Bulgur Pilaf with Peppers & Chicken Broth

Name: Bulgur Pilaf with Peppers and Chicken Broth
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 50 g yellow onion, finely diced; 90 g red bell pepper, diced to match onion size; 30 g green bell pepper, diced to match onion size; 35 g sunflower oil, about 40 ml; 240 g coarse bulgur, pilaf-grade, do not use fine grain; 480 ml chicken broth, unsalted; 50 ml water, hot, to reach the exact 1:1.75 ratio; 4 g salt, adjust downward if broth is salted

What You Need

Ingredients

4 servings

Aromatics1 3/4 oz yellow onionfinely diced
3 1/8 oz red bell pepperdiced to match onion size
1 oz green bell pepperdiced to match onion size
1 1/4 oz sunflower oilabout 40 ml
Grains & Liquid8 1/2 oz coarse bulgurpilaf-grade, do not use fine grain
2 cup chicken brothunsalted
3 3/8 tbsp waterhot, to reach the exact 1:1.75 ratio
4 g saltadjust downward if broth is salted

Equipment

Medium saucepan with tight-fitting lid
Wooden spoon
Paper towel

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

For coarse pilaf-grade bulgur, use exactly a 1:1.75 ratio by volume. For every 1 cup of bulgur, you need 1.75 cups of liquid. In this recipe, 240g of bulgur requires a total of 525 ml of liquid (480 ml broth plus 45-50 ml water).

No, lifting the lid releases the trapped steam required to cook the grains evenly. Keep it tightly covered until the 12 to 14-minute mark.

Resting allows the moisture to redistribute evenly throughout the grains. Without this 10 to 15-minute resting phase, the bottom will be mushy while the top remains dry.

Absolutely. If using homemade broth, you may need to adjust the salt level depending on how heavily seasoned your batch is.

Start with 4 grams (about one level dessert spoon) of salt for 240g of bulgur when using completely unsalted broth, then adjust upward slightly if your personal preference dictates.

You can substitute standard red bell peppers or even mild green chilies. The goal is a mild, sweet vegetal flavor, so avoid overly spicy peppers unless you prefer the heat.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the bulgur, cover it loosely, and microwave in 30-second bursts until warm. Alternatively, warm it in a skillet over low heat with the lid firmly on.

Fold in cooked chickpeas, shredded roast chicken, or browned ground lamb during the resting phase to instantly transform the pilaf into a satisfying, protein-rich main meal.

Step By Step

Instructions

Prep
Chop your aromatics
Go ahead and dice up your yellow onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper into neat, bite-sized little cubes. Keeping them all roughly the same size means they will cook down at the exact same pace and scatter beautifully all through your pilaf.
1 3/4 oz yellow onion3 1/8 oz red bell pepper1 oz green bell pepperCutting boardChef's knife
Cook
Soften up the veggies
Warm your sunflower oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Toss in the diced onion and colorful peppers, giving them regular turns with your spoon so they start to sweat, soften up, and release all their tasty juices.
1 1/4 oz sunflower oil1 3/4 oz yellow onion3 1/8 oz red bell pepper1 oz green bell pepperMedium saucepanWooden spoon
Toast the bulgur grains
Tip the coarse bulgur straight into the pan with those tender vegetables. Keep things moving over medium heat so every single grain gets a nice slick of oil, toasting gently until it turns shiny and fills the kitchen with a cozy, nutty aroma.
8 1/2 oz coarse bulgurMedium saucepanWooden spoon
Let it simmer down
Pour in your chicken broth and hot water, scatter the salt over everything, and give the pot one good, final stir. As soon as you see steady bubbles breaking the surface, drop your burner to the lowest notch and clamp the lid down tight. Let it do its thing completely undisturbed until the liquid is fully absorbed and tiny steam dimples appear on top. Seriously, leave that lid alone during this stretch!
2 cup chicken broth3 3/8 tbsp water4 g saltMedium saucepan with tight-fitting lid
Finish
Steam rest and fluff
Shut off the burner completely. Quick as you can, lift the lid, lay a sheet of paper towel flat over the rim, and press the lid right back down to lock it in. Let the pot sit away from the heat so the towel drinks up all that lingering steam. When time is up, pop off the lid and lift the grains gently from the bottom with your wooden spoon before serving.
8 1/2 oz coarse bulgurPaper towelWooden spoon

Grab your coarse bulgur and that measured chicken broth, because they are the real stars of this pilaf. You'll want to get the peppers and aromatics nice and soft first, let the grains toast in that savory oil for a minute, and then pour in your warm broth. Pop the lid on, turn the heat way down, and resist the temptation to peek while it absorbs all that flavor.

The golden ratio here is right around 1 part bulgur to 1.75 parts liquid by volume. Once the timer dings, kill the heat and slide a clean paper towel right beneath the lid so trapped condensation won't drip back down. Give it a gentle fluff before bringing it to the table, and you're good to go.