To switch things up from your regular white rice side dish, try this hearty Turkish style bulgur pilaf. Coarse bulgur wheat is cooked stovetop with onions, peppers, garlic and Turkish red pepper paste for a deeply flavourful and slightly chewy pilaf. This easy-to-follow recipe is ready in just 30 minutes!

Bulgur pilaf on a white plate with a spoon in it with a blue bowl with yogurt in the top corner with a spoon along with a small pitcher of olive oil and a white plate with fresh mint leaves, and a blue patterned bowl with dried mint in the bottom side corner on a blue patterned tiled background

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5 STAR READER REVIEW

“Excellent recipe. I will make this over and over again thank you!!!”

—MA
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Bulgur: Rice’s Best Replacement!

Whenever I’m sick of eating rice dishes, I make my other favourite grain: bulgur. And I make it in quite a few different ways, but this Turkish style pilaf is my favourite.

Why do I love bulgur? Because its as easy as cooking rice, but it has a deeply nutty flavour that’s quite hard to resist. It usually keeps me full for longer. Bonus: my kids absolutely love it!

It is sold in different sizes so make sure you buy coarse bulgur for this recipe. They’re either numbered 1 to 3 or labelled as fine, medium, coarse or extra coarse. Fine bulgur is reserved for salads like kisir and tabouli, coarse bulgur is cooked like rice, and medium is used in recipes like kibbeh.

coarse bulgur

In this Bulgur Pilaf, we use coarse bulgur (see photo above) which generally needs about 1.5-2 cups water for every 1 cup of Bulgur (similar to long grain rice). And if you end up with leftovers, I always use it the next day to make my bulgur salad which is such a treat.

Let’s Make It

Grab your ingredients.

Ingredient shot for bulgur pilaf, small glass pitcher with olive oil, small white plate with dried mint, pepper and salt, small bowls with tomato paste and red pepper paste, white bowl with chopped onions, white bowl with chopped tomato, small white plate with butter and garlic, bowl with bulgur on a blue patterned tiled background

One of the most common ingredients in Turkish cuisine is red pepper paste, or Biber Salcasi. It’s made by blending cooked red peppers and salt into a thick red paste. It is sold as spicy or mild. You can use either one but I tend to always prefer the mild variety.

Sweet Red Pepper Paste on a blue patterned tiled backdrop

It adds a deep umami flavour and compliments tomato paste really well. If you really can’t get your hands on it then do try this recipe anyway and replace it with more tomato paste.

Start by heating the butter and olive oil in a deep skillet or pot. Then, add the diced onions and diced peppers and soften them for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Chopped onions being sauteed with a light blue spatula in a light coloured skillet on a blue patterned tiled backdrop
Chopped onions and red peppers being sauteed with a light blue spatula in a light coloured skillet on a blue patterned tiled backdrop

Next, add the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Mix for a few minutes. Next add the red pepper paste and tomato paste and mix together for a few minutes to caramelize the pastes and create a deeper flavour.

Sauteed onions and peppers with salt and pepper, with a light blue spatula in a light coloured skillet on a blue patterned tiled backdrop
Sauteed onions and peppers with red pepper paste and tomato paste, with a light blue spatula in a light coloured skillet on a blue patterned tiled backdrop

Then, add the dried mint. The dried mint doesn’t need to be toasted or cooked, so move on to the next step soon after adding it.

Sauteed onions and peppers with red pepper paste and tomato paste and dried mint, with a light blue spatula in a light coloured skillet on a blue patterned tiled backdrop

Add the washed and drained bulgur in the skillet. Mix together until it combines with the vegetables, tomato paste and red pepper paste.

Bulgur on top of sauteed onion and pepper mixture with a light blue spatula in a light coloured pot on a blue patterned tiled background
Bulgur mixed into sauteed onion and pepper mixture with a light blue spatula in a light coloured pot on a blue patterned tiled background

Add the broth (or water if that’s what you’re using) and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid and bring the heat down to low. Leave the bulgur untouched for 20 minutes.

Simmer bulgur pilaf mixture in a light coloured pot on a blue patterned tiled background
light pink lid on top of pot on a blue patterned tiled background

After 20 minutes, open the lid and fluff the bulgur with a fork. Taste and ensure the grain is soft and slightly chewy. It’s now ready to be served.

Cooked bulgur pilaf in a light coloured pot with a light blue spatula on a blue patterned tiled background

How to serve Bulgur

This Turkish style bulgur pilaf is typically served alongside grilled meat at restaurants. My favourite way to serve it is either with plain yogurt or with Jajik (a cucumber yogurt salad). My husband will happily have it on its own as a main as well; it’s that good! You can also it add it to lunch bowls as a grain alternative alongside salads and proteins.

If you have extra chickpeas lying around, you can also add them to the bulgur pilaf (when adding the bulgur) to add more protein. I often cook it that way!

Bulgur pilaf served with a yogurt cucumber salad

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30-Minute Bulgur Pilaf (Turkish Recipe)

Yield: 6 people
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Bulgur Pilaf is the perfect Middle Eastern side dish. It's quick, easy and full of flavour!
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Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups coarse bulgur, (#3)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon sweet red pepper paste
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 4 cups chicken broth or water

Instructions
 

  • In a saucepan or large skillet, melt the butter along with the olive oil over medium heat
  • Add the chopped onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened
  • Add in the chopped peppers and continue sautéing for another 2-3 minutes
  • Add in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes
  • Season with pepper and salt and mix for about 1-2 minutes
  • Add in the red pepper paste and tomato paste, mixing until combined, about 1-2 minutes
  • Next add in the dried mint and then the bulgur, mix well until fully combined
  • Pour in the water or broth and allow the mixture to come to a boil
  • Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 25 minutes
  • Fluff up the bulgur and serve with yogurt and mint.

Notes

  • Make sure you use coarse bulgur for this recipe (usually marked #3). The fine bulgur varieties have a different cooking method and won’t yield the same results.
  • You can use green or yellow bell peppers instead of red.
  • If you can’t find red pepper paste, you can replace it with more tomato paste.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 0.3mg, Sodium: 643mg, Potassium: 286mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 99IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg
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