This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Air Fryer Pierogies are a fast and delicious way to enjoy this classic comfort food. These soft pillow-like treats are made with potatoes and cheese and are a delicious, quick snack, side dish, or meal on their own. Ready in under 15 minutes, it’s the perfect side dish or easy meal solution.
For more easy ways to air fry frozen foods for meals, try my air fryer frozen chicken patties!
Quick Look At This Recipe
- ✨ Flavor: Soft, pillowy, potato and cheese.
- ⏱️ Prep time: 5 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 12 minutes
- ⏲️ Total time: 17 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 4 servings
- 🥄 Tools: Air fryer, basting brush
- 👩🏻🍳 Tip: Toss again in a touch of butter after cooking for extra richness
SUMMARIZE AND SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: Hot and cheesy air fryer pierogies are ready in under 15 minutes, just like my air fryer mozzarella sticks.
- Healthier option: Since there’s no frying, you need less oil which means a meal you feel good about feeding your family.
- Customizable: My method works with frozen, fresh, or mini pierogies with just a few modifications. Plus, there are endless topping options.
If you love to air fry pierogies, you’ll love these air fryer frozen potstickers too!
What are Pierogies?
Pierogies (also spelled perogies) are soft, pillowy Eastern European dumplings filled with either sweet or savory ingredients—think potatoes and cheese, sauerkraut and onion, or even fruit.
Traditionally boiled or pan-fried, these little pockets of comfort get perfectly crisp and golden in the air fryer with almost no oil. I first spotted frozen pierogies in my supermarket (I love Kasia’s brand), and they’ve been a freezer staple ever since. My go-to is the classic potato and cheese, but you can find varieties stuffed with cheddar, beef, or sauerkraut that all cook beautifully in the air fryer.
If you love these air fryer pierogies, try cooking frozen eggrolls in the air fryer next!
Ingredients
- Pierogies: Although you can make this recipe from scratch, I used frozen, already-made pierogies to keep this a quick snack or simple meal.
- Olive Oil: Tossing the pierogies in a small amount of olive oil helps the pierogi dough crisp up and brown properly during cooking.
Variations & Serving Ideas
Pierogies are delicious straight from the air fryer, but you can easily dress them up or make them part of a complete meal. Try serving your air-fried pierogies with:
- Classic dips: Enjoy sour cream, melted butter, or plain Greek yogurt on the side when serving. My favorite is sour cream!
- Traditional Polish toppings: Toss the cooked pierogies with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, air fryer kielbasa, or cabbage.
- Veggie sides: Pair with roasted vegetables, like air fryer broccoli and cauliflower, sauerkraut, or a crisp green salad for something lighter.
- Savory twists: Toss hot pierogies in garlic butter and sprinkle with parmesan, chives, or dill for serving.
- Flavorful dips: Pair with more unqiue sauces such as ranch dressing, marinara, spicy mustard, or a creamy cheese sauce.
How to Make Air Fryer Pierogies
To get started, preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) for 3–5 minutes if your model requires it.
- Spread your pierogies out in your air fryer basket. Baste the pierogies in olive oil or spray lightly with a non-aerosol spritzer.
- Air fry for 10–12 minutes, flipping the pierogies halfway through the cooking time. Serve while warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy them as a side dish with these juicy air fryer chicken drumsticks.
Air Fryer Pierogies Tips
- Oil Tip: Avoid aerosol sprays — the propellants can damage your air fryer’s nonstick coating. Use a refillable oil spritzer or brush on a light coat instead.
- Cook in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the basket. Leave space between pierogies for even air circulation and the crispiest results.
- Finish with Butter: Toss the hot pierogies in a touch of melted butter right after cooking for extra flavor and richness.
- Add Crunch: Want more texture? Sprinkle the pierogies with seasoned breadcrumbs before air frying for a crispy golden coating.
Air Fryer Pierogies Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! Fresh pierogies cook beautifully in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and cook for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway through. They’ll brown a little faster than frozen ones, so keep an eye on them toward the end.
You can, but they won’t get quite as crispy. If you prefer an oil-free version, try brushing them lightly with water before air frying to help the surface brown a bit more evenly. They’ll still cook through fine at 400°F for 10–12 minutes, but the edges will be softer rather than crisp.
Not all air fryers or pierogi brands cook the same. Wattage, basket style, and even the thickness of the dough can change how quickly they crisp up. The first time you make this recipe, treat it like a quick test run: start with 7–10 minutes at 400°F, then check and cook an additional 2–4 minutes until the pierogies are golden brown and crisp. Once you know how your air fryer and favorite brand behave, you’ll have the timing dialed in perfectly.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat them for 3-4 minutes at 350°F until they are heated through.
Nope! You should cook frozen pierogies straight from the freezer for the best texture. Thawed pierogies tend to stick and can fall apart more easily.
If yours are already thawed, reduce the air-frying time to 6–8 minutes at 375°F, flipping halfway through. Keep a close eye on them as they’ll crisp quickly since they’re already soft and pliable.
More Air Fryer Frozen Meals
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Frozen Okra
Appetizers
Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Frozen Brussels Sprouts
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Frozen Biscuits
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a STAR ⭐️ RATING in the COMMENTS 📝 SECTION below.
Air Fryer Pierogies
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 14 ounces pierogi, frozen
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Optional: Sour cream, carmelized onions, mushrooms, or your favorite dipping sauce.
Instructions
- Evenly lay each piece flat in the basket of air fryer. Try to keep them from overlapping or stacking so they can cook more evenly while they are air frying.
- Use cooking oil spray, brush olive oil, or toss to coat, covering both sides of each piece.
- Once they are lightly coated with olive oil, cook at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until they have a golden, crispy texture. Turn them over halfway through cooking.
- Serve warm with sour cream, onions, mushrooms, or any of your favorite toppings.
Video
Notes
- Oil Tip: Skip aerosol sprays. They can damage your air fryer’s nonstick coating. Use a refillable spritzer or brush on a light layer of oil instead.
- Cook in Batches: Don’t overcrowd the basket. Give the pierogies space so air can circulate for even browning and the crispiest texture.
- Finish with Butter: Toss the pierogies in a little melted butter right after air frying for rich, classic flavor.
- Add Crunch: For extra texture, sprinkle the pierogies with seasoned breadcrumbs before cooking to create a crispy, golden coating.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I put the frozen pierogies on parchment paper on my metal pan in the air fryer – covered with olive oil and garlic powder – cooked 6 minutes at 400 then turned over for 6 minutes more at 400 the pierogies were not brown at all and just kind of tough to cut through i do not have the basket style air fryer so what did i do wrong i was rather disappointed thanks for any ideas you may have
I am not sure what type of air fryer you have, but this article was written and these Pierogies were made in the Cosori 5.8qt basket style air fryer. If you’re air fryer is not the basket style, it’s definitely going to cook differently. You may need to lower the temperature and add additional cooking time to get them to cook slower.
Don’t use cooking spray, will damage appliance
Hi Fred. There are cooking sprays that will damage the air fryer for sure. We use olive oil or avocado oil spray, which is totally fine for the air fryer. Hope that helps!
Can I use butter instead of olive oil? I’m Ukrainian, make my own and normally fry them up in a pan with butter.
Absolutely!
Did you thaw them first, or did you just cook them from frozen?
Hi. I put them straight from freezer into the air fryer.
My husband made pierogies in the air fryer and they exploded on him lol. I’m not sure what happened.
Well dang, he may have cooked them at a much higher temperature. Not only that, but it could be your air fryer is “stronger” than the one used here. We use a Cosori 5.8 qt basket style air fryer and that is a 1700 watt air fryer. You will have to adjust to your brand. 🙂 Hope that helps!
When I prepare these I have a few steps before. I set temp for my oven to 400degressF for my bacon that I twist each slice and put on a parchment lined pan and bake for 15mins. remove and chop up while I slice onions and pan sear in butter on the stove top and keep warm. Fill a pot with salted water and parboil frozen perogies for 6-8 mins, drain in colander and set in sink. While you are doing all this preheat the air fryer. Place the boiled perogies in and set temp for 390degreesF for 3-5mins, turn over once and continue cooking until how well you prefer golden toasted, and take out of the air fryer, sprinkle bacon and drizzle onions and butter on top. Eat straight away with sour cream or ranch dressing and ketchup of course LOL. I grew up in a Polish family with homemade perogies but do not have the time to make them the traditional way so frozen from my Polish deli are great alternative. I find that taking the actual frozen perogies and placing in the air fryer straight out of the bag is just to tough and dry. So this method has been one I’ve experimented with and works really well.
Thank you for the extra tips! I didn’t start eating these until I was an adult and I LOVE them!