Recipe for: Lamb, feta, and mint pierogi served with tzatziki sauce - photo 1
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Recipe for: Lamb, feta, and mint pierogi served with tzatziki sauce

Spicy Fusion cuisine Regional Cuisine of Poland Main dishes 90 min Medium 0 views ~22.61 PLN * - (0)
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Description

Pierogi with lamb, feta, and mint are a summer, Krakow-fusion variation on classic pierogi: delicate pierogi dough envelops juicy lamb meat with creamy feta and fresh mint, served with a cool tzatziki sauce made from cucumber and yogurt. The dish combines the Polish tradition of making pierogi with Southern European flavors: grilled lamb adds a smoky aroma, feta brings salty creaminess, and mint adds freshness and a summery note. The plate looks impressive — golden edges of the pierogi, green mint leaves, and the white sauce with small pieces of cucumber. Serve as a main dish at summer gatherings, barbecue dinners, or for special occasions; it pairs wonderfully with a light salad of seasonal vegetables and a glass of red wine or cold beer.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (16)

Servings:
4
  • Wheat flour 500 g
  • Chicken egg 2 pcs (~120 g)
  • Water 200 ml
  • Lamb 600 g
  • Feta 200 g
  • Onion 1 pcs (~150 g)
  • Garlic 3 clove (~15 g)
  • Mint 15 g
  • Rapeseed oil 30 g
  • Natural yogurt 400 g
  • Cucumber 1 pcs (~300 g)
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 6 g
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Lemon 0.3 pcs (~20 g)
  • Dill 0.5 bunch (~10 g)
  • Smoked paprika 1 tsp (~2 g)
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~22.61 PLN (5.65 PLN/serving)
* Prices missing for some ingredients

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Cake

1

Sift 500 g of wheat flour onto a large clean work surface or into a large bowl to aerate the flour. Make a well in the center with your finger. In a small bowl, beat 120 g of egg with 200 ml of warm water and add 3 g of salt (half of the salt from the recipe). Pour the mixture into the well in the flour.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Water, Salt
Use a large bowl or a clean countertop. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients. Common mistake: pouring in water that is too hot - it should be warm (about 30–35°C).
2

After pouring in the liquids, mix with a fork only within the well, gradually incorporating the flour from the sides until a sticky dough forms. Then start kneading by hand or with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes: the dough should become smooth, elastic, and stop sticking heavily to your hands.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Water
Use a mixer with a dough hook or a wooden spoon for initial mixing, then knead by hand. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add 1–2 tablespoons of flour (15–30 g). Do not knead for more than 10–12 minutes - the dough may become tough.
3

Form the dough into a ball, lightly brush with oil or a little canola oil, wrap in plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. After resting, the dough should be elastic and easier to roll out.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil
Use a bowl covered with plastic wrap or a clean cloth. The resting of the dough is crucial — if you skip it, the dough may shrink when rolling.

Filling

4

Prepare the lamb: if you have a larger piece, cut it into slices and mince or finely chop it with a knife. Rub the meat with 2 g of pepper and 3 g of salt, and if using, 2 g of smoked paprika. Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add 15 g of canola oil, and fry the lamb in batches for 4–6 minutes on each side (depending on thickness) until it reaches 70°C in the thickest part or until the juices run clear and the surface is nicely browned. After frying, set the meat aside on a board to cool, then finely chop or mince it.

Ingredients: lamb, Rapeseed oil, Black pepper, Salt, Smoked paprika
Use a kitchen thermometer if you have one (internal temperature about 70°C for safe lamb meat). If you don't have a grill pan, use a regular cast iron skillet. Keep the meat in batches to avoid boiling it instead of frying.
5

In a medium skillet, heat 15 g of rapeseed oil. Add 150 g of finely chopped onion and sauté for 4–6 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent and slightly golden. Add 15 g of garlic (crushed cloves finely chopped) and sauté for an additional 1 minute — the garlic should release its aroma but not brown.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil, Onion, Garlic
The best pan is 24–28 cm in diameter. If the garlic starts to brown, the heat is too high — lower the flame to avoid bitterness.
6

In a large bowl, combine the cooled finely chopped lamb (from step 4), sautéed onion with garlic, 200 g of crumbled feta, and 15 g of finely chopped mint. Mix well and season to taste with the remaining salt and pepper: taste the filling and add, if necessary, up to 3 g of salt and 1–2 g of pepper. The filling should be aromatic, creamy from the feta, and slightly refreshing from the mint. Set the filling aside to dry out excess moisture for 10–15 minutes.

Ingredients: lamb, Onion, Garlic, Feta, mint, Salt, Black pepper
Use a wooden spoon to mix. If the filling is too wet (with feta and meat), drain it in a colander for a few minutes or chill it to make it easier to shape the dumplings.

Tzatziki sauce

7

Prepare the cucumber: grate 300 g of cucumber on a coarse grater. Lightly salt the grated cucumber (about 3 g), mix, and set aside for 10 minutes to release its juice. After 10 minutes, place the cucumber in a clean cloth or cheesecloth and squeeze out the excess water by pulling tightly — the sauce should not be watery.

Ingredients: Cucumber, Salt
Use a kitchen towel or cheesecloth; squeeze well until the cucumber loses most of its juice. If you don't do this, the tzatziki will be watery.
8

In a bowl, mix 400 g of thick natural yogurt with drained cucumber, add 10 g of garlic pressed through a garlic press (if you want a milder taste, add half), 20 g of lemon juice (optional), 10 g of finely chopped mint, and 10 g of oil (you can use a teaspoon of rapeseed oil instead of oil). Season to taste with 1–2 g of salt and 1 g of pepper. Mix thoroughly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Ingredients: Natural yogurt, Garlic, Lemon, mint, Rapeseed oil, Salt, Black pepper
Use a small bowl and a whisk or spoon. Chilling allows the flavors to meld — the sauce will develop a deeper taste after 20–30 minutes.

Shaping and cooking dumplings

9

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 2 mm. Use a glass with a diameter of 7–8 cm or a cookie cutter to cut out circles. Place a portion of filling the size of 1 full tablespoon (about 20–25 g) on each circle. Moisten the edge of the circle with a little water using your finger, fold it in half, and seal the edges tightly; you can make a classic pinch (pleats) or simply press them together with your fingers. Arrange the dumplings on a lightly floured tray.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, lamb, Feta, mint, Water
Use a glass for cutting and a rolling pin that is 40 cm long. Don't overdo it with the filling — too much will make it difficult to seal and may cause it to crack during cooking.
10

In a large pot, bring 2.5–3 liters of water (not listed in the ingredients) to a boil with 10 g of salt. Add the dumplings in batches to the boiling water, gently stirring with a wooden spoon at first to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Cook the dumplings for 3–4 minutes from the moment they float to the surface — the dough should be soft, uniform, and not raw inside. Remove with a slotted spatula and drain.

Ingredients: Salt
Use a large pot (at least 4–5 l) and a slotted spoon. Cooking too little water or adding too many dumplings at once will cause them to stick together and not cook properly.

Sautéing (optional) and serving

11

If you want a golden, crispy crust, after draining, sauté the cooked dumplings in a pan: heat 15 g of rapeseed oil or 20 g of butter in a pan and fry the dumplings over medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side, until the bottom turns golden. Serve hot, alongside a bowl of cool tzatziki sauce. Garnish with fresh mint leaves (a few leaves) and, if using, chopped dill.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil, mint, Dill
For frying, a 26 cm non-stick pan is best. Do not place the dumplings too tightly in the pan — leave space so they brown evenly.

Serving

12

On the plate, arrange 6 dumplings per person, with a tablespoon of tzatziki sauce next to them, drizzle with a little rapeseed oil, and sprinkle with fresh mint. For a summer touch, serve with grilled lemon slices and a salad of cherry tomatoes with olive oil and basil.

Ingredients: Natural yogurt, mint, Rapeseed oil, Lemon
Use a large shallow plate. Serving hot with a cold sauce creates a contrast of temperatures and textures — this is an important element of the tasting experience.

Fun Fact

💡

In Polish cuisine, pierogi have a long history, but in this version, they are paired with lamb and tzatziki — a combination of Mediterranean culinary influences with the tradition of making pierogi in Małopolska.

Best for

letnie grillowanie rodzinne obiady kolacje z przyjaciółmi

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the pierogi hot with cool tzatziki on the side. For a contrast in textures, sauté some of the pierogi in butter while leaving others just boiled. Add grilled lemon slices and fresh mint leaves for aroma and decoration.

🥡 Storage

Store cooked dumplings in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in an airtight container. To reheat: sauté in a pan for 3–4 minutes or heat in the oven at 180°C for 8–10 minutes. Raw dumplings (not cooked) can be frozen arranged on a tray, and after freezing, transfer to bags - cook without thawing, adding 1–2 minutes to the cooking time.

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