Fried Spam and Rice Skillet
A can of Spam, a pouch of rice, and one hot pan. Salt and fat where you need them.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 80
- protein
- 26 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Winter / snow
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Spam | 1 can (12 oz) | any variety, diced at home if you want to skip knife work |
|---|---|---|
| Precooked rice pouch | 1 pouch (8.8 oz) | the shelf-stable microwave kind works cold out of the bag |
| Mayonnaise packets | 2 packets | the single-serve kind keeps without a cooler |
| Soy sauce packets | 2 packets | use tamari if you need it gluten-free |
| Dried onion flakes | 1 tbsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/2 tsp |
Method
- Cut the Spam into cubes about half an inch on a side. The block slides out of the can in one piece; slice it on the lid if you have no board.
- Put a dry skillet over the fire or stove. Spam brings its own fat, so no oil is needed.
- Fry the cubes without stirring for three or four minutes, then turn them. Keep going until most sides are browned and crisp at the edges.
- Scatter in the onion flakes and pepper and let them toast for thirty seconds in the rendered fat.
- Break up the rice with your hands as you add it to the pan. Stir it through the fat and press it flat so the bottom crisps.
- Squeeze in the soy sauce, stir once, and pull it off the heat. Stir the mayo in last, off the flame, so it stays creamy instead of splitting.
Spam earns its place by being fat and salt in a shape that survives a hot van and a wet week. It cures itself and needs no cooler, and the rendered fat is what fries the rice, so the whole dinner runs on one pan and no added oil. That fat matters on a cold day; rice alone runs through you fast.
The mayo goes in off the heat on purpose. In a hot pan it separates into oil and water and the rice turns greasy, but stirred into the residual warmth it coats every grain. Single-serve packets keep at ambient temperature, which is the only reason mayo belongs on this list at all. If you need the recipe gluten-free, swap the soy packets for tamari, since standard soy sauce is brewed with wheat.
Packing
The can and rice pouch need no protection and no cooler. Keep the mayo and soy packets in a small ziplock so a burst one does not coat the pack. Dicing the Spam at home into a leakproof container saves five minutes and a greasy knife.
Variations
- A packet of dried egg or a real egg cracked into the pan turns it into breakfast.
- Hot sauce packets or a spoon of gochujang from a tube cut the salt.
- Swap the rice for instant potato flakes and hot water if you are carrying weight instead of driving in.
https://www.10toestravel.com/camping-spam-recipes