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Cooked bulgur wheat placed in a bowl with a spoon on the side
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How To Cook Bulgur Wheat Recipe

Learn how to cook bulgur wheat with step by step instructions based on the type of bulgur you are using. This recipe includes cooking times for each type of bulgur.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Turkish Cuisine
Prep Time 3 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Servings 4 cups
Calories 120kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup bulgur medium-coarse, coarse, or extra coarse bulgur
  • 2 cups water you can also use vegetable/chicken stock
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Place bulgur, water, and salt into a medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
  • Give it a stir.
  • Bring it to a boil, put the lid on, turn down the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed. For medium coarse bulgur (#2), cooking time should be around 12 minutes, for coarse bulgur (#3), cooking time should be 12-14 minutes, and for extra coarse bulgur (#4) cooking time should be around 15 minutes.
  • Once cooked, let it rest for 5-10 minutes with the lid on off the heat.
  • Fluff it with a fork and serve.

Notes

Microwave Method:
  1. Place 1cup bulgur and 2 cups of water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover it with a plate large enough to cover it fully.
  2. Microwave for 5 minutes, carefully remove from the microwave, give it a stir, put the plate back on, and cook for another 3 minutes.
  3. When it is done, there might be some liquid in the bowl. That is normal. Remove it from the microwave and let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes. As it sits, the water will be fully absorbed.
Rice Cooker Method:
  1. Place 1 cup of bulgur wheat and 1 cup of water in the bowl of your rice cooker. 
  2. Secure the lid and set it to cook on brown rice setting.
  3. It should take somewhere between 45-55 minutes from start to finish.
  4. Fluff it with a fork and serve.
How To Cook Fine Bulgur:
I prefer soaking fine bulgur (#1) instead of cooking it as it is so small. To cook fine bulgur using my soaking method:
  1. Place a cup of fine bulgur into a large bowl and pour 2 cups of boiling hot water over it. 
  2. Let it soak for 10-12 minutes. The cooking time for fine bulgur should be no longer 12 minutes but feel free to taste and let it sit longer if necessary.
  3. Fluff it with a fork and use it in your recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 144mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg