Draniki (aka deruny), are Russian stuffed potato pancakes made with grated potatoes. These are stuffed with a juicy meat patty - a delicious surprise! | natashaskitchen.com

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This is a variation of my Mom’s classic draniki recipe. Draniki (also known as deruny), are unusual but tasty Russian stuffed potato pancakes made with ground potatoes.

These are stuffed and cooked with a juicy meat patty inside. It is a delicious surprise! This recipe starts with raw potatoes so the texture is nothing like the mashed potato pancakes we posted earlier.

It’s difficult to improve on this classic, but wow these are sure delicious!

Watch How to Make Stuffed Potato Pancakes – Draniki:


These are made on the star grater of a box grater. Be sure to use safety gloves for the process – these gloves (affiliate link) have saved my fingers countless times, especially with mandolin slicing. The potatoes can be diced and pureed in a food processor or blender to speed up the process and they will still be super tasty, but for the most authentic draniki texture, the box grater works best.

Natasha standing in her kitchen with stuffed potato pancakes in front of her

Draniki (aka deruny), are Russian stuffed potato pancakes made with grated potatoes. These are stuffed with a juicy meat patty - a delicious surprise! | natashaskitchen.com

One of the things I love most about the Russian and Ukrainian cuisine is the use of basic, inexpensive ingredients to make foods that are truly delicious.

Ingredients for stuffed potato pancakes on the table

⬇Print-Friendly Recipe for Stuffed Potato Pancakes:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Stuffed Potato Pancakes - Draniki (VIDEO)

5 from 17 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Draniki (aka deruny), are Russian stuffed potato pancakes made with grated potatoes. These are stuffed with a juicy meat patty - a delicious surprise! | natashaskitchen.com
Draniki (aka deruny), are Russian potato pancakes made with grated potatoes. These are stuffed with a juicy meat patty - a delicious surprise!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 32 minutes
Total Time: 52 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 5 people (makes 16 potato pancakes
  • 1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled, (5 to 6 medium potatoes)
  • 1 medium onion, peeled
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp sour cream, plus more to serve
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil, (or other cooking oil)
  • 1/2 lb ground pork, (or ground chicken or turkey)
  • 1/4 tsp salt and pinch of black pepper

Instructions

  • Into a large bowl, grate all of your peeled potatoes using the star grater side of a box grater (protect your hands with safety gloves!) Use a spoon to skim off and discard any excess liquid at the top (I removed about 1/3 cup).
  • In the same bowl, grate the medium onion on the same star-grater side of the box grater (no need to wash the grater). Reserve and set aside 1 Tbsp of the grated onion for your meat mixture.
  • Into the potato and onion mix, add 1 large egg, 3 Tbsp flour, 1 Tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 lb ground meat, 1/4 tsp salt, pinch of black pepper and reserved 1 Tbsp grated onion. Mix just until well combined. Divide the meat into 16 thin patties, each about 2" wide and set aside.
  • Heat a large non-stick pan* over medium heat with 2-3 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add potato mixture 1 Tbsp at a time, flattening out the top with the back of your spoon. Immediately top each pancake with a meat patty and cover each one with another Tablespoon of potato mixture**. Saute 4 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and serve right away. Repeat with remaining ingredients, adding more oil as needed.

Notes

*Cut the cooking time in half by using 2 large non-stick skillets at once.
**If liquid starts to rise to the top of the potato mixture, give it a quick stir to incorporate it back into the batter. I typically stir between each batch.

Nutrition Per Serving

314kcal Calories22g Carbs13g Protein19g Fat5g Saturated Fat66mg Cholesterol635mg Sodium736mg Potassium3g Fiber1g Sugar65IU Vitamin A17.5mg Vitamin C60mg Calcium5.3mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Stuffed Potato Pancakes - Draniki (VIDEO)
Amount per Serving
Calories
314
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
19
g
29
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Cholesterol
 
66
mg
22
%
Sodium
 
635
mg
28
%
Potassium
 
736
mg
21
%
Carbohydrates
 
22
g
7
%
Fiber
 
3
g
13
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
13
g
26
%
Vitamin A
 
65
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
17.5
mg
21
%
Calcium
 
60
mg
6
%
Iron
 
5.3
mg
29
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Breakfast, Main Course
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: Stuffed Potato Pancakes
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $
Calories: 314

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

These are tasty as is, but we love these best served with sour cream. They are a real treat any time of day!

Draniki (aka deruny), are Russian stuffed potato pancakes made with grated potatoes. These are stuffed with a juicy meat patty - a delicious surprise! | natashaskitchen.com

Did you also grow up eating draniki? Have you tried stuffing them yet?

Draniki (aka deruny), are Russian stuffed potato pancakes made with grated potatoes. These are stuffed with a juicy meat patty - a delicious surprise! | natashaskitchen.com

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

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Comments

  • Ashley
    April 30, 2021

    Hi Natasha!
    These look great, i can’t wait to try them. I just wanted to know if they freeze/reheat well?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 30, 2021

      Hi Ashley, these pancakes freeze well. I would recommend freezing them on the baking sheet that has been covered with plastic wrap. After pancakes freeze, remove them from the baking pan and store them in freezer-friendly plastic bags.

      Reply

  • AJ
    May 17, 2020

    I couldn’t get mine to cook the potato thoroughly. I removed the excess water at the beginning like you said. I even tried to make them without the meat and they still felt raw inside. One tablespoon for bottom and top and I spread them flat. Any suggestions???

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 18, 2020

      Hi AJ, if the heat is too high, they can brown too quickly without cooking through fully. Also, with these types of potato pancakes, the potato texture is different than mashed potatoes – the key is to make sure the meat center is fully cooked through and at that point, the rest of pancake is done. I do make those patties inside very thin.

      Reply

  • theoni
    March 3, 2020

    Hi Natasha just stared following, all your recipes look amazing.
    I’m greek so i cant wait to try this recipe with some tzatziki

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 3, 2020

      I hope you love this recipe Theoni!

      Reply

  • Eugenia K
    December 25, 2019

    Hi, Natasha.
    Love your recipes.
    Will try to make your Draniki recipe. The only thing Draniki or deruni, a potato pancakes. The meat stuffed potatoes are zrazi.

    Looking forward for more appetizers recipes.

    Thank you

    Eugenia

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 26, 2019

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

      • aleksandra sv
        March 8, 2024

        Hi Natasha, thank you for sharing and reminding of this delicious recipe. My mom used to cook Draniki a lot, but she used to grate potatoes using the shredding grater (the side with the biggest holes), making them both stuffed with ground meat and plain and serving with plenty of sour cream. This way, dranikis get very crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, can’t tell how good they are 🙂

        Reply

  • Sarah
    May 27, 2019

    We love Mr. Bean! *in voice* BEAN! lol

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 27, 2019

      I love that Sarah!

      Reply

  • Melissa C.
    November 6, 2018

    Absolutely delicious!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 6, 2018

      Hi Melissa! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

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