Bulgur pilaf is a healthy, delicious, one-pan recipe. With ground turkey, apples and walnuts, it’s a complete meal that’s not only good for you, it’s also filling and very tasty!
(Love one-pot recipes? Try Hainanese chicken in rice cooker and mandu rice.)
We love experimenting with different grains and whole wheats, and bulgur is right there at the top of our list.
We first had bulgur at a Turkish restaurant near where we live.
We loved it so much that the next day, we bought bulgur, started experimenting on a few dishes, and haven’t looked back since.
What is bulgur
Bulgur is a type of whole wheat grain. It’s a common ingredient in Turkish, Lebanese, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine.
It’s a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients. It is low in fat, high in minerals and a good source of plant-based protein.
Plus, bulgur provides a very good dose of the dietary fiber you need for digestive and heart health (source).
There are many ways to prepare bulgur but usually, we cook bulgur similarly to how we cook rice, couscous, quinoa or barley — boiled, fried like rice or a combination of both.
This time, we made delicious pilaf filled with amazing and tasty ingredients and spices. We usually eat this on its own though it also works great as a side dish to your heartier meals.
(Are you a fan of pilaf? Try this delicious cranberry and wild rice pilaf.)
Why you’ll love cooking with it
- Easy to cook. Bulgur is incredibly easy to cook. And it cooks fairly quickly. Prep time for this recipe is a breeze too.
- One pan recipe. Makes for an easy clean up!
- Healthy grain. It’s also one of the healthier grain options available.
- Full meal. This bulgur pilaf has it all — fiber, protein, vegetables. It’s a complete meal that makes for an easy lunch or a hearty dinner.
- Easy to customize. It’s very easy to customize as well. It’s a great base for all your favorite ingredients.
How to make
This is an easy, one-pot recipe. You can find the full ingredient list in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Ingredients
A few things to note:
- Bulgur — bulgur is available as fine or coarse. We need coarse bulgur for this recipe. If your supermarket has them numbered, choose 3 (sometimes 4).
- Ground turkey — we use turkey in this recipe but you can swap with ground chicken or ground pork. Want to skip meat? Try chickpeas.
- Apples — we like to use apples that are slightly tangy and don’t get too mushy when cooked. We default to honey crisp but you can definitely use any variety you prefer for cooking.
- Walnuts — you can substitute with your favorite nuts but note that there will be a subtle change in flavor profile.
Step-by-step photos
In a small bowl, mix all spices until combined. Set aside.
In a large skillet on medium high heat, stir onions and bell peppers in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Place ground turkey in the same pan and brown until almost all the liquid from the meat has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.
Put back onions and bell pepper in pan. Add spices, garlic and tomato paste. Stir until combined.
Add bulgur, shredded apples and stir.
Then add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
Lower the temperature and simmer for another 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is cooked.
Add diced apples, chopped walnuts and stir to combine.
Remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve with chopped parsley.
Expert tips
Easy and simple, right? Here are some tips for perfectly cooked bulgur pilaf every time.
- Buy the right kind of bulgur. Bulgur is available as fine or coarse. Sometimes, they’re numbered too. For this recipe, you’ll want to buy coarse bulgur, or number 3 (sometimes 4).
- Season to taste. On its own bulgur is bland so you need to season it appropriately to taste, during cooking and before serving.
- Cook properly. Bulgur is supposed to have a bit of bite to it when cooked. If you check and it still feels too al dente after all your liquid has been absorbed, add a bit of hot water, fluff it up, cover the pot, and allow it to rest some more.
- Customize to your liking. This recipe is so easy to make your own. Change the protein, add more vegetables, sprinkle more spices!
Recipe FAQs
The most likely reason is cooking in high heat. This makes the liquid evaporate too quickly, not giving the grains the chance to absorb it.
For best results, cook at a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.
This recipe is a complete meal so we usually eat it on its own. You can serve with a side of salad, roasted tomatoes or soup.
Or you can make it a side and serve with heavier meals.
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge. They should keep for 3-5 days.
Reheat in the microwave until heated through before serving.
More easy weeknight meals
If you’re a fan of easy weeknight recipes, check these out:
We love making bulgur pilaf. It’s tasty, a healthier alternative to white rice, and so easy to make.
Enjoy!
Did you make this bulgur pilaf recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
Bulgur Pilaf with Turkey and Apples
Ingredients
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium red or yellow bell pepper diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups uncooked coarse bulgur
- 2 cooking apples peeled, cored and shredded, see note
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 apple cored and diced
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix all spices until combined. Set aside.2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp allspice, ½ tsp ground cloves
- In a large skillet on medium high heat, stir onions and bell peppers in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.1 medium onion, 2 medium red or yellow bell pepper, 3 tbsp olive oil
- Place ground turkey in the same pan and brown until almost all the liquid from the meat has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper.1 lb ground turkey, salt, pepper
- Put back onions and bell pepper in pan. Add spices, garlic and tomato paste. Stir until combined.4 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp tomato paste
- Add bulgur, shredded apples and stir.2 cups uncooked coarse bulgur, 2 cooking apples
- Then add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes, 2 cups chicken broth
- Lower the temperature and simmer for another 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the bulgur is cooked.
- Add diced apples, chopped walnuts and stir to combine.1 apple, 1 cup walnuts
- Remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. Serve with chopped parsley.1 tbsp fresh parsley
Video
Notes
- We like to use apples that are slightly tangy and don’t get too mushy when cooked. We default to honey crisp but you can definitely use any variety you prefer for cooking.
- Bulgur is supposed to have a bit of bite to it when cooked. If you check and it still feels too al dente after all your liquid has been absorbed, add a bit of hot water, fluff it up, cover the pot, and allow it to rest some more.
- See post for more tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
(Disclosure: This post was originally sponsored by Ontario Apple Growers. I’ve updated it with tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos).
Akamatra
We make pilaf all the time it’s my favorite side! I haven’t tried it like this but I am inspired to!
CourtneyLynne
Omg can we say yum?!?! This is definitely one unique recipe that I need to add to my list of things to make! Looks beyond deliciousness
Dalene
These sure looks so yummy! Good for lunch for me! I didn’t know that apples could be cooked sine I eat them raw. Eating such would be such an adventure for me…but I’d obviously finish the whole plate now that it looks this yummy!
Jolina
We love cooking and baking with apples (and eating them raw too). Hope you like the recipe!
Kartika
I’m drooling over here. That looks really healthy and delicious . Great recipe!
Erica Schwarz
What a healthy recipe. So loaded with vitamins and fiber! Will have to try this soon.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Love the spice profile here. Apples and nuts are are a great combination. Bulgar is a wonderful, nutty ingredient, yet I think one of those ingredients that is not used often enough. This would make a great lunch or dinner any night of the week. Perfect as a brunch item too.
Mindy
This looks delicious. I am always searching for new weeknight meals. Thanks for sharing!
Matt Kearns
What a hearty looking pilaf! It has such a great mix of flavors! Well done!
Laura Dove
Oh wow so many flavours, that sounds so delicious and tasty! Turkey can be quite bland in my opinion so its important to get lots of flavours in with it, I am so going to try this!
Aditya
Hmmm i love everything with apple and I would love to give this a shot. Especially in Summer. Thanks for the recipe. And not only that, I might use this to have a party.
Neely Moldovan
This sounds really interesting. I love the flavor combos. I would love to try it!
Wendy
How can you go wrong with one pan cooking? At my house we just can’t get enough of apples! However, we are all gluten free so I was wondering if you had a suggestion to substitute the wheat based product with yet keep the rest of the recipe the same because it looks great!
Jolina
Hi Wendy! I’m not am expert but here’s a resource I found – https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/glutenfree-plenty-alternatives/ Hope it’s helpful!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food
That’s a lot of varieties of apples!!! Honey Crisp is definitely on the tip top of my faves! This looks so good, Jolina. Love the heartiness of bulgar and then paired with crispy, juicy, sweet apples? Pure perfection, my friend! What a delicious lunch! Hope you have a lovely week, my friend 🙂
Hannah Denton
I’ve never heard of Bulgar! I love the sound of it. I really like Sri Lankan recipes and they sound super similar! I might cook this for valentines tomorrow, eeek!
Alison Rost
I love that it has a lot of nutrients that’s really good for your health. I’m sure it’s lovely. I’ve never tasted bulgur before but now I can, thanks to your recipe.