Lenivye Pelmeni — Lazy Dumplings with Beef

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Ever craved the comforting taste of homemade dumplings but felt daunted by the lengthy preparation? Enter Lenivye Pelmeni, or 'Lazy Dumplings'! This ingenious recipe from Eastern European cuisine offers all the hearty, savory goodness of classic pelmeni but in a fraction of the time. Instead of meticulously folding individual dumplings, you simply roll the dough and filling into a log, coil it, and steam it to perfection. It's a brilliant kitchen hack for a delicious and satisfying meal, perfect for busy weeknights.

A plate of cooked and sliced lazy pelmeni with beef, garnished with fresh herbs.

Lazy pelmeni with beef

Cooking: 1 hour
Quantity: 5 Servings
Per serving
Calories: 548 kcal
Proteins: 28 g
Fats: 23 g
Carbohydrates: 57 g

For the dough

  • 320 g all-purpose wheat flour
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 120 ml cold water
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

For the filling

  • 400 g ground beef
  • 1 onion
  • sweet smoked paprika
  • parsley
  • water or broth
  • salt
  • pepper
  • black sesame seeds

How to Make Lazy Pelmeni with Beef

First, let’s make the dough. Crack a fresh chicken egg into a bowl, add fine salt, three tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil, and pour in cold water. Mix the ingredients with a whisk or fork, then add the wheat flour in small portions.

Transfer the thick mixture from the bowl to a flour-dusted work surface and knead the dough for several minutes. You might need slightly more or less flour depending on the size of the egg and the moisture content of the dry ingredients.

Cover the finished dough for the lazy pelmeni, and place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or leave it in a cool place.

A smooth ball of dough resting on a floured surface before being refrigerated.

Place the chilled ground beef in a bowl, add a grated or finely chopped onion, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour in a few tablespoons of cold meat broth or cold water and mix thoroughly. Also, place the bowl with the prepared filling for the lazy pelmeni in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

A bowl of ground beef mixed with chopped onions and spices for the pelmeni filling.

Preparing the ground meat filling

Grease a large cutting board with vegetable oil, and also coat the rolling pin with oil.

Roll out the dough very thinly. If your board is small, I recommend dividing the dough into several parts.

A large, thin sheet of dough rolled out on a wooden board with a rolling pin.

Rolling out the dough very thinly

Place the prepared chilled filling in the center of the dough.

Spread the filling with your hands in a thin layer, leaving a 1.5-2 centimeter border around the edges.

Sprinkle the meat with finely chopped parsley and ground sweet smoked paprika.

A mound of ground beef filling placed on the center of the rolled-out dough sheet.

Placing the filling in the center of the dough

Ground beef filling spread evenly over the dough, with a clean border around the edges.

Spreading the filling, leaving a 1.5-2 cm border

The meat filling on the dough being sprinkled with chopped fresh parsley and red paprika.

Sprinkling the meat with parsley and smoked paprika


Trim the edges of the dough, as they are usually a bit thicker than the center. Lift the wide edge and roll it into a long log.

The dough and filling being rolled up tightly into a long log shape.

Rolling it into a long log

Pinch the seam and the ends of the roll, then coil it like a snail.

The long dumpling roll being coiled into a spiral or snail shape on a wooden board.

Pinching the seam and edges, then coiling it like a snail

Pour a little boiling water into a pot, and for aroma, add a bunch of parsley or a bay leaf. Place a steamer rack inside, grease it with vegetable oil, and place the dough coil on the rack.

Sprinkle our lazy pelmeni with black sesame seeds or pepper.

Steam for about half an hour. The cooking time depends on the size of the pelmen and may vary slightly.

The spiral-shaped dumpling roll placed on a greased steamer rack inside a pot.

Placing the dough coil on the steamer rack

The uncooked lazy pelmen in the steamer being sprinkled with black sesame seeds.

Sprinkling the lazy pelmen with black sesame seeds or pepper

The lazy pelmen cooking in a steamer with visible steam rising.

Steaming for about half an hour


Remove the pelmen from the rack, slice it into portions, and serve with a smetana (a popular Eastern European sour cream) sauce, fresh herbs, and vegetables. Your lazy pelmeni with beef are ready.

The cooked lazy pelmeni roll being sliced into individual portions on a cutting board.

The lazy pelmeni are ready. Slice into portions to serve.

And there you have it—a wonderfully simple yet incredibly flavorful dish of Lazy Pelmeni with Beef! This recipe is a testament to how traditional flavors can be adapted for our modern, busy lives. Serve these juicy dumplings warm, sliced into generous portions, with a dollop of smetana (sour cream) and a sprinkle of fresh dill. They also pair beautifully with a crisp green salad. We hope this recipe brings a taste of cozy, Eastern European comfort to your table. Enjoy your meal!