Quick answer
A common starting point for hulled barley in a rice cooker is 1 cup rinsed barley to about 3 cups of water or broth, with a pinch of salt, cooked on the Brown Rice setting. When the cycle ends, let the barley rest on Keep Warm for 10 to 15 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. Hulled barley is tough, so if it is still too chewy at the end, give it another short cycle or a longer rest.
Rice cookers differ a great deal, so the exact time depends on your model. Many brown rice cycles run somewhere around 45 to 90 minutes.
Hulled barley vs pearl barley
Barley is sold in a few forms, and the form changes how it cooks:
- Hulled barley has only its inedible outer hull removed. It keeps its bran, so it is the more whole-grain option. It takes the longest to cook and stays chewy.
- Pearl (pearled) barley has been polished to remove the bran as well. It cooks faster and comes out softer and a bit stickier.
- Quick barley has been partly cooked and dried, so it cooks fastest.
The method below is for hulled barley. If you have pearl barley and a pressure cooker, see our guide to Instant Pot pearl barley. Barley contains gluten, so it is not suitable if you need to avoid gluten.
What you need
- 1 cup hulled barley
- About 3 cups water or broth (see the ratio notes below)
- A pinch of salt, and optionally a teaspoon of oil or butter
- A rice cooker with a Brown Rice or multigrain setting (a plain white rice setting can work but may undercook the barley)
- A fine-mesh strainer
Step-by-step
- Rinse the barley. Put it in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until the water runs mostly clear. This removes dust and loose starch that can make the cooked grains sticky.
- Add it to the rice cooker. Combine the barley, liquid and salt in the inner pot. Oil or butter is optional, but a little can help keep the grains separate.
- Soak if you like. See the next section. A soak of 30 minutes to an hour in the cooker’s own liquid is a simple option.
- Select Brown Rice (or whole grain or multigrain, if your cooker has it) and start the cycle.
- Rest. When the cooker switches to Keep Warm, leave the lid closed for 10 to 15 minutes. This lets the grains finish absorbing moisture.
- Taste and fluff. Hulled barley should be tender with a pleasant chew. If it is still hard in the center, see the troubleshooting section.
Do you need to soak hulled barley?
No, it is not required. Soaking is optional, but it can shorten the cooking time and make the texture more even, which matters for a tough grain like hulled barley. Some manufacturers’ recipes use the rice cooker’s delay timer to soak the barley for several hours before cooking. If you do soak for a long time, keep the barley in the refrigerator or use the cooker’s delay function as the manufacturer directs, and avoid leaving it at room temperature for many hours. Drain and rinse soaked barley, or follow the recipe if it uses the soaking liquid.
Ratio and timing: why sources differ
You will see ratios from 1 : 2 up to 1 : 3 for barley. There are several reasons:
- A soaked barley needs less water than dry barley.
- A sealed rice cooker loses little steam, so the lower ratios can work.
- Hulled barley soaks up more liquid than pearl barley.
A sensible approach is to start at 1 : 3 for unsoaked hulled barley. If the cooked barley is too wet, drain it and let it dry in the pot for a few minutes. If it is too firm, add a splash of water and cook again. Write down what worked on your cooker.
Typical yield is roughly 3 cups cooked barley for each 1 cup dry, though it varies a bit.
Troubleshooting
Still chewy or hard. Add a few tablespoons of water, close the lid and run another short cycle, or leave it on Keep Warm for longer. Next time, soak first or use slightly more water.
Too wet or soupy. Drain through a strainer, then return the barley to the warm pot with the lid off for a few minutes.
Sticky or gummy. Rinse well before cooking and avoid stirring while it cooks.
Boiling over. Do not fill the cooker past its maximum line. Barley expands as it cooks.
Flavor variations
- Cook in chicken, beef or vegetable broth instead of water.
- Add a bay leaf, a smashed garlic clove (see how to cook garlic without burning it) or a strip of lemon peel.
- Stir in butter, olive oil, chopped herbs or roasted walnuts at the end.
- Use cooked barley in soups, grain salads, pilafs or as a side in place of rice.
For other ways to cook grains with a countertop appliance, see our roundup of Instant Pot grain recipes.
Storing cooked barley
Cool the barley promptly and refrigerate it in a covered container. It keeps for several days in the fridge, and it can be frozen in portions. Reheat until hot, adding a splash of water if needed.
FAQ
What is the best way to cook hulled barley? Hulled barley can be cooked on the stove, in a pressure cooker or in a rice cooker. The rice cooker is the most hands-off, and it is hard to burn the grain.
How long does barley take in a rice cooker? It depends on the cooker and on whether you soaked the grains. A full brown rice cycle plus a rest is a reasonable expectation for hulled barley.
What is the recommended ratio of water to hulled barley? A common starting point is 1 part barley to 3 parts liquid, adjusted for your cooker and for whether you soak.
Can I use pearl barley instead? Yes, but it cooks faster and needs less liquid, so reduce the water and time.