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Polish Meat Pierogi on a white plate with bacon bits

Polish Meat Pierogi

Course: Dinner, Main Dish
Cuisine: European, Polish
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Dough resting Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 378kcal
Author: Edyta
Meat Pierogi is an absolute staple in Polish cuisine.  For the filling, you can use up meat from a broth, or you can use up your leftover turkey, or you could just cook some pork, chicken, or beef for the filling of this pierogi
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Ingredients

For the Filling

  • 2 cups Shredded or pulled meat turkey, chicken, beef or pork
  • 1 Cooked Carrot
  • 1/2 Medium Onion chopped and fried
  • 1 tbsp Butter to fry the onion
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 cups Broth optional, to rehydrate the meat if needed

For the Dough

  • 3 cups Flour All-purpose
  • 1 1/4 cups Warm Milk Or Warm Water You can also use 1/2 cup of Milk and 3/4 cup of water.
  • 1 tbsp Melted Butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Instructions

For the Filling

  • Either cook or rehydrate your meat. See recipe notes for more details. If using meat on the bones, strip it from the bones and slightly shred it. Add to a food processor.
  • Chop and fry the onions in a tablespoon of butter for 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Let it cool slightly and add to the food processor.
  • Chopp cooked carrots and fresh parsley and add to the food processor, season, and pulse a few times.
  • Set your filling aside and prepare the dough.

For the Dough

  • If you have a standing mixer, just add flour, warm milk and/or warm water, melted butter, and a pinch of salt to the bowl. Then, use the dough hook to mix it until it's well combined. Once combined, continue kneading it for about 6-7 minutes.
  • If you don’t have a mixer, you can make the dough by combining all the ingredients and kneading it until it no longer sticks to your hand.
  • Once your dough is ready, you’ll need to let it rest. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. You’ll need it ready once you make your first batch of pierogi.
  • If you have a pasta roller extension for your mixer, divide your dough into about 4 or 5 pieces and start rolling them through the pasta maker until it’s thin (to about 1/8 of an inch). Make sure to keep your other pieces covered with plastic wrap.
  • If you don’t have a pasta roller, just use a regular hand roller and roll your dough in batches (again, to about 1/8 of an inch).

Putting it all together

  • Using a glass, cut out circles, then place a teaspoon or 1.5 tsp of the filling on every circle; press the edges of the dough together and use a fork seal the pierogi edges.
  • Place the pierogi that you’ve made into the boiling water. Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 3 minutes until they float to the surface.
  • Prepare the clean baking sheets. Splash a little oil on each baking sheet, remove the pierogi from the water with a slotted spoon, and place them on your oiled baking sheet. Then shake them a little bit to ensure that they’re covered with oil and not touching each other.
  • Continue with the rest of the dough and the filling until you’ve finished one full of them. When making pierogi, you may end up with excess dough or filling leftovers. Don’t stress about it.

Notes

The Meat
You can cook the meat.  Add chicken, beef, or pork to the broth with 1 or 2 carrots and cook until all is soft and meat can be easily taken off the bones. You should cook the amount of meat that can produce about 2 cups of shredded meat. If you cook too much meat, you can use it for tacos or pasta, so don't stress about it. If you cook too little, you can make a smaller batch of pierogi and adjust the next time.
You can use the meat from your Polish Chicken Soup. Just strip the meat of the bones and add it to the food processor.
You can use your leftover turkey. If you have turkey meat from your holidays, add it to the broth to rehydrate and add moisture. If you don't have cooked carrots, add them to the broth.
The Seasoning
Salt and pepper are a must, but you can add other seasonings to your liking. Some people like adding marjoram, garlic powder, onion powder, or magi seasoning (I always buy it in specialty Polish stores). Just taste the filling and adjust it to your liking.
Reheating Pierogi
Once the pierogi are dried out, cover them in a little oil, place them into the Tupperware, and eat within three days. The oil prevents them from sticking.
To reheat, just boil a pot of water and add them to the boiling water. Lower the heat and cook for a few minutes until they come to the surface. Now, you can eat them or add them to a buttered pan and slightly fry.
You could also fry them up directly from the fridge. Just melt some butter, add pierogi, and fry on each side until golden brown. I usually then add a splash of water and place a cover on top of the pan. It’s a similar technique to potstickers.
Freezing Pierogi
Place the baking sheet into the freezer, making sure that none of the pierogi are touching each other. Once frozen, place them in a plastic bag and store them for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 294mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2029IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg