How to Cook Perogies – The Best Ways

Perogies are a beloved dish in Eastern and Central Europe, known for being a variety of dumpling often stuffed with either sweet or savory ingredients. If you’ve found your way here, it’s likely because you’ve encountered these at grocery stores and, driven by curiosity, decided to bring a package home. Now, you’re interested in learning how to prepare perogies. You’re in luck, as this is precisely the information you seek.

The article will let you know all the popular ways of cooking the dumpling. Perogies are available in different variations and we will let you know how to cook all varieties. To make things even easier for you, we will discuss everything in step by step guide.

Different Ways to Cook Pre-Cooked Perogies

While purchasing the perogies, you will find them at two variations. The most popular variation is the Frozen pre-cooked Perogies. Then comes the frozen uncooked Perogies which should be labeled as “Fresh Frozen”. Make sure to check the label to get more details about the varieties.

This particular part of the article will let you know how to cook Pre-Cooked Perogies. You can cook them in various ways that include boiling, frying, sautéing, and baking.

Boiling Perogies in Microwave

The quickest way to make your perogies ready is by boiling them in a microwave. Here is how you can do that:

1. Begin with unpacking the perogies and adding them to a large and microwave-safe bowl.
2. Now add enough water to cover the perogies entirely.
3. Afterward, put the bowl without any cover to the microwave and put it on high power.
4. Allow the perogies to cook for about five minutes.
5. Now turn off the microwave and carefully remove the bowl.

Your perogies should be ready now. Drain the water and serve them warm.

Boiling Perogies in Usual Stove

If you don’t have a microwave, you can boil them on your regular stove. Here is how to do it:

1. Choose a large pot that can accommodate all the perogies. Add enough water to it to submerge all your dumplings. Put the pot on the stove for boiling without the perogies.
2. Once the water starts boiling, add the perogies. Let them cook until they are floating.
3. The perogies should start floating within around five minutes. Cook them for two minutes more, making it around seven minutes.
4. Now you can collect the perogies by draining the water or scoop out them with spoons.

That’s it, the perogies will be ready to serve. Note that, the perogies arrive as pre-cooked, you don’t need to boil them for a long period.

Sautéing the Perogies

If you enjoy fried foods, you can consider sautéing the perogies. You can either saute them frozen or after boiling. The procedure is pretty quick. Here is how to do it:

1. Add olive oil, or butter, or both in a large skillet and put them in medium heat. After one or two minutes, add the perogies carefully to the pan.
2. Keep cooking the perogies until they become tender and lightly browned. Make sure to stir the pan frequently.
3. If you are sautéing the frozen perogies, it should take around 8 to 10 minutes, or a bit more based on the number of dumplings.
4. For the boiled one, it shouldn’t require more than 2 to 4 minutes. You can take them off once they become lightly brown.

If you prefer sautéing, make sure to eat the cooked dumplings when they are warm for the best taste.

Baking the Perogies in Oven

You can also bake the perogies in the oven for quick preparation. Following the method, you can end up with crispy perogies. Here is what to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 204-degree Celsius or 400-degree Fahrenheit.
2. Now put a baking sheet on the tray and grease it slightly with the cooking spray.
3. Bake the perogies for 10 minutes and then flip them. Now put them in the oven for another 10 minutes.

So, your perogies should be ready within 20 minutes. You may add some cooking spray or melted butter to the top before putting them in the oven for a better result.

Deep Frying the Perogies

Follow this method if you prefer the perogies deep-fried:

1. Choose a big and deep pot or skillet and then add fill it with 2-3 inches of cooking oil. Or, there should be enough oil to submerge the perogies.
2. Now heat the oil at 350-degree Fahrenheit. You may use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature.
3. Afterward, carefully add the frozen perogies to the pot one by one. Never drop them on the oil as it can cause splatter. You may use a slotted spoon to safely place them on the oil.
4. Cook the perogies for around four minutes. Once you are done, take them off one by one using a spoon.

Make sure to remove the excess oil by laying the perogies on a paper towel-lined plate. If you are dealing with a large batch, consider cooking in two or more batches for ease and convenience.

How to Cook Fresh Perogies (Not Pre-Cooked)

If you have bought or made fresh perogies, you should cook them following the below-mentioned procedure. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Boil enough water in a big pot to submerge all your fresh perogies. Make sure to add some pinches when the water starts boiling.
2. Add the perogies into the pot once the water starts fully boiling. After adding all of them, stir for a while to prevent sticking.
3. Boil the perogies for around five minutes. They should start floating in the meantime. You can now separate them from the water.

That’s it, your perogies are ready. You can now saute them or deep-fry to bring the preferred taste.

Conclusion:

The delicious perogies are pretty quick and easy to prefer. They can be a unique and excellent side dish or even the main dish on occasions. In the above, we have discussed all the popular ways of cooking dumplings. We hope you will find the cooking guides useful.