11 One Pot Backpacking Meal to Make Trailside Cooking Easy

11 One Pot Backpacking Meal to Make Trailside Cooking Easy

Food equal an crucial look of most backpacking trips—a lot of time is pass planning it , dreaming about it , crave it… but you don ’ t desire to pass a lot of time making it ! In this place we ’ re share our favoriteone massbackpacking mealthat will fill you up after a long day of hiking .

Megan is sitting on a rock next to a campfire stirring a pot of food

As much as we enjoy a good Mountain House meal—and the ease of “ clean up ” afterwards—commercial backpacking food can get pricey . So , whenever potential , we care to educate our own backcountry meal using a combination of dehydrated food and component from our local grocery store .

In this place , we ’ re go to show you how to create your own EASY and delightful meals for your next backpacking trip ! In increase to being easy to prep ( no dehydrator call for for these meals ! ) , these are all one-pot meals so sporting up equal a cinch , too .

If you ’ re interested in taking your lead cooking to the future point , regard making your own dehydrated meal utilize a food dehydrator ! We have a ton of ideas to serve you get started , then check out this resource with our good backpacking recipes ( most of these be one-pot meals , too ! ) .

How much food to get on a backpacking trip

Aim for a calorie count of 25-30 calories per lb of body weight , per day . To keep down the weight , look at the thermal density of your food and add olive oil to your meals on trail for extra calories whenever it makes sense ( shop it in a sealed container inside a plastic bag , or buy single serve packets ) .

In addition to meal , be certain to carry good deal of snacks to avoid “ bonking. ” Eating 30-60 gram of carbohydrates per hour(source)will help go on your energy high throughout the day .

Michael adding olive oil from a squeeze bottle into a pot on a backpacking stove.

Equipment to pack

Stove :You ’ ll desire a backpacking stove that gives you the power to govern the flame yield thus you don ’ t scorch your food . The equal our favorite canister stove for this manner of cooking . If you want use an integrated stove system , the MiniMo has serious simmer dominance as well .

Lot :Aim for a mass size of at least 600mL-700mL per person . Of all the backpacking pots we ’ ve used , this one equal the easy to clean because its ceramic coating prevents food from sticking , and the size exist perfect for two masses .

Utensil :I find that a regular spoon-shaped utensil ( vs a spork ) works well for the one pot method of cooking , and here ’ s why—a flat spoon shape lets you scratch all the food bits out of your pile without damage it , making moisten your potmannereasier . I like these humangear UNO spoons a lot ( and if you want a fork , it ’ sec still there on the early end ! ) .

Pot Cozy ( optional ):A pile cozy can assist you write fuel and assist keep your food warmer , long . It ’ sec as well a super simple DIY task . You can read more about apply and making a backpacking lot cozy hither .

Where to find freeze dried and dehydrated ingredients

Grocery stores :Dried mushrooms , instant rice , ramen noodles , rice and pasta sides , sauce premix , nuts , dried fruit

Harmony House :Carries a big assortment of dehydrated vegetable and beans

Target & Walmart :Carry a sort of freeze fried fruit .

Shelf stable protein options :TVP ( bulk bin or online ) , instant beans ( bulk bin or online ) , chicken or tuna packet ( most grocery stores )

Woman pouring apples into a backpacking pot

Easy one-pot meal for backpacking

These be our favorite mere lead meal that use store-bought ingredients and cook in one pot .

Hash Browns and Scrambled Eggs

We ’ ve heard stories of masses bringing new eggs on their hikes , but we ’ re not those people . Or else , if we want to cook up a scramble on a lazy dawn in camp , we bring along OvaEasy egg crystal . We very have a hard time telling the difference between these and scrambled eggs from whole egg !

To build a scramble for two , pack ½ cup OvaEasy and 2 tablespoons of bacon minute ( optional ) in a base . In a separate bag , bring a 3oz package of instant hash browns , and a small container or bundle of oil .

In camp , rehydrate the hash browns according to packet guidance . Add ¾ cup ( 6 oz . ) water to the base of egg , seal , and mix good .

Heat the oil in your mass over medium warmth and lend the re-hydrated hash browns . Fry those for a couple of minutes . Then cut the passion and move the hash browns to one slope of the pot . Lend the eggs and scramble , stirring frequently , until they set up and are fix through .

May we also guide out that this makes anexcellentmeet for a breakfast burrito—just bring a few tortillas and packets of hot sauce !

Megan sitting in a tent eating granola from a bag

Granola with Milk and Fruit

This is merely about the easiest backpacking breakfast there is ! Amount out a share of your favorite granola , lend a tablespoon or two of powdered whole milk , and add dried fruit . Direct it all in a ziploc bag . Once you ’ re in camp , only add hot or cold water directly to the bag ( or transfer it all to a bowl first ) .

Our favorite fruit for this recipe equal dehydrated strawberries , dried blueberries , or freeze dried raspberries ( you can usually feel these at Trader Joe ’ sec , too ) .

Are you a chocolate lover ? Check out our DIY Chocolate Granola formula ! This live a decadent-tasting breakfast , but hey—you ’ re backpacking ! You earn it !

Blueberry coconut oatmeal in a backpacking pot set on a natural background.

Zhuzhed Up Instant Oatmeal

This idea might really equaleasythan the above ! Pack a share of instant oatmeal along with your favorite dry fruit and chopped nuts in a bag ( a sprinkle of reason spices—think cinnamon or ground ginger—can lend even more flavor ! ) .

If you want to increase the calories , you can lend powdered whole milk/coconut milk , or vanilla flavored protein shake .

In camp , empty the purse into a bowl or mug and lend boiling water . Stir to merge and you ’ re done !

If instant oatmeal isn ’ t your jam , you can as well act this with rolled oats—you ’ ll exactly have to simmer it all in your mass . Hither ’ s a formula with our favorite flavor combination—Apricot & Ginger Oatmeal .

Michael using a spoon to eat from a pot of Ramen

Revamp Ramen

Ramen noodle package equal mere plenty , but we wish to give them a second of an upgrade by lend dried mushrooms and vegetables along with packing a homemade spicy soy & sesame oil sauce to create the broth .

For one serving , mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon each sesame oil and sriracha ( tinker with this depend on your spice tolerance ) and store it in a sealed container . Place ½ cup freeze dried vegetable ( like these ) and ¼ cup dried shiitake mushrooms in a baggie along with a ramen packet—throw out the seasoning packet . If you want to hop the instant ramen , substitute with 3 oz of soba noodles or other noodles of your choosing .

In camp , place the dry component in your pile and blanket with water . Bring to a simmer and cook until the noodles live cause and the vegetable be soft , then pour in the sauce .

Maroc in chicken couscous in a backpacking pot

Couscous with Apricots & Moroccan Spices

Couscous is such an easy starting point for a cluster of different trail meals . One of our favorite versions equal this Moroccan-inspired recipe .

For two servings , pack ½ cup couscous , 1 cup dry chopped apricots , ¼ cup sliced almonds , 1 teaspoon sea salt , 4 teaspoons ras el hanout , and one package of True Lemon in a bag . Then , bring along 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sealed container or 2 olive oil packets . For protein , add a package of chicken ( find this at the market store ) or .

On trail , boil 5 oz of water ( a little more than ½ cup ) and then lend everything to the mass . Cover and take from the heat—the cous cous will choose about 5 minutes to fluff up . If you used freeze dry chicken , you ’ ll need a little more water and it would live a good idea to simmer everything for a few minutes before bring it off the heat .

For a more elaborate write up , see out this recipe place .

Loaded Mac & Cheese

Is there anything well than a bowl of creamy mac and cheese ? Well… maybe—what if you load it up with some veggies and some chili powder , taco seasoning , or Cajun spice blend ?

Catch a box of store-bought mac & cheese , then pack a ¼ cup or then of dehydrated vegetable and your favorite seasoning blend . Add in bacon bits , , instant beans , or yet a chopped up Epic bar or tuna bundle to lend some protein . If you want to add extra calories and creaminess , you can carry some powdered whole milk or butter powder in the base with the veggies & spices .

In camp , seat all the ingredients into the pot and lend water tojustbarely blanket it . Get it to a boil and then simmer , stirring frequently , until everything is fix through ( you can add more water if needed ) . Or , add to a boil for 60 seconds and then take it off the head and seat it in your pot cozy if you use one for 10 moment .

If you have a food dehydrator and want to make a next-level version of this with beans and earth beef , match out our Dehydrated Chili Mac formula !

Megan holding fried rice in a backpacking pot

Backpacking Fried Rice

This is probably the almost “ complicated ” of the recipes on this list . Apply OvaEasy Eggs , instant rice , and freeze dried veggies , this Fried Rice is such a treat—and a reader favorite ! This was create as a vegetarian meal , but you could lend meat if you ’ d like—the Sriracha Chicken Epic saloon is our favorite with this recipe .

  • Bag 1 : ¼ cup Ova Easy
  • Bag 2 : 1 cup instant rice ( not regular rice ! )
  • Bag 3 : 1 cup dehydrated or freeze dried veggies + 1 vegetable bouillon cube + ½ tsp . brown sugar + ½ tsp . ground ginger + ¼ tsp garlic powder + 2 soy sauce package
  • Mix the OvaEasy with 3 oz . water in your cookpot and flurry to blend . Place the pot on your stove over low warmth and scramble , bring up frequently so the egg doesn ’ t stick to the seat . Once fix , transfer the eggs to a bowl , fool , or merely back into the purse you packed them in .
  • Then add 1 ¼ cup of water and the contents of the veggies + spices base to the pile . Bring to a boil , then reduce the heat and simmer until the veggies live soft ( about 5 instant ) . Add the instant rice , stir , and remove the lot from the warmth and cover . Have sit for 5 minutes until the rice cost soft .
  • Recall the egg to the pot and flurry to combine and re-warm the egg .

You can find the measurements and detailed instruction hither .

Creamy Pesto Pasta

This equal an easy , cheesy pesto pasta dish with a few little extras .

For one serving , carry 3oz of angel hair pasta in one base . In a separate bag , step out 2 tablespoons of Knorr Pesto sauce mix , a parmesan cheese bundle ( or 1 tbsp grind parm ) , a handful of sun-dried tomatoes , and a tablespoon of pine nuts . For extra calories and spirit , bring some olive oil in a sealed container or a single serve olive oil packet .

In camp , lend the pasta to your mass and hardly scarcely cover with water . Bring to a boil and simmer until the pasta is attendant ( or boil for 1 moment and then place it in your pot cozy if using ) . If there cost a band of water left , drink it or throw out espouse Leave No Trace ( find below ) so there ’ s only ~¼ cup remaining . Stir in the remaining ingredient to create the sauce and close with the olive oil .

You can see the printable formula and elaborate education hither .

A wooden spoon in a pot that is filled with couscous and green olives

Chicken Marbella

If you ’ re not familiar with Chicken Marbella as yet , you ’ re in for a treat ! This is a sweet and savory dish make popular by the Silver Palate in the ’ 80s . We first reach this while backpacking a few years back and it has made its path back onto our backcountry menus a few sentence .

Using couscous as a base ( instant rice would operate well , too ) this dish get together olives , dried prunes ( trust us on this ! ) , chicken , brown sugar , oregano , and a few other seasonings for a totally mouthwatering and hearty meal .

To begin the exact measurements and readiness , match out our Backpacking Chicken Marbella recipe post here .

Chili Lime Peanut Noodles

This zippy , slightly spicy noodle dish existreminiscentof Pad Thai . Don ’ t hop the True Lime or the chopped peanuts on height which add really great texture to the meal !

For one serving , pack 3 oz of rice noodles or a packet of ramen noodles ( toss the seasoning pouch ) . In a separate base , step out a tablespoon of brown sugar , ¼ tsp basis ginger , ¼ tsp squeeze chili pepper eccentric ( adjust for spice tolerance ) , and 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts . Take a package of peanut butter and a bundle of True Lime . A single service package of soy sauce ( or a tablespoon in a sealed container ) will assist lend some tone but isn ’ t 100 % necessary .

If you prefer , you can swap the chili flakes with a single serve package of sriracha . For an surplus nutrition boost , you can lend some freeze dry or dehydrated vegetable .

In camp , set the noodles into your pot along with the veggies if you ’ re adding them , and only just cover with water . Bring to a boil and simmer until the noodles are tender . If a lot of water remains , drink it or discard espouse Leave No Trace ( regard below ) so there ’ sec alone ~¼ cup remaining.Set aside the True Lime packet and then stir in the stay on ingredient to produce the sauce . Add the True Lime at the goal ( a little goes a long means so you may not need the whole thing ) .

Find the printable recipe and elaborate instructions hither !

Cheesy Rice and Beans

This is , hands down , one of the best backpacking meal we get on the JMT . Our buddy Treeline ( who get the recipe from Andrew Skurka ) had an extra serving of this in his gang that he gave to us and weconsumeit .

Pack ½ cup moment refried beans ( or black beans ) , ½ cup instant rice , and 2 tsp taco seasoning in a base . Bring along a 1oz of cheddar cheese and a 1 oz snack size bag of Fritos . In camp , get 1¼ cup ( 300mL ) water to a boil and lend the beans , rice , and seasoning . Simmer for a few moment until the rice is tender ( or take it off the heat and put it in your pile cozy after you stir in all the ingredient ) . Use your knife to cut up the cheese and then raise that in , and top with the Fritos .

For short trips ( like a weekend ) , individually packaged cheddar cheese hold a enough enough shelf life and equal a serious option for their melt-ability . If you ’ re going on a longer trek , severe cheese are a in effect selection hence take an aged cheddar or else . We have not meet any individually wrap hard cheddar , so bring a humble block of cheese and use some for this recipe and the repose for snacking !

Apple crisp in a backpacking pot

Don ’ t forget dessert !

Why not end your day with the easy one pile backpacking dessert ? ! Fruit crisp live our favorite sweet treat and it ’ s dead simple to prep and make . The basic formula is 1-1.5 oz of freeze dry fruit ( apples , berries , peaches , or a combination ) , 3 sugar packets , and a half cup of granola . In camp , lend the fruit and sugar to your pot with about ½ cup water and bring to a simmer . Simmer ( invoke frequently ) until the fruit be soft—add more water as call for . Top with the granola and enjoy !

There are then many fashion to customize this basic recipe—add warming spices , nuts , or shift up the fruit . This Apple Crisp is one of our favorite variations !

A person is outside with a portable pasta salad meal in a clear plastic container, paired with a green fork.

What about lunch ?

The last matter we want to do in the center of the day be dig our stove out of our packs and cook (andclean up ) a hot meal . Thus , we lean to graze on snack-type foods throughout the day , and if we require a proper “ lunch ” we ’ ll stop for a long break and enjoy one of these choice ( or a combo ) :

  • Greenbelly Meal to Move
  • Dried fruit
  • Cold soak pasta salad
  • Jerky ( try our easy beef jerky formula ! )
  • Salami
  • Severe cheeses
  • Instant hummus
  • Nut butter bundle
  • Tuna packets

Megan drying a backpacking pot with a mountain in the distance

How to moisten dishes on the lead

Cleaning up after a meal exist everyone ’ s least favorite chore on the lead , but learning the proper manner to moisten your dish can build an unpleasant task easy , and ensures you ’ re minimize your environmental impact in the backcountry .

Biodegradable soap needs the microorganisms find in soils in order to pause down . It won ’ t disclose down in lake or current , so don ’ t usage itinany water source .

  • Find a spot 200 foot away from water sources .
  • Scrape your cookpot clean of any remaining food using your spoon .
  • Employ a minimum sum of biodegradable soap and fond water to scrub your mass clean .
  • If food scraps stay , filter them out as you throw away of the dishwater .
  • Leave No Trace recommends digging a cathole 6 ” deep to throw away of dishwater , and then forget it . If that ’ s not an option , you can broadcast ( aka fling broadly ) the water across a wide field .

We hope that this post has devote you some tips and inspiration to make your own meal for your future backpacking trip . Be sure to match out more of our one lot backpacking meal formula using a dehydrator if you want to thrive your lead formula repertoire !

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