SUMMER recruit Filipe Teixeira set up a hat-trick of Hawthorns wins this term with a stunning first-half solo strike.
The £680,000 import from Portuguese side Academica de Coimbra grabbed his first Baggies goal with a fine run and finish in the 30th minute.
Just eight minutes later, Craig Beattie ran onto Paul Robinson's ball over the top to stroke home his first league strike for the club.
The goals capped a commanding performance by Tony Mowbray's men, who controlled proceedings from start to finish.
Mowbray rang one change from last Saturday's defeat at Sheffield United, with midweek scorer Zoltan Gera replacing Pele.
New boys Chris Brunt - available after a three-match ban - and Bartosz Slusarski made their first appearances in the Baggies 16 as subs.
Barnsley summer signing Andy Johnson was given a rousing reception on his second return to The Hawthorns after being released last summer.
Albion immediately forced the Tykes onto the back foot and tenacious play by Gera on the edge of the visitors' box set up a shooting chance for Kevin Phillips, who dragged his 20-yard effort wide.
The Baggies were playing some great stuff and another flowing move resulted in Teixeira wastefully blazing Carl Hoefkens' slide-rule ball into the penalty area high into the Smethwick End.
Mowbray's men had a minor scare in the 11th minute when Leon Barnett completely lost his footing, allowing Brian Howard's attempted throughball to reach striker Kayode Odejayi.
But Martin Albrechtsen sprinted back and his block took the sting out of the ex-Cheltenham man's 20-yard shot, which crept harmlessly into Dean Kiely's arms.
Barnsley attempted to stifle Albion's attacking intentions by packing red shirts behind the ball and the hosts were having to resort to long-range efforts, with Teixeira failing to test Heinz Muller with a right-footed effort.
But Albion's patient play soon started to pay dividends.
Following a long spell of possession, James Morrison's sublime skill saw him beat his marker and slip in Beattie, who dragged a left-footed shot just past the far post from an acute angle.
However, Gera, from a 25-yard free-kick, and Morrison, from similar distance, were way off target with successive right-footed drives.
Barnsley threatened briefly when Odejayi spun Paul Robinson on the halfway line and raced clear down the right.
But Barnett was alert to the danger and prevented Odejayi's cross from reaching strike-partner Istvan Ferenczi with a sliding challenge.
It proved a key intervention.
Albion immediately broke upfield and snatched a deserved 30th-minute lead.
Teixeira collected Phillips' header on the left before skipping past Odejayi and centre-half Dennis Souza and planting a 20-yard drive into the bottom left-hand corner of Muller's net.
It was some way to open his Albion account.
A misplaced pass from the otherwise impressive Gera then allowed Tykes midfielder Anderson De Silva to advance into the Baggies half before lashing a right-foot rocket just wide of the far post.
But it was 2-0 to Albion in the 38th minute.
Souza, distracted by Phillips, failed to cut out Robinson's ball over the top to give Beattie a free run at goal.
The Scotland international composed himself before coolly stroking the ball past Muller from 18 yards.
Beattie now had the bit between his teeth and saw an audacious 30-yard drive flash wide.
Barnsley enjoyed their first real spell of pressure towards the end of the half, with an Albion defender getting a key touch to divert Odejayi's header from De Silva's free-kick wide.
Albion only half-cleared the ensuing corner but Dominik Werling was well off target with an ambitious 30-yard volley.
The Baggies finished the half on the attack and almost snatched a third goal.
Morrison saw a 15-yard volley loop off Stephen Foster and fly towards Phillips whose reflex header cannoned off the bar.
Seconds later, Gera's volleyed cross arced menacingly towards the far top corner of the Barnsley net and required a fine one-handed save by Muller to push it over the bar.
Albion showed no intention of sitting on their 2-0 lead when the second-half kicked off and Gera saw a diving header from skipper Jonathan Greening's corner fly straight at Muller.
Johnson left the field to a rousing chorus of 'there's only one AJ' from the home hordes when he made way for Grant McCann on the hour-mark.
Terrific build-up play between Morrison and Teixeira then fed Beattie in the box, whose low cross was frantically cleared at the far post by Robert Kozluk.
Brunt was handed his Baggies debut in the 64th minute when Mowbray made a double change.
The ex-Sheffield Wednesday midfielder and fit-again Ishmael Miller replaced the excellent Morrison and goalscorer Beattie.
Yet it took a wonderful 74th-minute save by Kiely to preserve Albion's two-goal cushion.
Robinson appeared to be fouled as he was shrugged off the ball by Odejayi, but referee Graham Laws waved play on and the muscular striker teed up De Silva just inside the box.
The Brazilian smashed the ball goalwards, only to be denied by Kiely's flying one-handed stop.
Miller had been right in the thick of it since entering the fray and brought a fine save out of Muller when he raced onto Robinson's forward pass and let fly from 15 yards.
Brunt was also keen to make his mark, chesting and volleying just wide from 30 yards.
The only resistance Barnsley could muster during the dying stages were long-range efforts from skipper Howard and sub McCann which flew narrowly over, although Kiely had them covered.
And it was Albion who looked most likely to trouble the scoresheet again.
Phillips dragged a shot just wide from Robinson's pass into the box before Greening rattled the Tykes bar with a 25-yard belter which beat Muller all ends up.
ALBION (4-4-2): Kiely; Hoefkens, Barnett, Albrechtsen, Robinson; Gera, Morrison (Brunt 64), Greening, Teixeira (Chaplow 79); Beattie (Miller 64), Phillips. Subs not used: Clement, Slusarski.
BARNSLEY (4-4-2): Muller; Nyatanga, Foster, Souza, Kozluk; De Silva, Johnson (McCann 60), Howard, Werling (Christensen 79); Odejayi, Ferenczi (Ricketts 50). Subs not used: Colgan (gk), Mostto.
GOALS: ALBION - Teixeira (30), Beattie (38).
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Gera (foul 49). BARNSLEY - De Silva (foul 52), Werling (foul 64), Howard (foul 85).
REFEREE: G Laws (Tyne & Wear).
ATTENDANCE: 18,310.
ALBION STARMAN: Filipe Teixeira.
PIC: GOAL FILIP-E...Teixeira shapes to fire home Albion's opener
