# Russian Pelmeni Filled with Minced Meat

> Pelmeni are Russian dumplings filled with minced meat, boiled in salted water and served with sour cream or butter. The secret to a juicy filling is **iced water worked into the meat** — it turns to steam inside the dough and keeps the filling succulent rather than dry.

**Russian Cuisine · 57 min · 5 servings · 380 kcal per serving**

Pelmeni are originally Siberian: huge batches were made at the start of winter and left outside to freeze, then taken from the store all season. That effectively makes them the first frozen food in history — and the freezing is part of the recipe, not just storage afterwards.

## Ingredients


### The dough
- 3 — Flour
- 1 — Egg
- 1 — Warm water
- 1 — Salt

### The filling
- 400 — Minced meat (half beef, half lamb)
- 1 — Onion, finely grated
- 3 — Iced water
- 1 — Salt
- 0.5 — Black pepper

### To serve
- - — Soured cream, dill and butter

## Method

1. **Make the dough** — Mix the flour, salt, egg and water and knead for **ten minutes** until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest it for half an hour.
2. **Make the filling** — Combine the mince with the grated onion, salt and pepper, then add the **iced water** and work it by hand for three minutes until fully absorbed.
3. **Roll thin** — Roll the dough very thin, about two millimetres, on a floured surface. Thin dough is what keeps pelmeni clean-tasting rather than heavy.
4. **Shape** — Cut six-centimetre circles, place half a teaspoon of filling in the centre, fold in half and seal the edge firmly, then bring the two corners together into a ring.
5. **Freeze or boil** — If you are not eating them now, arrange them on a floured tray, freeze for two hours, then bag them. **They boil from frozen without thawing.**
6. **Boil** — Cook in salted boiling water in small batches. **They are done when they float, plus two more minutes.** Drain and toss with butter.
7. **Serve** — Serve hot with sour cream, chopped dill and black pepper. Some people add vinegar or mustard — a matter of taste.

## Tips

- The iced water in the filling is the difference between a juicy filling and a dry little ball of meat.
- Roll the dough very thin. Thick dough makes the dish heavy and the pastry overwhelms the meat.
- Boil in small batches: crowding makes them stick together and burst.
- They freeze raw for three months and boil straight from frozen, so make a big batch.

## FAQ

### Why do my pelmeni burst in the water?
The edges were not sealed properly, or the dough had dried out. Dampen the edges before sealing and press firmly.

### Can I use only beef?
You can, but the half-and-half mix is traditional and gives deeper flavour and more fat. If using beef alone, choose a fattier cut.

### How are they different from vareniki?
Pelmeni have a raw meat filling that cooks during boiling. Vareniki have a cooked filling — potato, cheese or fruit — and are larger.

### How long do they boil?
Once they float, give them two more minutes and lift them out. Longer than that and the dough softens and falls apart.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/russian-cuisine/russian-pelmeni
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-29