These grilled pierogies are made with dumpling wrappers to keep it simple and a cheesy, smooth potato filling. It’s a great, savory side dish that can be eaten alone, with a protein or with other sides, from dips to grains to vegetables.
While it is customary to boil and/or pan fry them, grilling them gives them a summery touch with their smoky, crispy grill marks and soft interior. They can be served with the suggested BBQ sauce or stick to the classic sour cream.
Pierogi, a Polish word, can be spelled in different ways including: pierogy, pirogi, perogy, perogi, pyrogy, pyrogie, etc. Pierogi is actually plural, but they are commonly called pierogies or perogies in North America, including in my household, so that is the spelling I am sticking with for this recipe.
Grilled Pierogi Ingredients
- Dumpling wrappers – Instead of making a dough from scratch, the dumpling wrappers will help to keep the prep time down and keep them consistent in size.
- Russet potatoes – Russets are a great choice for pierogi filling because of their texture.
- Yellow onions
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Salt and pepper
- Chives
- Olive oil or canola oil – This is to coat the pierogies so that the dough doesn’t stick to the grill.
- BBQ sauce (for serving) – Using BBQ sauce goes hand in hand with grilled food, but feel free to use a different condiment like sour cream.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing goes better with a potato side dish more than meat. I recommend grilled brats or smoked sausage, specifically kielbasa, for its smokiness that will pair well with grilled food. Another meat that pairs well is bacon, especially when you can sprinkle it over the pierogies. We have a recipe for grilled bacon.
As for vegetables, sautéed vegetables like onions and mushrooms are some of the best choices. Since the pierogies themselves are already filled with two types of onion, it is fitting to add more onion to the dish. Mushrooms have an earthy taste and a texture that goes well with pierogies. They would also be great served with another side like our grilled avocado recipe.
This recipe offers BBQ sauce for dipping, but it is not the only sauce that you can dip your grilled pierogies in. The most popular dip or condiment is sour cream. It goes with the cheesy potato filling, the slight tang gives your tastebuds a break from the saltiness, and it is thick enough to hang onto the dumplings.
Storage Info
It is easy to store leftover, cooked pierogies. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For the freezer, make sure you use a freezer bag.
When it comes to dumpling dough, if they are touching each other, they can stick and may rip a hole when you try to pull them apart later on. To keep this from happening, freeze them separately on a sheet pan first, then place them in the freezer bag together. This should help keep the dumplings from sticking.
Grilled Pierogies
Ingredients
- 2 cups russet potatoes - peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup yellow onions - diced
- ½ cup cream cheese - softened (about 4 oz.)
- 2 tablespoons chives - diced
- ½ teaspoon salt - or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 24 dumpling wrappers - about 4” in diameter or whatever size you can find
- Canola oil or olive oil - (to coat the pierogies)
- BBQ sauce and/or sour cream - for serving
Instructions
For the Filling:
- Place the cubed potatoes in a pot and add just enough water to cover them. Sprinkle with some salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Drain and mash the potatoes. A potato ricer works great. Set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook them, stirring constantly, until softened (about 5 minutes).
- Stir the cream cheese, chives and onions into the mashed potatoes until the cream cheese is melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper.
To Fill the Pierogies:
- Moisten the edges of a dumpling wrapper with water, using your finger. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of potato filling (depending on the size of the wrapper) onto the center. Try not to overfill them.
- Fold in half and press the edges together to seal them tightly. Place onto a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
- Repeat with remaining dough wrappers and filling.
To Grill the Pierogies:
- Preheat your grill to medium heat and then turn off half of the burners to get 2 heat zones: one side with indirect heat and the other with direct heat.
- Brush both sides of the pierogies with the oil, so that they don’t stick to the grill. Place them onto the indirect-heat side of the grill (the area with no flame underneath). Close the grill and cook for 10 minutes.
- Move the pierogies to the direct-heat side of the grill (where there is flame underneath) and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes per side or until the pierogies are golden and puffy on both sides.
- Let cool for a few minutes as the filling will be hot. Serve with BBQ sauce and sour cream or desired condiments.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Did you enjoy cooking your pierogies on the grill? Let us know what you thought of this recipe in the comments and please share it!