Santa Fe Chicken and Rice
Freeze-dried chicken, black beans, and salsa powder rebuilt as a one-pot camp dinner.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 42 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 min
- water
- 600 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
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Car camping
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried shredded chicken | 2 oz | stands in for the slow-cooked thighs |
|---|---|---|
| Instant rice | 3/4 cup | the parboiled kind that rehydrates in five minutes |
| Dehydrated black beans | 1/3 cup | instant refried also works and thickens faster |
| Freeze-dried corn | 1/4 cup | |
| Salsa powder or dried tomato powder | 3 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Onion powder | 1 tsp | |
| Cumin | 1 tsp | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | carried in a dropper bottle |
| Guacamole powder | 2 tbsp | mixed cold in a separate cup |
Method
- Boil 600 ml of water. Stir in the chicken, beans, corn, and salsa powder first and let them sit two minutes off the flame. They need the head start.
- Return to a boil, add the rice and spices, stir once, and cut the heat.
- Cover the pot and let it stand ten minutes. Wrap it in a jacket if it is cold out.
- Stir in the oil, then salt and pepper. If it is soupy, another minute with the lid on fixes it.
- Mix the guacamole powder with a few tablespoons of cold water in your cup and spoon it over the top.
The original is a crock pot dump meal: raw chicken thighs, canned beans, canned corn, and a jar of salsa, cooked slow and shredded. None of that travels. Freeze-dried chicken carries the same protein at a fraction of the weight, dehydrated beans skip the can, and salsa powder replaces sixteen ounces of mostly water. The spice ratio stays as written because that is where the flavor actually lives.
Order matters more than technique here. Beans and freeze-dried chicken rehydrate slowly, so they get water before the rice does; put the rice in first and you end up with mush wrapped around hard beans. The sour cream and shredded cheddar are gone since neither survives a pack, and guacamole powder mixed cold does the job of both — fat and something bright against all that cumin.
Packing
Everything dry except the guacamole powder goes in one quart freezer bag. Guacamole powder rides in its own small bag so it stays cold and separate. Oil in a leakproof dropper bottle inside a second bag.
Variations
- A packet of chipotle powder or taco seasoning pushes the heat up without adding weight.
- Swap half the instant rice for dried cauliflower rice if you want the bulk without the carbs.
- Powdered cheddar stirred in at the end adds fat, but drop the dairy-free claim if you do.
https://mealswithmaria.site/santa-fe-chicken-recipe