These Dutch oven shredded chicken tacos are an easy camping meal that can be prepared in your cast iron Dutch oven over the campfire. Smoky, spiced boneless chicken gently cooks until it shreds easily, then gets tucked into soft tortillas with cheese and all your favorite taco fixings.
No camping trip is complete without a taco night, and when you're tired of regular ground beef tacos, give this shredded chicken recipe a try. The meat is juicy and tender with a bit of a smoky bite, and they're perfect topped with cheese, hot sauce, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, and cilantro.
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Why This Recipe is Great for Camping
- You can prepare and serve the chicken directly from your Dutch oven.
- It's an easy, healthy meal with minimal clean up and only a few ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chipotle chiles--This recipe uses canned chipotle chiles to add some heat and smokiness to the shredded chicken. Any extra chipotles can be frozen for another use, along with the sauce, or it can be used for marinating grilled flanken short ribs.
- Broth--I use chicken broth to add some flavor to the chicken and keep it moist while it cooks.
- Chicken--Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best here as their long fibers are naturally suited to shredding.
- Cotija cheese--This is a fantastic creamy cheese that's great for stuffing into tacos, but you could use another good shredding cheese, like Cheddar or Pepper Jack.
Important Steps
- Combine the chipotle chiles and chicken broth in a cast iron Dutch oven.
- Add the chicken. Cover the Dutch oven.
- Cook over hot coals until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred with two forks. Serve with flour tortillas, cheese, and any other desired taco toppings.
FAQs
Yes. Follow the recipe using your regular Dutch oven and place it over medium-low heat. Cook the chicken, covered, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 30 minutes. Let it cool slightly and shred with two forks.
Cooking the chicken from frozen will take longer and may result in unevenly cooked chicken, so I recommend thawing it completely before cooking.
Leftover Dutch oven pulled chicken is perfect for stuffing into quesadillas or wraps. If you know that you'll want extra to pack for lunch the next day, double the chicken.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Store leftover shredded chicken in a resealable container or bag in your cooler or fridge for up to 3 days. Spoon a little of the cooking liquid over it to help keep it moist. Cooked shredded chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
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Recipe
Dutch Oven Shredded Chicken Tacos
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 canned chipotle chiles diced
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large)
- 1 cup shredded or torn cotija cheese
- Flour tortillas
- Hot sauce, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a bed of hot coals in your campfire.
- Combine the chipotles and chicken broth in the Dutch oven.
- Add the chicken breast and cover the Dutch oven with its lid.
- Set the Dutch oven over the bed of hot coals and cook until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the coals.
- Uncover the Dutch oven and let the chicken cool for a couple of minutes. Transfer the chicken and a spoonful of the juices to a bowl and shred the chicken with two forks. (Alternatively, to save on dishes, you can shred the chicken directly in the pot.)
- Serve the shredded chicken with flour tortillas, cheese, and all your other favorite taco toppings.
Notes
- Use a thermometer--Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Storage--Store leftover shredded chicken in a resealable container or bag in your cooler or fridge for up to 3 days. Spoon a little of the cooking liquid over it to help keep it moist. Cooked shredded chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
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