Leading a grain-free life is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be flavorless, or carb-less either. Sometimes I really miss grains like rice, oatmeal, and cous-cous – the kind that goes in a bowl with hearty ingredients to really fill you up.
I’ve been a little obsessed with buckwheat lately, and I’ve discovered how to dress it up and down to suit my sweet or savory tastes! Buckwheat groats have also been a great addition to my freezer meals – you can read about my quick and easy meal prep process here!
You may be wondering what buckwheat actually is, and if it’s related to wheat. Nope, it’s not wheat at all! It’s actually called a pseudo-cereal, meaning that it is a complex carbohydrate that tends to be used in the same way as cereal grains (like wheat, corn, and rice), but it doesn’t grow on grasses like the others.
Buckwheat is processed into small, pebble-like groats, which are either cooked whole or ground into flour. Whole groats, which I use in this recipe, can be cooked and produce a porridge-like texture – a little softer than rice and quinoa, but I find the taste to be very similar to a white rice. Whole groats can also be processed into flour, which I love to use in bread recipes.
The nutritional benefits of buckwheat are many! Not only does it contain excellent antioxidant properties, but the glycemic index is quite low, avoiding a spike in blood sugar like you would typically see with wheat, rice, or corn. This makes it an excellent choice for not only gluten free consumers, but diabetics as well. The fiber content is pretty substantial as well, and it’s rich in nutrients like manganese, copper, iron, and magnesium. Sign me up!
I like to cook buckwheat groats in my Instant Pot. They cook very quickly, and I can make large batches to freeze in small quantities for whenever I need an individual serving. These really come in handy – I just add veggies and a protein for a really quick meal, or sometimes I’ll top it with soup!
The best part about this recipe is how fast and easy it is! Simply place the 4 ingredients in the Instant Pot, set on manual for 2 minutes, and let it do its thing! I do typically rinse my groats first but it’s not required. You can throw them into a strainer, but make sure the holes aren’t too large or they will come through. I use a strainer meant for rice and it works great.
My favorite groats are Anthony’s, and I love that I can buy a large bag of organic groats from Amazon at a reasonable price. I like to make my groats with unsweetened almond milk and ghee. You can certainly use any liquid of choice – dairy milk, broth, or even just water is fine. And if butter isn’t your thing, any oil will work in place of the ghee.
Give it a try! Let me know in the comments what you think. And if you want to try a sweeter version of buckwheat oats for breakfast, try my Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge recipe!
Buttery & Delicious Instant Pot Buckwheat
Ingredients
- 1 cup Buckwheat Groats
- 1.5 cups Water, broth, or milk of choice
- 1 Tbsp Oil or ghee
- 1 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Rinse buckwheat well in a fine colander and transfer to Instant Pot.
- Add milk, oil or ghee, and salt. Stir.
- Close lid, making sure the valve is closed. Select “manual” and set it to 2 minutes.
- When cooking has finished and it beeps, allow the cooker to naturally release the pressure. This takes about 20-25 minutes.
- After pressure has fully released, open the lid very carefully. I always do this with a towel just in case!
- Gently stir and scoop into bowls. Do not over stir, or it will turn to mush quickly!
- Serve as a side dish, or as a base for vegetable or stir fry bowls.
- Remainder can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days, or place in individual serving containers and freeze for future use.
I love buckwheat and never thought of making it in my instant pot! I look forward to giving this a try, thanks.
Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Hi Christen, just curious is the butter/ghee optional? I don’t really want to add any oils to this. Thanks in advance!
Hi Kristen! Yes, it’s optional. I like it for the flavor but it can certainly be left out!
I am іn fact delighteԀ to reɑd thiѕ ᴡebpage pօsts ԝhich cⲟntains lots of helpful data, thanks for providing such іnformation.
You bet, happy to help!
Hey ᴡould you mind sharing which blog pⅼatform yοu’гe working with?
I’m lookіng to start my own blog soon but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordprｅss/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I’m loⲟking for something unique.
P.S My aрologies for getting off-topic but I haɗ to ask!
Hi – no worries! This is a wordpress site. 🙂
Although buckwheat groats is gluten free, it causes symptoms in me, similar to gluten would cause. Is there something in buckwheat that would cause these symptoms?
Hi Bonney! If the buckwheat you are using is processed with the same equipment as wheat, there could be cross-contamination. A lot of people who react to gluten also react to other grains. Although buckwheat is not technically a grain, that may be issue for you. I would first check the buckwheat you purchased, though, and double check that there is no allergen warning on it.
Nice and easy, thank you!👏
So glad you like it! Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe. Is the 2 minutes on “manual” low or high pressure? Mine comes out quite mushy.
Hi! I’ve always used high pressure and haven’t had a problem. It is definitely a softer texture than oatmeal, couscous, rice, or other grains. Try not to stir it much!
This looks like a really great recipe that I’d love to make. Could you please tell me how much water I should use with 500 g. of my organic buckwheat groats – or how many inches or centimetres above the top of the buckwheat after I’ve put it into my new instant pot.
I believe 500g is about 2 cups. In this case, you would double the water to 3 cups. I don’t know how many inches or cm the water should be above the top; that would depend on the size of your pot. Enjoy!
Hello, I am using Wolff’s medium granulation roasted whole-grain buckwheat so it seems like these are smaller in size than what you use in your recipe so how would I cook this differently in my instant pot? Thx!
Hi! I don’t think the size of groats matters – I wouldn’t change anything!
I didn’t leave enough time to let the pressure release naturally! What’s the consequence of manually releasing it sooner? Thanks much!
In this case, because the cook time is so short, it’s no issue to release the pressure early. If you want a firmer texture, that would actually help. Enjoy!