These homemade Pierogi filled with cheesy potatoes, tossed with crisp bacon and melted butter, and served with sour cream is the ultimate comfort food. They can be served as the main dish or as an irresistible side.
Pierogi are as classic to Eastern European cuisine as Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Piroshki, and Schnitzel. They will never go out of style. Watch the video tutorial and you’ll be enjoying pierogi in no time.

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What Are Pierogi?
Pierogi are dumplings with a tender dough and savory or sweet fillings, similar to ravioli. They are boiled in water and tossed in butter to serve. Pierogi are a staple in Eastern European countries, especially Poland, where they are the national food, but we grew up eating them in Ukraine, and they are well-loved throughout the world.
Most Americans know them as Polish pierogi and buy “Mrs. T Pierogies” (a sad store-bought version), but my homemade pierogi (or Ukrainian “Vareniki”) will blow the frozen ones out of the water!
Pierogi Recipe Video
See how easy it is to make homemade pierogi with Natasha’s classic recipe! Be sure to note her tip on how to make the pretty fluted edge and easy stuffing using her favorite mini-scoop to add the potato filling. Now gather some friends, and let’s get rolling!
*Note that we updated the recipe in 2024 to include more oil for a softer and more tender dough and knead the dough for less time.
The Best Pierogi Recipe
If you haven’t tried pierogi before, you’re about to fall in love. These are the best of a warm, cheesy loaded baked potato in a bite-sized dumpling. This pierogi recipe makes 50-60 perfect dumplings, enough to freeze for later or serve a large crowd.
Growing up, this potato pierogi recipe, or “Vareniki” was my favorite, so it was a no-brainer that it needed to be included in Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook. My Mother and sisters rolled huge batches of pierogi dough, stuffing, and expertly molding them. Each buttery batch disappeared so fast! These days my kids love rolling the dough and crimping every dough pocket.

Ingredients
You’ll love the simplicity of the ingredients – they are pantry and refrigerator staples.
- Liquid Ingredients – combining warm water, milk and sour cream adds fat to the dough and flavor.
- Oil – we use extra light olive oil, but any mild-flavored oil will work. The oil makes the dough very soft and easy to roll out.
- Egg – binds the dough, room temperature eggs mix more easily
- Salt – adds flavor to the dough and cooking water
- Flour – all-purpose flour works great but measure correctly so the dough isn’t dense.
- Potato Filling – we combine russet potatoes, salt, butter, and cheese. Russets will give you the smoothest and creamiest filling. Our go-to cheeses are cream cheese and mozzarella but you can substitute with cheddar, havarti, or your favorite cheese.

Can I use Leftover Mashed Potatoes?
As a shortcut, use leftover mashed potatoes for the filling (avoid instant or flaked potatoes), just be sure they aren’t overly creamy or soft, which can make the pierogi fall apart. To use leftover mashed potatoes for pierogi, simply omit the butter from the filling and be sure the leftover mashed potatoes are cold when mixing.
Pierogi Filling Variations
While this potato and cheese version is my favorite, pierogi variations are endless, from sweet to savory! Here are some of my favorite pierogi recipes for any occasion—Holidays, weeknight dinners, breakfast, and even dessert. If you have a unique filling that you make, please share in a comment below!
- Savory Meat-filled dumplings (a.k.a. “pelmeni“)
- Sweet Blueberry Pierogi served sprinkled with sugar
- Cherry Pierogi – another summertime favorite
- Sweet Plum Pierogi (or use your favorite stone fruit)
- Cabbage – use drained braised cabbage
Tips for Making Perfect Pierogi
This recipe makes the best pierogi! If you’re new to making pierogi or want to perfect your skills, here are some tips to ensure success:
- Don’t overcook potatoes – they can become waterlogged and too loose.
- Avoid over-kneading dough that develops gluten making it tough, chewy, and difficult to roll out.
- Rest the dough – this allows the gluten to relax, making it much easier to roll out.
- Keep the dough covered – wrap it in plastic when not actively using it so it doesn’t dry out.
- Roll dough thinly – it should be about 1/8″ thick. If it’s too thick, it can seem dense.
- Keep dough edges clear – don’t overfill, and avoid getting potato or any filling on the edges of the dough circles or it will be difficult to seal. I use this mini-scoop to help with clean portioning, but you can use a couple of teaspoons to portion.
- Tightly seal – I prefer to double crimp (go over the edges twice) to ensure a tight seal so the contents don’t seep out while boiling
- Cook in Batches – Don’t overcrowd your pot; allow the pierogi some room to float to the top.
- Don’t overcook pierogi – if the dough gets too soft, the filling might escape into the cooking water.
- Butter right away – toss freshly cooked pierogi with melted butter to prevent sticking.


How to Freeze Pierogi
This recipe makes a large batch, so you can make the pierogi ahead and cook when you’re ready to eat.
- After shaping the dumplings, dust a baking sheet with flour and arrange the pierogi so they aren’t touching. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.
- Once frozen, transfer to a large freezer-safe zip-top bag to store for up to 3 months.
- When ready to cook, drop the frozen pierogis into the boiling water and continue with the recipe per the instructions.

What to Serve with Pierogi
These cheesy pierogi can be served as a side dish or the main course. We include a dollop or bowl of sour cream for dipping. Other dipping options include butter sauce or plain yogurt.
To serve as a side, build your Eastern European menu with these traditional pairings for pierogi:
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Borscht
- Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Marinated Mini Bell Peppers
- Sauerkraut
- Homemade Kielbasa
- Buckwheat
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
If you have leftovers, pierogi keep well in the fridge and freezer. Make sure they have cooled to room temperature before storing.
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freezing: Arrange cooked pierogi in one layer or dust with flour to prevent sticking in an airtight container for 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw cooked pierogis in the refrigerator. Boil until warm, about 90 seconds, heat in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, or pan fry in butter until warm.

You are sure to fall in love with this pierogi recipe immediately! The cheesy potato filling and bacon-butter topping make these pierogies irresistible. Grab a few extra hands, and roll these delicious dumplings today!
Pierogi Recipe

Ingredients
Ingredients for Potato Filing:
- 2 lbs russet potatoes, (5 medium), peeled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
For the Pierogi Dough:
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 3 Tbsp extra light olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, (plus more for cooking)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
For the Toppings (For 1/3 batch):
- 4 oz bacon, chopped
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- sour cream, optional, to serve
Instructions
How to Make Potato Cheese Filling:
- Place potatoes in a pot, add enough water to cover potatoes then bring to a boil over medium/high and continue cooking 25 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain and cool 5 minutes then mash potatoes until smooth.
- Mash in 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp melted butter and 2 oz cream cheese. Mash in 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Partially cover and set aside while rolling out the dough.
To Make Pierogi Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if mixing by hand), whisk together 1 cup warm water, 1/4 cup milk, 2 Tbsp sour cream, 1 egg, 3 Tbsp oil, and 1 1/2 tsp salt until blended.
- Using the dough hook attachment (or wooden spoon if done by hand), add 2 cups flour and mix on speed 2 until incorporated. Add remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, letting it incorporate before adding more. Add the last bit of flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, just until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, or to your hands. Knead on speed 2 or by hand for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
How to Mold Pierogi:
- Divide dough into 2 pieces. Cover the second piece and thinly roll the first piece out onto a floured surface to just under 1/8” thickness.
- Use a 3” diameter round cookie cutter to cut circles from the dough, keeping them as close as possible (collect scraps and keep covered to re-use). Add 1/2 Tbsp of potatoes over each round (a mini scoop makes portioning easy).
- To form pierogi, pull the 2 edges together and pinch tightly to seal. To ensure a tight seal, crimp the edges a second time with a pinch and twist motion. Cook or freeze pierogi for a future dinner (see freezing instructions in post).
How to Make Bacon Topping:
- Make the topping before boiling pierogi so it’s ready to drizzle over pierogi to prevent sticking. In a medium skillet, saute bacon. Once crisp, melt in 2 Tbsp butter and remove from heat.
How to Cook Pierogi:
- Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. Add fresh or frozen pierogi in batches. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the water has returned to a boil and the pierogi float to the top. Remove to a bowl with a strainer or slotted spoon drizzling buttery bacon between layers.
Notes
Recipe updated 4/4/24 – we added oil to the dough and reduced the kneading time for a softer, more tender dough.
Hello Natasha,
My Baba would use the traditional farmers cheese in her perogies but after living in America for awhile she started using a mix of cheddar and ricotta. Everything looks great and I love your website. Do you have a recipe for the kapusta?
Thank you, Vlad! What kind of cabbage recipes are you looking for? Here are some recipes involving cabbage for you. Braised Cabbage , Cabbage with beef , Sauerkraut
Hello, Natasha. I am wondering if you have an approximate weight for 10 medium potatoes in this recipe. I tried making the vareniki and the mashed potatoes turned out to be really creamy and harder to form into the dough. They are still very good when they are done though. 😉
I am also living in Indonesia and potatoes are very varied in sizes here.
Hi Arini, 10 medium potatoes will weigh approximately 4 pounds.
Hello, Natasha. I am wondering if you have an approximate weight of 10 medium potatoes for this recipe. I am currently living in Indonesia and potatoes here are very varied in sizes. 🙂
Hi Arinka, I’m so glad you discovered our blog! 10 medium potatoes will be about 3.5 to 4 pounds.
For the cream cheese, the recipe says half a package (4 ozs). Does this mean half of a 4 oz package or use 4 ozs? Sorry for such a silly question.
Hi Christine, that is a great question – it is meant to say: “or 4 oz” So the total is 4 oz.
Hello Natasha, years ago, perhaps an older version of your website, you listed a pierogi press/maker you recommended. Your website looks very much different now than it did when I last visited, so I’m assuming the comment is lost in the past. Do you happen to remember or have a press you would recommend?
Hi Jonathon, I usually only use this form when I make pelmeni (the meat filled smaller dumplings). I haven’t come across a great one for these larger vareniki pockets and press them by hand.
Looks delicious! I had a Ukranian roommate make some vareniki for me a while ago, and they were so good! I’m going to try this recipe 🙂
Question: how do you pronounce vereniki?
I hope you love the recipe! It is pronounced very close to how it is spelled. 🙂
This sounds wonderful! How many people does this feed? We have six people in our family. Kids are 8 and under. Do you think this would make enough?
Hi Katherine, oh yes, this will make plenty. The full recipe will serve 15 people – we make the full batch and freeze at least half of them (see freezing instructions above).
My grandmother, who was from Lviv, always made her pierogi with farmers cheese as a filling, and we would brown them in butter after boiling them and have lots of sour cream ready (YUM!). I look forward to trying your pierogi as a wonderful variation!
Yum, that sounds delicious! Please let me know what you think of this recipe Deborah!
My Grandmother (Baba) made 3 fillings in her pierogis. Potato and cheddar cheese, saurkraut, and prune. The potato and cheese, self explanatory. The saurkraut, she would take the kraut, chop it up in small pieces, and fry it with some butter and onions for a filling. The prune, she would take whole prunes that were soaked in water overnight, chop and mash them for the filling (instead of using lekvar). She would make one whole batch of dough for each filling. And then they would be served with butter sauted onions. Her pierogi dough had 4 ingredients. Flour, salt, water and only egg yolks (no whole eggs). Most tender dough ever.
Thank you so much for sharing your Grandmother’s versions. They all sound so good!
Hi Natasha, if I were to cut this recipe in half- would I just cut the dough recipe in half as well? https://natashaskitchen.com/2011/05/09/russian-pelmeni-recipe-new-dough-recipe/
Thanks!
Hi Mary, yes you would cut both in half proportionally. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂
Hi Natasha, I made salted cottage cheese vareniki using your dough recipe, except I didn’t have butter milk, so I used half&half instead. They turned out great, so soft. Thank you for the recipe 😃
MMM that filling sounds amazing!! Did you strain the cottage cheese? And thank you for sharing the substitution idea! That’s a great idea if someone doesn’t have buttermilk 🙂
This is the first time I’ve known what pierogi were or heard the term vareniki, but I’m sure when I make them they will be known as fruit or potato jiaozi in my home. They look scrumptious, I can’t wait to try.l
They are so delicious Katherine! 🙂
I use sharp cheese in my pyrohy and don’t have a problem with them coming apart. Topped with butter and onions they’re delicious. Leftovers can be sautéed till golden brown. Good with salsa.
Martha, thank you for that with us 😁. Reading your comment is making me hungry for some vareniki.
Cool recipe have not had these in years since baba made them for me when i was a kid. Turned out well for my first attempt. Thanks for the recipe
Isn’t it awesome how food brings back memories? Thanks for sharing that with us 🙂
This is Ukrainian dish, never being russian.
You know, I think you’re right! I didn’t realize I had put that, although Russian and Ukrainian people make and love these, I do think they are Ukrainian in origin. Thanks Eve! 🙂
eve you better not interfere if you are not familiar with the topic!
I cannot wait to make these. My Dad’s side of the family is Ukrainian. I remember my Grandmother making these when ever we would visit. I truly did not appreciate these until I was older. I may or may not have sneaked into the kitchen in the middle of the night to fry me up a few of delicious morsels.
The memories surrounding food are the best! I feel the same way about the soups my Mother made while growing up which I absolutely love NOW! 🙂
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for the recipe- it’s fantastic… Making them for my Ukrainian husband, his parents and grandparents- big shoes to fill if I’m to make them up to standard.
But wow I’m exhausted half way through and with a toddler under my feet and a 7mth pregnant belly in the way covered in flour I’m only half way through and I just can’t make any more today.
I’m wondering if I can out the dough wrapped in glad wrap and the filling in the fridge and finish them tomorrow without ruining the dough?
Thanks in advance,
Hi Rachel, you are a trooper to be making these at 7 months pregnant with a toddler! Usually if I have dough leftover, I find it’s a little harder to work with after refrigerating, so I just make dumplings out of it; I make a thin log of dough and slice of small pieces then boil in salted water or you could put them in broth or some kind of soup.
Have a question – my mom used to make these all the time – she was from Russia – but we didn’t use the cheese – just potatoes and onions. She mashed the potatoes and put in sautéed onions – next day if there were any left, we would fry them up in butter. Is this still a way? Thanks
Yes, absolutely! My mom made them that way as well. You can mix in anything you like or even just use leftover mashed potatoes.
Thank you for your reply. I was wondering if you are from Europe and maybe came her to the USA. Just curious, you don’t need to reply, but I am always asking because we lost so many people there before coming to the USA. Valentina
Hi Valentina, I was born in Ukraine and moved to the US when I was 4 years old.
Hello Natasha:) I made these and froze them and I was wondering if I put them in the water while they are frozen will they crack? so excited to eat them they look wonderful!
You can put them in boiling water. Don’t thaw, just put them from the freezer into boiling water.
Hi Natasha. I just want to correct you. Vareniki is NOT a classic Russian recipe, but UCRANIAN. Maybe you have mistaken tham with PELMENI?
I didn’t realize that! Thanks for pointing that out. I knew they were served in both places but I wasn’t sure about the origin. Thanks Julia! 😉
Pemleni doesn’t use potatoes as a filling, but the Russians did adopt vareniki from the Ukrainians, since Russia has been close to Ukraine over the millenniums, maybe not so much recently, but many people living around Kiev for generations always considered themselves ethnically Russian, like part of my family.
It’s always great to learn the history of certain foods. Thanks for sharing!
Pelmeni* What was I thinking posting that? Amateur work.