How to Cook Barley in a Rice Cooker: Water Ratio, Setting and Time
Yes, you can cook barley in a rice cooker. Rinse it, add water, and use the brown rice or whole grain setting if you have one. Use about 2½ cups of water per cup of pearl barley and about 3 cups per cup of hulled barley.
The cooker switches to warm when the water is absorbed. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then fluff. One cup of dry barley makes about 3 to 3½ cups cooked.
- The Whole Grains Council says rice cookers work for nearly every grain. Use the same grain-to-liquid ratio as on the stove, or slightly less.
- Use the brown rice setting for grains that take longer than 25 minutes, such as barley.
- Pearl barley cooks faster and softer. Hulled barley is a whole grain and stays chewier.
- Barley expands to about 3½ times its dry volume, so do not overfill the pot.
- Rinse first and add a little oil or butter to reduce foaming.
Can you cook barley in a rice cooker?
Yes. A rice cooker heats water until the grain has absorbed it, then switches to warm. That works for barley just as it does for rice. You do not have to watch the pot, and the barley stays warm until you are ready.
The Whole Grains Council (WGC) says rice cookers can prepare almost every grain. Its culinary advisor Robin Asbell suggests the white rice setting for grains that cook in 25 minutes or less, and the brown rice setting for larger grains that take longer, which includes barley.
Pearl vs hulled barley
| Type | What it is | Water per cup | Setting | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl (pearled) barley | Outer hull and some bran polished off | About 2½ cups | Brown rice or white rice | Soft, slightly creamy |
| Hulled barley | Only the inedible hull removed; a whole grain | About 3 cups (WGC) | Brown rice or multigrain | Chewy, nutty |
| Quick barley | Pre-steamed pearl barley | Follow the package | White rice | Soft |
On the stove, the WGC lists 1 cup of hulled barley with 3 cups of liquid, simmered for 45 to 60 minutes, making about 3½ cups. Pearl barley cooks faster because the bran layer has been partly removed.
Rice cookers lose less water to evaporation than an open pot. The WGC advises using slightly less water rather than more, so start with these ratios and adjust next time.
Barley to water ratio for a rice cooker
Measure barley with a standard US cup, not the small cup that comes with the rice cooker, and ignore the rice water lines in the pot. Those lines are set for rice only.
| Dry barley | Pearl barley water | Hulled barley water | Cooked yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ cup | 1¼ cups | 1½ cups | About 1½ to 1¾ cups |
| 1 cup | 2½ cups | 3 cups | About 3 to 3½ cups |
| 2 cups | 5 cups | 6 cups | About 6 to 7 cups |
Want chewier barley? Use ¼ cup less water per cup. Want it softer for soups or porridge? Add ¼ to ½ cup more.
How to cook barley in a rice cooker
- Rinse. Put the barley in a sieve and rinse under cold water until it runs mostly clear. This removes loose starch that causes foaming.
- Add to the pot. Put the barley in the inner pot with the water from the table above, plus a pinch of salt.
- Add fat (optional). A teaspoon of butter or oil helps stop foam rising to the lid.
- Choose the setting. Use brown rice, whole grain or multigrain. On a basic cooker with one switch, just press Cook.
- Rest. When the cooker switches to warm, leave the lid closed for 10 minutes so the last of the water is absorbed.
- Fluff and check. Fluff with a fork. If it is still firm, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot water and press Cook again.
How long does barley take in a rice cooker?
It depends on your cooker and the barley. A rice cooker usually takes at least as long as the stove, because it heats up gently. Plan on roughly 40 to 50 minutes for pearl barley and closer to an hour or more for hulled barley on a brown rice setting.
Soaking hulled barley in water for a few hours or overnight shortens the time and gives a more even texture. Drain it and use slightly less cooking water if you soak it.
How to cook barley and rice together
Rice mixed with barley, called mugimeshi in Japan and boribap in Korea, is one of the most popular ways to cook barley in a rice cooker. The barley adds a chewy bite and extra fiber to plain rice.
- Rinse both. Wash the rice as normal and rinse the barley separately.
- Add water for the rice first. Fill to the rice water line for the amount of rice you are using.
- Add the barley plus extra water. A common starting point is 1 part barley to 3 or 4 parts rice, with about 2 parts extra water for each part of barley.
- Cook on the white or mixed setting. Pearl barley in small amounts cooks in the same time as white rice.
What to make with rice cooker barley
- Soups: add cooked barley to vegetable, mushroom or beef soup in the last few minutes.
- Grain bowls: top with roasted vegetables, a fried egg and a drizzle of sauce.
- Salads: toss cooled barley with cucumber, tomato, herbs, lemon and olive oil.
- Risotto-style: stir hot pearl barley with Parmesan, butter and sautéed mushrooms.
- Breakfast: cook pearl barley with extra water or milk, then add cinnamon and fruit.
Cooked barley keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and freezes well in portions. Cool it quickly, within 2 hours, before refrigerating.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Foam bubbling from the vent | Starch, or pot too full | Rinse well, add a teaspoon of oil, cook a smaller batch |
| Still hard | Too little water, or hulled barley on the white rice setting | Add hot water and cook again; use brown rice setting |
| Mushy or gummy | Too much water | Use ¼ cup less water per cup next time |
| Crust on the bottom | Left on warm too long | Fluff and remove within an hour |
Frequently asked questions
Can you cook pearl barley in a rice cooker?
Yes. Use about 2½ cups of water per cup of rinsed pearl barley and the brown rice or white rice setting. Let it rest for 10 minutes after the cooker switches to warm.
What is the best rice cooker setting for barley?
Brown rice, whole grain or multigrain. The Whole Grains Council recommends the brown rice setting for grains that need more than 25 minutes. Basic cookers with one switch also work.
What is the barley to water ratio in a rice cooker?
About 1 to 2½ for pearl barley and 1 to 3 for hulled barley, using a standard measuring cup. Ignore the rice water lines in the pot.
How do you make one or two cups of barley in a rice cooker?
For 1 cup of pearl barley, use 2½ cups of water; for 2 cups, use 5 cups. For hulled barley, use 3 cups and 6 cups. Keep the cooked volume below the pot’s max line.
Do you need to soak barley before cooking it in a rice cooker?
Not for pearl barley. Soaking hulled barley for a few hours speeds up cooking and evens out the texture, but it is optional.
How do you prepare whole grain barley in a rice cooker?
Use hulled barley, which is the whole grain form. Rinse it, add 3 cups of water per cup, and cook on the brown rice setting. Soak it first for a softer, faster result.
The bottom line
Barley is easy in a rice cooker: rinse it, use 2½ cups of water per cup of pearl barley or 3 cups for hulled barley, and cook on the brown rice setting. Rest it for 10 minutes before fluffing.
Your rice cooker can handle many other grains the same way. See our guides to farro in a rice cooker and congee in a rice cooker.
- Whole Grains Council, Cooking Grains With Your Rice Cooker.
- Whole Grains Council, Cooking Whole Grains (grain and liquid chart).
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