Grilled Pierogies

5 from 1 vote

These delicious grilled pierogies are made with dumpling wrappers to keep it simple and a cheesy, smooth potato filling. After grilling, they're golden and crispy on outside but the inside remains soft and fluffy!

Prep Time30

Cook Time27

Total Time57

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Polish

Diet: Low Salt, Vegetarian

Servings: pierogies

Calories: 58kcal

Author: Joss Dyckson

Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups russet potatoes peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup yellow onions diced
½ cup cream cheese softened--about 4 ounces or ½ a brick
2 tablespoons chives diced
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon pepper
24 dumpling wrappers about 4” in diameter
canola oil or olive oil to coat the pierogies
BBQ sauce and/or sour cream for serving

US Customary - Metric

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 8-10 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 (along with the butter they were cooked in) into the mashed potatoes until the cream cheese is melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill the Pierogies

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of potato filling onto the center of a dumpling wrapper (depending on the size of the wrapper). I tend to spread the filling towards the sides a little bit to avoid air pockets in the corners of the pierogi.
Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water, using your finger. 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.

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.

Notes

You're going to want to keep a small bowl of cool water on hand when filling the dumplings and work quickly to enclose the pierogi while the wrapper is still wet.
They don't need to look perfect but ensure a good seal so that they don't open up during cooking, causing the filling to pop out! Also, try not to overstuff them for this same reason--but you still want enough filling to get a good bite of that soft, cheesy, mashed potato without any air pockets.
While you aren't actively using the wrappers, make sure to keep them covered so that they don't dry out.
If need be, you can substitute with wonton wrappers. It won't be exactly the same texture as they are a bit thinner and square-shaped but I have tried it and it still makes a delicious grilled pierogi. What I do is take a 4" circular cookie cutter and cut them into round pieces.
What to do with leftover wrappers? Try chopping them up, frying them in some butter until golden and crisp and then sprinkling with cinnamon sugar. Delicious!
For a make-ahead option, you can prep these fresh pierogies and store them in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days before bringing them out to grill.
You can store the grilled pierogies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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. Thaw in the fridge.

Nutrition