Backcountry Beacon

Spring is here, and your taste buds are aching for charred flavors—so here’s a simple recipe for tacos that only requires one pot and a pile of burning wood.

There’s really nothing like food cooked over an open flame, and the fact is, we often pay a lot to savor the flavor that can only come from hot, glowing coals. If you’ve read our recommendations for the essential cookery then you’re ready to get cooking. This meal is meant to be prepared at established campsites that have maintained fire pits with grills attached, picnic areas equipped with fixed grills, or anywhere else you can use a portable charcoal grill (tail-gating!).

Here’s my most recent campfire concoction, brought together in perfect charmony over an open fire in Arches National Park just outside of Moab, Utah.

Download this recipe.

Fire Roasted Chicken Tacos

Here’s what you’ll need for two people:

• 1lb or 4 Skinless chicken thighs (2 breasts will work but lack the flavor of thighs)
• 1 Anaheim chili
• 3 Vine tomatoes (racquetball size)
• 1 Small yellow onion (racquetball size)
• 3 Garlic cloves
• Handful of fresh cilantro
• Corn tortillas (recipe makes about 8 hearty tacos)
• Bag of Mexican cheese
• Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper
• Oil (roughly ¼ cup to coat chicken and veggies)

Fire Up The Fire:

• Put a layer of heavy aluminum foil on the grill
• Build a fire at least a half hour before you plan to start cooking
• Once the fire dies down, spread the coals to create a large and scorching bed to evenly disperse heat

Get Cooking

• While the fire is getting started, remove any green from the tomatoes and excess skin from the onion and garlic, but don’t peel the skins; you’ll grill them with the skin on to retain moisture and capture the charcoal flavor.
• Cut the onion in half
• Coat all of the veggies with oil.
• Sprinkle with a little salt to taste
• Place everything on the foil.
• While the veggies sizzle, cut off any large clumps of fat from the chicken and coat with oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cayenne to your preference (about 2 tsp of each, but it depends on your desired spice level)
• Set aside uncooked chicken in a deep dish plate.

Grab your brew of choice or glass of vino, and relax while the sizzling commences. Turn the garlic (which will be done first), onion, and pepper frequently to evenly sear the skin. You’ll only need to turn the tomatoes once, and you’ll know they’re done when the skins begin to peel. Drop the roasted pepper into a plastic bag or wrap in plastic, and set aside. Core the tomatoes, slice, and crush in a pot or a plate. Peel, crush, and mince the garlic, and add to the tomato.

Slice up the onion, and douse the pepper with some cold water, peel, and dice.

Set everything aside. Now it’s chicken grillin’ time.

The Chicken

• Drop those little poultry parts onto the hot foil, and sear both sides until browned and cooked through, making sure not to overcook
• Move the chicken to your cutting board, and take a seat. You’ll need a stable platform for the next step: shredding the chicken.
• With a fork in each hand and starting on one side of the chicken, pull the meat apart.
• Add the shredded chicken to the pot with the all the vegetables
• Place the pot on the grill and stir
• Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is completely done
• Stir in some fresh cilantro
• Throw a couple tortillas on the foil around the pot, and flip them a few times while you stir the mixture.

It’s OK if the tortillas are a bit crispy; the liquid in the filling will soften the middle to allow a perfect taco-fold. Hand out tortillas to the salivating feasters, place a heaping spoonful of the mixture in a line down the middle of each tortilla, top it with some cheese, open a fresh cold one, and enjoy.

Don’t feel left out, vegetarians: you can make the same thing, but put the spices on the veges instead of the chicken. Besides, we have plenty of delicious, high-protein recipes that will provide great fuel for your active rides, climbs, and paddles coming soon.

Have a Better Recipe?

Post it in the Comments below, or Contact Us with the full version. Who knows, we might like it so much we’ll feature it in one of our next Camp Chef Recipe posts.

Download this recipe.

Related Posts:

• Camp Chef Recipe #4: Hobo Potatoes
• Camp Chef Recipe #2: Taco Rice
• Camp Chef Recipe #6: Hungarian Goulash

Tags: Camp Chef, camping, camping recipes, cooking, food