Turkish Bulgur Pilaf with Chicken Recipe
This pilaf is a homestyle one-pot dish: bulgur wheat cooked with pieces of chicken, vegetables, and spices. In Turkey, meals like this often appear on weeknights when you need to quickly feed the whole family something hearty. The flavor is a bit like risotto, but the bulgur grains stay looser and slightly nutty.
A comforting Turkish-style one-pot meal that combines fluffy, nutty bulgur with tender chicken and vegetables, making it both hearty and relatively light. It’s ideal for busy days because everything cooks together in one pan, yet the flavors are layered and aromatic.
Chef's tips
Don’t skip toasting the bulgur briefly in fat and spices—this step deepens the flavor and helps the grains stay separate. If your stock is very salty, season with salt only at the end. Letting the pilaf rest off the heat under a lid is key for the perfect texture.
How to serve
Serve as a main dish with yogurt, a fresh salad, and optionally some pickles. It also works well as a side for grilled meats or roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
- coarse bulgur wheat - 250 g
- chicken breast boneless, skinless - 400 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- green bell pepper - 1 piece
- carrot - 1 piece
- tomatoes ripe - 2 pieces
- chicken stock - 600 ml
- vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
- butter - 1 tablespoon
- sweet paprika, ground - 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
Preparation
- Rinse the bulgur in a sieve under running water and set aside to drain.
- Cut the chicken breast into small cubes. Peel the onion and dice finely. Dice the pepper and carrot into small cubes. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water, peel off the skins, and dice.
- In a wide pot or deep frying pan, heat the oil with the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until softened and slightly translucent.
- Add the chicken and fry for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the pieces turn white on the outside and are lightly browned.
- Add the carrot and pepper and fry for another 3–4 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the sweet paprika and cumin, stir, and fry for 30 seconds until the spices become fragrant.
- Add the bulgur and mix thoroughly, frying for 1–2 minutes so that each grain is coated with fat and spices.
- Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 15–18 minutes, until the bulgur absorbs most of the liquid and is tender but not mushy. Do not stir too often so the grains don’t break apart.
- Remove the pot from the heat and leave covered for 5–10 minutes so the bulgur can finish steaming and become fluffier.
- Before serving, gently fluff the pilaf with a fork, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.
Storage
Pilaw po schłodzeniu lekko się zbija; przy podgrzewaniu na patelni dodaj 2–3 łyżki wody lub bulionu i mieszaj, aż się rozluźni i dobrze podgrzeje.
