Blackened Chicken Spice Bowl
Freeze-dried chicken with powdered dairy and blackened spices. Cold-soak it, then eat it straight or use it in wraps.
- calories
- 330
- weight
- 5 oz
- cal / oz
- 66
- protein
- 59 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 0 min
- total time
- 2 min
- water
- 120 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Lunch
- Cold soak
- No cook
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Bikepacking
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried diced chicken breast | 2 oz | small dice rehydrates in 15 minutes instead of 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Dried minced vegetables | 1 oz | carrots, onions, celery, bell peppers; buy pre-mixed or dehydrate at home |
| Smoked paprika | 0.5 tsp | |
| Blackened spice powder | 0.75 tsp | |
| Cayenne or hot sauce powder | 0.25 tsp | adjust for heat tolerance |
| Garlic powder | 0.5 tsp | |
| Dried chives | 0.5 tsp | |
| Lemon juice powder | 0.25 tsp | |
| Cream cheese powder | 0.5 oz | binds the mixture; find it at camping food suppliers |
| Buttermilk powder | 0.5 oz | ranch flavor base |
| Butter powder | 0.25 oz | optional, adds fat and richness |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Pour the bag contents into a bowl or cup.
- Add 120 ml of cold water and stir well.
- Let sit for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the chicken and vegetables rehydrate.
- Stir once more. Eat straight from the bowl or spoon into a tortilla.
Freeze-dried chicken in small dice rehydrates fast—these soften in 15 minutes instead of the 30 that larger chunks need. The powdered cream cheese and buttermilk do what mayo normally does in a chicken salad: bind the ingredients into something cohesive that stays together in a wrap. Without them you have a loose pile of meat.
This is shelf-stable and no-cook, making it practical trail lunch that doesn’t compete for stove space. Blackened spice, smoked paprika, and cayenne deliver the hot-wing heat without weight or fresh ingredients. You eat it cold, spooned straight from a bowl or wrapped in a tortilla.
Packing
Pre-mix everything at home into one quart freezer bag. Label it with the water amount and soak time. At camp you are just pouring and stirring. If cream cheese and butter powders are hard to find, skip them and use mayo powder instead for binding.
Variations
- Use mayo powder in place of butter powder for extra binding and fat.
- Use half the water for a thicker chicken salad texture.
- Carry a tortilla or flatbread to make an actual wrap instead of eating it as a bowl.
https://trailcooking.com/2024/09/23/commercial-meal-review-kickin-chicken-hot-wings-wrap