pierogi

American  

[pi-roh-gee] / pɪˈroʊ gi /

Or pirogi

noun

Eastern European Cooking.

plural

pierogi, pierogies

1. a small dough envelope filled with mashed potato, meat, cheese, or vegetables, crimped to seal the edge and then boiled or fried, typically served with sour cream or onions.

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Explanation

Pierogi are delicious Polish dumplings filled with savory mashed potatoes. If you order pierogi in a restaurant, they may be served with fried onions and sour cream on top. Potatoes are the most common pierogi filling, but they are sometimes made by wrapping dough around sauerkraut, ground meat, cheese, or even fruit. Pierogi are usually cooked in boiling water and then pan fried, giving them a lightly browned, crispy exterior. These tasty dumplings go by other names in different parts of Eastern Europe, but the Polish pierogi is derived from the Russian pirog, "pie."

Example Sentences

The parking chair, like the pierogi, has become a kitschy emblem of Pittsburgh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

A chance to reconsider not just the dumpling, but the story we tell about what Polish food is, though the pierogi rethink doesn’t stop at fillings.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2025

And it’s also quietly radical: pierogi as dinner solution, not just cultural nostalgia.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2025

I envision making big batches of pierogi or tamales over the weekend, or skipping the cans and soaking beans the night before so they can simmer a few hours before supper.

From Washington Post • Jan. 6, 2023

At night, she cooked soup and sausage and pierogi on a small hot plate she’d smuggled into the dorm room.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby