Are you looking to change up your grains? Wheat berries are a nutritious wholegrain option to consider. Learn all you need to know about how to cook wheat berries, plain or pilaf, on the stove, in the Instant pot, or in the slow cooker.
Place the wheat berries in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. When the water boils, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
Continue cooking the wheat berries for 45-60 minutes. Add more water if necessary. After 30 minutes, check the wheat berries for doneness.
Continue cooking until the wheat berries are chewy but not hard. Drain excess water and serve.
If soaked, the wheat berries will take about 25-35 minutes.
Instant Pot Method
Place the water, salt and wheat berries in the Instant Pot.
Cover with lid, seal the pressure valve and cook on high pressure for 20-30 minutes depending on texture desired. The longer you cook the wheatberries the less chewy and softer the grains become.
If you open and want to cook longer for more tender grains, cover with the lid again and cook for 5-10 minutes longer. It will take far less time to pressurize when extending the time because the liquid is already heated.
Use quick release and drain excess water before serving or storing.
Slow Cooker Method
Place the water, salt and wheat berries in the slow cooker and cover with lid. Cook on low for 2 - 3 hours on low or 1 - 1 ½ hours on high.
When cooked, drain the excess water off and serve or store as desired.
Wheat Berry Pilaf
Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic to the pot and cook until fragrant and slightly softened.
Combine cooked veggies with wheat berries, water and salt in desired cooking method and cook as directed.
When ready to serve, mix in fresh herbs, black pepper and any additional seasonings you wish to add.
Soak Wheat Berries (optional)
Place the wheat berries in a bowl and cover with 1 inch of water. Soak overnight or for at least 12 hours. When ready to cook, drain the water from the wheatberries.
Toast Wheat Berries (opitonal)
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Spread the soaked or dry wheat berries in a single layer on top of a baking sheet pan.
Place the pan in the oven and toast the wheat berries for 10 minutes.
Notes
Soak the wheat berries to save some time, but it’s not totally necessary.Be sure to add salt to your cooking water so the wheat berries soak it up as they cook.Use the cooking time in this wheat berries recipe as a guideline. I found the different types of wheat berries to be quite different. How long they take can also vary depending on the age of the grains. Some wheat berries can take up to an hour or slightly longer to cook especially if you want them to have a softer consistency.Use a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. The lid will help keep the water from evaporating and keep the heat more consistent so they cook faster.Keep an eye that there is enough water in the pot, especially when cooking on the stove.