Boil-in-Bag Chicken Fried Rice
Minute rice rehydrated in a freezer bag, canned chicken and vegetables stirred in, crunchy noodles on top.
- calories
- 430
- weight
- 7 oz
- cal / oz
- 61
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 15 min
- water
- 1000 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
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Eat in the bag
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant white rice | 1 1/2 cups dry | the minute kind, not parboiled long-grain |
|---|---|---|
| Canned chicken | 8 oz | drain most of the liquid |
| Canned stir-fry vegetables | 1 can | water chestnuts, bamboo, carrot |
| Canned bean sprouts | 1 can | |
| Canned chow mein noodles | 1 can | |
| Soy sauce | 2 tbsp | packets, or a small leakproof bottle |
Method
- Put 1 quart of water on to boil. You will only use part of it for dinner.
- Pour the dry rice into a half-gallon freezer bag. Add 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water and press most of the air out before sealing.
- Set the sealed bag down inside the pot of remaining hot water. Two minutes.
- Open the bag, dump in the drained chicken, vegetables, and sprouts, and stir. Seal it again and let it sit in the hot water four more minutes.
- Add soy sauce to taste, stir, and spoon it over a handful of crunchy noodles in each bowl.
- Whatever water is left in the pot is now dishwater, or cocoa.
The bag is doing the cooking, so the pot never gets dirty. Instant rice only needs hot water and time, and a sealed freezer bag holds heat well enough to finish the job while it floats in the pot. The canned chicken and vegetables are already cooked — they are just warming through in the second sit.
The leftover boiling water is the point of the quart. It stays hot in the pot, does the dishes you barely have, and makes drinks after. Cans make this heavy, so keep it near the car or the boat; the dehydrated version in the variations is what goes in a pack.
Packing
Rice goes in the freezer bag at home so camp is just pouring water. Cans are heavy — this is a drive-in or short-carry meal. Bring a second bag in case the first one splits.
Variations
- Swap the canned chicken for a foil pouch of chicken or tuna and drop about a pound from the pack.
- Dehydrated mixed vegetables in place of the cans make this backpackable; add another cup of boiling water.
- A spoonful of chili crisp or a shake of ginger powder gives it somewhere to go besides salty.
https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/recipe/chinese_to_go-1740.asp