Turn tabbouleh into a delicious main dish meal with chicken! This tabbouleh salad with chicken recipe is super simple and can be on the table in under 30 minutes. Lemony, herby, minty and oh so tasty!
What is Tabbouleh Salad?
A tabbouleh salad is a Mediterranean salad of finely chopped vegetables, bulgur and lemon juice and olive oil. There is no lettuce in it. It typically contains bulgur, tomatoes, parsley, mint, and onions. It is finely chopped giving you a burst of flavor from almost every ingredient in every bite.
While I love a classic tabbouleh salad, I wanted one that was a little more substantial to make a main dish salad.
Adding chicken, pine nuts and arugula and decreasing the amount of bulgur made for a tasty variation of a tabbouleh salad.
Ingredients to Make Tabbouleh Salad with Chicken
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts - can use thighs. This would also be good with salmon!
- Arugula - can substitute regular lettuce, but arugula gives it a nice bitterness.
- Pine Nuts - traditional to the salad, can substitute almonds or pistachios.
- Parsley - flat leaf or curly.
- Bulgur - cracked wheat that cooks quickly!
- Olive oil - extra virgin olive oil. You want a fruity flavored olive oil.
- Lemons.
- Mint.
How to Make This Tabouli
Step 1 - Soak the bulgur. To cook bulgur, all you have to do is combine bulgur and boiling water in a bowl! Allow it to soak for 5 minutes, the bulgur will absorb all the water! Use a large bowl that you will use to make the whole salad.
Step 2 - Cook your chicken. I used a cast iron skillet and cooked the chicken over a medium high heat for about 5 minutes per side. Use an Instant Read Thermometer to make sure the chicken is at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the chicken cool, while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Step 3 - Prep the vegetables - chop the parsley and mint, halve cherry tomatoes or chop whole tomatoes and add to the bulgur bowl.
Step 4 - Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat. Watch them as soon as they start to turn golden, remove them from the heat and add to the bowl.
Step 5 - Slice the chicken and add to the bowl.
Step 6 - Combine the lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pour over the salad and toss.
Easy Weeknight Dinner Right Here!
This has become one of our favorite easy weeknight dinners. On the table in under 30 minutes! The flavors in this salad sing! It's bright with mint and lemon juice, a little bite from the arugula, bursting with flavor tomatoes, herby parsley, whole wheat goodness from the bulgur and perfectly seared chicken!
More Bulgur Wheat Recipes
Bulgur Salad - another favorite salad with cucumbers and dried cranberries!
How about an easy Salmon Recipe with a bulgur pilaf?
This Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas makes a great side dish or a vegetarian main dish!
Be sure and follow my Grains Recipes Board on Pinterest for more grain recipes.
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Tabbouleh (Tabouli) Salad with Chicken
Ingredients
- ¾ cup bulgur
- 1 ½ cups boiling water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces arugula
- ¾ cup parsley flat leaf, chopped
- ¾ cup min chopped
- 7 ounces cherry tomatoes halved
- ½ cup pine nuts toasted
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place the bulgur and boiling water in a bowl. Let soften for about 10 minutes or until the bulgur has absorbed the water.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and add them to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until temp of 165. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Add the arugula, parsley, mint, tomatoes and pine nuts to the bowl with bulgur.
- Thinly slice the chicken and add it to the bowl.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and toss to combine.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2012 and has been updated for 2019.
caren gittleman says
thanks so much for this! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Tabbouleh!!!
Pam Greer says
Then you will love this version with chicken!
Valentina says
What a beautiful salad. I love that it's hearty enough for a main course! I'm so in. Thanks!
Sara Welch says
What a delicious recipe! I am adding this to my dinner line up for the week! Yum!
Jessica Formicola says
I'm so tired of my usual boring salad. This one looks great and I can't wait to try it!
Traci says
This could easily become my new favorite salad for lunch, dinner, meal prep…all the things!. Thanks for sharing...what a healthy dish! 🙂
Pam Greer says
It's my new favorite!
Ashley @ Sweetpea Lifestyle says
Pam! I needed a salad recipe with the pantry staples I had on hand -- this was just delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Pam Greer says
Thank you so much! So glad you liked it!
Priya Lakshminarayan says
This looks so delicious and tempting
CC11 says
DOnna really is the queen of simple and tasty 🙂 Looks fab
grace says
showing the pine nuts some love--i like it! why don't we see those suckers more often?
Kalyn says
You're talking my language with this recipe!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
I know exactly how you feel about buying herbs in the market when the garden will soon be giving us all we could ask for. Still, sometimes you just have to make a recipe right that minute! I don't have mint yet, but my chives are up!
Chris says
I never buy myself a purse....what are you implying? 😉
Great Spring time dish!
Deb in Hawaii says
I was just thinking about and craving tabouli this week. I love all the arugula in this--so fresh and pretty for spring. 😉
Mary at Deep South Dish says
Looks incredible! I'm not big into jewelry or shoes or purses these days but I'll sure reward myself with dessert! Might explain these wide hips of mine huh? 🙂 Happy Weekend!
Marjie says
I'd sub the chicken thighs, too. And then I could buy me some new earrings. And maybe a purse as well, since we're shopping for rewards!
Kim says
"Well make way in the jewelry box " - Pam you are such a treat. Thanks for the laughs this morning. This does looks seriously gorgeous and healthy. Enjoy your new jewelry!
Karen says
By the way.. I'm your newest follower! I'll be back.
Karen
Ladybug Creek
Karen says
This looks absolutely delicious! I love all of the ingredients.
Have a great weekend.
Karen
Ladybug Creek
Amy says
I'm a shoe girl, myself. And check you out...all getting into Spring! We're planting next weekend. Buying herbs at the market is PAINFUL.
Judi says
Pinned and needed ingredients on grocery list. Check!
Catherine says
New purse?? Huh? What?? Where? Oh I love me my purses. Yes ~ this beautiful delish healthy meal must indeed deserve a treat for yourself. Yum!!!!
Happy Friday Pam!
xo Catherine
June says
Uh YUM! I'm going to put this on our list to make while our kitchen is being remodeled. It looks like something I'll be able to make on the outside gas grill. Hopefully!
Joanne says
Sub in some white beans for the chicken and I am so ALL OVER this dish! It looks like spring.
Abby says
Gorgeous photo! I'm hosting my first blog party and would love if you would link up!