Grain Cooking Chart

photo credit: gourmetsleuth

Most experts would agree that adding healthful whole grains to your diet is a very good thing. If you're looking for grains to integrate into your family's diet then use this handy Grain Cooking Chart to select the grains that fit into your meal plan. Each grain shows you the cooking time, how much grain to select, how much liquid to use, and total cooked yield. Read about general grain cooking methods.

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Article By: Barbara Bowman

Published by: Gourmet Sleuth
Last Updated: 03/28/2018

Food Grains Cooking Chart

As I continue to try to integrate food grains into our daily menu I found this chart to be an invaluable tool. Some grains require pre-planning in the form of soaking or long cooking times and others can be last-minute additions to our meal. We suggest you print this chart out to be used as a quick reference.

Click the name of the grain to view our complete dictionary description along with substitutions and recipe suggestions.

If you have favorite grains, recipes or comments please feel free to share.

For Each Cup Grain	Cups Liquid	Cooking Method	Cooking Time	Yield (cups)
Amaranth	3	Absorption or Boiling	15 min	2-2/3
Barley grits	2/3	Cereal	3 min + 5 min standing time	2/3
Barley groats	4	Absorption or Boiling	1 hour 45 min	2-1/2
Barley, pearl	3	Absorption or Boiling	45-55 min	4
Barley, quick	2	Absorption or Boiling	10-12 min	3
Buckwheat groats, unroasted	2	Absorption or Boiling	15 min	3-1/2
Buckwheat groats, roasted (kasha)	2	Absorption or Boiling	15 min	3
Bulgur wheat	2	Absorption	15 min	3
Cornmeal	4	Cereal	10 min	3-1/2
Couscous	1-1/2	Steep	5-10 min	3
Cracked Wheat	2	Absorption or Boiling	15 min	2
Farro, semi-pearled	2	Absorption or Boiling	25-30 min	2
Hominy, dried	5	Absorption or Boiling	5-6 hours	3
Millet	3	Absorption or Boiling	25-30 min, 10 min standing time	5
Oats, quick	2	Cereal or steep	1 min + 3-5 min standing time	2
Oats, old-fashioned	2	Cereal	5 min	2
Oats, steel-cut	4	Cereal	20 min	2
Quinoa	2	Absorption or Boiling	15 min	4
Rye berries	3	Absorption or Boiling	1 hour 55 min	3
Rye flakes	3	Cereal	1 hour 5 min	2-1/2
Triticale berries	3	Absorption or Boiling	1 hour 45 min	2-1/2
Wheat berries	3	Absorption or Boiling	1 hour 10 min	2-1/2
Wheat flakes	4	Cereal	50-55 min	2

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Grain Cooking Methods

Absorption: Bring liquid to a boil. Stir in the grain. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender to the bite. Fluff with a fork before serving. Soak harder grains in the liquid overnight to reduce the cooking time.
Steep: Pour boiling liquid over the grain. Cover and let stand until grain is tender to the bite.
Boiling: Bring water to a boil. Add grain, simmer until done. Transfer to a colander and drain well.
Cereal: Cereal grains are typically added to boiling water and stirred periodically (or constantly depending on the cereal) until cooked and thickened.

Barbara Bowman graduated with degree in Foods and Nutrition from San Jose State University. As CEO of GourmetSleuth.com she spends most waking hours writing, cooking, eating, gardening and traveling.

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