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Chicken Cabbage Savory Pirog

This Chicken Cabbage Savory Pirog recipe has the softest dough recipe with a savory chicken, cabbage and veggie filling. This pirog is similar to baked piroshki and is melt in your mouth good.

Sliced pirog on a cutting board.

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Hey, hey! This is Valentina with Valentina’s Corner sharing this great twist on the traditional baked Ukrainian piroshki.

What is a pirog?

A pirog is a baked dough with a sweet or savory filling. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Mini pirogs are called piroshki and can be either fried (like these Fried Piroshki), or baked (like these Baked Piroshki).

A pirog can be either closed (with the filling inside), or open-faced (with the filling on top, similar to an American pie).

Savory pirog slices stacked.

How to make a Chicken Cabbage Savory Pirog?

  • Prepare the dough, set aside to rise.
  • Prepare the chicken, cabbage and veggie filling, set aside to cool.
  • Roll out the dough. Add filling to the center of the dough and close the filling, sealing the edges.
  • Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • Bake until golden in color and enjoy!

Tip: When closing the dough over the cabbage, it will kind of look like a crunch wrap from Taco Bell (if you’ve ever had one).

Ingredients that go into savory pirog.

Cabbage Filling-

The chicken goes really well with the cabbage filling but if you want to leave the chicken out, you totally may!

When sautéing (lightly braising) the cabbage, cook until desired tenderness is reached. I personally like the cabbage to still have a firmer taste to them, while my husband likes them really tender. So, sauté to your personal preference.

Step-by-step photos of how to make savory pirog.

Piroshki (mini pirogs) are really common in the Ukrainian but the recipe stems from the Uzbek cuisine where they mostly make their pirogi as a large pirog (instead of the small piroshki we use in our Ukrainian kitchens, though they make them as well). Uzbek food is so delicious and oh so unique.

A slice of a savory pirog.

What filling can you use when making a pirog?

Popular savory fillings include cheesy potato, ground meat, sautéed mushrooms or like these with cabbage.

Sweet fillings can be either apples, berries, poppy seed or nuts.

What dough is used for a pirog?

A yeast dough is typically used for any pirog or piroshki.

This recipe for baked pirogi is so soft and just melts in your mouth it’s so delicious. Don’t be turned off by the mayo as an ingredient. It is the key ingredients in the dough and you cannot taste it once baked.

2 savory pirogs on a cheese board.

More Pirog-Style Recipes to Explore:

Chicken Cabbage Savory Pirog

4.92 from 34 votes
Author: Valentina Ablaev
The softest dough recipe with a savory chicken, cabbage and veggie filling. This pirog will melt in your mouth it's so good. Such a great twist on the traditional baked Ukrainian piroshki. This recipe makes 2 pirogi. 
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Dough rising: 2 hours
Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Servings: 6 servings

For the Dough:

For the Savory Filling:

  • ¾ lb chicken, thighs or breast, cubed finely
  • 1 tsp oil
  • ½ large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
  • 3 cups cabbage, shredded finely
  • 2 small carrots, grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 ½ tsp ketchup
  • 1 ½ tsp sour cream
  • 3 Tbsp favorite herbs, I mixed parsley and dill
  • 1 egg + 1 tsp water, beaten for egg wash
  • ½ tsp sesame seeds, optional

Instructions

Prepare dough:

  • Prepare dough. In a bowl, whisk mayo, oil, salt, water and milk. Sprinkle yeast over top of the mixture and sprinkle sugar over yeast. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel, let sit 5 minutes for the yeast to activate and become foamy.
  • Gradually add flour, mix until flour is well incorporated. Set dough aside to rise at room temperature, covered, 1 ½ to 2 hours (until the dough doubles, almost triples in size).

Prepare filling:

  • In a large skillet, on med/high heat, cook chicken on 1 tsp oil until fully cooked (about 2-3 minutes), stirring as needed. Remove from the skillet.
  • Sauté onion on 1 Tbsp butter until tender, stirring frequently. Add the 2 Tbsp butter, cabbage, carrots, garlic and water. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until cabbage is desired tenderness.
  • Add the ketchup, sour cream, herbs and the chicken that was set aside. Cook another minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat to cool.

How to assemble the pirog:

  • On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 2 equal parts (cover second dough). Roll out until about 12” round.
  • Take half of the cabbage filling and place it into the center of the dough, spread evenly (leaving about 3” of dough uncovered around the edges).
  • Gently start pulling the edges of the dough over the filling into the center to close the pirog. Continue going around until cabbage is completely covered. Pinch seams together.
  • Gently, flip the pirog over. Flatten the pirog as needed so it’s even in size and so the filling is evenly distributed. Gently flip the pirog and repeat with second pirog.
  • Brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sesame seeds and let rise 30-45 minutes.
  • Bake in a preheated oven to 400°F 18-22 minutes, until golden in color. 

Nutrition Per Serving

420kcal Calories39g Carbs17g Protein21g Fat7g Saturated Fat88mg Cholesterol558mg Sodium327mg Potassium2g Fiber4g Sugar3810IU Vitamin A16.2mg Vitamin C61mg Calcium2.8mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Cabbage Savory Pirog
Amount per Serving
Calories
420
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
21
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Cholesterol
 
88
mg
29
%
Sodium
 
558
mg
24
%
Potassium
 
327
mg
9
%
Carbohydrates
 
39
g
13
%
Fiber
 
2
g
8
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
17
g
34
%
Vitamin A
 
3810
IU
76
%
Vitamin C
 
16.2
mg
20
%
Calcium
 
61
mg
6
%
Iron
 
2.8
mg
16
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Russian, Ukrainian
Keyword: pirog
Skill Level: Medium
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 420
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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

Q: Have you ever explored the Uzbek cuisine? I’d love to hear about your favorite Uzbek recipes in the comments below. 🙂

Easy recipe for Chicken Cabbage Savory Pirog. Soft yeast dough filled with a chicken and vegetable filling | natashaskitchen.com

Valentina Ablaev

I am Valentina, the creator behind the food blog Valentina’s Corner where I share our family’s favorite recipes. When I am not in the kitchen, I enjoy spending quality time with my husband and 5 children. We invite you to join us on our blogging journey!

Read more posts by Valentina

4.92 from 34 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Vera
    February 6, 2021

    Very delicious!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 6, 2021

      Thank you!

      Reply

  • Helen
    November 21, 2020

    Hi Natasha, Iam Polish, I make pirog like my mum use to. We would always fill it with kasha boiled in milk and butter, we would add farmers cheese. She would add sour cream and butter milk but I don’t add those. It is one of my favorites. The dough is different very simple water, oil, flour salt and baking powder. We it gets cold I fry pieces in a little butter and oil. Delish!!! I will have to try this recipe it looks delishous.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 21, 2020

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I hope you try and enjoy our recipe!

      Reply

  • Emily
    July 7, 2020

    Hi Natasha! Thank you so much for your amazing recipes. When I tried to make the dough, it turned out very, very dry. I’m wasn’t sure if a dough that dry would be able to rise properly. Do you know where I might have gone wrong?

    Reply

  • Lori Kurochkina
    June 29, 2020

    I made this filling yesterday (with a different dough recipe that is yeast-free) and it tasted wonderful. I have some extra cabbage that I want to use up. Do you think I can make this filling in advance and freeze it, and thaw it out once I am ready to make piroshki next time? Thanks.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      June 29, 2020

      You may definitely freeze the pirog once it’s completely cooled. To reheat: thaw and bake until warm. Enjoy, Lori.

      Reply

  • Ina
    June 5, 2020

    If I were to make a sweet poppy seed filling, how would you make it?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 5, 2020

      Hi Ina, I haven’t tested it with a poppy seed filling so I can’t advise without experimenting first. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!

      Reply

      • Ina
        June 5, 2020

        In this post it mentions That you can also make it with sweet fillings, perhaps Valentina knows? However made it the savoury way today, super delicious

        Reply

  • Katya
    May 14, 2020

    Natasha, do you think it will be the same result if I buy dough from Publix ?
    Thank you !

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 15, 2020

      Hi Katya, we don’t have a Publix around here so I can’t say or advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.

      Reply

  • Ali Ann Stramilov
    April 21, 2020

    Amazing. Another winner from Natasha! I didn’t have chicken so I subbed salmon. It was delicious! I was skeptical about how sticky the dough was to roll out yet it turned out perfectly and looked just like the picture! Spacibo!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 21, 2020

      That is awesome to know that salmon works well this with the recipe too! Thank you for sharing and for giving this recipe a try.

      Reply

  • Veronica
    October 29, 2019

    Hi Natasha,

    Can this be made the day before and baked in the oven the next day? If so, do you recommend leaving it in the fridge or freezer over night? And will this change the cooking time and temperature?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 29, 2019

      Hi Veronica, I have not experimented with that to advise. I’d love to know how you like it if you test that.

      Reply

  • Mary
    July 28, 2019

    Love it! Mine didn’t turn out as flat, but delish.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 29, 2019

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  • Oksana K
    June 4, 2019

    This is my husbands favorite)) Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 4, 2019

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you both enjoyed it

      Reply

  • Diana
    May 2, 2019

    This was tasty but for some reasons I thought the filling was on the sweet side. I’m not sure what would make it sweet. I like my savory dishes more savory so I made one as written and in the other I added feta cheese.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      May 3, 2019

      Hi Diana, the only ingredients here that might add sweetness are the carrots and ketchup. Using too much carrots might lend it to taste sweeter. Also, (this might not be the reason at all), but is it possible sugar was added by mistake instead of salt?

      Reply

      • Diana
        May 3, 2019

        Nope, definitely didn’t add sugar but potentially too many carrots. I used two bigger ones. Also the ketchup. Next time I’ll skip the ketchup and put tomato paste instead. Thanks!

        Reply

  • Olga
    February 18, 2019

    Hey, could I use ground chicken instead?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2019

      Hi Olga, I haven’t tried that but I imagine that could work.

      Reply

    • Sara
      December 15, 2019

      I used ground chicken and it worked.

      Reply

  • Lena
    February 7, 2019

    I have made this multiple times already, and the entire family loves it! Thank you for a great recipe! I would like to try a sweet filling for this… You mentioned berries. I habe frozen blueberries that I wanted to use in the filling… Could you give me an idea what proportions of which ingredients should go inside, so the pirog doesn’t become runny?

    Thank you in advance!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      February 8, 2019

      Hi Lena, I haven’t tested it with blueberries so I can’t advise without experimenting first. If you try it out, let me know how it goes! 🙂

      Reply

  • Esther R.
    December 23, 2018

    Made this tonight and it was delicious! I replaced the chicken with mushrooms to make it vegetarian. Great recipe!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      December 24, 2018

      Thank you so much for sharing that with me :).

      Reply

  • Oxana
    October 28, 2018

    Hm…what consistency the dough should be after I add 2 cups of flour? It sticks to a bowl and especially to my hands. I made this pirog twice and both times the dough was so sticky so I had to add more flour. It would not double even after 2h…but anyway-it is very delicious!

    Reply

    • Marina
      November 27, 2018

      Yes, I was wondering the same thing. I mixed the dough in my kitchen aid and it’s really sticky. I added half a cup more flour and it’s still sticky.

      Reply

    • December 19, 2018

      Hi, Oxana and Marina! If all of the ingredients are measured out correctly, the dough should soft and pliable and NOT stick to your hands. There’s only 2/3 cup liquid to 2 cups flour.
      You may need to add a few tablespoons of additional flour, depending on the brand of flour you use. I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Derek
    October 21, 2018

    I made this today and it is one of my favorite things I’ve cooked in a long time. The only problem with it is that I ate so much of it I made myself feel bad. Wonderful recipe.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 22, 2018

      I guess that’s a good problem to have? haha! I’m so happy you loved it! Thanks for sharing this with us Derek!

      Reply

  • Michelle F
    October 19, 2018

    After mixing in the flour, how long do you knead the dough?

    Reply

  • Olga
    September 22, 2018

    It is my best cabbage pie ever. The dough is something special. The only thing I did differently is replaced chicken with hard boiled eggs (made it Russian style). Thanks, Valentina and Natasha.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 22, 2018

      We are so happy you enjoyed that! Thanks for the wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Sharon
    September 6, 2018

    Is the calorie count for 1/6 of one of the pirogis?

    Reply

  • alina
    August 22, 2018

    Hi! How can this be made ahead? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      August 22, 2018

      Hi Alina, I think it is best fresh, but it can be reheated in the oven the next day.

      Reply

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