Cover photo of several baked gluten-free meat piroshki on two plates with one cut in half to show the meat filling
Gluten-Free Meat PIROSHKI

Piroshki is Ukrainian for hand pies made from yeasted dough.

This recipe is for minced meat-filled piroshki, cooked with garlic, mushrooms and bacon, seasoned with fresh herbs and sweet paprika.

 

A side view of several gluten-free meat piroshkis stacked on top of eachother
Variation of fillings

Every Ukrainian household has a family recipe and favourite filling. There are so many different fillings, but common choices include minced meat, fried cabbage, egg & rice and vegetables in season from mushrooms to eggplant.

Sweet piroshkis are usually filled with cooked fruit and/or ricotta-style Ukrainian cheese. The sugar is usually increased in the piroshki dough to match the sweet filling.

 

a pan full of cooked gluten-free meat piroshki filling
Meat Piroshki Filling

The filling is made in a large pan over the stove in under an hour. This steady cooking ensures that the cooking liquid is fully absorbed by the meat and mushrooms. It is important to get to this consistency so that the filling does not leak liquid out of the bun while baking.

Gluten-Free Yeast Dough

This delicious savoury filling is encased in gluten-free yeast dough and baked. The texture of the baked pastry is soft and pillowy, a perfect match for the meat filling, absorbing some of the flavours into the pastry.

Despite the lack of gluten, the xanthan gum helps enormously to bind the dough together and gives great elasticity, which makes assembling easy and quick.

To give each piroshki that golden finish, make sure to brush the tops generously and top them off with some poppy seeds (or sesame seeds if poppy seeds are hard to source).

 

Brushing the egg wash on the gluten-free meat piroshkis
How to eat Piroshki

They can be eaten warm or cold, making them a great on-the-go snack or for picnics and lunch boxes.

As a main meal dish, I would suggest serving them warm with some cooked beetroot, roasted or steamed vegetables and sauerkraut.

For a non-traditional touch, serve some mustard or tomato ketchup on the side for dipping the piroshkis in.

Made too many?

If you find that you have too many piroshkis left over, you’ll be please to know that they freeze extremely well.

After a short thaw, they are covered in foil and reheated in a moderate oven for 10 mins.

 

Adobe photo of gluten-free meat piroshki
Cover photo of several baked gluten-free meat piroshki on two plates with one cut in half to show the meat filling

Gluten-Free Meat Piroshki

by Sandra - Fun Without Gluten
Piroshki is Ukrainian for hand pies made from yeasted dough.
This recipe is for minced meat-filled piroshki, cooked with garlic, mushrooms and bacon, seasoned with fresh herbs and sweet paprika. This delicious savoury filling is encased in a gluten-free bread dough and baked. They can be eaten warm or cold, making them very practical for picnics and lunch boxes plus they freeze very well for future occasions.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course dinner, Kids' Meals, Main Course, Party Food, Picnic
Cuisine Ukrainian
Servings 20 medium piroshkis

Ingredients
  

PIROSHKI - Dough

PIROSHKI– Filling

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped finely
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 150 g button mushrooms, sliced
  • 500 g minced beef or pork, or both combined
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 50 ml tomato puree or Passata
  • 100 ml store-bought or homemade vegetable or beef stock
  • 2 rashers bacon, chopped
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped finely
  • ½ tsp sweet paprika powder
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (optional) Known as cornflour in the UK and corn or maize starch in the USA

Extras

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with some water
  • poppy seeds, to sprinkle on the tops
  • Tapioca flour, for rolling

Instructions
 

PIROSHKI - Dough

  • Heat up the milk until warm and stir in the yeast and sugar.
  • Cover and allow to react for 10 mins.
    Activating the yeast with the warm water in a jug
  • Melt the butter and allow it to cool down slightly.
  • In a large bowl, mix the flour, xanthan gum, salt and caster sugar together.
  • Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the cooled melted butter, egg yolks and yeast mixture.
  • Start mixing with a wooden spoon and then using your hands, bring the dough together, kneading for a few minutes.
  • Cover and rest the dough in a warm spot for one hour.
    A ball of gluten-free piroshki dough before rising

PIROSHKI– Filling

  • In a large pan over medium heat, add the olive oil and fry the onion, garlic, mushrooms and bacon until the bacon is crisp.
    The chopped mushrooms, bacon and onions for the piroshki filling after being fried
  • Increase the heat to high and add the minced beef or pork, stirring well for 5 mins.
  • Add the tomato paste, fresh herbs and sweet paprika.
  • Once combined, add the tomato puree or Passata and lower the heat to medium-low.
  • Allow to simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
  • After 10 mins, most of the liquid should have been absorbed by the meat and mushrooms. If there is still too much liquid, add the cornflour to thicken it.
    Adding cornflour to thicken the liquid in the meat filling for the gluten-free meat piroshkis
  • Cook for a further 2 mins or until the liquid evaporates.
    The meat piroshki filling is ready when all the liquid has evaporated
  • Turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool down.
    a pan full of cooked gluten-free meat piroshki filling
  • Either start stuffing the piroshkis with this meat mixture or cover and chill to assemble later.

Assembling the piroshkis

  • Knead the dough on a floured surface and then divide the dough into equal golf size balls.
    A ball of gluten-free piroshki dough before rising
  • Roll each ball out to 12 cm in diameter, sprinkling more flour on the surface if it starts to stick.
  • Add a large tablespoon of filling to the centre of the rolled-out dough.
    The meat filling on the centre of the gluten-free piroshki dough circle
  • Gather the edges of the dough and meet in the middle, pressing together.
    Pinching the dough closed around the piroshki filling
  • Pinch the dough firmly at the centre to enclose the filling.
    An example of an assembled piroshki
  • Place the piroshki pinched side down on a greased or silicone mat lined baking tray.
  • Once all the piroshkis are assembled, cover and allow them to rest for 10 mins.
  • Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle them with poppy seeds.
    Brushing the egg wash on the gluten-free meat piroshkis

Baking

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.
  • Bake for 25 mins.
    Six baked gluten-free meat piroshkis on a baking tray
  • Allow to cool on the tray for 5 mins before serving.

Notes

  • Keeps for 3 days chilled
  • Suitable to freeze
  • Reheat covered in foil in a moderate oven for 10 mins
Keyword gluten-free meat dish, gluten-free savoury, gluten-free ukrainian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Please mention @fun_without_gluten or tag #funwithoutgluten!
A plate with several gluten-free meat piroshki stacked on it

 

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