Polish Pierogi Burger
A comfort food burger topped with crispy potato-cheese cakes, caramelized onions, and sour cream inspired by Polish pierogis.
- Prep
- 22min
- Cook
- 35min
- Total
- 57min
- Serves
- 4
- Calories
- 930per serving, est.
By Time for Burgers, updated
A potato and cheese pierogi is mostly filling, so this burger keeps the filling and drops the dough. Russets are mashed with butter and sharp cheddar, shaped into cakes and pan-fried until crisp, then stacked on the beef patty, with the bun standing in for the wrapper.
Caramelized onions and sour cream finish it the way pierogi are often served. The onions take the longest, 15 to 20 minutes over medium-low heat, so start them while the potatoes boil and everything lands at the same time.
Polish Pierogi Burger
Prep 22 min, cook 35 min, total 57 min. About 930 calories per serving.
timeforburgers.com/recipes/polish-pierogi-burger
Serves 4.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Boil potato cubes in salted water for 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain and mash with 2 tbsp butter, 2¾ oz shredded cheddar, salt, and pepper. Let cool slightly, then form into 4 flat patties (same size as burger patties). Set aside.
Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized.
Season ground beef with salt and pepper, then form into 4 equal patties.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in another skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef patties for 4-5 minutes per side until an instant-read thermometer in the center of a patty reads 160°F (71°C). Remove and set aside.
In the same skillet, add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and fry potato-cheese patties for 3-4 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown.
Toast potato buns until lightly golden.
Assemble burgers: spread ¼ cup sour cream on bottom buns, add beef patties, top with crispy potato-cheese cakes, pile on caramelized onions, garnish with sliced green onions, then crown with top buns.
Tips
- Let the mash cool completely, or chill it for 20 minutes, before shaping. Warm mash is too soft to hold together in the pan.
- Dust the potato cakes lightly with flour before frying for a crisper crust and an easier flip.
- Mash with a masher or ricer, never a food processor; overworked potatoes go gluey.
Substitutions
- Farmer's cheese for half the cheddar: milder and tangier, closer to a classic potato and cheese pierogi filling.
- Leftover mashed potatoes: stir in the cheddar while they're cold and shape them right away.
- Greek yogurt for sour cream: tangier and a little thinner.
- Add a few seared kielbasa slices under the onions for a smoky, garlicky layer.
Make ahead & storage
Caramelized onions keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge, and the potato cakes can be shaped a day ahead and kept covered. Cooked beef patties keep 3 to 4 days; reheat them and the potato cakes in a skillet to 165°F (74°C), which also re-crisps the cakes.
