But if I had the choice, Id almost always opt for a crisp and golden fried pierogi.
Air-fried, to be specific.
The air fryer, as we know, doesnot magically fry anything: its a petite convection heating system.
While the fan forces the hot air around the small interior space, high temperatures can be achieved.
Perhaps a similar texture to something that was deep friedor a nice piece of cardboard.
Thats why itsnot so good for toasting sliced bread.
Frozen pierogi have an exterior of, essentially, dry pasta.
Putting that in the air fryer simply dries it out while reheating the filling.
The finished pierog will be edible, but the skin will have a floury taste and pasty texture.
Those are the air pockets that develop after hydrating and quickly evaporating moisture from the shell.
After boiling, the pasta becomes soft and pudgy with water molecules.
Biting into this thin, bubbly sheet feels light and crisp, not hard.
I like to toss the pierogi in a bit of butter and salt before air frying.
This helps conduct the heat of the air fryer even more evenly, and it tastes good.
Two birds, you know?
If youre air frying homemade fresh pierogi, only boil them until they float; about two minutes.
Air-Fried Pierogi Recipe
Ingredients:
8-10 frozen pierogi
12 tablespoon butter
Pinch salt
1.
Fill a medium pot with water.
Bring it to a boil.
Drop the pierogi into the boiling water and cook them almost completely.
Check out the packages directions for boiling and subtract two minutes from the timing.
Depending on their size, this could take five to eight minutes.
Mine were medium-sized and I boiled them for seven minutes.
While theyre boiling, add the butter and a pinch of salt to a wide mixing bowl.
Toss and flip the dumplings so they all get coated in salty butter.
Drop the pierogi into the air fryer.
Serve with your favorite pierogi condiments or with a swipe of garlicky butter.
