The Best Cheesy Beef Piroshki (video)
One of my all-time favorite piroshki recipes – these cheesy beef piroshki are simply amazing! Soft yeast dough is filled with ground beef, mozzarella cheese, and grated onion. These are great baked or deep-fried! These Ukrainian savory hand pies are super juicy on the inside and incredibly delicious! You’ll be coming back for seconds!
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Watch My Beef Piroshki Video Tutorial
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How to Make Piroshki Dough
I make my meat and cheese piroshki with a simple and easy yeast dough. It comes together in no time! I use this basic recipe for all my piroshki recipes.
- Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it’s between 120°F and 130°F. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle in the sugar and yeast.
- Allow the yeast to proof for about 5 minutes; it should be fluffy and foamy. Next, add the egg, melted butter (cooled!), and salt. Whisk for a minute.
- Gradually add the flour, whisking well after each addition. Once a thicker batter forms, switch over to a spatula.
- Once a dough ball forms, lightly flour your work surface and turn out the dough. Continue adding the flour and knead the dough until it’s soft and no longer sticky. Knead the dough for about 4 to 6 minutes, until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Place the dough back into the mixing bowl, cover it with a towel, and place it in a warm spot of the kitchen to proof. The needs to double in size; this typically takes 1 to 1 ½ hours.
Preparing the Cheese & Beef Filling
RECIPE UPDATE: Since filming my original video tutorial, I’ve changed things up a bit! Instead of using the beef raw, I’ve been frying it first, which results in a fluffier and more delicious filling. Here’s how to make the beef and cheese filling:
- Preheat a large frying over medium-high heat and fry the ground beef for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces.
- Let the meat cool down until it’s just warm, then combine with the grated onion, cheese, garlic, and seasonings.
Baking Instructions for Beef Piroshki
These delicious beef and cheese piroshki can be prepared two ways – deep fried to perfection or baked for a healthier version.
For baking the piroshki, assemble them and place onto a lined baking tray, spacing them a few inches apart. Brush the piroshki with a beaten egg using a pastry brush. Allow them to proof for 45 minutes to an hour, until the dough is doubled.
Bake at 350F/177C for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool before enjoying.
Deep-Frying Instructions for Beef Piroshki
I personally love these meat and cheese piroshki deep fried! They’re super juicy and fluffy, and worth the calories!
- Preheat approximately 8 to 10 cups of vegetable or canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, until the oil temperature reads 325F/162C.
- Shape 3 to 4 piroshki at a time; DO NOT allow them to proof!
- Add the shaped piroshki straight into the hot oil, seam side down first. Turn the piroshki often, frying for 5 to 6 minutes, until they’re a rich, golden brown color.
- Remove from the oil with a skimmer or slotted spoon onto a wire rack to cool. Place a paper towel underneath to catch the excess oil.
More Recipes to Try!
Looking for more delicious Ukrainian or Russian recipes? Make sure to try some of my other piroshki recipes you’re sure to love!
- Cheesy Bacon & Chicken Baked Piroshki – creamy, cheesy chicken piroshki with green onion and dill. Great baked or fried!
- Smoked Salmon Piroshki – soft, baked piroshki filled with a creamy smoked salmon and cheese filling! So delicious!
- Cheesy Egg & Cheese Piroshki – these are great baked or fried! Fluffy yeast dough filled with creamy, melty cheese, eggs, and fresh herbs!
- Braised Cabbage Piroshki – one of my favorites, with a braised cabbage, pepper and mushroom filling!
- Bacon & Cheese Potato Piroshki – cheesy, creamy and delicious potato piroshki with bacon bits, onion and dill. Great deep-fried or baked!
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The Best Beef & Cheese Piroshki (video)
Ingredients
For Yeast Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon dry yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 egg
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling/shaping
For Meat & Cheese Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20% ratio
- 1/2 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
Additional Ingredients:
- 6 cups cooking oil, for fried piroshki
- 1 beaten egg, for egg wash, for baked piroshki
Instructions
For the Dough:
- Prepare the yeast dough first. Heat the milk until warm to touch, then pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast evenly over the milk. Allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, whisk in the melted butter, salt and egg. Gradually add the flour, whisking the mixture until it thickens into a thick batter. Continue adding flour until soft dough forms.
- Turn dough out onto well-floured work surface; use additional flour as needed. Knead the dough for 4 to 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Return the dough to mixing bowl, cover the bowl with a clean towel and allow the dough to proof until doubled in size; about 45 to 60 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Preheat a large frying over medium-high heat, add a splash of oil and fry the ground beef for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces. Let the meat cool until just warm.
- Place the onion and garlic into a food processor and pulse into a puree. Alternatively, use a grater to puree the onion and finely mince the garlic.
- In a large bowl combine all of the filling ingredients: fried beef, pureed onion, garlic, cheeses, egg and seasonings. Use your hands to knead the ingredients together to form a uniform mixture.
Shaping the Piroshki:
- Once dough has proof, punch it down and knead again for a few minutes. Divide the dough into even portions – 8 pieces for large piroshki, 16 pieces for smaller piroshki.
- Roll each piece of dough into a circle about 6-inches in size. Add a generous amount of the filling into the center. Bring the dough up and around the top, press the dough together to seal the filling inside (watch my video to see how it's done!).
For Deep Fried Piroshki:
- Deep Fried: preheat approximately 6 cups of vegetable or canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, until the oil temperature reads 325F/162C. Shape 3 to 4 piroshki at a time; DO NOT allow them to proof!
- Add the shaped piroshki straight into the hot oil, seam side down first. Turn the piroshki often, frying for 5 to 6 minutes, until they're a rich, golden brown color. Remove onto a wire rack to cool.
For Baked Piroshki:
- Place piroshki seam side up onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with an egg wash using a pastry brush. Allow the piroshki to proof for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Once the piroshki have proofed, bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your piroshki.
- Remove from baking sheet onto a cooling rack to cool for 15 to 20 minutes before enjoying. The filling will be extremely hot when the piroshki come out of the oven! Allow them to cool before enjoy.
I followed the recipe and didn’t change a thing, turned out delicious! Thank you for another awesome recipe! This one is a keeper.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks for the review!
Can you tell me if the dry yeast is active dry yeast or instant dry yeast.
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Irene! The recipe is written for dry active yeast, but you can use instant yeast, too. When using instant yeast, let the dough recipe for 20 minutes, then proceed with the recipe. You skip the first proofing.
You’re most welcome! Enjoy!
I made your cherry piroshki and the recipe was very good. Could I make this recipe with instant fast acting yeast and follow the proofing times of the cherry piroshki recipe?
Hi Jessica! I’m so happy you loved my cherry piroshki! Those are so delicious!
Yes, you can absolutely use the same dough method with this meat filling, too. Enjoy!
I just made these tonight for dinner. They are so good!! It is a great recipe. My family said that I could definitely make them again.
One question though, do yours leak while in the oven? All but one of mine leaked and it made the bottoms kinda soggy. Do you have a way to prevent this?
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! These piroshki are always soo good! That does happen to me, too. Just make sure to seal the dough as best as you can 🙂
I’m in the middle of my second time making these. First time was last week.
Delicious. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I am making these for a potluck this evening, and I was wondering if they can be made ahead of time and re-heated in the oven before the event? I’m sure fresh is best, but do you think they would warm up well?
Hi! Yes, you can definitely make them ahead of time then reheat them. Enjoy! 🙂
I like to freeze them then reheat in micro wave or you can try in the air-fryer, Try them also with mashed potatoes and peas/carrots or a traditional white or green cabbage, or my favorite Leeks.
Enjoy, this is a great recipe Thanks Lorrie!
Willem V.
Hi, how would you replace the beef or pork with small chunks of chicken? How long would you need to cook it, would i need to make changes to anything? This is the best Piroshki recipe T have found.
Hi! 🙂 Yes, absolutely! If you wish to do that, I would recommend cooking the chicken beforehand. I’ve actually been doing that with the ground beef, too and it results in a fluffier filling. Just saute the chicken, then proceed with the recipe
Hi there I’m trying out this recipe tomorrow and would like to know if the baking time would change if I cut them up into 16 pieces? Also do you recommend partially pre-cooking the beef or is it generally not a problem?
Hi Devin! Yes, you can definitely precook the meat, which will make the filling lighter and fluffier. No, the timing won’t change too much, maybe a few minutes shorter baking time. Enjoy! 🙂
These are very yummy. I didn’t precook the beef and thought maybe it wouldn’t cook completely in the 30 minutes (for 8) but it passed the thermometer test. I ate one cold for lunch and it reminds me of a meatloaf sandwich. They are so versatile, and the dough is very forgiving.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! 🙂 I love to eat leftovers the next day, too!
How do you store these? Do these need to be refrigerated?
Yes, these do need to be refrigerated if you don’t enjoy them the same day. 🙂
Hi, Thanks for sharing
May i ask, the instructions for frying state DO NOT allow them to proof, what is the reason for this? seems to go against other dough recipes i have. I thought to allow to proof again may make them fluffier or help reduce air pockets?
thanks again
Hi Michael! That’s a great question. I found that if I let them proof, they start to come apart when they hit the hot oil and create massive air pockets in the dough. You can absolutely try to let them proof, I just haven’t had luck with it. I do recommend proofing them if you plan to bake them instead of frying! 🙂
Made this for myself and my husband. Found the instructions straight forward and we found it to be delicious! My husband asked if we could add this to our regular meal rotation.
Wonderful!! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for leaving a review!
I have made this many many times .my mother was Ukrainian and I memorized her recipe. If I could I will give u ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️You also can stuffed them with mash potatoes .👍💕
Thank you so much! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe! I love the ones stuffed with potatoes, too! Piroshki are the best!
Hi, Im making these tomorrow, in your video you use raw meat and put that into the dough, but your recipe here says cook the meat.. Is it your preference and then just a little extra cooking time if raw? or do you recommend cooking the meat some before baking? thanks
Hi! I’m so sorry for any confusion this may cause! I’ve updated the written recipe after doing more testing. I recommend cooking the meat first since this will make the filling more fluffy. I recommend cooking the meat for frying or for baking. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can these be made in an air fryer?
Hmm, I’ve never tried that before! These can be baked so I don’t see why they can’t be prepared in the air fryer. Let me know how it goes!
NOT a baker so please excuse the question. When frying, you said to not let proof. Does that refer to when it’s filled as you do when baking?
Hi Patty! No worries. When you’re frying these, you’ll want to make them and fry them in batches right away. If you let them stand and proof, the piroshki will form large air pockets and be harder to fry. Hope that makes sense. Enjoy!
These are so good! Just made them today. Question. Can I double the dough recipe or do I need to make it in separate batches? I want to make them for a crowd. Also, if I make some in the oven and then want to warm them up, what temp would you suggest in the oven? And how long do you think? Thank you so much.
Hi Angie! Yes, you can double up the dough recipe for a larger batch. These always disappear quickly! I would warm them up at 350F and keep them covered with foil so they don’t become too dark. If they’re straight out of the refrigerator, it might take about 15 to 20 minutes to warm up. Enjoy!
Made these today, very good! I’m going to try puréeing the garlic along with onion the next time I make kotleti or chebureki.
These are my favorite! 🙂 I’m so happy you loved them! I always add pureed or grated onion to my kotleki – it makes them soo juicy! Enjoy! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
These look great. Can these be frozen? If so, would you thaw before baking in oven?
Hi Cindy! I actually recommend baking/deep frying them first, then freezing them. Freeze them once they’re completely cooled. When you’re ready to enjoy them, you can reheat them in the oven.
Wow! Are these delicious! I opted for the “less healthy” preparation by deep frying them and it was worth it. Thank you. Can’t wait to try some other varieties of Piroshki now too.
Hi Peter! I love deep fried piroshki, too! Worth the extra calories for sure. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
In the video the meat is mixed with the other filling ingredients raw, but in the recipe it says to fry the meat first, then add the other filling ingredients. Which is it? Does it matter?
Hi Kara! So sorry for the confusion! I’m always trying to make a recipe better and have updated since the video post. I do recommend frying the meat first, as it makes the filling more fluffy and juicy. Hope you love these!
Can you freeze these? If stop, do you bake them first?
Hi Linda. I do recommend frying or baking them prior to freezing. It’s easier to reheat them in the oven later. Enjoy!
My Grandma used to make a “potato pie” with the leftover potatoes from making pierogi. I’m not sure if it’s this dough recipe but, I’m going to try it! No one in the family knows how Grandma used to make this “pie”.
Hi Nancy. That sounds delicious. I hope the dough I use here works well for you!
I just tried this recipe and it is AMAZING AND DELICIOUS!!! I have been craving Piroshkis for so long now…I’m so happy I found this recipe. Thank you for sharing it! I will definitely be keeping this and making them again 😍😊
Hi Amy! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m so, so happy you loved the piroshki! These are my favorite! Thank you for trying my recipe and for taking the time to leave a review.
You are so welcome Tatyana 😊
These came out good. I had to use closer to 5-6 cups of flour…the dough was wet and runny with 3 1/2.
Hi Jenna! I’m so happy you loved the recipe! These are my favorite! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
This for my family my kids didn’t want to try it but they did and they loved it! Definitely adding to my menus. Thanks for the great recipe. Have a great day.
Hi Kathy! I’m so glad they tried and loved the piroshki! These are my favorite! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
No one has mentioned the dill…is it me or does a 1/4 cup seem like overkill? Is the the right amount or possibly a typo?
Hi! Please feel free to adjust the amount of dill to your taste. I love to have lots of fresh dill. The 1/4 cup is not pack, fresh chopped dill. Hope you love the piroshki!
Hi Tatyana. Thank you for the recipe. It turned out great.
Question: Can I prepare the dough beforehand, put in the fridge in a covered glass bowl as one piece (without dividing it) and let it proof in the fridge overnight? The next day I would take it out of the fridge, let it warm up to room temperature then divide it and continue with the instructions as you listed them? Thanks for your feedback ♥️
Hi Mirna! Yes, proofing the dough overnight will work great, too. I hope you enjoy the piroshki!
Thanks for your super quick reply. I appreciate it. I made piroshki today according to the instructions you listed and they turned out yummy. I will attempt proofing the dough overnight in the fridge when I make it next time.
The amount of time it takes to makes these is totally worth it. The dough, the filling, and the taste is absolutely delicious!
Hi Anne! I’m so happy you loved these piroshki! One of my favorites! I agree – totally worth the time.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Thank you for this delicious recipe, I came across it in Jan of this year., and I have made these a dozen times since then, these are my husbands favourite and will be doing them again tmrw, thanks again and sorry for taking so long to write this review…
Hi Cyndy! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m so happy you and your husband are enjoying these piroshki! These are my husband’s favorite, too!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Hey! Quick question before I make this, is the proofing time for the dough (in the baked version) the same proofing time that is listed in the “For the dough” section? Am I supposed to proof the dough before and after I fill it or only once?
Hi Eli! So sorry for the confusion! If you are baking these piroshki, you will need to proof the dough twice – proof just the dough first, then proof the buns again once they’re filled. If you are deep-frying these, you can skip the second proofing and drop them straight into the hot oil as you shape them. Enjoy!
I came across your recipe about a year ago and my family love these, I’ve made them at least a dozen times since then and will be making them again today as my husband asked for them, thank you so much for sharing this recipe, we love them💕
Hi Cynthia! That’s so wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you and your family have been enjoying my piroshki recipe! These are my favorite, too!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!