DIY Dehydrated Backpacking Recipe: Mexican Couscous

Dehydrating your own backpacking meals is a great way to save money and eat healthy. This hearty, lightweight trail meal has bold flavour, is packed with protein, and easy to prepare. Perfect for long-distance hikes or quick overnight adventures, this savoury dish is satisfying, shelf-stable, and incredibly easy to prep. Serves two.

IMPORTANT: when dehydrating your own backpacking meals, you must ensure ALL moisture is removed from the ingredients before packaging and storing. Improper preparation can harm you. Never consume a DIY meal if you think it has spoiled in any way.

Ingredients:

1 cup couscous

1 can (approx. 75g) shredded canned chicken, dehydrated

1 tomato, chopped into small pieces and dehydrated

1 can kidney beans (drained), dehydrated

Chives, to taste (fresh or freeze-dried, then dehydrated)

½ cube chicken or vegetable bouillon or ½ tsp of bouillon powder

2 tsp chili powder

Garlic powder, to taste

Salt, to taste

Dehydration Instructions:

Chicken: Shred as finely as possible before dehydrating to speed up drying and ensure even rehydration. Canned chicken rehydrates better than cooked chicken, though you can also substitute ground chicken. Chicken should be brittle when done.

Tomato: Chop into small pieces to reduce drying time. Tomato should be brittle when done.

Kidney Beans: Always use canned beans. Rinse well and spread them evenly on your dehydrator tray. Beans will usually split open when fully dehydrated.

Chives: Finely chop and spread evenly on your dehydrator tray. Will be crunchy when done and will dehydrate faster than the other ingredients.

Dehydrate all wet ingredients at 135°F (57°C) until completely dry, usually 6–10 hours but may vary depending on your dehydrator and the humidity. Everything should be brittle with no moisture when finished.

Packing:

Once everything is dry, mix all the ingredients in a ziplock bag or vacuum seal for extra longevity. Store in a cool, dry place. This meal will last up to 6 months when properly dehydrated and sealed.

How to Prepare:

Empty the meal into your pot and add as much water as the dry ingredients.

Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer one minute. Add more water if necessary but not so much that it turns to soup.

Turn off stove and cover, leaving the meal to rehydrate. The couscous will cook within a minute or two and the chicken will take longer, depending on how finely shredded. If using a bouillon cube, make sure it is broken up and evenly distributed throughout the meal before eating.

Stir and enjoy!