Favorite Ukrainian Dinner Recipes (2024)

With Ukraine being in the news recently, I wanted to share a special collection of my favorite Ukrainian dinner recipes. My family immigrated to the United States from Ukraine in 1990 but we never forgot our home country! My mom and grandmother made sure that we knew about the Ukrainian cuisine and I grew up enjoying many of the dishes you’ll find in this collection. This is just a small sampling of the incredible cuisine of Ukraine. For more recipes, make sure to check out my cookbook, Beyond Borscht, which is a collection of 75 Eastern European and Ukrainian recipes.

Click on any image or title for the recipe!

Classic Ukrainian Beef Borscht

The most iconic and famous dish in this collection of Ukrainian dinner recipes! Classic beef borscht is made with tender chunks of beef, loads of beets, onions, carrot, cabbage and fresh dill. This hearty and warming soup is the ultimate comfort food. Enjoy it with sour cream or mayonnaise, paired with toasted bread.

Ukrainian Braised Pork with Gravy

Tender, fall-apart pork slow braised with a hearty mushroom gravy and served over creamy mashed potatoes. Pork is the most popular meat choice in Ukraine and can be found in many recipes. This incredible braised pork is extra hearty and delicious for any day of the week. Plus, you can prepare the pork using a slow cooker, too.

Easy Chicken Plov (Rice Pilaf)

One of my favorite childhood dishes – my mom’s easy chicken plov! This delicious chicken rice dish is quick and easy to make and so flavorful! Plov is a traditional Uzbek dish, usually made with beef or lamb, but this Ukrainian chicken version is also incredible!

The most delicious and easy turkey cabbage rolls recipe! These Ukrainian cabbage rolls are filled with a juicy meat, rice and carrot mixture, then baked in a carrot, onion and tomato sauce. The rolls come out extra juicy, aromatic and very flavorful. Known as ‘holuptsi’ in Ukraine, these are a childhood favorite of mine!

Olivier Potato Salad

The most delicious potato salad recipe, enjoyed by all of Eastern Europe and Russia. Even though the original recipe can be traced back to Russian, Ukrainians love this salad like their own! It’s a must for any holiday or celebration and integral part of the cuisine.

Braised Cabbage Piroshki

My grandmother would make these for us at least once a week! We loved coming over to her house across the street from us to get ourselves some cabbage piroshki! My grandmother had gone through so much in her life (including concentration camp) but she never let her hard life bring down her bright and loving energy! These piroshki are so incredibly delicious!

These are one of my favorites! Delicious beef and cheese filled piroshki – deep fried and fluffy with a juicy filling. Whenever I make these, they are gone in no time! Definitely a family favorite! And the dough is extra soft and fluffy!

While beef stroganoff is super popular in Russian, this Ukrainian version of stroganoff, made with ground pork, mushrooms and carrots is even more delicious! This easy, one-pan, budget-friendly recipe is a family favorite. It’s super easy to make and comes together in no time, making it a great option for busy week days.

Juicy Turkey Meatballs with Gravy

The juiciest and most delicious meatballs ever! This recipe is another family favorite and always a huge hit. The turkey meatballs are cooked with a creamy mushroom gravy and served with mashed potatoes or egg noodles. You can replace the turkey with ground chicken or pork, too.

‘Vinaigrette’ Beet Potato Salad

A unique and delicious potato salad made with beets! Beets are a major part of the Ukrainian cuisine and many Ukrainians grow beets in their summer gardens. You’ll love this easy salad made with roasted beets, potatoes, carrots and more. You can also add a bit of sauerkraut for a zesty touch. This salad can be dressed with mayonnaise or olive oil.

My dad is famous for his ‘zharkoye’ – the name of this Ukrainian dish. A hearty and delicious dinner dish made with slow-braised chunks of beef, cooked with potatoes in a delicious tomato-based sauce. Every time I make this dish at home, it brings me straight back to my parent’s small kitchen and my dad making us dinner! This incredible dish usually enjoyed with a side of pickles and marinated tomatoes.

Juicy Beef Cutlets

All types of cutlets made with a variety of meats and even fish, are super popular in Ukraine. Cutlets are small, fried meat patties that can be enjoyed on their own, with bread, with pasta or potatoes, or even with gravy. This is my mom’s recipe for beef cutlets, which I love to enjoy with a creamy carrot gravy and egg noodles!

Pickled Cabbage Salad

Our older Ukrainian neighbor shared this delicious pickled salad recipe with my mom about 25 years ago. It’s still one of my favorites! This easy pickled salad is great during the summer months with garden fresh vegetables but you can enjoy it year round! Feel free to use your favorite veggies and mix things up!

Ukrainian Breakfast Potatoes

Another great recipe that my dad always used to make for us! Ukrainian potatoes with bacon, carrots and onion. These are so incredibly flavorful! You can enjoy them as a side dish with dinner, or add the eggs and make it a breakfast. Fried potatoes with various seasonings are very popular in Ukraine.

Hearty and delicious stuffed peppers filled with a combination of seasoned meat and rice. The peppers are cooked in the oven in a delicious tomato-based broth and served with pickled vegetables. These stuffed peppers are easier to make then stuffed cabbage rolls and just as delicious!

More Recipes to Try

Here are few more recipes you’ll enjoy!

• Smoked Salmon Piroshki – delicious, baked piroshki stuffed with a creamy cheese and smoked salmon filling, plus fresh dill!
• Holuptsi (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls) – find my new updated version of this recipe in my cookbook, Beyond Borscht. Stuffed cabbage rolls are so delicious and great for special dinner occasions.
• Grilled Chicken Kabobs – juicy chicken marinated with onion and tons of aromatic spices. These are my favorite!

Get My Cookbook!

Want more Eastern European and Ukrainian recipes? Check out my cookbook, Beyond Borscht. It features 75 favorite recipes, including appetizers, soups and salads, main entrees, and of course, desserts. You’ll love this incredible collection of recipes! The book is available in most major book retailers, order links HERE.