How Do You Dehydrate Chicken for Backpacking?

By Robert Palmer

Dehydrating chicken for backpacking is a great way to ensure you have high-protein meals during your outdoor adventures. Dehydrated chicken is lightweight, nutrient-dense and easy to store in a backpack. It also doesn’t require refrigeration, so you can keep it on your person for days or weeks at a time without worry.

Preparing dehydrated chicken is surprisingly simple and requires only a few steps. First, start by selecting the right kind of chicken. You’ll want to choose boneless, skinless chicken breasts as they will provide the most nutrition and require the least amount of preparation.

Next, cut the chicken into small cubes or thin strips. This will help with dehydration as smaller pieces of meat will dry faster than larger ones. The strips should be no more than ¼ inch thick.

Once the meat is cut into small pieces, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put it in the oven at 130F for about 4-5 hours. You may need to adjust your oven setting slightly depending on how moist or dry you want your chicken to be. After 4-5 hours, check on your chicken and make sure it has reached your desired level of dryness.

Once dehydrated, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container or vacuum sealed bag for storage in your backpack. For added flavor, you can season your dried chicken with herbs or spices before putting it in the oven.

Conclusion:

Dehydrating chicken for backpacking is an easy process that requires only few ingredients and steps. With some pre-planning and careful timing you can create lightweight meals that provide all the protein you need while out enjoying nature!