How to Cook Whole Grains: A Simple Timing Chart
Water ratios, cook times and yields for rice, quinoa, farro, barley and more, plus tips for batch-cooking and freezing.
Whole grains are some of the most useful foods in a home kitchen. Cook a pot on Sunday and you have the start of bowls, salads, soups and breakfasts for days. The only tricky part is that each grain needs a slightly different amount of water and time. This chart is the one we keep taped inside a cabinet door.
The chart
Amounts are for 1 cup of dry grain. Times are approximate and vary with the age of the grain and the size of your pot, so always taste for doneness.
- Brown rice: 2 cups water, 40 to 45 minutes, makes about 3 cups
- Quinoa: 1 3/4 cups water, 15 minutes plus 5 minutes resting, makes about 3 cups
- Farro (semi-pearled): boil in plenty of water like pasta, 20 to 30 minutes, makes about 2 1/2 cups
- Pearl barley: 3 cups water, 30 to 40 minutes, makes about 3 1/2 cups
- Bulgur (medium): 2 cups boiling water poured over, cover and rest 15 minutes, makes about 3 cups
- Rolled oats: 2 cups water or milk, 5 minutes, makes about 2 cups
- Steel-cut oats: 3 to 4 cups water, 20 to 30 minutes, makes about 3 cups
- Wild rice: 3 to 4 cups water, 45 to 55 minutes, makes about 3 1/2 cups
Two methods
Absorption method: combine grain, water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the water is absorbed. Rest covered for 5 to 10 minutes off the heat, then fluff. This works for rice, quinoa and barley.
Pasta method: boil the grain in a large pot of salted water and drain it when tender. This is foolproof for farro, barley and even brown rice, because you cannot run out of water and the grains stay separate.
Tips for better grains
- Rinse quinoa well to remove its naturally bitter coating.
- Toast grains in a little oil for 2 minutes before adding water for a nuttier flavor.
- Cook in broth instead of water for savory dishes.
- Add a bay leaf or a strip of lemon peel to the pot.
Batch-cook and freeze
Cooked grains keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To freeze, spread them on a sheet pan to cool quickly, then pack into freezer bags in 1-cup portions, pressing them flat. They keep for up to 3 months and reheat in a couple of minutes in the microwave with a splash of water.
Where to use them
Try cooked grains in our tahini cauliflower grain bowl, under the miso-glazed eggplant, or stirred into soups at the end of cooking.
Published August 10, 2026, reviewed October 19, 2026. General kitchen information only; not medical or nutrition advice.