Potato and Cheese Pierogi with Buttery Onions
Not rated yet. Be the first.
Sour cream dough, a filling of potato, cheddar and sweet onion, and as many hands as you can find to fill and pinch. Boil them, then brown them in butter and onions, because the crisp edges go first.
The short version
Mix a sour cream dough and rest it 30 minutes, mash potatoes with cheddar and caramelized onion, cut rounds, fill and pinch. Boil 3 to 4 minutes after they float, then brown in butter and onions. About 1½ hours, 28 pierogi.
What makes ours better
small changes, very loud compliments
-
Put sour cream in the dough. It keeps the dough soft and easy to roll thin, and it stays tender after boiling instead of turning chewy.
-
Mash caramelized onion into the filling. Plain potato and cheese is mild. A third of a cup of sweet, deep-golden onion gives every bite something to taste, and you cook the onions once for both the filling and the skillet.
-
Boil first, then brown in butter. Boiling cooks the dough through; a few minutes in the onion skillet gives them golden, lightly crisp edges. It's the difference between dumplings and pierogi.
What you need
check the pantry before you promise anyone
- All-purpose flour2 cups
- Sour cream½ cup
- Egg1 large
- Unsalted butter10 tablespoons
- Yellow onions2 large
- Russet potatoes1 pound
- Shredded sharp white cheddar1 cup
Dough
Filling and onions
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
go slow. the good part can’t be rushed.
-
Mix and rest the dough
Stir the flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the sour cream, egg, oil and water in a small bowl, pour it in, and stir with a fork until shaggy. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 3 to 4 minutes, until the dough is soft, smooth and barely tacky. Wrap it and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Resist adding extra flour. A dough that's a little soft rolls out thin; a stiff one cooks up tough.
About 30 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Caramelize the onions
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 15 to 20 minutes, until deep golden and very soft. Scoop ⅓ cup into a bowl for the filling and leave the rest in the skillet.
About 18 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Make the filling
Boil the potatoes in well-salted water until a knife slides in with no resistance, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and return them to the hot pot for a minute to steam dry. Add the cheddar, ¼ cup sour cream, 4 tablespoons butter, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper and the reserved ⅓ cup onions. Mash until smooth, then spread it on a plate and cool completely.
Warm filling softens the dough and makes the pierogi hard to seal. Cool it all the way, about 20 minutes on a plate.
-
Roll and cut the dough
Cut the dough in half and keep one half covered. On a lightly floured counter, roll the other half out to about ⅛ inch thick, thin enough that you can see the counter's color through it. Cut rounds with a 3½-inch cutter or a wide glass.
-
Fill and pinch shut
Set a heaping tablespoon of filling on each round. Dab water along the edge, fold it over into a half-moon, and press the edge firmly from one end to the other, pushing out any air. Set the pierogi on a floured sheet pan, not touching. Gather the scraps, rest them 5 minutes, and roll again. Repeat with the second half.
A little filling in the seam keeps it from sealing. If a pierogi leaks in the water, that's usually why.
-
Boil in batches
Bring a big pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil. Slip in about 10 pierogi, stir once so none stick to the bottom, and cook until they float and then 3 to 4 minutes longer. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a plate.
About 4 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
-
Brown in butter and onions
Return the skillet with the onions to medium heat and melt the last 2 tablespoons butter in it. Add the boiled pierogi in a single layer, in batches if needed, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden in spots. Serve hot with sour cream and chives.
About 5 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
read this before somebody asks for seconds
- Farmer's cheese, dry-curd cottage cheese, or a mild cheddar all work. Keep the cheese sharp and the filling a little more seasoned than seems right, since the dough dilutes it.
- To freeze, set the filled, unboiled pierogi on a floured sheet pan until solid, then move them to a freezer bag. Boil straight from frozen and add 1 to 2 minutes.
- Prefer a sweet-and-savory finish? Brown them in butter with a few slices of crisp bacon, or serve with applesauce.
- Storage. Cooked pierogi keep in the fridge 3 days; re-crisp them in a buttered skillet. Uncooked, frozen on a sheet pan then bagged, 3 months.
Questions, answered
asked and answered at the kitchen counter
Why are my pierogi tough?
Usually the dough had too much flour worked in or was rolled too thick. Keep it soft, rest it for the full 30 minutes, and roll to about ⅛ inch.
Why did my pierogi open in the water?
The seam had filling or flour on it, or the water was boiling too hard. Wipe the edge, dab with water before pinching, and keep the pot at a gentle boil.
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Wrap it well and refrigerate up to 24 hours; let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before rolling so it isn't stiff.
Can I freeze pierogi?
Yes, uncooked. Freeze them in a single layer on a floured pan, then bag them. Boil from frozen for 1 to 2 minutes longer, then brown in butter.
How do I know when pierogi are done boiling?
They sink at first, then float. Give them 3 to 4 minutes after they float; the dough turns slightly translucent and puffs a little.
Can I use a different filling?
Sauerkraut with a little sautéed onion is the classic second filling, and mushrooms or farmer's cheese with a pinch of sugar are common too. Drain sauerkraut well and chop it fine.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
tell me the truth, then tell me who had thirds
Tap a star
- No reviews yet. Yours would be the first, and I’d read it twice.
Find it in
Published October 29, 2026.