This is a cozy, savory side dish. I sometimes brown chicken breasts and throw them on top of the pilaf for the last 20 minutes of cooking time. Enjoy!
FANTASTIC!!!!! This was soooo delicious! I would give it 10 stars if I could! I sauted the onion, garlic and mushrooms in about 2 tbsp. of olive oil instead of butter and made the whole thing on my stovetop! It was infused with so much flavor and the barley had a really nice chewieness to it. You can substitute rice for the barley - but I like using barely as it is a more complex grain than rice. I will definitely come back to this recipe over and over again! Thanx SunnyByrd! (By the way I love your pics! I'm a big fan of yours! Keep the great recipes - and photo shots coming!!!)
Read MoreI didn't like the consistancy. It was kinda "slimey". Good flavor, though.
Read More FANTASTIC!!!!! This was soooo delicious! I would give it 10 stars if I could! I sauted the onion, garlic and mushrooms in about 2 tbsp. of olive oil instead of butter and made the whole thing on my stovetop! It was infused with so much flavor and the barley had a really nice chewieness to it. You can substitute rice for the barley - but I like using barely as it is a more complex grain than rice. I will definitely come back to this recipe over and over again! Thanx SunnyByrd! (By the way I love your pics! I'm a big fan of yours! Keep the great recipes - and photo shots coming!!!)
I added fresh spinach and red pepper when sauteeing the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. I also added some quartered grape tomatoes near the end of the cooking time. I simply cooked it all on the stovetop. Very good.
Wow!! So I have had barley maybe three times in my life and this was so good..I will make again and again. I mad it to go with steaks so I used beef broth in place of the chicken and it was so good!! Can't wait to try this with chicken:) Thank you Sunny!!
This was very flavorful and hearty. I used coconut oil instead of butter, fresh basil, and veg broth. After 45 min, I still had a lot of liquid left (still learning to adjust for altitude), so I simmered it the rest of the way on the stove. This will be a great winter dish--next time, I'll make it in the slow cooker and use hulled barley (which takes forever to cook but is a more complete grain and therefore higher in nutrients).
This was a nice, easy, healthy option for dinner. I made a few adjustments...added some cooked chicken, procini mushrooms, corn and some baby spinach. I thought it could have had some more flavour, but hubby liked it and had seconds :-) Good option for getting some different grains into the diet.
If you enjoy barley (an under used and under rated grain) this is an excellent recipe. I used chicken with skin, browned it in a little olive oil with garlic powder, seasoning salt, and onion powder then put fresh mushrooms in the pot. My husband ate this and went back for seconds and thirds. This is a little bit more work than a lot of casseroles but well worth the effort.
Sooooo good! Thanks SunnyByrd! My husband and I loved it! I did not change a thing! It is a versatile dish that can be enhanced by so many things. Thank you again!! Delicious!
This is delicious!!! I have only ever had barley in soup so I wasn't sure what to expect. It is absolutely delicious. I served it with roasted chicken and corn. It has all the flavor of a good rice dish but doesn't taste as starchy. Plus, there is lots of fiber. I will make this again and again! It made the whole house smell great. Thanks for the recipe.
This was fantastic! I will be making this again soon. Barley is so good for you and this recipe had a wonderful complex flavor but not overpowering. It was great heated up the next day for lunch. Everyone in our house raved about this!
Wonderful! Subbed olive oil for butter eliminated garlic since I can't eat it while breastfeeding. Cooked on the stove top since we had a hot February day here in NC at 67 degrees and didn't want to use the stove.
Wow!! I had never made barley before in anything but soup and this really transformed barley from a background player to a real star for me! This had such a delicious earthiness to it that my husband and I adored. It reheated the next day beautifully and this will become a staple for me. It called for Pearl Barley, and I'm not sure if that is what I used or not. I used bulk organic barley from Whole Foods, and it took a little longer to cook than the recipe stated. Also, I wouldn't substitute the fresh parsley for dried in this since it added a touch of fresh and bright to an otherwise brown and earthy dish.
This was fabulous! I had picked up some Asian pressed barley at the International Marketplace, and after doing an internet search for a recipe, I just decided to use it in this one. It came out great! I halved the recipe since there were only two of us and it didn't seem to affect the outcome at all. Very, very good recipe. Thanks, SunnyByrd!
Moist, flavorful, and delicious! My grocery store only carried quick Barley (cooks in 10 minutes), so instead of baking it in the oven, I just prepared the onions, garlic, mushrooms, and sherry as stated in the recipe, and then added 2 cups of chicken broth, 1 cup of barley, brought it to a boil, put the lid on, and simmered it for ten or eleven minutes. After letting it stand for a bit, I added the parsley. It turned out really well and was a quick way to make a tasty pilaf. Perhaps it would have been better with regular barley, but since I haven't eaten much barley in my life, I really didn't notice a difference.
What a nice change of pace after having only ever trying barley in soups. This was very filling- I followed the recipe ingredients exactly, but did cook on stove top- making it quicker. I like the chewiness of the barley and the meaty-flavor of the mushrooms. I found that this made my blood sugar more even throughout the evening- a plus for those of us who are diabetic.
Thank you Sunny! Awesome. Wonderfully different. I used beef broth and shitakes. Outstanding.
I've been wanting to try Sunny's barley pilaf for two years! Why did I wait?!!! It is delicious! I scaled it down to three servings as it's just the two of us. I used my own smoked chicken stock and followed the recipe to a "T" except for cooking on the stovetop rather than baking. It took 50 minutes and then I let it "rest" covered on the stove. Thanks, Sunny, for this winning recipe!
I cut the whole recipe in half (perfect for two servings without leftovers), and simmered on the stove with rosemary instead of basil. It was fabulous!
This had wonderful flavor and was such a nice change from rice. I made the recipe exactly as stated (except I completely forgot to add the parsely in at the end!). It had the chewiness you get from barley - but, was also creamy like a risotto. My husband said the flavor reminded him of something you would get in an upscale restaurant. Really good - thanks Sunnybyrd!
GREAT recipe! I used half chicken half beef broth, baby bella shrooms, and omitted parsley simply because I had none. I also do not own a dutch oven, so I made it all on the stovetop. It took a little over an hour on medium-low heat for all the liquid to absorb for me. What an AMAZING depth of flavor! This dish left me feeling very full and satisfied, we will definitely be making this one again! Thanks for the awesome recipe Sunnybyrd! Who knew barley could be so good without soup!
This was a really nice side dish - nutty and flavorful. I used olive oil instead of butter, and cut it to 2 T. I also cut the sherry (I actually used brandy) to 2 T. since I was serving it to children. we found that the prefect amount, can't imagine using any more. Also no need to cook and then bake, I just did the whole thing in a pot and kept cooked it for an additional 30 minutes after the first two steps. This went very well with fish.
Not a fan of this. The flavor wasn't that impressive - and I even used fresh basil instead of dried. Worse, it burned in the oven even though I had it in for less than 45.
This is beyond amazing. Insane. Best rice I've ever had. Miss Sunny did it again! I used brown rice, homemade chicken stock and baby bella mushrooms, I followed the recipe exact otherwise. I'm not sure why I had to cook it another half hour, if it was because I used brown rice or I cooked it for the first hour covered. I did cook it the extra half hour uncovered. This tastes like an upscale rice dish. Try it for yourself! NOTE: If you have a hard time spending money on portobello/baby bella mushrooms, buy them at your local asian market OR discount grocery store. I find them cheaper there, over half what I would pay at my regular grocery store. Don't skimp out, use butter and the sherry. It's worth it!
This is the BEST Barley Pilaf I've ever tasted. Absolutely delicious. I needed to cook the full hour for 6 servings, although I had a bit less than called for mushrooms and a bit more onion. I might ease up on the butter a bit - it was definitely "pooling" a bit in the pot when cooked.
Fantastic! I did not have any cooking sherry on hand so I substituted 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup ginger-ale. Also added boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the last 20 minutes. This is truly a keeper!
Very good! I used low sodium better than bouillon, and barely added any salt so I didn't find it too salty at all. Forgot to buy sherry so used a dry white wine instead, but will do sherry next time for sure. THX! to tat2whttrsh's review mentioning this on the Caribbean Spiced Chicken review, that's how I found this one, and the 2 dishes did go perfectly together as she said... even though they're very different tastes, the thyme ties it together and it's a nice balance. Also made with roasted beets and sweets (my fave!) and a big salad and it all made a FANTASTIC fall Sunday family dinner! Will DEFINITELY make this one again, maybe turn it into a one dish meal as suggested. Also, when I'm having people over I try to 'prep' as much as possible so I'm not cooking too much when I could be visiting, so I sauteed everything, added the wine, set it in the frige for about 2 hrs., just before guests arrived I boiled the barley in the broth apx. 5 mins, mixed it all together and left in the frige another hour before baking one hour... Came out PERFECT!!! THNX Sunny Byrd!!!
I am totally addicted to this dish. I double the recipe and take it to work for lunch every day.
I halved the recipe since it was just for me and felt it was missing something. Since I went out and bought sherry just to make this, I was determined to have it turn out yummy. I added a dash each of cayenne and hot sauce - not enough to make it spicy, but enough to enhance the flavors. After cooking the recipe on the stovetop (I had added a reduced sodium chicken bouillon cube along with the chicken broth and skipped baking it) I added a finely diced roma tomato and 1/4 cup parmesan. This helped the dish. This recipe is easy to make and you can add a bunch of chopped veggies to it. For me, it was a 2-3 star as written, but with changes, at least a 4 star. Thanks for the recipe!
Very good and easy. Would definitely try adding spinach or roasted red pepper for some different flavors.
I would give this a 100 stars if I could!! Wow, soooooo incredibly delicious!!!! Entire family LOVED it!!!!
Soooo good, and perfectly comforting on this chilly November evening. The only thing I did differently was to stir in about 1/2 C of cheese at the end with the parsley. That made it creamy and delicious! Next time I might try to cut down on the butter a bit but otherwise this is a keeper. A nice way to get some variety on whole grains. One tip - don't use quick cooking barley or the grain/liquid ratio will be off.
Wow. This was soooo good. It was comforting, like SunnyByrd said. My whole family loved it. The only sub I made was I used Sauvignon Blanc instead of the sherry (it's what I had) but it was still fantastic! What a winner, thank you Sunny!
OMG!! This was so good. I will definately do over. I did exactly as receipe called for except for the sherry. I didn't have so I used port instead.
Yum-O! I made for a work potluck (-sherry) tommorrow and I hope the dish makes it through the night ;) PS the dish got rave reviews. It was very good!
This was delicious! I made this for a holiday party and got lots of compliments. I used just a few diced up canned mushrooms because I was unsure if others liked mushrooms or not. I also used dried minced onions. I omitted the sherry because I'm not a fan of the flavor and just added water instead. It took about an hour to cook covered on the stovetop over medium heat. This would be great as a meal with chicken and broccoli or other veggies added! Will definitely make again.
very yummy healthy side dish -I didn't have sherry-used 1/4 cup cheap wine and 1/4 cup peach/white grape juice.
Delicious!! I've made this recipe twice and one time with beef broth instead. I mixed in chopped asparagus during the last 20mins of baking just for variety.
I made this for Christmas and it was heavenly! I added Roma tomatoes and another reviewer suggested. I made this a day in advance then transferred to an electric food warmer an hour before dinner. Next time I will make this with low sodium vegetable broth so that my vegetarian guests can eat it. This one is a keeper!
This reminded me of an appetizer I had at an upscale restaurant in Jasper Alberta. It was quail with barley pilaff. This is REALLY good and well worth the effort :D I'm so glad you posted this. I can't wait to serve it again.
My wife LOVED it! Only change I made (as some suggested) added chopped fresh spinach. Next time I'll add chopped bell peppers when sauteing the onions & garlic.
I completely went against the directions in this recipe and subbed away, but don't worry, I got permission of the recipe submitter (seriously, I did, I'm not pulling your leg). I don't have barley and although I looked for it at Trader Joe's, I couldn't find it (weird, huh? I thought they'd have it but oh well), so I used rice instead. I didn't use onions bc I made this for the bf and he doesn't like it when I add onions. So I just added some onion powder and extra garlic. He also doesn't like sherry, so I just left that out. I don't have fresh parsley, so I added about 1/3 of the amount in dried and added with the liquid because I wanted it to absorb some liquid. Since I made rice, I just cooked it in the broth until it boiled, then cooked on low for twenty minutes. Turned out perfectly and bf loved it. Success! I'd tell you how I feel about it but I don't like mushrooms so I didn't try any. Thanks, SunnyByrd, for the recipe!
Delicious. I made some additions- since I was cooking this as a main dish I added some cubed firm tofu when cooking the onions and garlic, and I also added about 1/2 cup of almonds, because I like the way nuts and barley taste together. Other than those changes I made the recipe exactly as called for and it was great. Oh, I also halved the butter and it was fine.
This was great!! The first time I'd ever had barley aside from soup. Excellent!! I think you could easily use chicken or beef broth w/this depending on your main entree!
Excellent!! I don't rate many things 5 stars, but this was great! Loved the basil in this. The only change I made was to use half butter and half olive oil. Had to, my fiance is watching his weight and cholesterol. Will make again and again! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. One last thing, my 15 month old loved it too so it's a keeper!
good but I was having a texture issue. It was my first experience with barley so it may have just been me.
I really liked the barley in this, but not everyone else at the table loved it as much as I did.
Absolutely amazing! Tasted like a risotto without the work and considerably more healthy with the barley. Barley was also super cheap, 99 cents for a one pound bag! Only thing I would change next time is to use only one can of chicken broth and one part water. Was a little too salty for our taste. Had it with pan seared chicken breast and grilled asparagus. A+!!!!
Too Salty! I should have trusted my instincts on this one...next time, and there will be a next time, I will taste the broth (I made 2 1/2 cups of "better than boullion" instead of using canned) and dilute it a bit. It took more than an hour for the liquid to be absorbed completely, and I skipped the basil - too overpowering for the flavors, and sprinkled it with parmesan cheese. I love the texture of barley and the result was good - it would have been better if the sodium was lower.
A+ This was great, I will for sure make this again. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Really good! I do love barley and this was just so satisfying. I did use half butter and half olive oil...other than that everthing stayed the same. Will definately make again.....maybe some thyme next time....another spice that goes great with mushrooms....thanks!
I loved this side dish. I like beef barley soup but i wanted to try something new with barley. The only thing I changed was that I used beef stock instead of chicken broth, and I used brown mushrooms not the white button mushrooms.
Turned out great. Made through the stovetop steps then put aside. Finished in the oven closer to the meal. Added asparagus cut up int 1" pieces same time as mushrooms. Made perfect side dish for grilled chicken.
I love barley in any form; this is one of the nicest comfort foods I can imagine. The flavor doesn't overpower, but it's tasty; good with pork roast or pork chops.
Delicious! I used pinot grigio ('cause I didn't have any sherry!) but otherwise followed exactly. Very flavorful and comforting and filling. Thanks!
I love barley and mushrooms, especially in the fall. I found this recipe to be a great, basic, foundational-type of recipe with nice flexibility. I love that you can pop it in the oven for 45 mins, which might work well if you’re expecting guests and/or need to free up your stovetop, but I think next time I’ll just finish it on the stovetop as other reviewers did...fewer pans to clean LOL! I followed the recipe exactly as written, using Taylor dry sherry from the liquor store vs cooking sherry, and I didn’t add salt & pepper until the dish was plated. After tasting, I ended up salting & peppering quite a bit to balance the sweetness of the sherry. Next time I might swap out some thyme for the basil, and try to find a drier sherry to keep it more on the savory side. I think using bone broth might help give it more depth too. To serve it as a vegetarian main dish, I might serve it alongside or on top of some baby spinach and sprinkle liberally with toasted nuts (probably pine or walnut).
I made barley for the first time today, it turned out really really well!!! I added in 1/2 cup pine nuts which gave it a good flavor. Will most def make again!!!
Since it's hard to judge a recipe that people rate with changes I rate on the original recipe and then suggest changes. That said, this was a good base recipe but was very bland and needs some doctoring up with seasonings to bring it a higher star relating from our household.
Verrry good! I added some pine nuts & a shallot to the onion & garlic saute, but I think it would have been just as good without.
Always looking for a good barley recipe. This one is straightforward, but could use more flavor. It's a decent side dish, but not memorable. It doesn't pull me in for a second helping. At least I have a dutch oven now.
I did not bake it because i used a pre-cooked barley, but it was delicious. Next time I'll bake and add more mushrooms!
I tried this recipe to replace noodles, rice and potatoes as side dishes due to health reasons. My husband is a die hard meat and potatoes man, but he really liked this recipe. I didn't put in the mushrooms or the basil but it was still really good. I also used olive oil instead of butter. What I liked about it is that it kind of makes its own creamy sauce so you don't have to put anything on it when its done. I'm trying it tonight but adding celery and carrots and using beer instead of wine and beef broth instead of chicken broth. This is a great, healthy, and cheap side dish!
Absolutely wonderful. We just started eating whole grains and will make this again and again.
This also tastes good with a little Truffle Oil which can be added after cooking. To veganize it - switch out the butter for Sesame Oil ... (nice warming oil for the winter time) The Truffle oil gives the umami taste of meat - so meat eaters and vegans can enjoy a meal in harmony.
I have made only once and thought it was good. It was easy to make as I had all the ingredients in my pantry or refrigerator. I enjoyed it and thought the consistency was nice. Particularly liked the mushrooms. Husband liked as well just not into grains as much as I am.
I never write reviews of recipes. I had to for this though! Phenomenal in every respect! My fsmily loved it. So easy to prepare too. I used unsalted butter and my own homemade chicken broth; otherwise followed recipe exactly. Yum!
Love it! I used shallots instead of onions, half shiitake and half baby bella mushrooms, and added some thyme and sage. Served with roasted chicken and spinach. Nice change from the usual rotation of potato, rice or pasta sides, and nice to have another way to use barley other than soup! Thanks for sharing!
The flavor of this was awesome!.. I loved the sherry and it didn't taste like alcohol! I liked the crunchy barley but was too healthy for my kids who wont even eat brown rice!.. Oh well more for me! Hubby liked this as well! Thanks SunnyByrd!
Amazing. This somehow seems like a lost flavor from my youth, though I don't remember ever eating it before. My favorite way to eat barley now, and even my 2 1/2 year old asked me to make it again. A winner!
This was very hearty and a healthy alternative or a carb (i.e. pasta or white rice) in a meal. I ended up using marsala wine because I mistakenly thought I had sherry (whoops). I added a small amount of olive oil and left the butter out entirely. Basically, I used this recipe as a base for my own creative cooking. The cooking times were dead on (I'm at sea level). One drawback: It looks really unappetizing. I might add some color into it next time - red, yellow or green peppers.
I doubled most of the ingredients, tripled the garlic and tripled the mushrooms. I also used olive oil instead of butter. Fantastic!
Loved it! Made some adjustments re: vegetables... Added whatever we had in the fridge (sliced celery and a red pepper) around the same time as the mushrooms. I also wanted some meat so I added chicken as well, which was excellent! Our family is a bit over the top with garlic so I always double or triple whatever the recipe calls for. All in all, great recipe!!! Love that it provides great variety over basic rice and pasta for sides or even a main dish, particularly in winter!
Haven't had (or cooked with) barley in anything besides beef barley soup, so wanted to give this a try. It was really good served with a chicken breast on top. I had the leftovers for the next few days by itself and it was still good reheated.
I liked it, but didn't love it. My husband didn't finish his, which NEVER happens. Probably wouldn't make this again.
Delicious side dish. I used beef broth and baby bella mushrooms which gave the dish a beautiful color. I had purchased some barley for a soup and was looking for a way to use it up. Im sure this would be fantastic with rice as well. I think i will try making it into a one dish meal next time by adding cubed chicken or ground beef. Maybe throw in some brocolli or sugar snap peas too! Thanks Sunny, for a fantastic dish.
I have made this recipe multiple times-and it has never failed me! Thanx for a great recipe!
I was really hopeful for this recipe. Whole grains, sherry and mushrooms- I didn't think it was possible to go wrong. But the flavor just wasn't very good. It was flat, without much depth, and fairly boring. Followed the recipe to a "t", but it really didn't impress me. To fix the leftovers, I made a sherry chive pan sauce. Saute 2 tablespoons grated onion in 2 tablespoons of butter for 1 minute. Deglaze with a 3 tablespoons of sherry, and reduce slightly. Add 2 cups( or 1 can) chicken stock, and reduce to half. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped chives, and 2 tablespoons of butter off the heat, and pour over the leftovers.
