We all love a grain bowl—they're delicious, filling, and easy to toss together with whatever bits and bobs you've got in the fridge. But sometimes figuring out how to cook whole grains in order to make said grain bowl can feel intimidating. What's the water to grain ratio for millet again? And how long do you need to simmer your farro?
Here's a guide that tells you exactly how to cook whole grains—from amaranth to wild rice, alphabetically—using a basic cover-and-simmer method. Before you start, make sure you find a lid that fits your simmering pot properly. A few notes:
1. All the directions below call for water, but you can certainly use stock instead if you prefer for added flavor. 2. Salt the water if you want—about half a teaspoon per cup of grain. 3. Practically any grain can be toasted before boiling, which boosts flavor. Just toast in a dry pan (the one you're going to use for boiling, if you want to save yourself some dishes) or add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil. Stir frequently and cook just until the grains have darkened slightly and become fragrant; then add the prescribed amount of water and continue as directed. 4. Consider the timing and ratios below to be a general guide; specific grain varieties may require more or less cooking. Always check package directions and test a cooked grain for doneness before serving. 5. Finally, as you may have deduced, we're using the word grain loosely here: the list contains a few seeds and grasses that aren't technically grains, but can be used as the base of a bowl just the same.
How to cook amaranth
Bring 1½ cups water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup amaranth, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Breakfast Amaranth With Walnuts and Honey
How to cook barley
Hulled or hull-less barley (aka barley groats): Bring 3 cups water to a boil over hight heat. Add 1 cup rinsed barley, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 1 hour—and up to 2 hours—until tender. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess water. To reduce the cooking time, you can soak hulled or hull-less barley in water overnight, drain, and then simmer in fresh water. Makes 3 cups cooked barley. USE IT: Barley Porridge With Honeyed Plums
Pearl barley: Bring 3 cups water to a boil over hight heat. Add 1 cup rinsed pearl barley, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Makes 3 cups cooked barley. USE IT: Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad
How to cook brown rice
Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup rinsed brown rice to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Makes 3 cups cooked rice.USE IT: Miso-Tahini Squash Soup With Brown Rice
How to cook buckwheat
Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup buckwheat to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer—10 minutes for cracked kasha, 30 minutes for whole kasha. Makes 4 servings.USE IT: Kasha With Browned Onions and Walnuts
How to cook bulgur
Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup medium-grain bulgur to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 to 12 minutes. Drain excess liquid and fluff with a fork. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Roasted Salmon With Celery and Bulgur Salad
How to cook corn
It's a whole grain too! See this guide for how to make perfect popcorn and this recipe for perfect corn on the cob.
How to cook einkorn
Bring 1 cup einkorn and 2 cups water to a boil over hight heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Once einkorn is tender, drain excess liquid. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Einkorn is a type of wheat, so use it anywhere you might use wheat berries, rye berries, or farro.
How to cook farro
Bring 1 cup farro and 3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on what type you have; check package and check in on the farro as it simmers. Pearled farro cooks quicker (start checking at 15 minutes!) while whole farro takes longer. Once farro is tender, drain excess liquid. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Cracked Farro and Broccoli Salad
How to cook fonio
Bring 1 cup fonio and 2 cups water to a boil over high heat in a covered pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes. Remove lid and fluff fonio with a fork. Makes 4 cups. USE IT: Citrus Jerk Bass With Fonio
How to cook freekeh
Bring 1 cup of rinsed freekeh and 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Haricots Verts and Freekeh With Minty Tahini Dressing
How to cook kamut
Soak the kamut overnight in water, then drain. Bring 1 cup kamut and 3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the berries are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 2 cups. USE IT: Whole Grain Pancakes With Blackberries
How to cook kasha
A.k.a. toasted buckwheat. See how to cook buckwheat for guidelines.
How to cook millet
Bring 2 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup millet, stir, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Millet Burgers With Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Pecorino
How to cook oats
Rolled oats: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup rolled oats, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 2 servings. USE IT: Top with Roasted Squash or sweet potatoes plus maple syrup and tahini, or Apple Compote
Steel-cut oats: Bring 3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup steel-cut oats, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook—stirring occasionally—20 to 30 minutes, depending on desired consistency. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Savory Oatmeal With Bacon, Scallions, and Cheddar
Oat groats: Bring 3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup rinsed groats, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook—stirring occasionally—45 to 60 minutes, until tender. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Add more liquid and continue cooking for porridge, or serve them any way you might serve wheat berries, farro, or barley.
How to cook quinoa
Rinse the quinoa first and drain it in a sieve. Bring 1 cup quinoa and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer 10 minutes. Let stand off the heat 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Makes 4 servings. READ MORE. USE IT: Quinoa Bowl With Lentils and Mustard Vinaigrette
How to cook rye berries
Soak 1 cup rye berries in 2 1/2 cups water overnight. When you're ready to cook, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: In place of wheat berries, farro, or spelt in any recipe.
How to cook sorghum
Bring 1 cup rinsed sorghum berries and 3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat, and simmer until the berries are tender and the liquid is absorbed, 50 to 60 minutes. Makes 4 servings.USE IT: Roast Chicken With Sorghum and Squash
How to cook spelt
Soak 1 cup spelt berries in water overnight; drain. Bring 3 cups water to a boil over high heat. Add drained spelt berries, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 45 to 60 minutes, until the berries are tender. Makes 4 servings.USE IT: Toasted Spelt Soup With Escarole and White Beans
How to cook teff
Bring 1½ cups water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup rinsed teff, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. USE IT: Teff can be swapped with millet in any recipe.
How to cook wheat berries
Soak 1 cup wheat berries in water overnight, then drain. Add to a pot with 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until water is absorbed and the berries are tender. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Lentil Soup With Wheat Berries and Kale
How to cook wild rice
Combine 1 cup wild rice with 3 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 45 to 55 minutes, until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Makes 4 servings. USE IT: Wild Rice With Watercress and Hazelnuts
The Absolute Easiest Way to Cook Any Whole Grain
Here's a little secret about how to cook whole grains: it doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, instead of measuring and memorizing ratios, there's a really simple way to cook literally any grain: just boil some water, add your grain, and then cook until it's done. That's it!
Let's say you're cooking farro. Bring a big pot of water to a boil, like you would with pasta. Salt it if you want. Get some farro—no need to measure it. Just use however much you think you want. Add it to the pot of boiling water.
Keeping the pot at a pretty brisk boil, cook the farro until it's done, and then drain it through a fine-mesh sieve. How do you know it's done? You taste it. Does it taste good—tender, yet still on the al dente side? Bam: done. Obviously this method requires a little more supervision than the cover-and-steam method, but in my opinion it more than makes up for that by giving you complete control over the process—you'll never again take the lid off your pot of rice and find yourself surprised that it's under- or overcooked.
