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In Ukraine buckwheat is cooked like kasha (Grechana kasha), which is roasted groats cooked in water with butter, similar to rice. I sometimes make it plain drizzled with Homemade Ketchup for an easy side dish but this is a total game changer! It doesn’t get any easier than throwing in some sautéed vegetables and protein to make it complete!
Watch How to Make One Pan BuckWheat with Chicken:
Buckwheat Kasha vs Groats
Buckwheat groats and kasha are the same grain-like seeds only groats are hulled, left with a greenish yellow color and kasha groats are toasted. You will need roasted buckwheat groats for this recipe. I buy brown buckwheat kernels that have been hulled and toasted from European markets, but you can easily buy them on Amazon too.
I must admit, buckwheat, isn’t the most desirable food by itself so I get it, buckwheat recipes can seem bland. I’ve tried to make gluten-free pancakes, or crepes but it’s all the really healthy benefits from buckwheat that keeps me trying to cook with it creatively.
This buckwheat recipe with chicken and vegetables exceeded its buckwheat reputation! It was an instagram find on Mrs.Kostenko page, from her dinner recipes highlight, where she shared this one-pot meal. It had many good feedback and folks even made it with rice instead, so, I had to try it out. I think it’s perfect for beginners for its easy prep (the chicken cooks with the buckwheat in one-pan) and incredible flavor!
If you’re new to buckwheat, don’t be intimidated by the earthy flavors, this is similar to any risotto or rice dish only more robust and rich in fiber, minerals, and vitamins. I will teach you how to cook buckwheat the easy way (you literally place uncooked buckwheat into the oven!)
Ingredients:
You might be surprised how simple ingredients can give a ton of good flavor, feel good about this buckwheat chicken recipe. It calls for super basic ingredients and is light and nourishing to the tummy. The key to good flavor is to season generously with salt and pepper.
- Chicken thighs- is the good source of protein here. You can use any cut of meat like pork, beef, turkey, or lamb shanks however, cook them longer before baking with buckwheat.
- Buckwheat groats- that have been hulled and toasted are the best for this recipe. Plain hulled groats are dull in color and cook slightly mushier. Roasted brown buckwheat has a more nutty and hearty flavor.
- Vegetables- like carrots and onion give this dish a sweet and caramelized flavor.
- Healthy Fat- like extra virgin olive oil make this a complete meal from the four food groups (protein, grains, vegetables, and healthy fat).
Cook’s Tip: Increase the nutrition by adding hot chicken broth to the buckwheat instead of boiling water.
How To Cook Buckwheat with Chicken:
Cooking buckwheat is pretty much the same way you’d cook rice (2 parts water, 1 part groats). You can easily make this recipe in an instant pot or on the stove top. However, I love to use my Cast-Iron STAUB because it’s ideal for slow cooking meat in the oven (that comes with a lid) and makes a pretty presentation when serving.
- First season the meat with salt and plenty of pepper.
- Fry the chicken thighs in some olive oil. You make need to work in batches so just place it aside onto a plate as you finish searing the meat (it doesn’t need to be cooked thoroughly it will finish cook in the oven). This step is key to get a crisp skin.
- Remove the meat and add the carrots and onion to the same pan, sauté until translucent.
- Meanwhile, in a 3.7 litres pan (that is oven-safe and comes with a lid), add the buckwheat and pour boiling water over it. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes and don’t forget to stir in 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper.
- Layer the buckwheat with chicken, and top with the sautéed vegetables. Do not stir.
- Cover and bake in a preheated 350°F for 1 hour.
Ways To serve this Buckwheat and Chicken Recipe:
This one-pot meal is very satisfying on its own making it perfect for a main dish, pair it with a fresh salad and bread. Our family of 8 gets leftovers with this amount so it can easily make 10 servings.
- Cucumber and Tomato salad, use them up from the garden and toss them in oil and vinegar or a sour cream dressing. Sprinkle with fresh dill.
- Our family are big bread eaters! Serve with my moist Whole Wheat bread or Sourdough Sandwich Bread. An Artisan Loaf would go fantastic!
- Canned Polish Dill Pickles are sweet and sour, perfect for this meal.
- Another refreshing salad to try is this garlicky carrot and pea salad or Avocado corn salad.
Q&A
Can I Use Bone-In Thighs?
Yes, someone has commented that this was the best one pan chicken and buckwheat, and that she used bone-in thighs. If you cook with bone-in cuts try to keep them on the skillet a little longer than proceed with the recipe. Bone-in cuts take a little longer to cook thoroughly. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part.
Should I Remove the Skins off of Chicken Thighs?
No, you do not need to remove the skins off of chicken thighs. Leaving the skins on will actually create juicer chicken. Simply cook them in the skillet a little longer.
Can I Substitute Rice for Buckwheat?
Yes, rice can be interchanged easily with buckwheat. The water to rice ration should be the same for white rice like Jasmine or Basmati. However, add 1/4 cup more if using brown rice, like basmati.
I Don’t Have a Cast-Iron Pot, Can I Make in a Casserole Dish?
Yes, you can layer all of the ingredients into a 9×13 pyrex dish, just cover with aluminum foil.
Tips:
- Season this dish well. This recipe calls for very basic ingredients but the key is to generously add salt and pepper. We like our buckwheat on the peppery side, which pairs so nicely with the nutty flavors.
- You can fry and bake this recipe all in the same pan, however, you’d need to set the chicken and meat aside to layer over the buckwheat anyways. I like to cook the chicken separately from the vegetables to get a good crust on the meat. To make this easier, brown the chicken thighs in a skillet, add the vegetables and sauté for 5-8 minutes. Then place the chicken and vegetables over the buckwheat and bake covered.
- Wash the buckwheat using a fine mesh strainer.
- Cover buckwheat with boiling water to give this dish a head start in the oven. Starting with cold water will make the baking time longer.
- Adding butter is optional but it adds more flavor, cut it up and put it on top of the chicken before baking. The original recipe calls for 75 grams of butter but I used less.
- Garnish the tops with fresh parsley or dill for extra flavor.
- If you like a deeper brown crust, uncover the dish the last few minutes of baking and broil for a few minutes. This makes the meat darker if they fried up too light.
- Bone-in and skin-on chicken adds amazing flavor to the buckwheat.
More Chicken Recipes To Make:
Looking for more more buckwheat and chicken recipes? Try our chicken meatballs that call for buckwheat!
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One-Pan Buckwheat with Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Oven-safe Cast-Iron pot with lid., (about 3.7 litres or use a 13×9 dish)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs , (about 7-8 thighs)
- 1 onion, (diced)
- 1 large carrot , (grated)
- 1.5 cups buckwheat , (roasted buckwheat groats, washed and strained)
- 3 cups boiling water
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp butter, (cut into slices)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Directions:
- Season the chicken thighs with 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of pepper on both sides.
- In a large skillet brown chicken thighs over medium-high heat. Set aside.
- In the same skillet add the diced onion and grated carrot, sauté for 5-8 minutes. Season vegetables with 3/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Turn off the heat.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place buckwheat into a baking dish and cover with boiling water, stir in 1 Tablespoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Place chicken and vegetables over buckwheat. Top with butter slices and cover casserole dish with an oven-safe lid or foil. Bake for 1 hour. Serve.
Notes
- Bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs add amazing flavor.
- If you don’t have a cast-iron dutch pot you can use a 13×9 baking dish.
- For more nutrition substitute hot homemade chicken broth for the boiling water.
- Be sure to wash and sort buckwheat from any debris.
- You can make this into a chicken and rice dish by omitting buckwheat for rice. The water to grain ratio stays the same.
Nutrition (per serving)
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