Backpacker’s Chicken Marbella
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Sweet and savory and oh so delicious, we developed a one-pot version of Chicken Marbella to take on your next backpacking trip. Lightweight, loaded with calories, and bursting with flavor, this is hands down one of the best meals we’ve ever enjoyed in the backcountry.
Chicken Marbella (the olive and prune baked chicken dish) was first published in The Silver Palate Cookbook in 1982 and has been wildly popular ever since then. It’s a classic summertime dish in the van Vliet household, making about a dozen appearances from Memorial Day to Labor Day. If there’s a picnic or BBQ or pool party, there’s a good chance this will be served.
These days, food bloggers have filled the internet with their own, slightly altered, version of the much-beloved recipe. However, after doing a thorough Google search, we’ve concluded that this is the first ever version of the recipe to be developed specifically for backpacking. #First!
In order to streamline this meal for backcountry camping, we had to seriously rework the recipe. We wanted to keep that mouth-melting sweet and savory flavor of the original, but we were going to have to make some pretty substantial alterations.
The original recipe calls for chicken thighs to be marinated in a refrigerator overnight with white wine, olives, capers, prunes, and a bunch of amazing ingredients. Then, the chicken is supposed to be patted with brown sugar and baked in an oven for an hour. Pretty much none of that is compatible with backpacking. It requires equipment you don’t have, ingredients that need to be refrigerated, and an incredible amount of time. So we developed our version to be super-simplified and hyper-condensed.
We start with a pouch of chunked chicken breast, which is available in most major grocery stores. The pouch is superior to canned chicken because it can be compressed after use and takes up less space in your pack. Obviously, this isn’t an ideal cut of chicken, but if you want shelf-stable, non-freeze dried chicken in the backcountry, this is really your only option.
As a totally optional step, we heat up a little oil in our pot and dump in the chicken. Depending on your stove and pot set up, the line between scorched and slightly browned is razor thin. We suggest that you err on the side of caution. The chicken is pre-cooked, so any amount of browning you get is just an added bonus.
Once the chicken is brown(ish), add water and a broth packet for extra flavor, bring that up to a boil, pour in the couscous, sliced dried prunes, spices, cover, and remove from the heat.
Now here’s the hardest part. The pot is going to start smelling absolutely delicious. Especially, if you’re at the end of long day of hiking, the smell can be intoxicating. But you’ve got to let it sit for at least 5 minutes so the couscous can cook, and then add in the olives and vinegar packets. Once that time has elapsed, you’re “supposed to” fluff the couscous with a fork, but that process is usually accomplished by us wildly digging in.
Unlike other backpacking meals, this recipe doesn’t use any dehydrated ingredients. It also is comprised entirely from whole foods. And with the exception of the chicken pouch and broth, everything is pretty minimally processed. Despite all of that, it’s still incredibly calorie dense and lightweight, while delivering huge amounts of flavor.
If you’re looking to impress your hiking partner or going on a backpacking first date (probably a terrible idea), then this is the meal that will sweep them off their feet…
Notes on Sourcing Ingredients
Olive oil: You can pick up individual packets of olive oil from sites like Amazon and Minimus.biz, or you can use small refillable bottles like these to fill up before your trip.
Vinegar packets: Likewise, vinegar packets can be picked up online or packed in refillable bottles.
Broth packets: These are easily found at Trader’s Joes and other grocery stores. They’re usually sold in a cardboard box in sets of 10 or 12.
Olives: There are a few options for pre-packaged olives. We used Mediterranean Organic. We’ve also recently seeing packaged olives at Trader Joe’s. Other brands you could use include Oloves (these chili ones could be fun if you like some heat!) or Crespo. Just make sure you’re picking up the pitted variety.
Ingredients
- ½ cup couscous
- ½ cup dried prunes, chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 broth packet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or 1 olive oil packet
- 1 (7 oz) pouch chicken
- 1 (2.5 oz) pouch pitted green olives
- 2 vinegar packets, optional
Instructions
- BEFORE YOUR TRIP: place the couscous, chopped prunes, oregano, sugar, salt, and garlic powder in a small ziplock bag. Pack along the other packaged ingredients: chicken, olives, olive oil, broth packet, and vinegar packets. (Smaller items like olive oil, broth, and vinegar can be stored inside the baggie with the couscous mix.)
- AT CAMP: Bring 1/2 cup (4 oz.) water to a boil. Add the broth packet, olive oil, couscous mixture, and chicken to the pot, give it a big stir to combine, take it off the heat, and cover. Allow it to stand 5 minutes to allow the couscous to absorb all the liquid. Once the couscous has fluffed up, add the vinegar (if using) and the olives and stir again to combine. Dig in!
Prunes?? When do you add the 1/2 cup prunes to the ingredients. Doesn’t say in the recipe.
Prunes are added to the bag with the couscous pre-trip. Thanks for the catch – recipe has been updated!!
They are packaged in the couscous mixture, error the directions.
Any suggestions for an alternative to couscous (which I loathe)?
Hey Jesse! You could try Minute Rice or even orzo pasta which is pretty quick cooking.
I haven’t tested these alternatives out, but based on some similar meals I’ve made, here’s where I’d start and tweak as needed:
For Minute Rice, the ratio to rice and water is 1:1. Bring the water to a boil, add the broth, rice, prunes, spices, chicken, oil, turn heat down to low and simmer the rice for 6 minutes. Then take off the heat, cover, and let it sit for an additional 6 minutes. Then add the vinegar and the olives.
I usually use orzo in dishes that will be a little saucy so that I don’t have to drain the water, but I think it could work OK in this recipe if you don’t want to use minute rice. I’d start with 1 cup orzo to 1 1/2 cups water. Add the water, broth, orzo, prunes, spices, oil, and chicken to the pot and bring to a low boil and cook until the orzo is tender – add more water as needed if it’s getting dry but the pasta still needs more cooking time. You’ll definitely want to stir often as we find that it’s easy to scorch when using our backpacking setup (MSR pocket rocket + titanium pot).
Hope those ideas work for you! If you try them I’d love to hear how they turn out.
I made this for a trip in the Sawtooth Range in Idaho this past weekend and it was delicious! Both my husband and I really enjoyed it and he said that it tasted really fresh, which can be a rarity in the back country.
I know the question about couscous substitutes is pretty old, but I figured I would add another suggestion. If you have a dehydrator you can cook and dehydrate quinoa and use it just like couscous in backpacking recipes. I have done this when backpacking with my sister who is gluten free and it works great!
Why do I need prunes? What can I sub for that is also gluten free? I am doing a Whole 30 right now. Thanks!
No need to include the prunes – that’s just how the original Marbella recipe we adapted it from was written (and they add a bit of sweetness, which plays well with the briny flavor of the olives). As for a gluten-free option, I haven’t tested any variations, but rice or a gluten-free pasta would probably work. I’m not super familiar with Whole 30 so not sure if those are allowed though! Would love to hear how you adapt it!
Loved this on our last backpacking trip, will be bringing it again this time! We found olive packets at the grocery store and bought canned chicken (looked for one with the easy pop open can) since we couldn’t find it in the pouch. A can that you have to tote around is worth how delicious this is! 🙂![5 stars](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=)
Powdered Vinegar:
https://www.tastecooking.com/vinegar-now-powder-form/![5 stars](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=)
Made this in Glacier Park backcountry for friends a few weeks ago and it was incredible! I couldn’t find the small broth packets so I just substituted a tablespoon powdered beef bouillon broth in with the other dry ingredients. Seemed to work like a charm!![5 stars](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=)
Really delicious recipe!!! I made this for my husband and daughter on a recent 5-day backpack trip. They hungrily watched me put all the ingredients in, balking at the prune and olive combo, but after the first bite they were sold. It was by far the best meal of the trip! I used the pearl sized couscous, so it took a bit longer and needed a bit more moisture but we liked the texture. I used canned chicken breast, which was heavy. I am hoping to find a source for seal packed in the future. All the flavor including the spice combination and a touch of red wine vinegar is so tasty! Very happy to have found your website and blog!!![5 stars](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODdhAQABAPAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAEACAkQBADs=)