How to Cook Bulgur Wheat

Learn how to cook bulgur wheat easily and quickly! This whole wheat grain is healthy and delicious and can be used in many ways.

Lady Lee’s Note…

I grew up in Israel where bulgur is a very common side dish. In the Middle East, we use bulgur a lot in the famous Tabbouleh salad, or to make kibbeh (a kind of meatball), or simply as a side dish instead of rice (I’ll link to all recipes below). You can find bulgur in Israel in every grocery store just as you would find rice.

When I moved to the U.S. I was surprised that it wasn’t as easy to find bulgur. In my first few years here I used to just bring a bag back with me every time I went to visit the family in Israel. These days, it seems as if it’s much easier to find bulgur and it makes me happy that so many people want to learn how to cook bulgur wheat.

If you are tired of rice or quinoa, try bulgur. The coarse bulgur is made exactly as white rice is made. In 10 minutes or so, you’ll have a fabulous side dish ready to go or a wheat addition to add to salads and such. We’ll go over all the options soon.

What is Bulgur?

This is from Wikipedia…

“Bulgur (from Arabic: bourghoul, “groats”) is a cereal food made from the cracked parboiled groats of several different wheat species, most often from durum wheat. It originates in Middle Eastern cuisine.”

Bulgur is often mistaken for cracked wheat. It’s not cracked wheat, rather the wheat berries are parboiled, left to dry in the sun, and then cracked. This process makes it quick and easy to cook bulgur.

Bulgur is older than the bible! Its history goes way back to ancient times. It was the perfect food since it stores dry and can last for long periods of time. Bulgur has a nutty flavor. You can find fine bulgur, medium, or coarse bulgur.

Is Bulgur Healthy?

Bulgur is considered a whole grain. Yes, it is processed (parboiled), but the processing is minimal so it’s still considered by the United States Department of Agriculture to be a whole grain.

Since bulgur is a whole grain, it contains a large amount of fiber. Dietary fiber can help our body improve blood cholesterol levels and is great for assisting with weight loss since a small amount of bulgur can make you feel very full.

In addition to fibers, whole grains…

“provide nutrients like thiamin (Vitamin B1), riboflavin (Vitamin B2), niacin (Vitamin B3), folate (Vitamin B9), iron, magnesium and selenium. These are all important for a variety of body functions like forming new cells, carrying oxygen in the blood, regulating the thyroid, and maintaining a healthy immune system.”

Read more here.

So now that we understand better what bulgur is and how healthy it is, let’s see how you can get it in your kitchen…

Where to Buy Bulgur…

I live out in the country. I love my local Wal-Mart but I can’t say that we have a huge variety there. It boils down to rice, beans, and pasta pretty much.

So I still bring bulgur with me from Israel. It’s one of those things that always goes in my suitcase. It’s easy to find it there and so very cheap to purchase.

I assume that here in the U.S. you can probably find it in any large grocery store in a diverse city. I feel like it’s becoming more common these days and that most people are open to give new things a try. I bet you can also find it in international food stores and you’ll definitely be able to find it in a Middle Eastern food store.

It’s also available on Amazon like everything else under the sun. You can find fine bulgur and coarse bulgur. What I’ll be using in this post is the coarse bulgur but I’ll go over how to cook the fine bulgur as well.

Ingredients…

• Bulgur
• Water or chicken stock
• Seasonings: salt, black peppers (more seasonings options and ideas in the kitchen notes below)

Kitchen Tools…

• Pot
• Wooden spoon
• Fork

How to Cook Coarse Bulgur Wheat…

Step one – boil water or stock. Add the bulgur to a pot and for each cup of coarse bulgur, add 2 cups of water or chicken stock (I prefer chicken stock). Place on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, add your seasonings.

Step two – cook. After you add your seasonings, give it a stir, cover the pot, and lower the heat to low heat. It will take a few minutes (10 or so depending on how coarse the bulgur is) for the bulgur to soak up the water.

Once all the water has been absorbed by the bulgur, turn off the heat. Leave the pot covered and allow it to sit for ten minutes. Then, uncover the pot and fluff the bulgur with a fork as we do for rice.

That’s it! You have a side dish that goes great with just about anything. You can think about it as rice and serve it with a fish, chicken, beef, or pork dish.Or you can also add it to salads (kinda like you’d add quinoa).

How to Cook Fine Bulgur…

Fine bulgur doesn’t need cooking. To a pot, add one cup of water per one cup of bulgur. Bring the water to a boil. Add seasonings, stir, and turn off the heat. Add the bulgur, stir, cover the pot and let it stand for 20 minutes or so until the bulgur absorbs all the water. Fluff with a fork and serve.

How to Use Bulgur Wheat…

Ok, let’s see how we can use bulgur. I’ll point you to a few recipes and you’ll take it from there. Simply keep in mind that anything you do with rice or quinoa, you can do with bulgur.

Those are my own turkey meatballs in lemon and cilantro sauce that we love so much. And this is a simple, and common way that I use bulgur; simply as a side dish.

Tabbouleh is a great example of how you add bulgur to salads. Tabbouleh is a famous Mediterranean salad with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, and a ton of parsley. To that, add bulgur and season with lots of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

But don’t stop there, please! Think about any quinoa salad you know or look for a recipe for quinoa salad and you can simply switch the quinoa for bulgur.

Kibbeh is another traditional Middle Eastern recipe. It’s a shell of meat and bulgur stuffed with a delicious meat mixture. I know it might sound a bit off but, trust me, it’s so good! Just make sure you make tahini sauce to go along with it.

This recipe is for Turkish bulgur pilaf and it looks absolutely amazing. I imagine it can serve as a side for anything… Fish, beef, or chicken dish… Just a different, interesting, and I’m sure, delicious side dish and a way to use bulgur.

Kitchen Notes…

• No cooking – This is how you can cook bulgur as a side dish. But since bulgur soaks up water easily and quickly, you’ll find many dishes that will tell you to only wash it before you add it to the recipe. The recipe itself probably has some juices (like a salad) or sauce (like when you would use bulgur to stuff peppers instead of using rice). The bulgur will soak up those liquids so pre-cooking will not be required (this is especially true when using the fine bulgur in recipes).
• Seasonings – You can add salt and black pepper, dry onion flakes, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin… Whatever you like. If you used water instead of chicken stock I suggest adding Knorr chicken flavor seasoning.
• Storing -If you store dry bulgur in a dry and cool place it will last a very long time. You can store your dry bulgur in the refrigerator or the freezer but it’s not required.
• Storing leftovers – cooked bulgur lasts in the fridge for up to a week easily.

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Bulgur is a great addition to your diet. It’s delicious, there are many ways to use it and it’s super easy to prepare it for any recipe or as a side dish. I sure hope you’ll give it a try!

More Delicious Recipes…

• How to Cook Rabbit
• Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves
• One Pan Chicken and Veggies
• Israeli Meatballs
• Lentil Patties Recipe

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