Shawarma Chicken and Couscous
Freeze-dried chicken, a heavy shawarma spice mix, and couscous that cooks off the heat.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 42 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 15 min
- water
- 450 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
- Backpacking
- Thru-hike
- Basecamp
- Bikepacking
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried or canned chicken breast | 3 oz dry | pouched chicken works, it just weighs more |
|---|---|---|
| Couscous | 3/4 cup | instant, not pearl |
| Ground cumin | 1 tsp | |
| Paprika | 1 tsp | |
| Ground turmeric | 1/2 tsp | |
| Granulated garlic | 1 tsp | |
| Ground cinnamon | 1/4 tsp | |
| Ground clove | a pinch | a pinch is the whole dose, more turns it medicinal |
| Cayenne | 1/4 tsp | or red pepper flakes |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Citric acid or lemon powder | 1/2 tsp | stands in for the lemon juice |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp |
Method
- Boil 450 ml of water. Dump in the chicken and the spice bag and let it sit at a low boil for five minutes so the meat rehydrates and the spices bloom.
- Kill the heat. Stir in the couscous, put the lid on, and wait five minutes. Do not relight the stove.
- Fluff it with the spoon. Pour the oil over and stir it through.
- Taste before adding more salt. The spice bag already has some.
The original is a slow cooker recipe, which is not a trail appliance. The spices are the part worth keeping: cumin, paprika, turmeric, garlic, cinnamon, clove, cayenne. They survive a spice bag indefinitely and taste like something other than salt, which is most of what a dinner bag needs.
Two swaps make it work in one pot. Freeze-dried chicken replaces raw breast, so the boil is about rehydrating rather than cooking meat safely. Citric acid replaces lemon juice, which is water and glass you would otherwise carry. Couscous goes in off the heat because it only needs to sit in hot water, and that saves fuel at the end of a long day.
Packing
Spices, salt, and citric acid go in one small bag mixed at home. Couscous in another. Chicken in its own bag or pouch. Oil rides in a dropper bottle.
Variations
- A crushed handful of pita or a tortilla on the side turns it into a wrap.
- Dried onion flakes rehydrated with the chicken add bulk for almost no weight.
- Swap couscous for instant rice if you want gluten-free, and add three minutes of simmer.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/slow-cooker-chicken-shawarma