Backpacking Burritos
Cheesy, spicy and just a big ol’ bite of comfort food in the mountains.
Claudio and I’s go-to for a quick meal out of the house is 99% of the time burritos (shout out to Mucho Burrito for saving us from hanger multiple times). I think it was probably mid-bite one of those times when it hit us and we looked at each other and said “why can’t we have this kind of food in the mountains??” And so this recipe was born. I mean it’s actually pretty simple, you just take a burrito recipe you would make at home and throw it in the dehydrator. The beans, corn, ground meat and rice dehydrate and rehydrate really well together.
Instructions
Cook your rice according to package instructions. Make your burrito mix by cooking your onions, garlic, meat together and then adding your tomato paste, spices, tomatoes, beans, and corn. You can also add in the cooked rice now or leave it separate until you are assembling your burritos to eat. Mixing it altogether now just makes it a little easier when you are rehydrating later in the backcountry. Less pots needed. Once everything is all cooked together, place on dehydrator trays. You can use parchment paper if you don’t have inserts for wet ingredients. Do not overfill trays as this will increase dehydration time and cause uneven drying.
Dehydrate at 155F for 8-10 hours, breaking up any large chunks for even drying.
I will admit, dehydrated food does not have the most appetizing appearance. Good thing it still tastes good once it’s ready to eat!
Rehydrating
Add 1:1 boiling water to dehydrated mixture, give a stir, and cover. You can also cook it on your camp stove to help rehydrate a little faster. Rehydrate until all water is absorbed and your rice and corn is no longer crunchy.
Get as fancy as you want with your toppings. Bring cheese, salsa, guac, fresh herbs or tomatoes, whatever your little tummy desires! If you’re packing your food in and want to save weight, the burrito mixture is totally delicious on it’s own (however, we did pack in a little cheese on our backpacking trip - figured it was worth it, which it was).
The tin foil isn’t a necessity if you want to save space, weight (although it barely weighs anything) or just want to decrease your waste. You can skip this step and just enjoy your burrito without warming it in the campfire. If you’re car camping and have access to a fire grate or a cast iron pan, you could place the wrapped burrito in the pan over the fire for a couple minutes to brown the edges a bit (also to help melt the cheese - YUM).
Also, if you’re not a fan of the tortilla part, just skip it! Make it into a burrito bowl with a little extra rice and all your favourite toppings!
Like so many recipes, burritos can be so different depending on your taste preferences. So if you make something different, please let me know! Always looking for improvements and feedback!
Enjoy friends!
More Backpacking Recipes
Backpacking Burritos
Ingredients
- 500g lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 packet taco seasoning OR 1/2 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 cayenne powder, salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 large or 2-3 small tomatoes, diced
- 1 can black beans, kidney beans, or mixed beans, drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cup rice, uncooked
- 1 canned corn, drained
- 6-8 large burrito wraps
- tin foil
- cheddar cheese, grated or sliced
- tomatoes, diced
- red onion, diced
- avocado, sliced
- salsa
- sour cream
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
- In a large sauce pan, sauté onions, garlic, and beef on medium heat until browned. Drain excess fat. Add taco seasoning and cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste and diced tomatoes and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add beans, corn, and rice to the beef mixture. Stir until heated through. Remove from heat.
- Dehydration: Spread burrito mixture evenly on dehydrator trays (use parchment paper if you do not have inserts for wet ingredients).
- Dehydrate for 8-10 hours at 155F, breaking up and moving around any large chunks with a spoon for even drying. Store in airtight container. Portion into separate containers if desired**
- Rehydration: Place burrito mixture into insulated bag or pot and add 1:1 cups boiling water (e.g 3 cups mix + 3 cups water). Let stand for 20-30mins to rehydrate OR cook over camp stove for 10-15 mins until all water is reabsorbed. Assemble burrito with desired toppings, wrap in tin foil and warm over campfire for a few minutes. Or enjoy right away!
Notes
you can also leave the rice separate and add in when assembling the burrito. Rehydrate rice with 1:1 water ratio
**3 cups dehydrated mix = approx. 3 large burritos or 4 medium burritos
If you're not a tortilla fan, leave out the wrap and make it a burrito bowl!
