Grechanyky (Meat & Buckwheat Patties)

two grechanyky meat patties on plate with buckwheat beside.

Grechanyky (Meat & Buckwheat Patties)

These flavorful meat patties with buckwheat, onion, and spices are fried and then stewed in tomato sauce for a meaty and filling dish.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Author Yuliia Stsepeleva

Ingredients

1 cup ground meat
1/2 cup buckwheat, cooked
1 chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground
1/3 teaspoon dried herbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons oil, for frying
1 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 bay leaves

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup ground meat, 1/2 cup buckwheat, 1 chopped yellow onion , 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/3 teaspoon dried herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and dense.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. With damp hands, shape the mixture into small oval or round patties (about 2-3 inches in diameter).
Fry the patties over medium heat for about 3 minutes on one side, or until golden brown. Then flip the patties to the other side and continue frying for another 3 minutes. Repeat until you have cooked all of the meat patties.
Place the fried patties into a saucepan. Mix 1 cup tomato puree and 2 tablespoons tomato paste. You can add a bit of water if necessary so the sauce is not too thick. Pour the sauce over the patties, add 3 bay leaves, and cover the saucepan with a lid.
Simmer over low heat for about 25 minutes. Once the 25 minutes have passed, the Grechanyky are ready to be served.

Notes

You can use any ground meat you have on hand to make grechanyky. Chicken, pork, beef, or a mix of pork and beef are popular options. But you can also use ground turkey if you prefer.
Allow the cooked buckwheat to cool slightly before adding it to the meat mixture, so you don’t accidentally cook the egg.
For a milder taste, you can sauté the chopped onions in a little oil before adding them to the meat mixture.
You can also add finely chopped mushrooms, carrots (grated), celery, or garlic, to the meat mixture. If you like, you can sauté the chopped vegetables for a few minutes until soft before adding them to the meat mixture.
You can add fried chopped onions and carrots to the sauce if you want it to have some extra flavor. Some people also like to add a little sour cream to the tomato sauce (towards the end of cooking so it doesn’t curdle).

Nutrition

This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.