Backcountry Chicken and Rice
Instant rice and freeze-dried chicken. Ready to eat in 15 minutes.
- calories
- 870
- weight
- 7.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 116
- protein
- 20 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 22 min
- water
- 360 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant rice | 1 cup | |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried chicken | 2 tbsp | |
| Freeze-dried spinach | 1/4 cup | |
| Freeze-dried red or green peppers | 2 tbsp | |
| Dried onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Parmesan cheese | 1 tbsp | shelf-stable, not fresh |
| Dry chicken gravy mix | 1 tsp | lower sodium if available |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | carried in a dropper bottle |
Method
- Boil 360 ml of water.
- Pour the water and oil into your pot with all the dry ingredients.
- Stir until everything is wet.
- Cover and let sit for 15 minutes.
- Stir again and eat.
This is freeze-dried chicken’s best use case: a full dinner in 15 minutes with no active cooking. Boiling water is all you need—no simmering, no stirring. The instant rice and chicken provide protein; oil and cheese provide the calories that actually fill you up.
Freeze-dried works because it stays shelf-stable until the trail. Seal your freezer bag tight at home, especially for trips longer than a weekend. Either the freezer bag method or one pot on the stove will work equally well.
Packing
Combine all dry ingredients in a quart freezer bag at home. Carry oil in a separate dropper bottle or packet. At camp, boil water, add it to the bag or pot with the dry mix and oil, stir, cover, and wait 15 minutes.
Variations
- Add a foil packet of tuna or a handful of freeze-dried shrimp for more protein.
- Swap the spinach and peppers for freeze-dried peas, carrots, or mushrooms.
- Use double gravy mix if you want more salt and savory depth.
https://trailcooking.com/2022/09/19/fbc-meals-chicken-rice-spinach-peppers