How to Cook Farro on the Stove

This post makes it simple to cook this ancient grain with the ratios of farro and liquid, tips for success, and recipes to put it to use right away.

What is Farro?

Farro is a whole grain that looks similar to barley but has a nutty taste and chewy texture. It’s one of the oldest cultivated grains in the world, and the high protein and fiber content make it a prime choice for whole grains.

Farro comes in three different forms: whole, semi, and pearled. The whole and semi-variety can take over 30 minutes to cook, so I prefer to use pearled farro, which is ready in less than 30 minutes.

This ancient grain is versatile and great for salads, stews, soups, side dishes, or even breakfast. If you’ve never cooked with farro, don’t worry, it’s like cooking rice.

What You Need

Cooking a bowl of farro on the stove to serve as a side is super simple and you only need four items:

• Farro: I prefer pearled farro since it cooks quicker.
• Liquid: water or stock.
• Salt: to enhance the farro flavor.
• Saucepan or pot: for cooking the farro.

What is the Farro to Water Ratio?

To cook farro on the stove, combine 1 part farro (1 cup) with 3 parts liquid (3 cups) in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook it for 30 minutes, uncovered. When the grain is tender, drain any excess water if needed.

Servings	Farro	Liquid
2	½ cup	1 ½ cups
4	1 cup	3 cups
6	1 ½ cups	4 ½ cups
8	2 cups	6 cups

Cooking Farro in Broth

Cooking Farro in broth or stock is a great way to give it more flavor. Since you probably don’t want to waste your broth or stock, I recommend sticking to the 1 part farro to 3 parts liquid ratio when cooking it on the stove.

How to Make Farro on the Stove 

Like rice and pasta, farro is cooked in a pot with liquid. As long as you follow the farro-to-water ratio, it can’t go wrong! Here’s the step-by-step of this simple method to cook farro on the stove:

1. Rinse
   Rinse and drain the farro to remove any dust.
2. Cook
   In a pot or saucepan with water or stock and a little salt, you bring the farro to a boil.
3. Simmer
   You reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes until the grain is tender. Drain off any excess water before serving.
4. Drain
   Drain off any excess water and serve.

How Long to Cook Farro on the Stove 

Farro will need to simmer for 30 minutes, after it comes to a boil, in the pot. You can always check if it’s fully cooked before rinsing off any liquid. The textures should be a soft grain, similar to brown rice.

Do You Cover Farro When Simmering? 

I like to put the lid on with a little venting space while the Farro simmers in stock. If I cook it with water and add more than the ratio, it doesn’t matter since it will be rinsed off.

How to Serve Farro 

Think about farro as a great swap for rice and oats, and soon you’ll notice how many delicious meals you can prepare with this nutritious grain. Where to start? Make these epic Mediterranean Chicken Farro Bowls that you can meal prep for lunch and dinner.

Another tasty way to enjoy farro is with roasted veggies and a fried egg on top, as I do in this Dinner Oatmeal Roasted Vegetables, by simply swapping oats for farro. SO good!

These Buffalo Chicken Power Bowls are also a terrific way to serve farro as a substitute for rice. Add buffalo chicken leftovers and veggies, and a mouth-watering meal will be waiting for you!