How to Cook Bulgur Wheat Perfectly Every Single Time

This simple recipe shows you how to cook bulgur wheat perfectly every time; you can then turn it into Tabbouleh or serve it as a simple side.

Cooking Perfect Bulgur Wheat

Bulgur wheat has been a staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine for centuries.

It has relatively mild earthy and nutty flavours, but it is a glorious carrier of flavour, which makes it an ideal base for a side dish.

Bulgur wheat is made from groats of different types of wheat.

First of all, we must take a minute to appreciate the word "groat", how wonderful is that? It means the hulled kernel of a grain.

Anyway, those groats are parboiled and then cracked.

It's gloriously simple to cook, the secret is that you don't just pour over some water and job done!

Naturally, it is not the only approach to cooking bulgur wheat; my pourgouri pilaf recipe takes a very different approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size bulgur wheat should I use?

Most bulgur wheat sold in the UK, certainly the stuff sold in supermarkets, does not seem to be graded by size.

However, there are 4 size grades of bulgur wheat, with 1 being the finest and 4 being the coarsest.

Most bulgur in the UK is around either a 2 or a 3 in terms of size, and as a result, that is what this recipe has been developed with.

What's the perfect ratio of water to bulgur wheat?

If you are using the steeping method of cooking bulgur wheat, the ratio is simple... it is 1:1, but it is a weight ratio and not volume.

So break out the scales, add your bulgur wheat to the bowl, hit tare, then pour in the same weight of boiling water, cover and take a stroll.

The texture is perfect, soft but with a chewy texture. I love this stuff and use it pretty much interchangeably with couscous.

How long will bulgur wheat last when cooked?

Cooke bulgur wheat will last in the fridge for 4-5 days in an air-tight container.

Is bulgur wheat gluten-free?

No, bulgur wheat is made from cracked groats of wheat and as such, is not gluten-free!

Serving Suggestions

Aside from a mild nutty flavour, bulgur wheat offers little on the flavour front; however, it has a wonderful texture and is great at carrying flavour.

Depending on the recipe I am pairing it with, I will treat it in different ways after it has been cooked.

It is pictured above with my harissa baked trout, and I stir through the roasting juices just before serving.

With the rabbit tagine (pictured further up the page) and chicken tagine (pictured below), it is simply hit up with loads of fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon. You could also go a bit leftfield and do something similar with my West African Peanut Stew (Domoda).

With my Moroccan harissa meatballs I toss cooked bulgur in a pan with cooked chickpeas and harissa paste. You could do something very similar with some of the cooking liquid from my pork afelia recipe.

You can turn it into bulgur wheat, a classic tabbouleh salad, for the latter just add the following:

• Parsley: As much as you can lay your hands on!
• Tomatoes: Deseeded without negotiation, deskinned if you can be bothered.
• Cucumber: Again, deseeded.
• Dressing: Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Mint and Garlic.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Kettle to boil water.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Cling film or tin foil.
• Oven, but you only need this if you want to serve the bulgur wheat hot/warm.
• Fork to fluff up the bulgur when cooked.