Learn how to make the best Air Fryer Pierogies from fresh or frozen.

This homemade Air Fryer Pierogies recipe is one of our favourite quick & easy snacks or appetizers to prepare when a craving for Polish comfort food hits.

We like to Air Fry Pierogies with sliced onion and chopped kielbasa sausage. Serve the crispy Polish dumplings with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

In under 30 minutes you’ll have perfectly browned potato and cheese dumplings to serve at your next Polish dinner party!

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Table of Contents

What Are Pierogies?

Pierogies are filled dumplings that are made by wrapping unleavened dough around a savoury or sweet filling and cooked in boiling water. They are considered Poland’s national dish, often served at festivals and special family gatherings.

The origin of the pierogi is disputed as dumplings have been popularized around the world for thousands of years. Some legends say that the original pierogi recipe came from China through Italy via Marco Polo’s expeditions.

Other backstories contend that the pierogi was brought to Poland by Saint Hyacinth from Kiev, Ukraine. Yet another tasty tale holds that pierogi arrived thanks to the Tatars from the former Russian Empire. The exact origins may never be known, but we’re certain that an easy recipe for homemade pierogies is worth passing on.

Homemade Air Fryer Pierogies can be cooked from fresh or frozen.

Travel to Poland by Cooking Air Fryer Pierogies at Home

I love traveling to Europe.

As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Europe, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.

For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best pierogies. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at Eastern European restaurants in Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Estonia, Latvia and Russia.

In Poland, I feasted on plates filled with pierogies in Krakow’s finest restaurants including the dining rooms at Sheraton Grand Krakow and Hotel Kanonicza 22.

After you’ve enjoyed your first few sour cream dunked dumplings, you’ll realize why pierogies are a must-try taste in Poland!

An easy way to prepare the Eastern European comfort food dish at home is to air fry pierogies and serve them with sour cream and shredded cheese.

We tested this Air Fryer Pierogies recipe in a Hamilton Beach Air Fryer.

Best Air Fryers

An air fryer is a small countertop convection oven designed to simulate deep frying without submerging the food in oil. A fan circulates hot air at high speed, producing a crisp layer via browning reactions.

In 2010, Philips introduced the Airfryer brand of convection oven at a consumer electronics fair in Berlin. It used the patented Rapid Air technology, though the term air fryer is now used generically.

Early air fryers were barrel-shaped, though more recently, many have come to resemble toaster ovens and pressure cookers, offering additional functions like toasting, baking, dehydrating and rotisserie.

A decade after their launch, Air Fryers are now one of the trendiest kitchen appliance. They are particularly popular with gourmands living in condos or apartments in big cities like Toronto as they reduce the number of appliances taking up space in your kitchen.

Hamilton Beach: I tested this recipe with a Hamilton Beach toaster oven-style air fryer. They are an excellent option for those looking for an affordable air fryer and I particularly like mine as it allowed me to replace my toaster, dehydrator and rotisserie. It’s also easier to spread food out and make it crispy by using a baking tray rather than a basket.
Instant Vortex: This popular air fryer is brought to you by the inventors of the popular Instant Pot. It’s 6 quart capacity features an easy to clean tray that air frys, roasts and bakes.
COSORI: This 5.8 quart air fryer is an 11-in-1 cooker featuring a nonstick basket and helpful shake reminder setting.
Ninja: This premium brand is the perfect option for those looking to invest in a heavy duty stainless steel air fryer. The product has been designed to look similar to an Instant Pot, with the top of the air fryer flipping backwards so you can easily lower a basket filled with food.
NuWave: This sleek digital air fryer features a traditional removable basket and reaches temperatures up to 390 F.

Toss pierogies with melted butter, sliced onions and chopped kielbasa sausage.

My Family Loves To Air Fry Pierogies

My family loves pierogies.

I was born in Edmonton in Alberta, which is known for having one of the largest Polish and Ukrainian immigrant populations in Canada.

My parents fell in love with pierogies during the years they lived on the prairies, enjoying the plump dumplings at local restaurants or at church potlucks.

Pierogies are popular across Canada today and considered one of our ubiquitous national foods. They’re available for purchase at grocery stores in the freezer section and are even an appetizer at Swiss Chalet.

If you live in a town or city with a local Polish or Ukrainian church the congregation will often run fundraising initiatives selling cabbage rolls and pierogies. My parents have a church just 2 minutes up the street from them in Oakville where they like to buy fresh pierogies.

I love making homemade pierogies in the winter as a fun activity to keep cozy in the kitchen on a cold day.

When my family bought an Air Fryer we wanted to test out some of our favourite recipes to see how they’d turn out.

We learned Air Fryer Pierogies can be prepared from fresh or frozen. The pictures in this recipe showcase the step by step instructions on how to make frozen pierogies in an air fryer.

If you are cooking fresh air fryer pierogies you just have to cut back on the time so they don’t overcook.

Make sure to cook Air Fryer Pierogies tossed in vegetable oil or butter as this helps them get crispy during the cooking process.

We suggest cooking the Polish dumplings with kielbasa sausage and sliced onions as they’ll cook together. It saves you having to fry them in a pan. Less clean up makes me happy!

Spread out onions, sausage and pierogies on a basket before cooking in the air fryer.

How To Make Fresh or Frozen Air Fryer Pierogies

Our air fryer pierogies recipe is quick & easy to make, ready to serve in under 30 minutes.

There are two ways to air fry pierogies, which depend on the style of device you are using.

Traditional Basket: air fryers with a removable basket are still the most common. In order to make Air Fryer Piergoies in these machines, simply place the dumplings in the basket and shake to ensure they are evenly separated.
Toaster Oven Tray: modern air fryers featuring a glass door and tray configuration make it easy to prepare frozen pierogies in an air fryer at home. Simply place the pierogies in the basket and slide into the top position before closing the glass door.

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Remove Air Fryer Pierogies once the Polish dumplings are crispy and browned.

Air Fryer Pierogies Recipe Cooking Tips

You can purchase store bought frozen pierogies at the grocery store. We prefer Pelmen Pierogies. Or purchase fresh pierogies from a local European supermarket, Polish restaurant or make your own homemade pierogies.
You can cook fresh or frozen pierogies in an air fryer. Review our recipe card below to assess ideal cooking time.
Flip the Polish dumplings half way through the cooking time to ensure even browning.
If you are using an oven-style air fryer we suggest wrapping the bottom crumb tray in tin foil. Fat from the kielbasa will drip during the cooking process so this method makes clean up a breeze.
When we air fry pierogies we often serve them as a snack or appetizer with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Air Fryer Pierogies are best paired with fried onions and crispy kielbasa.

What To Serve With Air Fryer Pierogies

Air Fryer Pierogies are a quick & easy Polish dish you can enjoy as a snack or appetizer.

Back in college when my bank account was lean I was known to enjoy an affordable pierogi bowl as a cheap and comforting meal.

We’ve used classic potato and cheddar pierogies in this recipe but you can prepare air fryer pierogies using any of your favourite fillings such as potato and bacon, potato and roasted garlic, sauerkraut and mushrooms, or potato and cottage cheese.

Some pierogies are filled with fruit and can be enjoyed as a dessert dusted with icing sugar.

If you’re hosting a German or Eastern European dinner feel free to serve Air Fryer Pierogies with:

Serve Air Fryer Pierogies as a snack or appetizer at a Polish dinner party.

You May Also Enjoy These Air Fryer Recipes…

Serve Air Fryer Pierogies with sour cream and shredded cheese.

How To Make Frozen or Fresh Air Fryer Pierogies

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Air Fryer Pierogies

How to make an easy Air Fryer Pierogies recipe. Air fry pierogies from fresh or frozen and serve with onions, kielbasa, sour cream & cheese.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Polish

Keyword: Air Fryer Pierogies

Servings:

Calories: 434kcal

Equipment

Air Fryer
mixing bowl
spatula
French knife
cheese grater
measuring cups
measuring spoons

Ingredients

1 lb Fresh or Frozen Pierogies
250 g Kielbasa cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup Vidalia or Spanish Onion sliced
2 tbsp Melted Butter
1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
1/4 cup Sour Cream

Instructions

With the basket in the air fryer, preheat to 375 F.
Place the pierogies, kielbasa and onions in a large bowl and toss with melted butter.
Dump the pierogies, kielbasa and onions into the air fryer basket making sure they are one layer.
Cook for 10 minutes then shake or flip the contents of the basket then cook for an additional 10 minutes, until the onions are browned and pierogies are crisp.
Pour the contents of the basket into a serving platter and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Serve with sour cream for dipping.

Notes

If you are cooking air fryer pierogies that are fresh and not frozen cook them initially for 10 minutes, flip and cook for 2-3 more minutes until cooked to your liking.

Nutrition

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