from the filling getting on the edges will make it hard to seal the edges. Improperly sealed edges will open up when the perogies are boiling and the filling will come out.
• Prevent sticking of perogies by tossing them with butter or the oil from the caramelized onions.

FAQ