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Just-Add-Water Refried Bean and Rice Breakfast Burritos with Corn and Hot Sauce

Be the first to rate itBy TrailFed Camp KitchenCamp tested by Blake | TrailFed
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Quick answer

Boil 2 1/2 cups of water on a camp stove. Pour 1 cup over instant refried bean flakes and stir the rest into instant rice, freeze-dried corn, onion flakes and spices. Cover both for 5 to 7 minutes, then roll into tortillas with hot sauce. Total time is about 15 minutes with one burner and one pot.

Just-Add-Water Refried Bean and Rice Breakfast Burritos with Corn and Hot Sauce Illustrative Photo
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This is a breakfast you build from dry food and boiling water. Everything is shelf-stable, light and fast. The beans turn creamy, the rice soaks up the chili and cumin, and the corn adds a little sweetness. Roll it all up in a tortilla and you have a hot, filling burrito in the time it takes to boil water.

It works at a backpacking stove or a car-camp tailgate. Mix the dry parts at home and pack them in two bags. In the morning you only measure water, wait and eat. Cleanup is one pot and a spoon.

Recipe card

Just-Add-Water Refried Bean and Rice Breakfast Burritos with Corn and Hot Sauce

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Prep
5 min
Cook
12 min
Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Heat
High flame to boil, then off heat
Pack weight
1 1/4 lb
TrailFit
  • Campfire
  • Camp stove
  • Backpacking
  • No cooler needed
  • One burner
  • Low water
  • One-pan cleanup
  • Shelf-stable
  • Prep ahead

Ingredients

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Gear you'll need

  • Backpacking or camp stove with fuel
  • 1.5-liter pot with lid
  • Large mug or bowl
  • Spoon
  • Measuring cup
  • Lighter or matches

Steps

  1. Mix the dry goods

    At home or at camp, put the bean flakes in one bag or bowl. In another, combine the rice, corn and onion. Mix the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt together, then stir half into each.

  2. Boil the water

    Pour 2 1/2 cups of water into your pot and bring it to a full rolling boil on the stove. Boiling water is what rehydrates the food safely and evenly.

  3. Hydrate the beans

    Put the bean mix in a bowl or large mug. Pour in 1 cup of the boiling water and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Stir well, cover and let it sit 5 minutes.

  4. Steam the rice

    Turn off the stove. Stir the rice, corn and onion mix into the remaining water in the pot, with the other 2 teaspoons of oil. Cover with the lid and let it sit 5 to 7 minutes.

  5. Warm the tortillas

    Stack the tortillas on top of the pot lid while the rice steams. The rising heat softens them so they roll without cracking.

  6. Fluff and stir

    Fluff the rice with a spoon. Stir the beans until smooth. If the beans are stiff, add a tablespoon of hot water. If they are runny, let them sit 2 more minutes.

  7. Roll the burritos

    Spread beans down the middle of each tortilla, add a scoop of rice and corn, and drizzle on hot sauce. Fold in the sides and roll tight. Eat while hot.

Trail Notes

Pack it

Pre-mix the bean flakes and the rice mix in two zip bags, each with its share of the spices. Write the water amounts on the bags: 1 cup for beans, 1 1/4 cups for rice. Carry the tortillas flat on top of your pack, and decant hot sauce into a small leakproof bottle.

No cooler

Everything here is shelf-stable, so no cooler is needed. Dry beans and rice keep for months. Flour tortillas keep several days in a pack.

Leave no trace

Eat every bite so you have nothing to scatter. Wipe the pot with a bit of tortilla, then wash it 200 feet from water and strain out food bits. Pack out the bits and all packaging.

Swap

Use instant brown rice if you like, and add a minute or two of soak time. Add a handful of crushed tortilla chips for crunch or a spoonful of dried cheese powder for richness. If you eat vegan, check that your bean flakes and tortillas have no lard.

Round out your camp day

Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.

LunchJust-Add-Water Southwest Black Bean and Rice BowlsReady in 20 min · Just Add Water · No coolerDinnerBackpacking Chili Mac with Textured Soy Protein, Tomato Powder and CheddarReady in 25 min · Just Add Water · No coolerSnack or treatJust-Add-Water Chili-Lime Refried Bean Dip with Crispy ChipsReady in 10 min · Just Add Water · No cooler

More backpacking meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →

Campers ask

Can I make refried beans at camp from dry flakes?

Yes. Stir 1 cup of flakes into 1 cup of boiling water with a little oil, cover and wait 5 minutes. Add a splash more hot water if they are too thick.

Is instant rice safe to eat after it sits in hot water?

Yes, if the water was boiling when it went in and you eat the rice right away. Don't save leftover rice or beans for later, since cooked rice kept warm outdoors can grow harmful bacteria.

How do I keep tortillas from cracking when I roll them?

Warm them first. Set them on a covered pot lid for a few minutes or wrap them in a damp cloth. Don't overfill, and keep the beans in the middle.

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