Pierogi, also known as pierogies, perogi and perogies, are a gift from Central and Eastern Europe. If you've been missing out on these delicious little dumplings filled with potatoes, fried onions, and cheese (or many other options) because you are gluten-free, your wait is over!
Pierogi is considered the most iconic dish of Poland. Some cookbooks from the 17th century describe the pierogi as a staple of the Polish diet, with different shapes and fillings for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, and weddings. Eastern European immigrants brought pierogi to the United States and Canada, where they became especially popular in Polish and Ukrainian communities. Now, frozen ones are widely accessible, and we can make our own gluten-free ones!
This gluten-free pierogi recipe was requested by a few readers, and I'm happy to oblige! They are easier to make than I thought they would be!
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Ingredients
- Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour - I like this blend for convenience. The flour that you use makes a big difference in the way a gluten-free recipe turns out. If you make up a batch of this one, you'll have it to use in other recipes, too.
- Tapioca flour - (also known as tapioca starch) gives the dough more stretch, which works well for this recipe
- Potatoes - Russet potatoes are great for mashing. You could also use Yukon Gold or whatever kind you have on hand.
- Cheese - I recommend cheddar cheese but have tried this recipe with fiery habanero. That gave the pierogi some heat!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Plan to cook and mash the potato filling and let it cool, make the dough and let it rest, and then shape your pierogi. They can either be cooked right away or later.
Step 1: Boil the potatoes. Fry the diced onion. Shred the cheese.
Step 2: Mash the boiled potatoes with onions, cheese, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Whisk together the flours, salt, and xanthan gum.
Step 4: Whisk together the egg, oil, and water.
Step 5: Using the dough hook on a stand mixer, slowly pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and run until it forms a smooth ball.
Step 6: Roll out the gluten-free pierogi dough on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin to ⅛" thick and cut into round shapes 3- to 3 ½-inches in diameter.
Step 7: Scoop tablespoons of filling and place one in the center of each round cutout.
Step 8: Pinch the dough into a crescent shape around the filling for each pierogi.
Step 9: At this point, the pierogi may be refrigerated or frozen to cook later.
Step 10: Fry chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
Step 11: Set the bacon aside to drain on paper towels.
Step 12: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the pierogi one by one and boil them for a couple of minutes until they begin to bob to the surface.
Step 13: While the water is coming to a boil, add some butter to the frying pan and gently saute the sliced onions over medium heat.
Step 14: Lift each pierogi with a slotted spoon from the boiling water and place it in the hot skillet with the frying onion. Brown the pierogi on both sides and add the bacon back in to warm it up.
Hint: If you have trouble shaping your pierogi and pinching the edges, there are two things that can help. Make sure that your fingers are well floured, so they don't stick to the outside. You could also dab a little water onto the inside edges to help them stick. I didn't have any trouble with this dough, though.
What to Serve with Potato Pierogi
Serve your fresh, hot pierogi with sour cream, kielbasa sausage, roasted vegetables, and/or a green salad.
Testing
We had lots of pierogi to eat as I tested this recipe, and we enjoyed every one of them! I tried one batch with a spicy cheese, and that would be good for those who enjoy the heat. Sometimes, my husband puts Sriracha sauce on the ones with regular cheddar cheese.
Variations
There are several different fillings that can be used in pierogi. Besides mashed potatoes, fried onions, and cheddar cheese, you might try:
- farmer's cheese
- cabbage
- sauerkraut
- meat
- mushrooms
- spinach
For dessert pierogi, experiment with jam or fruit fillings:
- cherry
- strawberry
- raspberry
- blueberry
- apple
- plum
Equipment
There are a few pieces of equipment that make this recipe easier.
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A stand mixer takes the effort out of preparation, making this and countless other gluten-free recipes much easier to whip up.
If you have a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, shaping balls of filling is a breeze!
Meal Prep
Assembling pierogi can be a little fiddly, but with this recipe, they go together well. You can shape your pierogi ahead of time. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a day or two or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then boil and fry them just before serving.
Storage
Store any leftover cooked pierogi in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer to be reheated later. It's really best, though, to just cook what you'll be consuming right away. Store any extras to be cooked later.
Top Tip
Planning is key for this recipe because there are several steps involved. Read the instructions before you begin. Chop, shred, and assemble your ingredients. Then, enjoy the process!
FAQ
Yes, you certainly can make pierogi with gluten-free flour! However, because there is such a wide variety of gluten-free flours, I would caution you to use only the flour that has been tested in the recipe. My all-purpose flour blend works in a range of non-yeast recipes and has been adapted specifically for pierogi with the addition of extra tapioca flour and xanthan gum.
You can store cooked pierogi up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat it by pan-frying, giving it time to heat through to the middle.
Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
This makes just enough for this recipe. If you'd like to make a whole batch, go to the recipe here.
While I highly recommend measuring by weight with kitchen scales rather than volume (cups) for accuracy and successful results, I have included measurements in US cups.
Making a whole batch of Cathy's Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend will be even more accurate and more convenient for future baking projects.
Makes: 2 cups / 325 grams
- 98 g (½ cup) white rice flour
- 98 g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) brown rice flour
- 49 g (½ cup) tapioca flour
- 49 g (½ cup) potato starch
- 16 g (4 teaspoons) potato flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 ½ teaspoons powdered pectin
Recipe
Gluten-free Pierogi
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer optional
- 1 biscuit/cookie cutter (Mine was 3¼-inches in diameter.)
- 1 cookie scoop optional
Ingredients
Gluten-free Pierogi Dough
- 2 cups CGF All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
Pierogi Filling
- 1 pound potatoes
- ½ yellow cooking onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
For Serving
- ½ yellow cooking onion sliced
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- sour cream
Instructions
Filling
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them in water until they are tender.1 pound potatoes
- Meanwhile, fry the diced onion in a tablespoon of butter over low-medium heat until it becomes soft and translucent, or the potatoes are done.½ yellow cooking onion1 tablespoon butter
- When the potatoes have finished cooking, drain and mash them with the diced onion, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Allow to cool.½ teaspoon fine sea salt¼ teaspoon ground black pepper¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Dough
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.2 cups CGF All-Purpose Flour1 cup tapioca starch1 teaspoon fine sea salt½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- Whisk the egg and oil with the water.1 cup cold water1 large egg3 tablespoons avocado oil
- Using the dough hook of the mixer, run it on low speed while you slowly pour in the liquid mixture. Then, turn the speed up to medium and run it until the dough forms a nice smooth ball, about a minute. For best results, allow the dough to sit for about half an hour for the flour to absorb the moisture.
Assembly
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface (I usually use rice flour) to about ⅛-inch (3 mm) thick. Cut into rounds 3 to 3½-inches (7-9 cm) in diameter.
- Scoop one tablespoon of cooled filling, form it into a ball, and place one into the middle of each round cutout. Using your floured hands, form the dough around the filling and pinch the outer edges together. Set each one aside as you shape the remaining pierogi.
- At this point, the pierogi may be refrigerated or frozen to be cooked later.
Cook and Serve
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Fry the chopped bacon, drain, and set it aside.6 slices bacon
- Add a few pierogi at a time to the boiling water. Boil them until they start to pop up to the surface of the water, a minute or two.
- In the same frying pan you used for the bacon, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and stir it occasionally. As the pierogi bob to the top of their boiling water, remove them with a slotted spoon to the frying pan with butter and onions. When they brown on one side, flip them over to brown and become a little bit crispy on the other side. Keep an eye on the onions, so they don't burn. (Depending on the number you are cooking at one time, you may need to remove some browned pierogi from the pan and keep them warm while you cook the rest.)2 tablespoons butter½ yellow cooking onion
- As the pierogi finish browning, add back the bacon to warm in the frying pan. Serve with sour cream, if you wish.sour cream
Notes
- If they are sticking, add more flour to your fingers.
- If they won't stick together, add a little water to the inside edges.
Cathy Brak says
We're loving this pierogi recipe!