How to Cook Wheat Berries
Wheat berries are a fantastic fiber-rich addition to every meal from breakfast to dinner. They add a nice nutty bite and chewy texture to breakfast bowls and salads. This versatile whole grain can take a little too long to cook conventionally, so plug in your instant pots, amigos! Here’s how to cook wheat berries (no soak!) in just 35 minutes!
Why I love wheat berries
Oi Gente!!
I never knew what wheat berries even were until a couple of years ago. I was a line cook at a really nice restaurant on the Sunset strip here in Los Angeles, and one of the dishes we served there were wheat berries sauteed with greens. Such a simple dish, and so delicious. Right then and there I got hooked and started to add it to my weekly meal plans.
I like the fact that I can prepare wheat berries in bulk, so I have enough for the week to quickly toss into a salad, sautee with some greens (and an egg on top!), and even sprinkle over my morning yogurt with some fruit and a drizzle of honey. They make my life so much easier when I know I’ll have a busy week. They freeze wonderfully too, so if you think you might not get through all you cooked, just freeze away for later.
What are wheat berries & where to buy them
Wheat berries are literally the whole edible wheat kernel, and they’re commonly known as the grains used to make whole wheat flour. They can be red or white in color and resemble short grain rice. It’s important to note that wheat berries are NOT gluten free, so people with allergies or intolerance should avoid them.
You can find wheat berries fairly easily in grocery stores all over, primarily healthy stores like Whole Foods or Sprouts. They are usually located in the dry pantry isle, close to dry rice, quinoa etc. You may also find them in the bulk section of the market, where you can buy them per pound. If you can’t find them in your local stores, you should be able to easily buy them online on Amazon.
Wheat berry nutrition
Wheat berries are super nutritious! Since the grain is left whole, it isn’t stripped out of any nutrients, so they’re packed with fiber, protein, iron, and tons of vitamins and antioxidants. Nutrition overload!
How to Cook Wheat Berries in the Instant Pot
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- Add the wheat berries to the instant pot
- Cover them with water
- Cook on manual 35 minutes
- Drain the leftover water
And there you go!
Now you have a nice batch of cooked wheat berries you can use all week to add to salads, sautee with veggies, add to soups, replace rice… So many things!
More wheat berries recipes:
How to Cook Wheat Berries
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry red wheat berries
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- add the 2 cups of dry wheat berries and the salt to the instant pot
- add 5 cups of water, and stir to combine
- cover and lock the instant pot and cook on manual for 35 minutes
- safely release the pressute manually, then open the pot
- drain the leftover water and serve
I remember how healthy these wheat berries are from my childhood. There is hardly anything so important for your body, and I am glad I’ve found this recipe – it is perfect.
I’ve used my Instant Pot to make quinoa, I can’t believe I haven’t tried wheat berries in it yet! We love having them in the fridge to use like you said, for practically everything!
These wheat berries are so easy to make and a perfect addition to both sweet and savory breakfast bowls.
I don’t know if I ever had wheat berries, but I have farro fairly often. It looks like a smaller grain than farro but just as nutritious and delicious. Cooking it in the instant pot makes it way easier! Thanks for sharing!
I have been experimenting with wheat berries for a long time and I never stop admiring these little ones. They are so healthy that I would add them to each dish if I could 🙂 Great recipe to keep handy!
I used to eat a delicious wheat berry salad, and after reading your post I am now craving it! Thanks for sharing.
haha! Nice!! Now you can make your own!!
It’s a wonderful idea to use the instant pot for wheat berries since cooking them down can be a bit of a process. Love this!
Exactly!!! So glad you like it!!
I never tried wheat berries but wanted to try for a long time! Love that you can make it in Instant Pot, It makes it so much easier!
I work a lot with wheat farmers and LOVE wheat berries! I am loving how easy this recipe is thanks to the Instant Pot. Pinning for my next batch of cooking wheat berries!
What a fantastic tutorial! I’ve never used wheat berries before but after reading your detailed instructions I’m putting them on my grocery list. I’ll be adding them to more of my weekday dishes.