Cooking Farro in a Rice Cooker is quick, reliable, and a real time-saver. Using a rice cooker delivers perfectly cooked farro every time, so swap your usual rice routine for this nutritious ancient grain.
Farro is an ancient whole-grain wheat packed with fiber, iron, magnesium, and other nutrients. It supports digestion and keeps you feeling satisfied longer than refined grains.
With origins in ancient Mediterranean and Egyptian cuisine, farro has been a staple in Italian cooking for centuries. It’s widely grown in several Italian regions and has a pleasantly chewy texture—somewhere between brown rice and barley.
If you haven’t tried farro, expect a nutty flavor and chewy bite that’s delicious simply tossed with butter and salt, stirred into soups, folded into salads, or mixed with roasted vegetables like smoked vegetables or caramelized Brussels sprouts.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Hands-off cooking: the rice cooker does the work for you.
- Consistent results every time—no guesswork like stovetop grain cooking.
- Nutritious and filling; great for healthy meals and batch cooking.
Ingredients:
Farro: Use whole (ancient grains) farro for the best texture. Pearl or semi-pearled farro will also work and cooks slightly faster.
Water: Most packages suggest a 2:1 water-to-farro ratio. For the rice cooker method, add an extra 1/2 cup of water to ensure tender grains.
Olive oil: Optional, but a teaspoon helps prevent sticking and adds a bit of flavor.
Full ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below.
How to Cook Farro in a Rice Cooker:
Step 1: Rinse 1 cup of farro in a fine mesh strainer under cold water to remove dust and excess starch. Shake out the excess water.
Step 2: Add the drained farro to the rice cooker. Pour in 2½ cups of cold or room-temperature water and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Close the lid.
Step 3: Select the brown rice or whole-grain setting on your rice cooker. If your cooker lacks those options, set a 45-minute timer.
Step 4: When the cooker finishes, fluff the farro with a fork to separate the grains. Serve warm or cool for salads.
Expert Tips:
- Always rinse farro to remove dust and loose starch—this helps prevent clumping in the cooker.
- Use cold or room-temperature water for consistent cooking unless your rice cooker’s manual specifies otherwise.
- Fluff with a fork instead of stirring vigorously to keep grains separate and light.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes. Rice cookers handle whole grains like farro and quinoa very well and simplify the process.
Use cold or room-temperature water unless your rice cooker’s instructions advise otherwise.
One cup of uncooked farro yields about 3 cups cooked—enough for roughly four servings as a side.
Rinsing removes dust and excess starch, which reduces sticking and gives a cleaner-tasting grain.
Whole farro typically takes about 45 minutes, similar to brown rice. Pearl farro will cook more quickly.
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Lemon Orzo with Feta Pasta Salad (Greek Inspired)
If you try this Farro in the Rice Cooker recipe, please leave a star rating and share your results in the comments—I love hearing how your dishes turn out!
Recipe
Cooking Farro in a Rice Cooker
5 from 1 review
- Author: Tara Smithson
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups
Description
Cooking Farro in a Rice Cooker is simple and reliable. This method ensures consistent results and transforms farro into an easy, everyday grain option.
Ingredients
- 1 cup farro (whole/ancient grains)
- 2½ cups water (cold or room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the farro in a fine mesh strainer under cold water to remove debris and excess starch. Shake out excess water.
- Add the drained farro to the rice cooker. Pour in 2½ cups of water and 1 teaspoon olive oil. Close the lid.
- Select the brown rice or whole-grain setting. If unavailable, set the cooker for 45 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, fluff the farro with a fork and serve.
Equipment
Large mesh strainer
Rice cooker
Notes
- Rinse farro to remove dust and excess starch for better texture and less sticking.
- Use cold or room-temperature water unless your rice cooker specifies otherwise.
- Fluff with a fork, not by stirring vigorously, to keep the grains separate.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: grains
- Method: rice cooker
- Cuisine: Mediterranean