Gluten-Free Jerky and Rice Pot
Instant rice, beef jerky, and dried vegetables. A gluten-free dinner that keeps for a year in a pack.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 40 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 8 min
- total time
- 13 min
- water
- 400 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
- Liquid fuel
- Backpacking
- Bikepacking
- Thru-hike
- Winter / snow
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant white rice | 3/4 cup | the parcooked kind that rehydrates in five minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Beef jerky | 2 oz | check the label for soy sauce or malt; buy one marked gluten-free |
| Dried mixed vegetables | 1/4 cup | peas, carrot, bell pepper |
| Gluten-free bouillon | 1 cube or 1 tsp powder | |
| Olive oil | 1 1/2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Smoked paprika and black pepper | 1/2 tsp |
Method
- Cut or tear the jerky into pieces no bigger than a thumbnail before you leave home. Whole strips stay leathery no matter how long they sit.
- At camp, bring 400 ml of water to a boil with the bouillon and the dried vegetables. Hold the boil two minutes so the vegetables get a head start.
- Add the rice and the jerky, stir once, and take it off the heat.
- Lid on, ten minutes. Wrap the pot in a jacket if it is cold out.
- Stir in the oil and the spices. If it is still soupy, lid it another few minutes; if it is dry, add a splash of hot water.
This started as a question about gluten-free MREs, which mostly do not exist in a form worth carrying. The workaround is to build the meal yourself, because every component here is independently gluten-free and none of them need refrigeration.
The jerky does double duty: protein and salt. It rehydrates into something closer to stew meat if you cut it small at home, which is the one step you cannot do well in the dark. Oil at the end is where the calories live, and it goes in off the heat so it does not just coat the pot.
Watch the jerky label. Teriyaki and most soy-glazed styles carry wheat, and bouillon cubes are another common place gluten hides. Both are easy to buy around, but you have to actually check.
Packing
Rice, vegetables, bouillon, and spices go in one bag. Jerky in its own bag so the salt does not pull moisture out of the rice.
Variations
- Swap the jerky for a foil pouch of chicken or salmon added at the end.
- A packet of gluten-free hot sauce or a squeeze of lime powder cuts the salt.
- Freeze-dried refried beans in place of half the rice make it thicker and cheaper.
https://theprepared.com/forum/thread/anyone-know-of-any-gluten-free-mres