Wholesome barley gets deliciously chewy and crispy in a hot skillet with scrambled eggs, sesame oil, garlic, ginger & scallions to make easy barley and egg fried rice.
Fried rice night is in regular dinner rotation at my house. Fried rice is a meal my kids love because they get to choose their own toppings. I love it, because once you make a simple version of fried rice once or twice, it's the type of meal you can make over and over again without a recipe, changing it up a little bit every time.
Every once in awhile, I like to change it up by serving either Quinoa Fried Rice or this recipe for Barley and Egg Fried Rice. A few minutes in a hot skillet with sesame oil turns barley into a chewier and crispier version of itself. Flavored with garlic, ginger & scallions and a blend of soy sauce, rice vinegar and maple syrup, this is a simple meal with big flavor.
Crack several eggs in the pan to add a soft and creamy scramble of eggs to the barley fried rice. And please don't forget to add Easy Weeknight Tofu! I keep trying new tofu recipes, and keep coming right back to my Easy Weeknight Tofu, because it's the best.
You'll need 3 to 4 cups of cooked barley for this recipe. Not sure how to cook barley? I've got you covered - here's a complete guide to cooking barley. I often cook a batch of barley when I have time, so I can use it in recipes like this one, or add it to soups, grain bowls and salads throughout the week.
How To Cook Barley Fried Rice
Once the barley is cooked, this meal moves along quickly. It's a good idea to have your toppings (like tofu, snap peas, edamame and/or egg rolls) cooked and ready to go when you start the fried barley.
- Heat barley in a hot skillet with oil, until it turns crispy and chewy
- Add scrambled eggs to the pan
- Drizzle in mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and maple syrup
- Briefly saute garlic and ginger
Make barley and egg fried rice a family-friendly meal
- I love the chewy, crispy taste of barley fried rice. But do I also cook a batch of plain rice in the rice cooker for my kids and serve it on the side? (Shhh...yes, I do)
- This recipe sautes the ginger and garlic separately, so the adults can spoon as much as they want on their fried rice and kids can skip it, if they choose
- Serve all toppings (except eggs) on the side so everyone can build their own bowl
More Recipes You'll Love
- Crispy Tofu Schnitzel
- Cold Rice Noodle Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing
- Sheet Pan Salmon and Green Beans with Sesame-Lime Dressing
📖 Recipe
Barley and Egg Fried Rice
Wholesome barley gets deliciously chewy and crispy in a hot skillet with scrambled eggs, sesame oil, garlic, ginger & scallions to make easy barley and egg fried rice.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: 30 Minutes Meals
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Asian American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 cups cooked barley
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 inches ginger root, peeled and finely chopped
- Scallions, for garnish
Choose Your Toppings
- Easy Weeknight Tofu
- Frozen peas or edamame (defrosted)
- Snap peas (raw or briefly sauteed)
- Egg rolls
Instructions
- Heat sesame and sunflower oil in a wide (12-inch) non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. The skillet should be wide enough so you can spread the barley out in an even layer.
- When the oil is hot, add the barley to the pan. Spread the barley out into an even layer. Let the barley cook - without touching it - for 3 minutes.
- Stir and flip the barley then spread it out again in an even layer. Cook 2 minutes more without touching the barley. When done, the barley should be a deeper brown color, and it will be chewy and slightly crispy.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. Push the barley to one side of the skillet. Add a drizzle of oil to the open side of the pan and spread the oil around, then crack the eggs into the pan. Scramble the eggs as they cook. When the scrambled eggs are not quite cooked and are still soft, mix the eggs into the barley.
- Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar and maple syrup in a small bowl then pour the mixture over the barley and eggs and cook a few minutes more.
- Remove the barley from the pan and transfer to a serving dish.
- Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil into the pan. Add the ginger and garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes. Scrape into a small bowl, or directly over the barley fried rice.
- Serve barley and egg fried rice with chopped scallions on the side or on top, plus Easy Weeknight Tofu and your choice of peas, edamame, snap peas and/or egg rolls.
Notes
This recipe can be made using farro instead of barley
Keywords: barley, barley and eggs, fried rice
Jen
Easy, healthy dinner!
★★★★★