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Car Camping Cast-Iron Chicken Pad Thai with Lime, Peanuts and Bean Sprouts

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Quick answer

Soak flat rice noodles in boiled water for 8 to 10 minutes, then sear sliced chicken thighs in a hot cast-iron skillet over a camp stove until they reach 165°F. Scramble eggs in the same pan, toss in the noodles with a fish sauce, brown sugar and lime sauce, then finish with bean sprouts, peanuts and cilantro. Total time is about 40 minutes.

Car Camping Cast-Iron Chicken Pad Thai with Lime, Peanuts and Bean Sprouts
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Pad thai sounds like restaurant food, but it's really a noodle soak, a hot pan and a sauce you stir together in a cup. A car camper's cooler and a single burner cover everything it needs.

This version leans sweet, sour and salty, with plenty of lime. Mix the sauce before you leave and slice the chicken at home, and dinner takes about 25 minutes at the stove. Cook it fast and hot, and keep the noodles a little firm so they don't turn to mush.

Recipe card

Car Camping Cast-Iron Chicken Pad Thai with Lime, Peanuts and Bean Sprouts

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Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Heat
Medium-high stove flame
Pack weight
4 lb
TrailFit
  • Campfire
  • Camp stove
  • Backpacking
  • Cooler required
  • One burner
  • Some water
  • A few dishes
  • Prep ahead

Ingredients

16 ingredients, Crew only

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16 ingredients · 7 steps · Trail Notes · gear list

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