Bulgur Bowls with Chicken Meatballs and Sumac Kale
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 5, 2026
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons harissa 2 teaspoons table salt, divided3½ cups boiling water 1¾ cups fine- or medium-grind bulgur 4 teaspoons ground sumac, divided, plus extra for sprinkling1 pound ground chicken 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves, minced1½ teaspoons ground cumin ¾ teaspoon ground coriander 1 pound curly kale, stemmed, leaves torn into 1½- to 2-inch pieces5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided1 red onion, halved and sliced thin¼ cup chopped pitted dates 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds Pomegranate molasses
Before You Begin
Be sure to use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free). Avoid coarsely ground bulgur; it will not soften sufficiently in time. If your supermarket does not carry bulgur it can be purchased online.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk 2 tablespoons harissa, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and 3½ cups boiling water together in large bowl. Stir in 1¾ cups fine-grind bulgur, cover, and let sit until grains are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain bulgur (you may not have excess liquid), then toss with 2 teaspoons sumac in bowl. Combine ¾ cup bulgur-sumac mixture, 1 pound ground chicken, 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt, 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon ground coriander, and ½ teaspoon salt in separate bowl. Using wet hands, pinch off about 2 tablespoons and roll into sixteen 1 ½-inch-wide meatballs; transfer to large plate and set aside.
- Spread 1 pound stemmed and torn curly kale over rimmed baking sheet, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Vigorously squeeze and massage kale with your hands until leaves are uniformly darkened and slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Toss 1 halved and thinly sliced red onion and ¼ cup chopped pitted dates with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl, then scatter over top of kale on sheet. Roast until kale and onion are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons sumac, and cover to keep warm. Wipe sheet clean, then spray with oil spray. Heat broiler.
- Transfer remaining bulgur-sumac mixture to one half of now-empty sheet, spreading into even layer. Transfer reserved meatballs to second half of sheet, then brush top of bulgur with remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Broil until top layer of bulgur is lightly browned and crisp in spots and meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned, 7 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling.
- Divide bulgur among individual serving bowls, then top with reserved kale mixture and meatballs. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds. Serve, topping with pomegranate molasses and extra sumac, if desired.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
2 tablespoons harissa
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
3½ cups boiling water
1¾ cups fine- or medium-grind bulgur
4 teaspoons ground sumac, divided, plus extra for sprinkling
1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound curly kale, stemmed, leaves torn into 1½- to 2-inch pieces
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
Pomegranate molasses
Ingredients
2 tablespoons harissa
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
3½ cups boiling water
1¾ cups fine- or medium-grind bulgur
4 teaspoons ground sumac, divided, plus extra for sprinkling
1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound curly kale, stemmed, leaves torn into 1½- to 2-inch pieces
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
Pomegranate molasses
Ingredients
2 tablespoons harissa
2 teaspoons table salt, divided
3½ cups boiling water
1¾ cups fine- or medium-grind bulgur
4 teaspoons ground sumac, divided, plus extra for sprinkling
1 pound ground chicken
3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon ground coriander
1 pound curly kale, stemmed, leaves torn into 1½- to 2-inch pieces
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 red onion, halved and sliced thin
¼ cup chopped pitted dates
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup pomegranate seeds
Pomegranate molasses
Why This Recipe Works
Bulgur pulls double duty here: After soaking it in a harissa-spiked brew and seasoning it with sumac, we used a portion as a binder to make chicken meatballs and then broiled the rest alongside them on the sheet pan. We used the same pan to roast kale with red onion and dates before dressing the melange with lemon juice and more sumac. Pomegranate molasses and pomegranate seeds were perfect finishers.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use ground chicken, not ground chicken breast (also labeled 99 percent fat-free). Avoid coarsely ground bulgur; it will not soften sufficiently in time. If your supermarket does not carry bulgur it can be purchased online.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk 2 tablespoons harissa, ¾ teaspoon table salt, and 3½ cups boiling water together in large bowl. Stir in 1¾ cups fine-grind bulgur, cover, and let sit until grains are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Drain bulgur (you may not have excess liquid), then toss with 2 teaspoons sumac in bowl. Combine ¾ cup bulgur-sumac mixture, 1 pound ground chicken, 3 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt, 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1½ teaspoons ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon ground coriander, and ½ teaspoon salt in separate bowl. Using wet hands, pinch off about 2 tablespoons and roll into sixteen 1 ½-inch-wide meatballs; transfer to large plate and set aside.
- Spread 1 pound stemmed and torn curly kale over rimmed baking sheet, then drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Vigorously squeeze and massage kale with your hands until leaves are uniformly darkened and slightly wilted, about 1 minute. Toss 1 halved and thinly sliced red onion and ¼ cup chopped pitted dates with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl, then scatter over top of kale on sheet. Roast until kale and onion are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and remaining 2 teaspoons sumac, and cover to keep warm. Wipe sheet clean, then spray with oil spray. Heat broiler.
- Transfer remaining bulgur-sumac mixture to one half of now-empty sheet, spreading into even layer. Transfer reserved meatballs to second half of sheet, then brush top of bulgur with remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Broil until top layer of bulgur is lightly browned and crisp in spots and meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned, 7 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling.
- Divide bulgur among individual serving bowls, then top with reserved kale mixture and meatballs. Sprinkle with ⅓ cup pomegranate seeds. Serve, topping with pomegranate molasses and extra sumac, if desired.
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