How to Cook Wheat Berries (Stove or Instant Pot)

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I’ll show you how to cook wheat berries on the stove or in the Instant Pot. They are a versatile food for breakfast, salads, soups, and more!

I’m always sharing home milled flour recipes using wheat berries, but did you know they are also delicious cooked in their whole form?

They have a slight chewiness with a sweet and nutty flavor. They bring variety and nutrition to our meals!

My preference is to cook wheat berries in the Instant Pot because it’s hands off and often quicker. I have this Instant Pot Pro® 8qt pressure cooker and love to use it to prep many whole foods.

If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I’ll show you how to use the stove as well!

What Are Wheat Berries?

A wheat berry is an unprocessed whole kernel of wheat. It’s made up of the bran (outer covering), germ (part that would develop into a new plant) and endosperm (white starchy part).

Wheat berries are rich in fiber, vitamins, several essential minerals, and protein. Different varieties of wheat berries have slightly different nutritional profiles.

Unhulled grain can be purchased in bulk and stored long-term in airtight containers to use for cooking and milling into flour.

Types of Wheat Berries

As you are shopping for wheat berries, you’ll come across hard wheats (higher in protein), soft wheats (lower in protein), and ancient grains (sometimes called Farro) which include spelt, emmer, and einkorn.

Ancient grains are sometimes preferred for their flavor, nutrient profile, or easier-to-digest gluten structure.

You can cook any of these varieties, though the cooking time will vary. Soft varieties cook more quickly.

What Are Pearled or Hulled Wheat Berries?

Pearled or hulled wheat berries will have had the outer layer of bran removed. This gives the berries a softer bite once cooked and speeds up the cooking time.

I greatly prefer unhulled grain for the extra dietary fiber and nutrition.

Where to Buy Wheat Berries

You can look for wheat berries locally at health food stores like Whole Foods or Natural Grocers.

A couple of my favorite online sources are Azure Standard and Grand Teton Ancient Grains, but I have an entire list of sources in this post with some coupon codes.

How to Eat Wheat Berries

You can serve cooked wheat berries like rice, and they are especially delicious with a vinaigrette dressing. They can be served hot or cold and they are also a wonderful addition to salads, soups and stews, grain bowls, or with yogurt and fruit for breakfast.

How to Cook Wheat Berries on the Stove (Step-By-Step Instructions)

You can soak wheat berries overnight to speed up the cooking time on the stove by several minutes, but it is not a necessary step.

As another option before cooking, you can toast wheat berries in the oven to further enhance their flavor. To do this, you would toast them in a single layer on a sheet pan at 375°F for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant. Then proceed to step 1.

Step 1 – Boil Water

Boil water in a medium-size pot. Rinse the wheat berries in a sieve and allow them to drain.

Step 2 – Cook Until Tender

Add the rinsed wheat berries to the pot of boiling water with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered until tender.

You can expect the cook time to be 25-40 minutes if you’re cooking soft wheat berries and up to 1.5 hours for hard wheat berries.

Strain the cooked wheat berries through a sieve to drain. Then serve as desired.

Instant Pot Wheat Berries (Step-By-Step Instructions)

Now for the Instant Pot, my preferred method. I have tested with hard red, soft white wheat, and emmer. Emmer takes the same amount of time as hard wheat.

If you are using a different ancient grain, start with the timing for the soft wheat and go from there. I will make sure to add an update when I test other varieties of wheat.

Step 1 – Add Wheat Berries to Instant Pot

Rinse the wheat berries in a sieve and allow to drain. Add to the inner pot of a 6qt or 8qt Instant Pot along with 4 cups of water and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Step 2 – Cook

Put the lid on and insure that the pressure valve is in the sealing position. Cook the wheat berries on high pressure (30 min high pressure for hard wheat, 22 min for soft wheat).

Remember that it will take the pot several minutes to come up to pressure.

After the time is up, quick release the pressure. Drain the cooked wheat berries, and serve as desired.

How to Store Wheat Berries After Cooking

Cooked wheat berries will store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months. Just allow the wheat berries to cool completely before storing.

I find they reheat/rehydrate nicely with a sprinkle of water in the microwave or on the stove.

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