Skillet Shredded Chicken for Camp
Brown it, steam it, shred it. The base for half the dinners in a cooler-camp weekend.
- calories
- 320
- weight
- 6.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 49
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 16 min
- total time
- 21 min
- water
- 180 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
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Boneless skinless chicken thighs | 1.5 lb | thighs forgive an uneven flame better than breasts |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Kosher salt | 1 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/2 tsp | |
| Water | 3/4 cup |
Method
- Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken while the skillet heats over a medium-high flame.
- Swirl in the oil and lay the pieces down flat with space between them. Crowding steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Leave it alone for 7 minutes. Moving it early costs you the crust.
- Flip, pour in the water, drop the heat to low, and cover. On a fire, slide the pan to the edge of the coals instead.
- Cook 7 to 8 more minutes, until the thickest piece is opaque all the way through with no pink at the center.
- Pull the pan off the heat and rest the meat 3 minutes. Shred it in the pan with two forks and stir it back through the pan liquid.
This is a base, not a meal. Two things make it work in camp: the hard sear on the first side builds flavor that no seasoning packet can fake, and the splash of water under a lid turns the pan into a steam oven so the inside finishes before the outside goes to leather.
The pan liquid is the payoff. Shred straight into it and the meat reabsorbs what it lost, which matters when you are reheating it over a stove the next day. Thighs are the safer choice over a campfire because their fat buys you a few minutes of slack on the timing. This needs a cooler and real cookware, so it belongs at a car camp or basecamp, not in a pack.
Packing
Freeze the seasoned raw chicken flat in a zip bag at home. It thaws over the first day and doubles as a cooler ice block until you cook it.
Variations
- Stir in a foil packet of taco seasoning with the water for tacos or burritos.
- Cook it the first night and hold the leftovers cold for a second-day rice bowl or wrap.
https://www.pinchmeimeating.com/how-to-make-shredded-chicken-for-recipes-in-30-minutes-or-less