As I believe I’ve mentioned before, my comfort food will include Tex-Mex flavors every single time. I don’t believe I’m ever without tortillas in the house and when I get low on salsa, I start to get really nervous. I’m a fan of eating it at home. I enjoy going out to eat at authentic restaurants. And I can even get behind some good fast-food versions once in a while.
Anytime we get Mexican food from a restaurant I tend to order the chicken chimichangas, mostly to indulge in the cheese dip that is served with it. While I haven’t yet figured out how to make the cheese dip out camping, we do like to bring along some premade chicken chimichangas and bake them up over the campfire in our pie irons.
We love that we can make these at home whenever we want, and then keep them in the freezer until it is time to leave for the campsite. That makes for an easy meal once we arrive which means a more relaxing time while there. This equals a win-win in our book!
Please note that this article contains affiliate links, and we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through links in this post. You can read our full disclosure on our disclosure page.
Who doesn’t love food cooked over a campfire? Actually, we know a lot of people who don’t and we just have to feel sorry for them. Because we love to cook over a campfire, especially in a pie iron. These are also sometimes called camp cookers, pudgy pies, or even hobo pies. Whatever you choose to call it, know that these trusty tools make extremely delicious food cooked over the campfire.
What we love about Camping Chicken Chimichangas:
- These are prepped ahead of time
- You can season them as hot or mild as you like
- They can be cooked over wood, charcoal, or gas
- Recipe doesn’t require lots of fancy ingredients
The Ingredients for Camping Chicken Chimichangas:
- Chicken breasts (skinless and boneless are our preference)
- Taco/Cumin/Fajita Seasonings (for a little extra flavor)
- Salsa (any heat you want)
- Flour tortillas (we recommend soft taco size, 8 inches)
- Shredded cheese (go for the blend, you’re worth it)
- Butter (to coat the insides of the pie iron)
- (Optional) Assorted toppings (shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos, etc.)
The Process Part One:
- Place your chicken, seasonings, and salsa in a slow cooker.
- Cook on high for three hours or low for six-eight hours.
- Once the chicken is done, shred it. We use our Kitchen-Aide mixer to shred the chicken quickly and efficiently without burning our fingers. We use a lot of shredded chicken at home, and it shreds faster while still hot.
- Allow the chicken to cool some. We typically make a big batch of this and freeze some as is for all sorts of tasty meals at home.
The Process Part Two:
- Lay out your tortillas and place 1/3 cup of chicken just below the center of each tortilla.
- Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Fold in two sides of the tortilla to cover the filling. Fold over top and bottom edges to create a rectangle.
- Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate up to three days or freeze until time to go camping.
The Process Part Three:
- (Optional) Preheat your pie irons over the fire while getting your supplies ready.
- Butter the insides of your pie irons.
- Unwrap your chicken chimichangas and place inside of a pie iron.
- Place on coals and cook, flipping every four minutes or so, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from pie iron and place on a plate, topping with whatever you desire.
Equipment needed for Camping Chicken Chimichangas:
- Slow cooker and Stand mixer (recommended): these two tools make the Shredded Salsa Chicken a breeze to create.
- Aluminum Foil: We use heavy duty aluminum foil for all of our freezer recipes. It only takes one time for freezer burn to occur to realize the importance of quality foil.
- Pie iron(s): We have a double pie iron from Rome, a double from Field & Stream, two singles from Field & Stream, and two single Coghlan’s Camp Cookers. Pie irons also come in circles and waffle versions. We recommend a square or rectangle for this recipe. The Field & Stream are no longer available, but Rome makes a nice square as well.
- Heat resistant gloves: If you are going to be working around a fire, at some point you will probably get burned. These gloves can help prevent that.
Other Recipes to Enjoy:
Camp Cooker Chicken Chimichanga
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Pie Irons
Ingredients
Salsa Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup salsa
Chimichangas
- 6 8 inch flour tortillas aka soft taco size
- 2 cups salsa chicken shredded
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
- butter
- assorted toppings salsa, sour cream, etc
Instructions
In Advance
- Place your chicken, seasonings, and salsa in a slow cooker.
- Cook on high for three hours or low for six-eight hours.
- Once the chicken is done, shred it. We use our Kitchen-Aide mixer to shred the chicken quickly and efficiently without burning our fingers. We use a lot of shredded chicken at home, and it shreds faster while still hot.
- Allow the chicken to cool some. We typically make a big batch of this and freeze some as is for all sorts of tasty meals at home.
At Home
- Lay out your tortillas and place 1/3 cup of chicken just below the center of each tortilla.
- Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Fold in two sides of the tortilla to cover the filling. Fold over top and bottom edges to create a rectangle.
- Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate up to three days or freeze until time to go camping.
At the Campsite
- (Optional) Preheat your pie irons over the fire while getting your supplies ready.
- Butter the insides of your pie irons.
- Unwrap your chicken chimichangas and place inside of a pie iron.
- Place on coals and cook, flipping every four minutes or so, until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from pie iron and place on a plate, topping with whatever you desire.