Instant Pot Barley

Name: Instant Pot Barley
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 38 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Pearl Barley; 4 cups Vegetable broth (or water); 2 tsp Salt

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This recipe for Instant Pot Barley is such a quick and easy way to make this fiber-rich, yummy grain! You can use barley in all sorts of recipes!

barley in a white bowl with parsley leaf on top.

Barley is a super affordable, easy to find, and very healthy grain, similar to farro or even brown rice. It can take a while to cook on the stove, so it is not as popular of a grain. But, with the instant pot (or any pressure cooker), it is so quick and easy!

Looking for more quick recipes? Try out all of my other Instant Pot Recipes!

You can use instant pot barley in all sorts of recipes. This grain can be used in a Barley Risotto, Vegetable barley soup, a Barley salad, and so much more!

For a gluten-free alternative, try making Instant Pot Millet!

Why you'll love this recipe

Quick & Easy - Just set the instant pot to cook, and walk away until it's done!
Great for meal prep - This recipe makes a large batch, so it is great to make all at once, then store for meals throughout the week.
Plant-based protein - Did you know 1 cup of pearl barley has 23 grams of protein?? Toss this in your daily meals for an easy protein boost!

What you need for this recipe

Ingredients and substitutions:

Pearl Barley - There are two types of barley, pearl and hulled. However, pearl is more common and is what is used in this recipe. I have not tested this with hulled barley and cannot recommend substituting.
Broth - Water, broth or stock of choice, or even Better than Bouillon.

How to make this recipe

Step 1: Prep the Ingredients

Measure the pearled barley and place into a large bowl or a mesh strainer.

Rinse with water the same way you would rinse rice.

Step 2: Pressure Cook

Once rinsed, add barley, broth, and 2 teaspoon of salt to the Instant Pot.

Use a wooden spoon to give a gentle stir.

uncooked barley and broth in the instant pot.

Close the lid, set the valve to 'sealing,' and pressure cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.

Once the 20 minutes are up, press 'cancel' and let it sit (natural pressure release) for about 15 more minutes, or until the floating pin comes down on it's own.

After 15 minutes, if there is still pressure in the pot (meaning the floating pin is still up), set the valve to venting to release any remaining steam.

Step 3: Finishing Touches

Once the floating pin is down, open the lid.

Us a fork or a wooden spoon to gently fluff the barley in the pot.

Once slightly cooled, use immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

Barley in a white bowl sitting on a green plate with parsley.

Expert Tips and Tricks:

While I highly recommend rinsing the barley before cooking, it is not detrimental if you forget to rinse it. It will just come out a bit stickier!
Pearl barley is different from hulled barley and will likely not cook in the same way. I do not recommend using the two interchangeably.
This recipe uses a 6 quart Instant Pot. Though results shouldn't vary by size, it can happen.

Recipe FAQs

What is the ratio of water to barley?

For barley in a pressure cooker, the ratio of barley to water is 1:2, or 1 cup of barley to 2 cups water.

Is barley healthy?

Barley is super healthy! It is a rich source of fiber and plant-based protein.

What is pearl barley?

Pearl barley is regular barley that has the tough outer hull removed. This means that pearl barley is technically not a whole grain, but it is still very healthy.

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