In order to assess the impact of electron beam irradiation on the physicochemical properties and edible quality of highland barley rice, an investigation was conducted to identify the optimal irradiation dose for barley and rice processing. In this study, a series of analyses were conducted on barley rice samples subjected to electron beam irradiation at four doses (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 kGy). These analyses included the determination of basic nutrients, colony and mold counts, storage indexes, pasting characteristics, rheological properties and edible quality. The results demonstrated that electron beam irradiation at a dose of 0~1.5 kGy had no significant impact on the composition and content of basic nutrients and amino acids in barley and rice. Furthermore, the total number of colonies and molds were significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the inactivation rate at 1.5 kGy reached 83.75% and 54.09%, respectively. After electron beam irradiation, the acid value of highland barley increased to 20.21 mg KOH/100 g, and the propanal value increased to 0.53 mg/kg, while the peroxide value showed no significant change. Additionally, after treatment with 0.5 kGy, the lipase activity of highland barley was significantly reduced by 7.54%. The peak viscosity, valley viscosity, disintegration value, final viscosity, and regrowth value of barley rice were significantly reduced (P<0.05). The elastic modulus and storage modulus of highland barley increased, but there was no significant impact on its texture and sensory quality. The water absorption rate and volume expansion rate during heating generally showed a decreasing trend, with no significant impact at 0.5 kGy. Therefore, the irradiation dose for highland barley processing should not exceed 1 kGy, and an irradiation dose of 0.5 kGy was more suitable.