Backpacking Rice Recipes

Photos above of backpacking rice recipes, clockwise from top left: Black Bean & Salsa Bark Stew, Rice with Ham & Vegetables, Beef & Broccoli with Rice, Chicken & Rice Cacciatore, Corn Bark Stew, and Easy Cheesy Rice & Beans. These are just a few of the rice recipes included in Recipes for Adventure: Healthy, Hearty, and Homemade Backpacking Recipes.

For backpacking rice recipes, precook the rice in chicken, beef or vegetable broth to give it extra flavor before drying it. If you use instant rice instead of drying your own, enclose a small chip of a bouillon cube with each meal. Cooking with dehydrated rice on the trail is fast and saves fuel.

Rice was precooked in vegetable, chicken, and beef broth, then dehydrated.

Photo above (left to right): Dried rice that had been precooked in vegetable broth, chicken broth, and beef broth.

See this page to learn about Dehydrating Rice.

Curry Chicken & Rice

Substitute dried shrimp in place of dried chicken to make Curry Shrimp & Rice.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup dried or instant rice
¼ cup dried chicken
¼ cup dried vegetables; try a mix of carrots, red & yellow bell peppers, and onions
1 Tbsp powdered milk
1 tsp curry powder
¼ tsp chili powder
1¼ cup water to rehydrate

At Home:

Cook white or brown rice in chicken broth and dehydrate; or use instant rice.

Pack powdered milk and seasonings in a small plastic bag and enclose with other ingredients in plastic bag.

Variations:

For an interesting vegetarian meal, substitute dried apples and raisins for chicken.

Or, substitute dried shrimp for dried chicken.

Backpacking Recipe: Curry Shrimp & Rice.

Photo above: Curry Shrimp & Rice ingredients.

On the Trail:

Combine all ingredients except powdered milk and seasonings with water in pot and soak for five minutes. Light stove, bring to boil, and cook for one more minute. Remove from stove, stir in powdered milk and seasonings and wait ten minutes.

Hawaiian Shrimp & Rice

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup dried or instant rice
¼ cup dried shrimp
¼ cup dried vegetables, such as bell peppers, assorted colors
2 Tbsp dried pineapple
½ tsp dried coconut
1 cup water to rehydrate

At Home:

Dehydrate white or brown rice by precooking and drying it using vegetable broth or use instant rice. See Dehydrating Rice.

Pack dried pineapple and coconut flakes in separate small plastic bags. Enclose with other ingredients in plastic bag.

Variation: Substitute dried ham for shrimp. Omit the coconut if using ham.

On the Trail:

Combine all ingredients with water in pot and soak for five minutes. Light stove, bring to boil, and cook for one more minute. Insulate pot and wait ten minutes.

There are more backpacking rice recipes in the Action Guide: Dehydrating 31 Meals. The guide also includes instructions for dehydrating quinoa, which can be substituted 1:1 for rice in any meal.

Backpacking Recipe in the Action Guide: Turkey with Broccoli & Rice.

Photo above: Backpacking recipe from the Action Guide: Turkey with Broccoli & Rice

Easy Cheesy Rice & Beans

Photo above shows a variation of this recipe: Dried ground chicken was added in place of some of the beans.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

½ cup dried or instant rice
¼ cup dried beans, any kind
¼ cup dried vegetables; try a mix of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans
1⅓ Tbsp cheddar cheese powder
1 Tbsp powdered milk
Pinch red pepper flakes
1¼ cup water to rehydrate

At Home:

Combine and pack cheese and milk powders in a small plastic bag. Enclose with other ingredients in plastic bag.

Variations:

Use any other combination of dried vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms.

Dried meat can be substituted for, or used in combination, with the beans. Black-eyed peas also work well.

On the Trail:

Combine all ingredients except cheese and milk powders with water in pot and soak five minutes. Light stove, bring to boil, and cook for one more minute. Remove from stove, stir in cheese and milk powders. Insulate pot and wait ten minutes.

Substitute Dried Quinoa for Rice 1:1

Quinoa is a healthy seed that comes in black, white, and mixed varieties. It can be precooked and dried as easily as rice. Substituting quinoa for rice in meals will increase the protein content and lend more variety to backpacking meals. Recipes for Adventure II: The Best of Trail Bytes includes a section about dehydrating quinoa, with a tasty recipe for a cold-soak Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Salsa Dressing.