No-Cook Peanut-Lime Chicken Slaw Bowls with Edamame and Rice Crackers
No stove or fire needed. Shake the peanut-lime dressing in a jar, toss it with coleslaw mix, cucumber, edamame and shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken, then top with scallions, cilantro and peanuts. It takes about 20 minutes, and you serve it with rice crackers for crunch.
This is a cold, crunchy dinner for hot days, late arrivals and fire bans. The chicken is already cooked, so the only job is chopping and shaking a dressing. Nothing gets heated.
The dressing is salty, tangy and a little spicy. It clings to the cabbage and stays crisp for a couple of hours, so you can mix it while camp is still getting set up. Keep the chicken and edamame in the cooler until the moment you toss everything together.
No-Cook Peanut-Lime Chicken Slaw Bowls with Edamame and Rice Crackers
- Prep
- 20 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- None
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- large mixing bowl
- jar with a tight lid
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- tongs
- measuring spoons and cup
- 4 bowls and forks
- small zip bag or container for leftovers
Steps
-
Shake the dressing
Put the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, honey, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, ginger and water in a jar. Seal it and shake hard for 30 seconds. Add a splash more water if it's too thick to pour.
-
Prep the vegetables
Wash your hands and the cutting board. Slice the cucumber and scallions, and pick the cilantro leaves. Dump the coleslaw mix, carrots, cucumber and edamame into a large bowl.
-
Shred the chicken
Pull the meat off the rotisserie chicken with clean hands or tongs, and discard the skin and bones. Keep the chicken in the cooler until you're ready to mix, so it stays at 40°F or below.
-
Toss the slaw
Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the vegetables. Toss with tongs until everything is coated, then taste and add salt or more lime if needed.
-
Add the chicken
Fold the shredded chicken into the slaw with the remaining dressing. Mix gently so the chicken doesn't break down into mush.
-
Top and serve
Pile the slaw into bowls. Top with scallions, cilantro and chopped peanuts, and serve with rice crackers on the side for scooping.
-
Chill the leftovers
Put any leftovers back in the cooler within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if it's above 90°F. Eat them at the next meal and discard anything that sat out too long.
Trail Notes
Shake the dressing at home and carry it in a leakproof jar. Slice the carrots, cucumber and scallions in advance too. Keep the dressing off the cabbage until dinner, or it goes soft.
Buy the rotisserie chicken as late as you can and get it into the cooler within 2 hours. Eat it within 2 days. Keep the cooler at 40°F or below, and use a clean board and clean hands for the chicken.
For a no-fuss pantry version, use two pouches of shelf-stable chicken instead of the rotisserie bird. Use pressed, ready-to-eat tofu for a vegetarian bowl. Sunflower seed butter replaces the peanut butter if anyone has a peanut allergy.
Strain dishwater through a bandana or mesh strainer and pack out the food bits. Scatter the strained water well away from camp and water sources. Pack out cabbage scraps, cucumber ends and the lime rinds.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastNo-Cook Cold-Soak Apple Cinnamon Oat Jars with Walnuts
LunchNo-Cook Lemon Chickpea Smash Wraps with Cucumber and Feta
Snack or treatNo-Cook Peanut Butter Oat Energy Bites with Dried CherriesMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
Can I make peanut slaw ahead of time for camping?
Make the dressing and chop the vegetables at home, but combine them at camp. Dressed cabbage stays crisp for about 2 hours in a cooler.
How long can rotisserie chicken stay in a cooler?
Cooked chicken stays safe for about 2 days if the cooler holds 40°F or below. Keep it on ice and don't leave it out for more than 2 hours.
What can I use instead of rice crackers?
Tortilla chips, pita chips or flatbread all work for scooping. You can also eat the slaw plain, since it's filling on its own.
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