Three Methods For Cooking Farro

Learn how to make farro using three different methods, stove-top, oven and slow cooker.

Here’s A Video Showing The Three Methods:

Does Farro Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking?

You can speed up the cooking time for farro by soaking it in cool water. But honestly, since it only takes about 30 minutes to cook farro without soaking it I don’t usually bother with this step. To soak farro measure it into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add enough cold water to completely submerge the grain. Put the lid on the pot and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

How To Cook Farro:

When cooked, farro doesn’t expand as much as some more familiar grains like rice or barley. You therefore might want to make more than you would of the others. If you would have started with 1 cup of uncooked rice or barley, go with 1 and 1/2 cups of uncooked farro.

You can cook farro on the stove top, in the oven or in the slow cooker. Instructions for all three methods are below.

Note: There are different kinds of farro out there (whole grain, pearled, semi-pearled and different varieties too) and it’s not always easy to tell which kind you have. Check out this post explaining the different types of farro that are out there. I’m giving the cooking times that were needed for Bob’s Red Mill Farro. Other farros may take a little less or a little longer to cook. If cooking it on the stove top it typically takes 20-40 minutes, in the oven it takes 30-45 minutes and in the slow cooker it takes 2-3.5 hours. Don’t worry too much about the large time range though. Farro doesn’t get mushy when overcooked so if you plan for the longer amount of time and yours is ready sooner, it won’t hurt to keep cooking it for a bit longer.

How to Cook Farro Three Ways

Contributor: Christine Pittman

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• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 cups 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Ingredients

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On the Stove Top

• 1 and ½ cups farro
• 4 cups water, stock or a mixture of both
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or olive oil (optional)

In a Slow Cooker

• 1 and ½ cups farro
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or olive oil (optional)
• 5 cups water, stock or a combination of both

In the Oven

• 1 and ½ cups farro
• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter or olive oil (optional)
• 4 cups water
• ¼ tsp. salt

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Instructions

On a Stove Top

1. Measure 1 and ½ cups farro into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain.
2. Transfer to a medium sized pot that has a lid. Add 4 cups water or stock or a combination of both and ¼ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 25-30 minutes, until it is softened but still chewy. If there is liquid remaining in the pot, drain it off or save it to add to a soup, stew or sauce.
4. Use a fork to gently fluff in the butter or olive oil, if using.

In a Slow Cooker

1. Measure all ingredients into a slow cooker.
2. Cook on high until farro is softened about 2-4 hours. Depending on the type of farro you have, the water may or may not have been absorbed.
3. Drain any liquid that’s left or use it in a soup, stew or sauce.

In the Oven

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Fill a kettle with water and bring it to a boil.
2. Measure the farro into a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain. Transfer the farro to a medium-sized pot that has a tight-fitting lid. Add the salt and the butter or live oil (if using).
3. Measure 4 cups of boiling water from the kettle and pour it into the pot. Stir and then immediately cover and put it into the oven.
4. Cook for 35-40 minutes, until softened but still chewy.

Cook Time for Slow Cooker Method
Prep time: 2 mins Cook time: 2 hours Total time: 2 hours 2 mins
Cook Time for Oven Method
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 40 mins