Pelmeni are famous Russian meat filled dumplings. This recipe has a really unique dough that is so easy to make and is a dream to work with. Serve them boiled until they are tender or pan fry until golden and crisp.
Pelmeni are a staple in the Russian cuisine. Almost every country has a dumpling filled with meat in its repertoire - pierogi, ravioli, tortellini, wontons, etc. Similarly, in the the Russian culture, Pelmeni are a big part of the menu. The dumplings have a ground meat and onion filling, encased in a tender dough.
These recipes get passed down from generation to generation. We have been making them in my family for as long as I can remember. With my Mom and sisters, we would have Pelmeni making days, making HUGE batches to store in the freezer to have on hand for quick dinner options. I love traditions like this one. Homemade Pelmeni are such a treat and a labor of love.
Traditionally, the dough is made from water, flour, egg and salt and the filling is ground meat, salt, pepper and onions. Although I love this classic recipe and grew up making, about 15 years ago I experimented with a different type of dough and I was instantly converted.
This dough is an absolute dream to work with. I don't even use any extra flour to roll it out, it doesn't stick to my hands and is soft and pliable. I even use it to make Blueberry Vareniki too. The texture of the pelmeni is very tender too. This recipe will give you 150-200 pelmeni. You can easily halve it and make less. With a little butter and sour cream, this is the ultimate comfort food for Slavic families.
What Are Pelmeni?
Pelmeni are Russian meat filled dumplings. They are tiny morsels that are a perfect mouthful. In most cases, they are boiled in water, however, they can also be sauteed in butter until the dough is golden brown.
In Russia, one of the most famous types of pelmeni are the Siberian pelmeni. It is said that the women would make large amounts of pelmeni and take them outside in the winter, where they would freeze quickly and be stored for many warm dinners in the cozy izba (cabin).
Ingredients:
Pelmeni dough:
- butter
- water
- all purpose flour
- salt
- eggs
Meat Filling:
- ground meat (most of the time ground pork is used, but you can also use ground chicken, turkey or beef)
- salt, pepper, dry herbs and spices
- onions, garlic
How To Make Pelmeni Dough:
- Make the first part of the dough in a pot on the stove.
- Bring the water and butter to a boil.
- Add the salt and two cups of flour all at once, mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon, until the flour is incorporated and comes together.
- Next, take it off the heat, cool slightly.
- After that, finish making the dough in a mixing bowl. You can use a stand mixer, hand mixer or your hands. It's very easy to work with.
- Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl, and add the eggs, one at a time.
- Add the remaining flour, mixing until combined.
- Cover, and set aside, letting the dough rest for about 20 minutes.
If you want to try another dough, I really like this one from Natasha's Kitchen.
How To Assemble the Dumplings
(Traditionally, raw onions are used in Pelmeni, either chopped finely or grated. They have a really strong flavor, so I prefer to saute them first before adding to the meat filling. Cooking the onion and garlic mellows out their flavor and adds a sweet note to the onions, not harsh.)
- Make the Meat Filling.
- Melt butter in a skillet. Add the onions and cook for about 5-7 min, until tender and starting to turn slightly golden. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, cooked onions and garlic, salt, ground black pepper, any dry herbs and spices that you like and ¼-1/3 cup water.
- Next, roll out the dough. I like to roll it out thinly, but be careful that it's not too thin, or the filling will come out, or the dough will tear easily.
- After that,shape the assemble the pelmeni.
- Cut out circles in the dough. I use a biscuit cutter that is 3 inches wide.
- Place 1 heaping Tablespoon of meat filling in the center of the dough.
- Fold the circle in half, bringing the edge of the dough over the meat filling and lining up with the edge of dough on the other side. Seal the edges together, sealing the pelmeni, making sure to push out any air. If there is any air inside the pelmeni, they will burst when you cook them.
- Bring the corners of the half moon shaped dumpling together, creating the classic Pelmeni shape.
Best Way to Cook and Serve
You can cook the pelmeni right after making them. That's my favorite dinner while having a Pelmeni making party. Of course it's necessary to taste test the Pelmeni and make sure they turned out alright:).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, just like you would for making pasta. You can add a bay leaf and some peppercorns to the water for extra flavor.
After the water comes to a boil, add as many pelmeni as you want to cook. Keep the water at a medium rolling boil, until the pelmeni float to the top and for only about 5 minutes after that. Don't overcook them or they will fall apart. Drain the pelmeni and serve them hot with a generous helping of sour cream on the side. (You can also serve the Pelmeni with some of the cooking water, using it like a broth.)
Another delicious way to serve Pelmeni is to pan fry them until golden on both sides. Usually, in my family we boil the Pelmeni first, drain them and then transfer them to a skillet with butter and pan fry. However, you can also place them into the skillet raw, saute until golden on both sides. You will need to cook them a bit longer, to make sure the meat filling is completely cooked through.
How To Freeze Pelmeni
Pelmeni freeze beautifully, in fact, that is how we store the majority of the Pelmeni that we make.
- Sprinkle flour on a wooden board or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Next, arrange pelmeni in a single layer on top of the flour.
- Place in the freezer for 20-30 min, until the pelmeni are completely frozen and hard.
- After that, transfer the pelmeni to a freezer ziptop bag or an airtight container and store in the freezer for 6 months or up to 1 year.
When cooking frozen Pelmeni, there is absolutely no need to thaw them first.
Helpful Tips
Pelmeni are usually served on their own, with sour cream. You can also add them to soups, they can serve as both a dumpling and meatball in one:).
Other garnish options:
- fresh herbs, especially dill, parsley, and/or green onions.
- melted butter
- a splash of vinegar with some of the pelmeni cooking water
- sauteed onions and bacon
Most of the time ground pork is used, but you can use any ground meat that you want. I also like using ground chicken. Ground beef or ground turkey are also good options. Make sure that the ground meat that you use isn't too lean, or the pelmeni will be tough and dense.
Other Filling Options:
Add some sauteed mushrooms to the meat filling.
Some fresh herbs will also be a great addition, such as dill or parsley.
1. Don't roll out the dough too thin.
2. Make sure to get out as much air as possible when sealing the dumplings. If there is any air inside, the pelmeni will burst when cooking.
3. Don't overcook the pelmeni. If you cook them too long, they will fall apart. The dough is really tender and the dumplings are small, so it doesn't take too long to cook them.
Keep your freezer stocked with these delicious Russian dumplings. They are so convenient to have on hand.
You can freeze them from 6 months to a year, as long as you pack them well to protect from freezer burn.
Pelmeni
Pelmeni - the famous Russian meat-filled dumplings. This recipe has a really unique dough that is so easy to make and is a dream to work with. The pork filling has the addition of napa cabbage, onion and garlic, which add flavor but also make the filling incredibly tender.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 150-200 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Main Course
Ingredients
Dough:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup or 8 oz butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 cups all purpose flour
Meat Filling:
- 3 lbs ground meat (I prefer pork or chicken)
- 2 onions (finely chopped)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons butter
- 2 ½ - 3 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ - 1 Tablespoon dry herbs and spices, optional
- ¼ - ⅓ cup water
Instructions
Pelmeni Dough:
- In a medium pot, bring the water and butter to a boil.
- Add the salt and two cups of flour all at once. Mix vigorously with a wooden spoon.
- Take off the heat, cool slightly and add the eggs.
- Add the remaining four cups of flour. Mix until combined.
- Cover, and set aside, letting the dough rest for about 20 minutes.
Meat Filling:
- Melt butter in a skillet. Add the onions and cook for about 5-7 min, until tender and starting to turn slightly golden. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, cooked onions and garlic, salt, pepper, herbs and spices and water. Mix to combine.
Assembling the Pelmeni:
- Roll out the dough into a thin sheet. (While assembling the dumplings, keep the remaining dough covered, so it stays soft and pliable, protecting it from drying out.)
- Cut out 3 inch circles, using a biscuit cutter or a cup. Place 1 heaping Tablespoon of meat filling in the center. Fold the dough over in half, sealing the edges together.
- When sealing the edges together, make sure to squeeze out all the air, so the pelmeni don't burst open while cooking.
- Take hold of the corners and pinch them together, creating the classic pelmeni shape.
To cook:
- Add 1 bay leaf, and some peppercorns to a pot of water. Season with salt and bring to a boil.
- Add the pelmeni, (no need to thaw if using frozen Pelmeni). Cook just until the pelmeni float to the top, for about 5 min. Make sure not to overcook them.
- Drain the water or use some of it and serve it with the pelmeni as a broth.
- Serve with sour cream. Other garnish options are melted butter, sour cream, vinegar, fresh herbs, sauteed onions and bacon.
Notes
Freezer Storage:
- Sprinkle flour on a wooden board and arrange pelmeni in a single layer on top of the flour. You can also use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place in the freezer for 20-30 min, until the pelmeni are frozen hard.
- Transfer the pelmeni to a freezer ziptop bag or an airtight container and store in the freezer for 6 months - 1 year.
This is an updated version of the Pelmeni recipe that was published originally on January 24, 2012. I updated the photos and clarified the instructions.
Hi Olga,
Would this dough work with pelmeni mold?
I really want to make some, and I was hoping I could use the mold.
Thanks!
Yes, but you will need to use flour to roll out the dough and make sure to use a lot of flour on the pelemeni mold to make sure the dough doesn't stick to the mold. I don't use any extra flour to roll out the dough when making them by hand, but if you use a mold, you will definitely need to use flour, otherwise the dough will stick to the mold, the pelmeni will rip.
Olga,
I made pelmeni long, long ago (when I was a teenager) and I was craving them. So I thought I would give your recipe a try. I definitely agree, the dough is super easy to work with, thank you for it. I halved the recipe, which was perfect. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Best, Jenny
Hi Jenny, I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the pelmeni dough:). Thank you for taking the time to write.
Hi Olga.
Can you make the dough ahead of time please.
Thank you.
I haven't tried it, so I'm not sure, Jolanta. If you try it, I recommend wrapping it up well, so it doesn't dry out.
You have nailed it again Olga! Our family loved this recipe. Thank you!!
Hi I am so confused by your recipe it says 8oz of butter or one cup of butter or 8oz. 8oz of butter is 1/2 a cup and how much are you supposed to use. 8oz or 16oz. ??
I see that you mention cabbage in the filling but I don't see it in the ingredients or the directions. I would love to try these with cabbage.
If you want to add cabbage, slice it very thinly and saute it until tender. Cool then add to the filling.
Hello Olga,
Your recipe looks delicious! In your ingredients list you say 1/2-1 tbsp Herbs and Spices. Would you mind telling me specifically which ones you use and how much of each so I can make them as close to yours as possible.
Thank you for the recipe!
Dan
Hi, after looking in pantry and smelling my herbs I think sage would go well.
Amazing recipe!!! I just got married and made this for my mother and father in law, I had eaten pelmeni since I was a baby but never made them myself. I was so nervous to cook these for them but they were incredible- I used turkey instead of pork because I prefer it and it was perfect- everyone loved it. Thank you Olga!!
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed them, Avigeya!
Olga, thank you for this BOMB recipe!!! The dough is fun to make, a dream to work with, and most importantly...Delicious! Your recipes never fail! Everything I make from your blog is always "yummylicious" as my kids say!
THANKS VERY MUCH! Sour cream rang a bell for me and I called my sister [in whose town the restaurant is located in Alaska]- she agrees that's how we ate it, too! Onward to the recipe -- and maybe even Pelmeni for dinner tonight.
I have a question I am hoping you will answer for me. As a child, we ate pelmeni made by a Russian friend. I remember loving it, and getting excited when she would bring over a big batch for our family! A new restaurant has opened in my sister's town in Alaska and they serve only Pelmeni. It has a choice of 3 kinds of sauce -- one seems to be very spicy [Siracha?]. Another seems to have curry. I can't identify the third - which is tasty. Granted, I am OLD [70], but I don't remember a sauce. Can you help? I haven't eaten Pelmeni in years, but of course, the memory is making me crave it -- and finding your recipe has me ready to try making some. Thank you so much for any help you are able to give me.
Hi Pam.
In our family we always serve Pelmeni with sour cream. We never use any sort of sauce and everybody I know does the same. I haven't heard of anybody serving it with any sort of sauce. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more.
I've been making Pelmeni my whole life, and this dough is the best thing since sliced bread. It makes the process of rolling and cutting and folding so much easier! Thank you so much!!!!
I'm so happy to hear that, Kat. I love how easy the dough is to work with.
Hi Olga, Can you freeze the dough only for future use? Thank you!
I have never tried it, Peter.
Hi Olga, I been making pilmeni for about 25 years. I use to old fashion way,egg,no egg,sour cream, milk,sparking water,you name it,witch is much harder to make,but the comes out very nice.my mom use to make them just with flour and boiling water, witch was very easy to make but the dough was very plane and had no flavor. Your recipe was the best dough I ever work with,but when I boil them,they all came a part.what did I do wrong? Any tips on that.thx
Do you think I can add eggs and not use a butter? Maybe butter makes it to much tender and soft
This is the recipe that I use, Alina. I did not try it with eggs and no butter. If you want to experiment, that is great! I can only recommend what I can personally vouch for.
I also have other recipes, but the dough is harder to work with. This dough is very tender, so you need to be careful not to overcook the Pelmeni. They take less time to cook than the traditional Pelmeni dough. I have found that they come apart when you overcook them.