Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella Recipe
The recipe was first published in The Silver Palate cookbook back in the late 70s or early 80s. The original author of this recipe was inspired by Spanish cuisine…maybe with a bit of North African as well. We’ll just consider it to be a multicultural dish. There’s a town in Southern Spain called Marbella.
Though I create this recipe often during the year in my home kitchen, I wanted to figure out a way to create this recipe in camp AND WITH BEER. I love camp recipes where I can pre-prepare many of the ingredients at home and pack them ready-to-go for cooking in camp. And here’s why: A lot of cast iron campers cook a lot of heat-and-go, pre-processed foods in their Dutch ovens. Many are looking to reduce the amount of in-camp preparation that is required for a from-scratch recipe. A recipe like this one is a pre-prepared recipe that can be packed into camp but is STILL a from-scratch recipe.
I do have recipes that uses processed foods such as tater tots, can of cream soups, and salsa. But I want most of my recipes to be from-scratch with these pre-processed foods being in-addition-to.
We are going to prepare and mix all our marinade ingredients. Then, we’ll store the chicken in a zipper bag of the marinade. In camp, we’ll brown our chicken. All the other ingredients (less the oil and brown sugar) ARE IN THE MARINADE!
Basically: Brown the chicken, dump in the marinade, and cook to doneness!
The Cast Iron
The recipe below considers the use of a 12-inch deep or 12-inch regular (shallow) Dutch oven. I use anywhere from 24-40 briquettes to sear and sauté. Then I bake this dish accordingly:
10-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 4 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 20-21 Briquettes – 14 on the top and 6-7 under the Dutch oven.
12-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 24 Briquettes – 16 on the top and 8 under the Dutch oven.
14-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 6-8 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 28 Briquettes – 18 on the top and 10 under the Dutch oven.
I would include 16-inch instructions but y’all with a 16-inch pot know what to do…well…what the heck:
16-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 8-10 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 32 Briquettes – 20-21 on the top and 11-12 under the Dutch oven.
And, if you are looking for dinner for two:
8-inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven – 2 Chicken Thighs – Bake with 16 Briquettes – 10 on the top and 6 under the Dutch oven.
Adjusting the accordingly. However, I would not alter the ingredients from this recipe if you are preparing this meal in a 10-, 12-, or 14-inch Dutch oven. I may would only suggest using 8 ounces of beer instead of 12-oucnes if you are baking in the 10-inch Dutch oven.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
When preparing for this recipe at home, you will need all the hand-dandy stuff a moderately well-equipped kitchen has.
- One-Gallon Zipper Bag
- Small Zipper Bag to store the Brown Sugar to Camp
- Cutting Board and a Knife
- Garlic Press
- Can Opener
In Camp, I would suggest:
- Tray for prepping the chicken
- Paper Towels to Dab the Chicken Dry
Before leaving for camp, I always go over an ingredients list and my supply list:
- Dutch Oven
- Lid Lifter
- Lid Stand
- Charcoal Chimney
- Leather/Insulated Grilling Gloves or Welding Gloves
- Longer Metal Tongs for Manipulating the Hot Briquettes
- Ash Shovel (Good for Scooping Hot Coals if Cooking in a Wood Fire)
- Charcoal Briquettes
- Lighter Fluid or Other to Aid in Getting the Fire Going
- “Clicker” (Long, Wand Lighter)
- Metal Tray, Baking Pan, or Other Metal Surface to Cook From (Optional)
- Cooking thermometers
- Can opener
- Straw Hand Brush (I use straw. It may burn (low risk) but it will not melt like plastic).
- Metal Bucket for Extinguishing Briquettes (and Old Dog Water Bowl is A-OK).
- Receptacle for Water (Washing, Extinguishing, Emergency)
- Fire Extinguisher
- Paper Towels
- Cooking Utensils
- Scraper for Cleaning Out
- Wash pan
- Recipes and Ingredients
- Cutting Board(s)
- Knife or Knives
- Plates or Cast Iron Fajita Skillets for Serving
- Serving Spoons, Forks, and Knives
- Wooden Spatula for Stirring and Scraping (Bring Two)
- Serving Spoon
- Left-Overs Containers
- Prep Table
- Garbage Receptacle
- Stool to Sit On
- Cooking Table
- Wind Shield
Ingredients:
- 4-8 ounces of Prunes, chopped
- 8-12 ounces of Beer
- 3.5 ounces of Capers with Liquid
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 4-5 ounces Olives, Sliced or Halved and drained
- 3.5 ounces of Capers with Liquid
- 6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Chicken thighs (or a combination of legs and thighs), Skin on and bone in
- 1-2 Tablespoons of oil
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken.
The Prunes
I’ve found that most packs of prunes are about 8 ounces. I usually use the whole bag. If you don’t want to use that much, just use a cup of the chopped prunes. But, then again, what’s a cup of chopped prunes? You could get that whole 8 ounces in a cup if you really wanted to.
I use all 8 ounces.
If you are unsure, use 1 cup of chopped prunes. But, if you are like me on a camping trip…with a recipe meal plan that is sure to fill-up and slow-up your internal plumbing, a good dose of prunes in camp will do you good. And…you won’t even know you’re eating prunes. In case you didn’t know, not only am I a crackpot for the black pot, I am a Registered Nurse. Prunes are a go-to in times when we need a little help “clearing out the camp site.”
The Beer
Using the whole 12-ounces of beer will create more of a “watery” consistency to the final dish. The chicken will give up its broth and so will the other ingredients. And…that’s A-OK! I usually enjoy this recipe over rice or couscous. Sometimes, mashed potatoes. The sweetness of the recipe would go GREAT with some baked-then-mashed sweet potatoes or yams.
So, the beer does not need to be too hoppy (it does not need to be a bitter beer). I’d stick with a nice, sweeter porter or lager. An easy-drinker (for most).
Instructions
This is a Pack-and-Go Recipe
You will not believe how easy this one is to make. The ingredients need to marinate for a day or two. And, that’s perfect. All the cutting, chopping, mincing, mixing, and stuff will all be done at home, packaged up in one zipper bag, and hauled to camp.
Pre-Prepare at Home:
Step 1: Trim your chicken thighs a bit. We need the skin, but we don’t need all that much skin.
Step 2: Roughly chop the prunes. You could leave them whole, but I don’t. I coarsely chop the prunes into smaller pieces.
Step 3: Place the 6 (+/-) chicken thighs into the gallon-sized zipper bag.
Step 4: Prepare the Marinade – Add to the zipper bag of chicken. The chopped prunes, olives, 12 ounces of beer, the capers with the liquid, minced garlic, oregano, and the salt. Basically, add everything but the oil and brown sugar to that zipper bag. Mix the ingredients well. Cover the chicken with the marinade.
You could prepare the marinade in a side bowl, mix, and then pour in the bag with the chicken. Or, you could just add each ingredient into the bag of chicken then mix around in the bag. It’s all good…either way.
Step 5: Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a day or two in the cooler, ice chest, or refrigerator. If you are keeping the chicken stored in a container with other non-meat items, consider double-bagging the chicken.
In Camp and Ready to Cook. This recipe will end up being baked. We’ll need at least 24 briquettes to bake this recipe in the 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Step 6: Set 24-40 briquettes to fire. Set the cast iron Dutch oven near by to warm as the briquettes fire up.
Step 7: While the briquettes are heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and set on a paper towel-lined tray or other clean surface with the skin side up.
Chef Tip: I suggest using a paper towel lining to let the excess moisture wick away from the bone side of the chicken. The brown sugar will be added to the skin side and do a good job “soaking” up any excess moisture.
Chef Tip: When you remove the chicken from the marinade, some of the prunes, garlic, and olives may piggy-back along. Some of these ingredients are okay. Don’t let too many tag along. We really only want the chicken in the pot while we are searing the chicken in the hot cast iron.
Step 8: Add about a teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken but only on the skin side.
Step 9: Once the briquettes are done and ready, set the camp cast iron Dutch oven over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes and really heat that cast iron up to a wicked hot temperature.
Step 10: Add the oil to the pot and let it get very hot. You’ll see whips of smoke from the oil’s surface. Perfect. We need a hot pot that will sear that chicken very well. Six pieces of chicken to the 12-inch Dutch oven will really cool that pot down fast.
We need a really hot pot to get a good sear on so many pieces of chicken.
Step 11: Add the chicken to the pot skin side down. The brown sugar will likely have drawn some of the moisture from the chicken and have “stuck” to the chicken skin. Some of the sugar may fall off during transfer. Don’t worry about it; it’s okay.
You could sear in batches. Sear 3 pieces of the chicken on both sides and then the other three. I just do all six and let the broth steam off. If you find that your chicken “boiled” during your first attempt at this recipe, you may not have had the heat hot enough. No worries. It’ll still be delicious. But, next time consider searing in batches of three.
Step 12: Once the skin side is seared and browned, flip each piece over and sear the bone side of the chicken thighs. When both sides are browned, turn each piece skin-side-up.
Step 13: Once the chicken is seared and browned, remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the pot and over that chicken. Spread evenly over the chicken and between the pieces of chicken.
Step 14: Place the lid back on the pot and add 16-18 hot briquettes to the top. Place a ring of 8-10 hot briquettes to the bottom. Let the meal cook until the chicken reached 165°F / 75°C degrees at the bone and the juices flow clear.
Summary
And the recipe is now yours!
If you want to enjoy this recipe with some baked or mashed sweet potatoes or yams, follow the Beer and Iron Baked Sweet Taters in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. If you bake them just right, the skins will fall off easily. Then all you have to do is toss in a bit of butter and a bit of milk and mash away. Add a good bit of the mashed sweet potatoes to the bowl or plate, ladle over some of the juices and other goodies, then top with a chicken thigh or two.
This recipe also goes well over rice, couscous, or even some white mashed potatoes…those Yukon Golds are on the sweet side.
You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time.
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Chicken Marbella – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Equipment
- One-Gallon Zipper Bag
- Small Zipper Bag to store the Brown Sugar to Camp
- Cutting Board and a Knife
- Garlic Press
- Can Opener
- Tray for prepping the chicken
- Paper Towels to Dab the Chicken Dry
Ingredients
- 4-8 ounces Prunes chopped
- 8-12 ounces Beer
- 3.5 ounces Capers with Liquid
- 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano
- 4-5 ounces Olives Sliced or Halved and drained
- 6 Cloves of Garlic Minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 6 Chicken thighs or a combination of legs and thighs, Skin on and bone in
- 1-2 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 teaspoon Brown sugar per piece of chicken. OPTIONAL
Instructions
Pre-Prepare at Home:
- Trim your chicken thighs a bit. We need the skin, but we don’t need all that much skin.
- Roughly chop the prunes. You could leave them whole, but I don’t. I coarsely chop the prunes into smaller pieces.
- Place the 6 (+/-) chicken thighs into the gallon-sized zipper bag.
- Prepare the Marinade – Add to the zipper bag of chicken. The chopped prunes, olives, 12 ounces of beer, the capers with the liquid, minced garlic, oregano, and the salt. Basically, add everything but the oil and brown sugar to that zipper bag. Mix the ingredients well. Cover the chicken with the marinade.
- Let the chicken rest in the marinade for a day or two in the cooler, ice chest, or refrigerator. If you are keeping the chicken stored in a container with other non-meat items, consider double-bagging the chicken.
In Camp and Ready to Cook. This recipe will end up being baked. We’ll need at least 24 briquettes to bake this recipe in the 12-inchcamp cast iron Dutch oven.
- Set 24-40 briquettes to fire. Set the cast iron Dutch oven near by to warm as the briquettes fire up.
- While the briquettes are heating up, remove the chicken from the marinade and set on a paper towel-lined tray or other clean surface with the skin side up.
- Add about a teaspoon of brown sugar per piece of chicken but only on the skin side.
- Once the briquettes are done and ready, set the camp cast iron Dutch oven over a bed of hot charcoal briquettes and really heat that cast iron up to a wicked hot temperature.
- Add the oil to the pot and let it get very hot. You’ll see whips of smoke from the oil’s surface. Perfect. We need a hot pot that will sear that chicken very well. Six pieces of chicken to the 12-inch Dutch oven will really cool that pot down fast. We need a really hot pot to get a good sear on so many pieces of chicken.
- Add the chicken to the pot skin side down. The brown sugar will likely have drawn some of the moisture from the chicken and have “stuck” to the chicken skin. Some of the sugar may fall off during transfer. Don’t worry about it; it’s okay.
- Once the skin side is seared and browned, flip each piece over and sear the bone side of the chicken thighs. When both sides are browned, turn each piece skin-side-up.
- Once the chicken is seared and browned, remove the pot from the heat. Add the remaining marinade ingredients to the pot and over that chicken. Spread evenly over the chicken and between the pieces of chicken.
- Place the lid back on the pot and add 16-18 hot briquettes to the top. Place a ring of 8-10 hot briquettes to the bottom. Let the meal cook until the chicken reached 165°F / 75°C degrees at the bone and the juices flow clear.
