Beef and Bulgur Burgers

After I made my own Curry Beef Burgers, I've been wanting to make more homemade burgers. It just feels so much healthier than eating out. I need to vary my sources of protein, too, instead of eating just chicken, tofu or eggs. I love bulgur so I'm totally up for trying it in burgers. I actually saw a recipe for Bean and Bulgur Burgers in a cookbook, but decided to go for beef instead. This burger was on the brink of falling apart so beans probably would have been more difficult to work with.

I made the rookie mistake of forgetting to season my food. Before eating, I just sprinkled some salt and pepper all over, but of course, that doesn't help the inside. I prefer not to season my food sometimes because you can fix something that is bland, but you cannot fix something that is salty. The bulgur, however, was a bit bland. Maybe if I had seasoned correctly, it would have been fine, but I actually think that it wouldn't have helped much. Next time I make this, I might try adding flavors to the bulgur while it's cooking for even more flavor in the end results. Otherwise, the spices blend together deliciously and this is definitely a keeper for me.

Here is what Whole Foods had to say about this recipe:

The addition of bulgur wheat to these burgers not only helps stretch a meal but it also achieves a more delicately flavored burger with a lower fat content and higher fiber than traditional burgers. Substitute ground lamb for the beef, if you like.

Beef and Bulgur Burgers [Makes 6 burgers]
From Whole Foods

- 2 cups water
- 1 cup bulgur wheat
- 1 1/4 pounds (95-percent) lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion, plus sliced onion for garnish

1. Bring water to a boil in a small pot over medium high heat. Add bulgur, cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until water is almost absorbed and bulgur is just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Uncover pot, fluff bulgur with a fork and set aside until cooled.
2. In a large bowl, mix together beef, bulgur, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, allspice and chopped onion. Form mixture into 6 patties and season all over with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook patties, flipping once, until deep golden brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve!




I ate this without a bun. I like big meaty burgers on their own. A leaf of lettuce, slice of tomato, and baked corn tortilla chips were great additions to make up today's lunch.