How to Cook Barley on the Stove

Barley is easy to cook on the stove! Just simmer with water and you have a tasty whole grain that can be used in a variety of ways.

Jump to:

• 📋 Instructions
• ✨Top Tips
• 🥣 Storage
• 🌡️ Reheating
• 💪 Nutrition
• 🍽 Uses
• Recipe
• 🥣 Equipment
• Reviews

Confession: I was super slow to hop on the Instant Pot train. It just seemed like another appliance taking up space in my kitchen. I eventually did cave and got one about 5 years after everyone else I knew had one. Turns out I do love it, and it's especially handy when making so many of the items I find in the bulk section (aka the ingredients that inspire this blog).

Today's post, however, shows that life can still go on without an Instant Pot. Barley is just as easy to make on the stove and comes out just as tasty. In fact, it even has an advantage over cooking it in the instant pot.

Cooking barley on the stove gives you the advantage of having more control over the finished texture of the grain. Sometimes barley is great with a chewier consistency, like in a salad. Other times you might prefer it softer and mushy, my favorite way to eat it for breakfast.

When cooking on the stove, you can easily remove the lid and sample how the grain is doing. Want it softer? Just add more water and simmer longer. You can't easily do that when using an instant pot.

If you'd prefer to use a pressure cooker, however, we have a tutorial for that as well. Check out "How to Cook Barley in the Instant Pot."

📋 Instructions

1. Rinse the dry barley grains under cold water to remove any dirt and excess starch.
2. Add water and dry barley to pot on the stove. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Lower the heat to a simmer and COVER the pot. Pearl Barley will simmer for about 25 mins, while hulled barley will need 40.
4. After the required time, remove the lid and check the barley for desired chewiness. If you'd like it softer, add a little water and continue to simmer until water is absorbed. (If too much water is added and the grain reaches desired texture, drain the excess water).
5. Fluff with a fork and enjoy!

✨Top Tips

• Barley does not need to be soaked before cooking.

• Always rinse barley before adding it to the pot. This will remove any dust or dirt that has accumulated on the grains. It will also remove some extra starch from the grains. This starch makes the end result grains stickier. The first time I made barley I didn't rinse first and the result was a gelatinous blob of grains. I wasn't a fan.

• There are 2 types of barley you could be making: hulled barley or pearl barley. It's important to know which one you have because the cooking time is different for the two. Pearl barley has had an extra layer removed from the top of the grain, resulting in a quicker cook time and softer texture. Hulled barley cooks longer and is chewier. Want to learn more about barley and how to use it? Check out "A Complete Guide to Cooking with Barley."

• When cooking barley, use 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry barley. (This is where you want to start, but you can always add a bit more water towards the end of simmering if you a softer grain, or are using hulled barley.

• One cup of dry barley will make approximately 3 ½ cups of cooked barley.

🥣 Storage

Cooked barley should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container. It will last 3-5 days.

Barley can be cooked in large batches and then frozen for quicker use.  Put smaller portions into vacuum-sealed or freezer ziplock bags, which can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Just make sure it is completely cooled before doing this to prevent freezer burn.

🌡️ Reheating

Refrigerated barley can easily be reheated in the microwave. Place the grain in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute and then stir. Repeat until the barley is completely and evenly warmed.

You can also reheat barley on the stove. Add a little butter or oil to a pan and sautee until the grains are warm.

If you're planning on adding cold, cooked barley into a soup recipe, simply add the grains into the liquid while they are cold. They will warm as the soup cooks.

For best results with frozen barley, let it defrost slowly in the fridge overnight and then follow one of the above options.

Frozen barley can also be defrosted in the microwave using the defrost setting. Again, microwave in one-minute blocks, stirring between minutes.

💪 Nutrition

Barley is jam-packed with nutrients:  Manganese, selenium, copper, chromium, magnesium, niacin, and other B vitamins. It's also high in fiber and low in fat.

One cup of cooked pearl barley has 193 calories in it.

Complete nutrition information can be obtained from the USDA.

🍽 Uses

Here are some of my favorite barley recipes from around the web:

Mexican Bean and Barley Soup from The Incredible Bulks

Cranberry Orange Barley Bars from The Incredible Bulks

Breakfast Barley Bowl with Mango, Coconut and Banana from The Kitchn

Recipe

🥣 Equipment

Here are some products you might need to make this recipe.

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