Pirozhki (Russian Fried Hand Pies)

About This Recipe

Pirozhki are small yeasted hand pies, either baked or fried, filled with anything from cabbage and egg to mashed potato or ground meat. The fried version, especially popular as a street and market snack, uses a soft, slightly sweet enriched dough that puffs up around the filling as it hits hot oil, developing a deep golden crust while staying tender inside. The cabbage filling, one of the most common, is cooked down slowly until it loses its raw crunch and turns sweet, then mixed with chopped hard-boiled egg for richness. Shaping matters here: the dough needs to be sealed completely, since a weak seam lets oil seep in and makes the pie greasy rather than crisp. Sold from street carts and markets across Russia, pirozhki are grab-and-go food, eaten out of hand while still warm, a practical way to turn simple pantry fillings into something satisfying.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 3.5 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 cupwarm milk
• 2.25 tspactive dry yeast
• 2 tbspgranulated sugar
• 1egg
• 3 tbspmelted butter
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 4 cupsgreen cabbage(shredded)
• 2hard-boiled eggs(chopped)
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(for filling)
• 2 cupsvegetable oil(for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Whisk yeast and sugar into warm milk and let sit 10 minutes until foamy. Mix in egg, butter and salt, then work in flour until a soft dough forms. Knead 5-6 minutes.

2. 2

   First rise

   Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until doubled.

3. 3

   Make the cabbage filling

   Cook shredded cabbage and onion in oil over medium heat for 15-18 minutes until soft and lightly golden, stirring often.

   Cook the cabbage until it's genuinely sweet and collapsed, not just wilted — undercooked cabbage filling stays watery and bland.

4. 4

   Finish the filling

   Cool the cabbage slightly, then mix in chopped hard-boiled eggs and season with salt.

5. 5

   Shape the pies

   Divide the risen dough into 12-14 pieces. Flatten each, add a spoonful of filling, and pinch the edges tightly closed into an oval shape.

6. 6

   Second rise

   Let the shaped pies rest, covered, for 15-20 minutes.

7. 7

   Fry

   Heat oil to 350°F in a deep pot. Fry the pies seam-side down first, 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown.

8. 8

   Drain and serve

   Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Variations

• •

  Fill with mashed potato and sauteed mushrooms instead of cabbage for a different classic filling.

• •

  Bake instead of fry at 375°F for 18-20 minutes, brushed with egg wash, for a lighter version.

• •

  Use ground beef and onion filling for a heartier, meal-sized pirozhki.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes to re-crisp rather than microwaving. Freeze baked or fried pirozhki up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions