There are many ways to go about cooking meals on the trail that are easy and simple. One of these ways is by purchasing practical ingredients and mixing them all together in a bag before you go, and the other is making a dish, drying it out, and storing it until you go. There are experienced backpackers who have found ways to make easy backpacking recipes and just add once on the trail. This will save time, space, and cravings that backpackers often get after days of eating boring foods:

Try these Easy Backpacking Recipes and Just Add Water!

1. Spicy Fried Rice with Thai Basil

If you’ve ever had this dish at a Thai restaurant or even on a trip to Thailand, you know that it’s good. Not only is it full of delicious flavors, but it contains rather healthy ingredients. Follow this recipe so you can enjoy it instantly on the trail.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Instant Rice
• 2 Tbsp of Dehydrated Onions
• ½ Cup of Dried Mixed Hot Vegetables
• One Package of Kikkoman Fried Rice Mix
• A Pinch of Dried Thai Basil
• 2-4 Tsp of Olive Oil (Try Single Packets)
• Optional: Dehydrated Bell Peppers, ¼ Cup of Bacon Bits, ¼ Cup of Dried Mushrooms, ¼ Cup of Freeze-Dried Eggs.

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients except the olive oil in a Ziploc bag, and store them until your trip. When it comes time to eat, add half a liter of boiling water to the bag, stir, and cover. Wait 5 minutes, add the olive oil, and enjoy!

2. Cajun Red Beans and Rice

Anytime you hear the word “Cajun,” you know it’s going to be good. Adding a little spice to your meals while on the trail can certainly liven things up a little. Beans are a great source of protein and rice is easy to add to anything. Combine them all together, and you have this easy and awesome recipe.

Ingredients:

• ½ Cup of Dried, Pre-Cooked Rice
• ½ Cup of Dried Red Beans
• ¼ Cup of Dried Ham
• 1-2 Pinches of Cajun Seasoning

Preparation:

If the ingredients aren’t already dried, you’ll need to dehydrate them separately. Once they are dried, mix them in a Ziploc bag. When you’re ready to eat, mix in about 1 ½ cups of water, and let rehydrate for about 15 minutes. Then, bring the water to a boil and heat until it’s ready!

Chicken and Veggie Couscous

Couscous, like rice, is an important and easy meal to bring on the trail. Many different ingredients can be added to it to create various meals. Two ingredients you can add are chicken which will give you a lot of protein, and vegetables, which add some flavor. All three ingredients together will make this amazing meal:

Ingredients:

• ⅓ Cup of Whole Wheat Couscous
• ⅓ Cup of Freeze Dried Chicken Pieces
• ½ Cup of Freeze Dried Mixed Veggies
• 1 Tbsp of Dried Onion Flakes
• 1 ½ Tsp of Powdered Chicken Flavor Base
• ¼ Tsp Each of Dried Thyme, Dried Sage, and Dried Parsley
• ¼ Tsp of Garlic Powder
• A Few Pinches of Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

Store ingredients to these backpacking recipes in a quart sized Ziploc bag. When on the trail, bring 1-1 ½ cups of water to a boil. When it’s ready, add the water to the bag of ingredients for about 9 minutes. At that point, turn slowly to evenly distribute the ingredients. Eat from the bag or pour into a bowl.

Loaded Potatoes

So, this one may not be as fancy as the others, but it’s definitely just as delicious! Instant mashed potatoes are an awesome go-to when backpacking, but they can be mixed with other ingredients to add even more flavor. If you don’t feel like cooking, many supermarkets already sell these backpacking recipes ready to go.

Ingredients:

• 1 Packet of Instant Mashed Potatoes
• 1 Small Packet of Dried Gravy Mix
• A Tbsp of Bacon Bits
• A Tbsp of Dried Chives
• Optional: Add Cheddar Cheese or Some Powdered Milk

Preparation:

Mix the mashed potatoes and the dried gravy mix in one bag. In another, mix the bacon bits and chives. When you get to the campsite, just add water to the potatoes and gravy according to the directions. Some might choose to add some powdered milk as well. Make sure it’s not too liquidy. Add the second bag and some cheese if you’d like. Enjoy!

Creamy Alfredo Noodles with Mushroom

There’s nothing like having a home-style pasta meal to add to your backpacking trip, and one that you just need to add water to in order to eat! This recipe can be made with chicken if you’d like to add it, but the mushrooms and sauce surely add enough taste already.

• 1 Cup of Fast-Cooking Noodles, Broken Up
• ¼ Cup of Toasted Pine Nuts
• ¼ Cup of Freeze Dried Chopped Mushrooms
• 1 ½  Tsp of Powdered Chicken Flavor Base
• 3 Tbsp of Dried Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Tbsp of Powdered Milk
• 2 Tsp of Cornstarch
• 3/4 Tsp of Dried Italian Herb Blend
• ¼ Tsp of Garlic Powder
• A Few Pinches of Salt and Pepper
• Optional: ¼ Cup of Freeze Dried Chopped Chicken

Preparation:

Store ingredients in a quart sized Ziploc bag. When on the trail, bring 1-1 ½ cups of water to a boil. When it’s ready, add it to the bag of ingredients for about 10 minutes. Then, turn upside down to spread around the ingredients. You can eat straight from the bag!

There are so many easy and delicious backpacking recipes that you need to just add water to out there. Explore the options to make your dining experience on the trail even better!