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I recently came across these delightful little meat-filled potato dumplings known as Pyzy z Mięsem or Silesian Kluski at a Polish grocery store located near me in the US. They can typically be found packaged either in the freezer section or the refrigerated aisle of the store.

These small round dumplings resemble my Bavarian Potato Dumplings (Knödel), though they are smaller in size.

At home, I boiled them gently and served them with browned butter and onions. The first bite surprised me: soft, pillowy potato dough on the outside, and a savory meat filling hidden inside. It felt at once familiar – like a cousin of German Potato dumplings (Kartoffelklöße) – and completely its own thing. Comforting, simple, and absolutely delicious.

I liked them so much that I wanted to recreate them from scratch in my own kitchen, so I could share both the story and the recipe with you. These dumplings take a bit of time, but the steps are straightforward, and the result is a beautiful, comforting dish perfect for a Sunday meal or a cozy dinner.

Ingredients for Polish Stuffed Dumplings

Yield: about 20–24 dumplings (4–6 servings as a main dish)

For the Potato Dough:

• 2 lbs (about 900 g) starchy potatoes, peeled
• 1 egg
• 3 to 4 tbsp Potato starch (or corn starch)
• ½ teaspoon salt

For the Meat Filling (farsz):

• 1 tablespoon butter or oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1 lb (about 450 g) cooked meat, very finely chopped or ground
  • Traditional options: leftover pork roast, beef, or a mix
  • Easier option: ground pork, beef, or turkey, cooked and cooled
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
• Optional but lovely: a pinch of dried marjoram

For Serving:

• Melted butter
• Fried onions
• Gravy from a roast, mushroom sauce, or browned butter with herbs

Step-by-Step instructions

Prepare the potatoes:  Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized chunks so they cook at the same rate.

Cook:  Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife.

Drain the potatoes very well. Let them sit in the hot pot for a minute or two to let excess steam escape – this helps keep the dough from becoming gummy.

Mash the potatoes until completely smooth, or press them through a potato ricer.

Spread them out in the bowl and let them cool completely to room temperature.  

(You can even cook them earlier in the day or the day before.)

Add 3 to 4 tbsp potato starch. This amount of starch should be perfect for the dumpling dough.

Combine: Now add the egg and salt.

Knead the dough: Gently knead everything together with clean hands until you have a smooth, soft dough.  

It should be slightly tacky but not sticky. If it’s too sticky, you can dust your hands lightly with a bit more starch, but avoid adding too much.

Make the meat filling (farsz):

You can do this while the potatoes are cooling.

Cook the meat (if using raw): If you’re using ground meat, cook it in a pan over medium heat until no longer pink.  

Break it into very fine crumbs with a spatula. Let it cool slightly.

Sauté onions: In a pan, heat the butter or oil.  

Add the finely diced onion and cook over medium heat until soft and golden.

Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Combine with the meat: Add the cooked meat (or your finely chopped leftover roast) to the pan with the onions and garlic.  

Stir well so everything is evenly combined.

Season:  Add salt, pepper, and marjoram if using. Taste and adjust seasoning – the filling should be flavorful on its own.

Cool the filling: Let the mixture cool to room temperature. A slightly cooled filling is easier to work with and won’t soften the dough too much.

Shape the stuffed dumplings

Prepare your workspace: Lightly flour or starch your hands and a clean work surface.

Keep the bowl of dough nearby and the cooled filling ready.

Portion the dough:  Take a piece of dough about the size of a walnut (roughly 1 heaping tablespoon)

 

Seal and shape: Carefully fold the dough around the filling, pinching the edges together to seal well.  

Roll gently between your hands to form a smooth ball with no cracks.

Repeat:  Continue until you’ve used all the dough and filling.  

You should have about 20–24 dumplings.

Cook the dumplings

Heat the water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

(The water should be moving, but not bubbling violently.)

Cook in batches: Carefully add a batch of dumplings to the water.

 

Stir very gently once so they don’t stick to the bottom. Simmer, don’t boil hard! 

Let the dumplings simmer until they float to the surface.  

Once they float, give them another 2–3 minutes to cook through.

Remove: Use a slotted spoon to lift the dumplings out of the water.  

Place them on a warm plate or a lightly buttered dish so they don’t stick.

Repeat: Cook the remaining dumplings in the same way.

Serving ideas

These dumplings are wonderfully versatile and quite filling. You can serve them:

• With melted butter and golden fried onions
• With gravy from a pork or beef roast
• With a creamy mushroom sauce
• Alongside braised red cabbage or a simple cucumber salad

Leftovers reheat well in a pan with a bit of butter, and you can also freeze the uncooked dumplings on a tray, then transfer them to a bag once firm. Cook from frozen, just adding a minute or two to the cooking time.