The Extra Step That's Totally Worth It For Air-Fried Pierogi

Whether you whip up a homemade pierogi recipe yourself, buy frozen ones from the grocery store, or pick up made-from-scratch pierogies from a local Polish spot, the air fryer may be your go-to appliance to cook the dumplings. This handy appliance makes it quick and easy to turn out pierogies for a snack or full meal, but there is one extra step that is worth slowing down the process. For the best air-fried pierogies, we consulted Rachel Kirk, a recipe developer for Laughing Spatula, who offered some expert advice.

"Consider boiling if you're using a pierogi with a thick texture or a meat filling," Kirk says. "This will help ensure everything is already fully cooked before air frying. It will yield a more tender interior, but the exterior will crisp up, but still be somewhat tender and a light golden color." We've shared before that the best way to cook pierogies is to boil the Polish-style dumplings, so the additional step makes perfect sense. To use the two techniques together, boil them for a couple of minutes, drain them, then put the pierogis in an air fryer set at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Obviously the size of the pierogies (and the power of your air fryer) may vary the cooking times slightly.

Of course, there are some cases where you don't necessarily have to boil pierogies before they go into the air fryer. "If you choose not to boil them first, this is perfect for a softer filled pierogi (think mashed potato filled)," she says. "Spray them with olive oil (or non-stick spray) and place them in the air fryer until golden brown." For this option, it should just take around 12 minutes in an air fryer set at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whether you boil the pierogies or not, there are easy ways to get a nice crisp exterior. "If you like a crisp finish, consider an egg wash and breadcrumb coating (similar to an onion ring coating)," Kirk suggests. "This will yield a similar texture to deep-fried raviolis! Crisp and crunchy on the exterior, soft and pillowy on the inside. Don't forget that olive oil spray to help brown them up."

When they come out of the oven, top the dish with caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, parsley, or chives for more flavor. To finish it off, serve it with sour cream like your local Polish eatery. To be clear, you can easily apply any of these techniques and upgrades to other types of dumplings, too.