Backpacking Dinner Ideas: 15 Easy One-Pot Trail Meals

Backpacking dinner ideas need to be quick, filling and cookable with a single pot of boiling water, ideally landing around 700 to 1,000 kcal and 30 g or more of protein after a long day. The 15 one-pot meals below use supermarket staples like instant rice, couscous, ramen, instant mash and quick-cook pasta, boosted with pouches of tuna or chicken, cheese, olive oil and dried vegetables. Each includes approximate calories, protein and water.

Dinner is the one meal most backpackers sit down for, so it's worth making it something to look forward to. These recipes are designed to be packed in a zip bag at home, cooked in one pot (or rehydrated in the bag with a cozy) and cleaned up quickly.

Backpacking dinner comparison

Values are rough estimates from USDA FoodData Central and typical labels. Your brands will vary; check your own with the calorie density checker.

Just-add-water dinners

1. Cheesy mash with tuna

• 80 g instant mashed potato flakes
• 25 g whole milk powder
• 30 g cheese powder or hard cheese, grated
• 1 tuna pouch (about 74–85 g)
• 1 olive oil packet (15 ml)
• Garlic powder, pepper, dried chives

Stir the dry mix into about 350 ml just-boiled water, then fold in the tuna and oil. One of the most calorie-dense dinners for the effort.

2. Pesto couscous with chicken

• 90 g couscous
• 1 chicken pouch (about 70–85 g)
• 20 g sun-dried tomatoes
• 30 g grated parmesan
• 1 pesto or olive oil packet, pine nuts

Add 300 ml boiling water, cover for five minutes, then mix in everything else.

3. Burrito bowl

Instant rice, dehydrated refried bean flakes, dried peppers and onion, taco seasoning and cheese, wrapped in a tortilla with hot sauce. Add a chicken pouch for more protein.

4. Thai curry rice

Instant rice, coconut milk powder, Thai curry paste (a small sachet or tube), dried vegetables and a chicken or tofu option. Finish with a squeeze of lime powder.

5. Stuffing with chicken and cranberries

Boxed stuffing mix, a chicken pouch, dried cranberries and butter powder or olive oil. A thru-hiker favourite and very quick.

One-pot simmer dinners

6. Peanut ramen with chicken

Simmer two ramen bricks (discard half the flavour sachet if you're watching salt), add 2 tablespoons peanut butter powder or one nut butter packet, soy sauce, chilli flakes, dried vegetables and a chicken pouch.

7. Chilli mac

Quick-cook macaroni, dried chilli mix (home-dehydrated or TVP with chilli spices and tomato powder), and cheese. Simmer five minutes. See dehydrating food for backpacking to make your own chilli base.

8. Coconut red lentil dal

Red lentil flakes or quick-cooking red lentils, coconut milk powder, curry powder, dried onion and instant rice or couscous. Red lentils break down quickly, so this works in five minutes.

9. Salmon pesto pasta

Thin, quick-cook pasta (angel hair or small shapes), a salmon pouch, pesto or olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan. Cook pasta with just enough water so you don't need to drain it.

10. Beef stroganoff

Egg noodles, freeze-dried beef or dried mince, dried mushrooms, stock powder, milk powder and a pinch of paprika. Stir in sour cream powder if you can find it.

No-cook and cold-soak dinners

11. Tortilla wraps with summer sausage and cheese

Large tortillas, sliced summer sausage, hard cheese, mustard packets. No stove, very calorie-dense.

12. Cold-soak couscous salad

Couscous, dried vegetables, a chicken or tuna pouch and an olive oil and lemon dressing, soaked in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes. See no-cook backpacking meals.

13. Cold-soak ramen

Ramen breaks down in cold water in about 30 to 45 minutes. Add peanut sauce and a protein pouch.

Commercial and hybrid options

14. Freeze-dried pouch plus booster

A commercial freeze-dried meal plus a tuna pouch, extra cheese or olive oil to bring it up to a real dinner for a hungry hiker. See freeze-dried vs dehydrated meals.

15. Instant noodles plus egg powder

Egg powder (or freeze-dried egg) stirred into hot ramen at the end, like egg-drop soup, with soy sauce and dried spring onion.

Building your own backpacking dinner

How much dinner do you need?

Dinner often takes the biggest share of daily calories, 30 to 40% for many hikers. On a 3,500 kcal day, that's roughly 1,000 to 1,400 kcal. Many people find it hard to eat that much in one sitting, so a hot drink with milk powder or a dessert (instant cheesecake, hot chocolate with protein powder) helps. Estimate your needs with the hiking calorie estimator and plan full days with the trail meal planner.

Cooking at camp: a quick routine

1. Pick your kitchen spot at least 60 m (about 200 ft) from water and, in bear country, well away from your tent, as many land agencies advise.
2. Measure water using the marks on your pot, or a marked bottle.
3. Boil, then turn the stove off before adding just-add-water meals.
4. Stir well, cover and place in a cozy for the time on your label.
5. Add fat and toppings after rehydrating.
6. Eat, then wipe the pot with a bit of water and drink the rinse, or pack out food scraps.

Packing tips

• One bag per dinner. Label with name, water amount and any extras to add.
• Pre-mix spices in each bag so you don't carry jars.
• Carry fat separately (olive oil in a small leak-proof bottle or packets).
• Bring a long spoon for eating from bags or pouches.
• Use a cozy to save fuel and keep food hot.
• Pack out everything, including food scraps. Follow Leave No Trace principles and local food-storage rules in bear country.

A three-night dinner plan

For the full plan with breakfasts, lunches and snacks, see the 3-day backpacking meal plan. For breakfast, see backpacking breakfast ideas.

Sources: nutrition values are approximate, from USDA FoodData Central and typical product labels. Food storage and cooking practices follow Leave No Trace and the US National Park Service food storage guidance.