This recipe can pack a real punch or be as mild as you like. We’re big fans of Fajitas at home, so figuring out how to make them work on expeditions was a must for us. If cooking in a group it can also be a great meal to serve “family style” where everyone can dig in and you don’t even need plates, so less washing up!

Ingredients

This is a recipe that you can do with completely shelf-stable ingredients, or you can substitute in fresh ingredients to pack in those micro nutrients. The approximate amounts are for two people.

Core Ingredients

The core ingredients are a foundation of the flavour and a protein.

Spice Mix - You can buy this in packets (just search for Fajita mix in the spices aisle), or you can knock it together yourself with:

1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika (even better if you can get the sweet one!)
1 tsp garlic powder (or granules)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp chilli flakes

We will often make up the spice mix and put it in a little pot, or if weight is a significant factor we will put it in a small plastic bag.

200g Protein of Choice (Shelf-Stable) - We tend to lean towards chicken. If we can find shelf-stable chicken in packets that’s great, if not then we can usually find chicken in a can. This recipe also works well with shelf-stable soy protein. If you select a shelf-stable protein there is less chance of picking up food poisoning.

2 Dehydrated Onions - We tend to make our own dehydrated onion, however if you are only going to be on expedition for a few days then fresh onions tend to be fairly hardy.

6 x Wraps - The wrap is going to be the carbs, and method for getting the mixture into your face. Make sure you get wraps that are going to remain supple even if they get left in a warm place. We have found the wraps in sealed bags with longer shelf lives tend to last better.

2 x tablespoons Vegetable Oil - You will likely need more oil than you first think to fry off the spices. Probably a couple of tablespoons.

A splash of Clean Drinking Water - you may need a splash to bring the sauce together, or a bit more than this to rehydrate any dehydrated vegetables.

Optional Ingredients

Now this is where you can start experimenting. Some ingredients we have found that work well in this dish:

Mushrooms - Dried works really well.

Bell peppers - Fresh or dehydrated.

Squeezy bottles of Guacamole - It is now possible to get shelf-stable guacamole (usually found in the aisle that also contains the fajita meal packs) and it can add a nice bit of green to the dish. It is not the lightest ingredient, but can be appreciated.

Avocado - not the most shelf stable of foods, however for the first day out or on a zero day they can be a nice treat.

Sriracha Sauce - We have found little squeezy bottles of this that works well if you are cooking for many people who want different levels of spice in their meal.

Crushed Tortilla Chips - nice to give some crunch to the wrap and it does not matter if they have got a bit beaten up on the way.

Grated Cheese - In case you’re a bit cheesy.

Apple - bit out there, but thin slices can bring crunch and sweetness

Cooking Equipment

This is one that you can easily do in the wild.

Camping stove - Something that has a controllable heat is preferable. Although possible over a spirit burner it is a bit more of a challenge to not weld food to the bottom of the frying pan.

Large frying pan - A pan big enough to fit all the ingredients that you are looking to fry in.

Mixing spoon - We tend to use a large-ish wooden spoon with a flat end.

Knife - Almost anything that has an edge on will do, though this is only needed if you are using fresh vegetables or a form of protein that needs to be made smaller.

Cutting surface - Something that can be cut onto without damaging you or your knife blade, again only needed if you are using fresh vegetables or a lump of protein.

Can opener - If you are using a tinned protein then make sure you have a good way of getting into it. We tend to have a Victorinox (Swiss army knife) with us and they have a cracking can opener. A little tricky to use initially, but once you get the hang of it they work a treat.

Method

This method can be summed up as, put ingredients in a frying pan, and keep going until it is all piping hot.

If you have any fresh vegetables cut up into small pieces approximately 5mm cubed. You can go for thin strips instead, but the smaller the pieces the quicker the vegetables will cook.
If you have any dehydrated vegetables, boil sufficient water to rehydrate the vegetables, then pop them in and wait a few minutes until they’re soft and slightly larger in size. Once hydrated, separate the vegetables from the water. The water can be used with a packet soup to make a tasty starter.
Cut up your protein into chunks that are about 1cm cubed.
Place your frying pan over a low heat, add a tablespoon of oil and your vegetables of choice.
When the vegetables have softened, add the spices and stir. You may need to add a little more oil at this point if the spices start to stick.
Add your protein of choice and stir.
You may want to add a tablespoon of water to the pan if things are sticking. Just don’t add too much as otherwise you will end up with a wet slop.
Take off the heat and serve with wraps.
Place a few tablespoons of the spicy mixture onto a wrap.
If you have any guacamole, sriracha, or crushed chips add at this stage.
Roll your wrap and enjoy!

Trail tips

This dish tends to be a camp favourite due to the strong flavours and communal nature. However, if you find that your group has some people who eat faster and are likely to eat more than others without thinking, it may be worth portioning out the spicy mix and handing out wraps.

Getting flavoured wraps can be a nice way of adding another dimension into your meal.

It is possible to use Old Bay Seasoning mix either on its own or with cumin, garlic powder, and a bit of chilli, to make a reasonable spice mix for this dish if you are struggling to get some of the spices.

Far-From-Fiddly Fajitas