Is There More Than One Type of Barley?

There are 3 types of barley sold in stores: Hulled, Pearled and quick-cooking. Pearl barley is the most common type of barley sold in grocery stores. If a package doesn't specify the type of barley, it's usually pearled. Most recipes (like this one) call for pearled barley because it's the easiest to find and has a shorter cooking time than hulled barley. Hulled barley has a longer cooking time and retains its shape and chewy texture better, becoming less soft as it cooks. Quick-cooking barley is the most processed type of barley and cooks in about 10 minutes (in boiling water or broth).

What Type of Barley Should I Add to Stew?

I use pearl barley in this stew because it's always at my grocery store. I haven't tried this recipe with hulled barley yet, but I think it would work just fine. The long cooking time should work well with hulled barley, and the barley might hold its shape better than pearled barley. If you only have quick-cooking barley on hand, then I would cook the quick barley in a separate pot, then simply stir it into your stew after it's finished.

How Long Does Pearl Barley Take to Cook in a Crockpot?

Pearl Barley is fully cooked in a Crockpot after approximately 3 hours on LOW or 1 hour on HIGH. Cooking times vary in different slow cookers, but this is a good estimate. You can cook the barley longer if you want, it will just make the texture softer.

When to Add Pearl Barley to Slow Cooker Stew?

Exactly when you decided to add pearl barley to your slow cooker stew is a matter of personal preference. Pearl Barley is fully cooked in a slow cooker after approximately 3 hours on Low or 1 hour on High. At these cooking times, the barley will have a tender but firm texture that is slightly chewy. If you like this texture, then wait to add the pearl barley towards the end of the cooking time - with either 3 hours of cooking time left on LOW or 1 hour of cooking time left on HIGH. If pearl barley is added at the very beginning of the cooking time with the rest of the ingredients and cooks longer, the texture becomes soft and creamy with just a slightly chewy texture. The barley also releases more starch into the stew broth, giving the broth a thicker, silkier texture.

How Much Liquid Does Slow Cooker Barley Need?

For every 1 cup of dried barley, you should add at least 4 cups of water or broth.

Crockpot Beef & Barley Stew

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A hearty and comforting Crockpot beef and barley stew made with ease in your slow cooker. Just dump all the ingredients right into the slow cooker!

*Cooking Note - For the most flavor, season your beef stew meat the night before. You can actually prep this entire recipe the night before - For more details, read the blog post above.

Author: Jenny Meier | Kitchen Skip blog
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: stew
Method: slow cooker
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 to 2 pounds beef stew meat (or buy chuck and cut it into bite-sized pieces)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I like Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with your palm
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2/3 cup pearl barley
3 fresh thyme or parsley sprigs
6 cups water or beef broth*
2 tablespoons tomato paste

*You can use all water or all broth, or a combination. If using only water, you'll need to add salt after the stew is cooked to boost the flavor.

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Instructions

Pre-Season the Beef Stew Meat: The night before, season the stew meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder and seasoning salt. Add the garlic cloves and put the meat and garlic in the refrigerator overnight.

If you forget to season the meat the night before, just season it at the beginning of this recipe, before adding any other ingredients to the slow cooker.

Make the Stew

Pre-cook the onion (this step is optional - see blog post above for more details) by putting the chopped onion coated lightly with olive oil in a bowl. Microwave the chopped onion for 2 minute increments, stirring after each time to soften the onion before it goes in the slow cooker. Usually about 4 minutes is enough.
Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker: seasoned beef, garlic cloves, onion, celery, carrots, barley, thyme or parsley, water/broth, tomato paste. Mix well.
Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. I prefer to cook stew on low because the low and slow cooking makes the meat more tender. But you could also cook this on HIGH for 3 to 5 hours.
Season as needed with more salt and pepper

Notes

When cooked for the full amount of time, the barley becomes vey soft and creamy. It also releases starch into the water making this a thick, silky broth. If you prefer barley that is more firm and chewy, then wait to add it halfway through the cooking time.

Find it online: https://www.kitchenskip.com/crockpot-beef-barley-stew/