Highfalutin Cordon Bleu Meatloaf Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
An easy, stack-and-bake, Cordon Bleu Meatloaf Recipe Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Tag: camp cooking
Easy Beer Bread Rolls – Bread Baked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
And easy 6-Ingredient Bread Recipe that will help learn how bread bakes in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Easy to bake in the home oven as well.
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and corn flake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.
Grab your 12-Inch Deep Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven and ¡vamos a empezar esta fiesta! (let’s get this party started!).
Let me get this out up front. This is really a super easy recipe. Create this recipe once and then you’ll forever and ever create this recipe from memory. It’s just that easy.
This recipe article contains affiliate links.
For this recipe, I am using the deep 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven. We use a second 10-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven as a “warming pot” and to roll the chicken in the cornflakes. I am using a third 8-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven for melting my butter.
You will need your 12-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven for the recipe but the other two Dutch ovens are optional. Use what you have. No worries.
12-Inch Deep Cast Iron Dutch Oven with the Notch (Camp Chef’s Version: https://amzn.to/3F2ej15
Lodge’s Version: https://amzn.to/3ZJODzH
10-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3PJHQS1
8-Inch Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://amzn.to/3rAxjkb
Or a Skillet like this: https://amzn.to/3rDKjp7
NOTE: You don’t have to use a Dutch Oven with a Temperature Probe Notch, any Deep 12-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven will Work. If you are using a regular Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven, cut the vegetable ingredient amounts in half. If you are using a 10-Inch Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven, cut both the vegetable ingredients and the number of chicken breasts in half.
Supplies You May Need
Tenderizing and Pre-Preparing the Chicken
- Cutting Board
- Needle Tenderizer (https://amzn.to/46E8zX6)
- Tenderizing Mallet
- Larger Zipper Bag (https://amzn.to/3Q8V3FC)
- Paper Towels
- Drying / Cooling Rack (Optional – https://amzn.to/3ZHiyZn)
Prepare the Vegetables
- Colander or Strainer to let the Vegetables Drain
- Bowl to Catch the Liquid from the Vegetables
- Spoon or Rubber Spatula to Stir the Vegetables
- Parchment Paper to Cover the Vegetables (I use Parchment Paper in Other Parts of the Recipe as Well).
Cut the Cheese
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Cheese
- Bowl or other Container to Store the Cheese
For the Cornflakes
- Gallon-Sized Zipper Bag
- Rolling Pin (Optional)
- A Container that is Large Enough to Hold the Crushed Cornflakes and Room to Allow for Rolling the Chicken in the Crushed Cornflakes
Cooking the Chicken
- The Temperature Probe – Meat Thermometer
- Charcoal Briquette Chimney
- Tongs to Manipulate the Briquettes
- Wind Screen (Optional)
- Cooking Surface (Optional) – I use an Upside Down Garbage Can Lid
Shredding the Cheese
- Cutting Board (I am going to cook this cheese and am going to use the same cutting board)
- Cheese Shredder
- Parchment Paper to Wrap the Shredded Cheese
- Bowl or Container to Store the Shredded Cheese (I just use the same one I used for the Pepper Jack Cheese Logs)
Pepper Rings / Rounds
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Also
- Lid Stand
- Lid Lifter
- Leather Gloves
- Serving spoons
To better understand the ingredients, let’s take a quick look at the way this recipe is “stacked.” First, we are going to tenderize and brine our chicken at home and pack it up for easy-does-it in camp.
In camp, we’re going to prepare everything and get it all set up.
Third, we’re going to pre cook our chicken a bit.
Fourth, we’ll add the vegetables (remember the reference to “base ingredients”) and the cheese.
Fifth, well…there ain’t no fifth. Fifth is: We gonna EAT!
For the Chicken:
6-8 Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts (Tenderized and Brined): https://beerandiron.com/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts/
1-2 oz Beer and Iron’s Taco Seasoning (Store-Bought Packets are about 1 oz): https://beerandiron.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
16 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese (or Monterey Jack Cheese for a Mild Version)
½ Gallon Zipper Bag of Cornflakes (Crushed)
8 Tablespoons of Melted Butter
The Vegetables / The Base Ingredients:
32-34 oz Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (Regular if you can not find Fire Roasted)
4-6 oz Sliced Black Olives (Drained)
14-15 oz Diced Green Chilies (Somewhat Drained)
22 oz. Mexican Style Corn (Drained)
30 oz Black Beans (Drained)
Garnish:
1/2 cup green onions; sliced or maybe even some rounds cut from a nice spicy pepper like a jalapeno. I used Jalapeno and Red Fresno Chili Peppers in the video.
Preparation and Steps to this Recipe
You can 100% create this recipe at camp. There’s nothing that says you can’t. Me? I am going to do some pre-prepping at home and then have everything ready for cooking at camp. The recipe will be presented in two parts:
- Home Pre-Preparation Steps
- At Camp Cooking Steps
Home Pre-Preparation
Step 1: Tenderize and Brine 6-8 Chicken Breast Halves. You’ll tenderize these a bit more than normal. They really need to be thinner than you’d normally prepare a chicken breast. Get it down to about ¼ inch. A bit thicker is okay.
How to Tenderize Chicken Breast: https://beerandiron.com/2022/12/how-to-tenderize-chicken-breasts
How to Brine Meat: https://beerandiron.com/2023/01/how-to-beer-brine-whole-chicken
NOTE: Only brine tenderized chicken breast meat for about one hour. Then, remove from the brine and pat dry.
Step 2: After pouring out the used brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the zipper bag and place the chicken back into the zipper bag with the paper towels. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Step 3: Gather together the cans of:
- Diced Green Chilies
- Sliced Black Olives
- Mexican Style Corn
- Black Beans
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
You’ll need to make sure you have your can opener and the strainer. A bowl to drain everything in is suggested.
Step 4: Add your cornflakes to a zipper bag and crunch up to a coarse “meal” like consistency. Don’t crush back to a cornmeal and don’t leave them in big flakes. Somewhere in between is perfect. You will store these in the same zipper bag.
Step 5: Gather your cheese, knife to cut the cheese, and the cheese shredder. You can use a bit of parchment or a paper plate to shred the cheese over.
My suggestion is to use the block cheese and prepare the cheese at camp. When we roll the cheese in the chicken, the packaged cheese sticks may make sense but you’ll be doing the V-8 Head Bonk if you do. And, use the block for shredding too. The anti-caking stuff they put on shredded cheese…well…you’ll see what I am talking about when you try the packaged shredded stuff (everyone I teach this recipe to tries the pre-shredded and swears off the stuff after that…at least for this recipe).
Step 6: Bring your butter. We’re going to use this to “moisten” the chicken before we roll the chicken breast in the crushed cornflakes.
I will often bring my 8-inch camp cast iron Dutch oven and put the butter in the pot with about 2-4 briquettes under the little Dutch until the butter is just perfect.
Step 7: Slice the green onions and or your peppers. We’ll use these to garnish our meal when it’s time to eat.
Okay. Check everything.
In an ice chest, we will have our chicken tenderized and brined and stored with the paper towels in the zipper bag and in the ice chest. We have our cheese and our butter in the ice chest too. A small container or zipper bag holds our green onions that have been “doubled bagged.”
In another container, we’ll have our canned Diced Green Chilies, Sliced Black Olives, Mexican Style Corn, Black Beans, and Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes. Your homemade taco seasoning or a packet or two of store-bought taco seasoning is there as well.
At Camp – Time to Cook
We’re presenting this recipe in a deep 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven. It’ll be baked in two parts. First, we’ll cook the chicken until it’s almost done. Then, we’ll add the base ingredients and finish the recipe to bring the chicken to 165°F / 75°C.
Here’s the article/video on how to Heat the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://beerandiron.com/2023/04/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven
Step 1: Set 26-30 charcoal briquettes to fire.
Step 2: Slowly melt 8 tablespoons of butter. We use the 8-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven for this. You can set the butter in a metal container and keep it near the charcoal that is being prepped. Don’t heat the butter to a cooking temperature; you just want it melted to a liquid.
Step 3: On a cutting board or a piece of parchment paper, Lay out one of the tenderized and flattened chicken breasts. Dust one side with some of the taco seasoning almost like a dry rub. Dust with discretion; a little goes a long way.
Step 4: Set the crushed cornflakes out and have them ready to roll the chicken breast in.
Step 5: Baton cut the cheese (in long, stick-like cuts). Add the cut cheese sticks to the chicken and roll the thinned chicken breast over the cheese where the cheese is wrapped in the rolled chicken.
Step 6: Keep your hand on the rolled chicken and then coat the chicken in the butter. Now, roll the chicken in the crushed cornflakes. Secure the chicken with two or three toothpicks (if you forget your toothpicks, consider using some fresh and thin twig pieces from a branch of a tree or bush [make sure that tree or bush ain’t poisonous…seems like a no-brainer but…]).
Chef Tip: Roll one chicken breast up at a time.
Chef Tip: Use the same number of toothpicks for each chicken breast. This way you will remember how many toothpicks to remove later. DON’T FORGET one of those toothpicks in the chicken breast when you serve (in a few steps we will remove them).
Chef Tip: There’ll be some cornflakes left. We save these for the time being to add a few more to the recipe a few steps from now.
Step 7: Place each prepared chicken breast roll in the bottom of the cast iron camp Dutch oven one-at-a-time and until all the pieces are prepared and set with the toothpicks pointing up.
Step 8: Cover the camp Dutch oven. Place 8 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven (as the Heating the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven video shows) and place 16 hot charcoal briquettes on the top. If you have a windshield (see this article and video), then secure the windshield around the Dutch oven.
Heating the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven: https://beerandiron.com/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven/
Turn the pot and lid 1/3rd turn every 10 minutes.
If you are using a temperature probe, move the briquettes about every 10 minutes or so.
Let the chicken cook until the temperature of the chicken is about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C. Remember, we are going to add more ingredients and let the chicken continue cooking. We will eventually get it to the 165°F / 75°C point.
Chef Tip: How are your charcoal briquettes doing? Do you need to set more to fire to finish baking this dish? We still need to heat the base ingredients, melt the cheese, and finish cooking the chicken.
Step 9: While the chicken is cooking, prepare your base ingredients: Set a colander over a bowl or other receptacle to receive the liquids as we open each can and drain by pouring the contents into the colander:
- Can Diced Green Chilies
- Sliced Black Olives
- Can Black Beans
- Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- Can Mexican Style Corn (I save the corn for last because the liquid is “watery” and helps with the draining)
Just pour them all in the colander and, using the rubber / silicone spatula, move things about and mix well. Most of the liquid should drain away to the bowl below the colander. Set aside for later.
Step 10: Shred the rest of the cheese and keep the cheese in a separate container separate from the base ingredients. Set aside for later.
NOTE: These next steps go rather quickly.
Step 11: Once the chicken has reached about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C, remove the lid and place it on a lid stand (the briquettes can remain where they are). Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (take care that we don’t lose our cornflake crust).
REMOVE THE TOOTHPICKS – the chicken is now firm and will hold its form. Remove each toothpick and make sure you have them all out.
Chef Tip: Sometimes there’ll be an excessive amount of oil (cheese and butter) left in the pot after you remove the chicken. This can be (per your preference) completely or partially wiped out and discarded.
Step 12: Dump all of the base ingredients from the colander into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then, using the tongs, replace the chicken to the top of the base ingredients (not submerged but resting on top).
Step 13: Here, you can add a few more cornflakes from earlier. Go easy…more is not better.
Step 14: Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the chicken. Return the lid and cover the pot. Do you need a fresh set of hot charcoal briquettes? This is a good time to add a fresh set. You could even add a few extra on the top to toast the cheese.
Step 15: When the chicken has reached 165°F / 75°C, it’s time to eat! Garnish with the green onions. No resting time needed. Just serve and enjoy.
Summary
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some Mexican rice (both cooked in separate Dutch ovens). I love to take the rolled-up chicken and use a white bread roll to make a sandwich. There’s some prep and some steps to accomplish this meal and the end result will be well worth it!
We usually cut these chicken rolls in half and use each chicken roll as 2 servings.
Y’all enjoy this one!
My name is Sulae and I love to share the magic that comes out of my black pots and pans. You all keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those frosted glasses of fermented barley pop. We’ll see you all next time on BeerAndIron.com.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Cantina Jack Chicken Recipe in a Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
Tenderized and Brined Chicken Breasts rolled and centered with Pepper Jack Cheese, buttered, and cornflake-battered on a bed of vegetables all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Home Pre-Preparation
- Tenderize and Brine 6-8 Chicken Breast Halves. You’ll tenderize these a bit more than normal. They really need to be thinner than you’d normally prepare a chicken breast. Get it down to about ¼ inch. A bit thicker is okay.
- Brine the tenderized chicken breast meat for about one hour. Then, remove from the brine and pat dry. (Brine: 24 ounces of beer and 2 Tablespoons Salt)
- After pouring out the used brine from the zipper bag, place a few paper towels in the zipper bag and place the chicken back into the zipper bag with the paper towels. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
- Add your cornflakes to a gallon zipper bag and crush to a coarse “meal” like consistency. Don’t crush back to a cornmeal and don’t leave them in big flakes. Somewhere in between is perfect. Leave them in the zipper bag (this could be done in camp)
At Camp – Time to Cook
- Set 26-30 charcoal briquettes to fire.
- Slowly melt 8 tablespoons of butter. Just melt to the point you can still touch the butter.
- Lay out one of the tenderized and flattened chicken breasts. Dust one side with some of the taco seasoning.
- Set the crushed cornflakes out and have them ready to roll the chicken breast in.
- Baton cut the cheese (in long, stick-like cuts). Add the cut cheese sticks to the chicken and roll the thinned chicken breast over the cheese where the cheese is wrapped in the rolled chicken.
- Keep your hand on the rolled chicken and then coat the chicken in the butter. Now, roll the chicken in the crushed cornflakes. Secure the chicken with two or three toothpicks
- Place each prepared chicken breast roll in the bottom of the cast iron camp Dutch oven one-at-a-time and until all the pieces are prepared and set with the toothpicks pointing up
- Cover the camp Dutch oven. Place 8 hot charcoal briquettes under the Dutch oven and place 16 hot charcoal briquettes on the top.
- Turn the pot and lid 1/3rd turn every 10 minutes. If you are using a temperature probe, move the briquettes about every 10 minutes or so.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare your base ingredients: Set a colander over a bowl or other receptacle to receive the liquids as we open each can of vegetables and drain by pouring the contents into the colander
- Shred the rest of the cheese and keep the cheese in a separate container separate from the base ingredients. Set aside for later.
- Once the chicken has reached about 125°F / 50°C to about 145°F / 63°C, remove the lid and place it on a lid stand (the briquettes can remain where they are). Using tongs, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside (take care that we don’t lose our cornflake crust).
- Dump all of the base ingredients from the colander into the bottom of the Dutch oven. Then, using the tongs, replace the chicken to the top of the base ingredients (not submerged but resting on top).
- Here, you can add a few more cornflakes from earlier. Go easy…more is not better.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top of the chicken. Return the lid and cover the pot. Do you need a fresh set of hot charcoal briquettes? This is a good time to add a fresh set. You could even add a few extra on the top to toast the cheese.
- When the chicken has reached 165°F / 75°C, it’s time to eat! Garnish with the green onions. No resting time needed. Just serve and enjoy.
Notes
This recipe goes very well with some cornbread or even some Mexican rice (both cooked in separate Dutch ovens). I love to take the rolled up chicken and use a white bread roll to make a sandwich. There’s some prep and some steps to accomplish and the end result will be well worth it!
We usually cut these chicken rolls in half and use each chicken roll as 2 servings.
Baked Chicken and Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
From Fire-to-Plate, I’ll show you how to create this recipe using either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven!
Butter and Cream Biscuit Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Pillows of the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. An easy recipe for having homemade biscuits in camp. We’ll use Half & Half in our example. This recipe will work with Buttermilk, Kefir, Old Milk, and even Beer and Milk.
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe in the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe Cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
I love this recipe. It’s easy to prepare at home and have many of the ingredients ready for cooking in camp. This recipe has three parts: 1) Preparing and cooking the chicken, 2), cooking the pot pie mixture with all the veggies and potatoes, and 3) the biscuit part that goes on top.
And, we are going to use HOMEMADE BISCUITS. You can use canned biscuits and that’s A-OK. But, this recipe goes from great to awesome with those biscuits on top. Not to mention that the left overs (if there are any) will be great for breakfast in the morning.
Three parts!? Yeah! I know. Right? No worries. It ain’t near the work you think it’s going to be. It’s a super easy recipe that can be created in camp.
History tells us that the pot pie was prepared with the crust under the “stuff” and not on top like I show in the video. A pot pie dish was originally a way to take a bunch of leftovers and turn them into a brand new meal. But, before the pot pie became popular in England in the 1500’s and later in America in the 1700’s, the Romans may have made the pot pie with living birds as a gag to play on dinner guest.
A 12-inch deep cast iron camp Dutch oven should do the trick. We’ll be baking this recipe in the camp cast iron Dutch oven and need some depth for the biscuits we’re going to use on the top (affiliate)
Lodge Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven – 12 Inch / 6 quart: https://amzn.to/3Y1A3Tl
Lodge Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven – 12 Inch / 8 quart: https://amzn.to/3NYjTWa
You can create this recipe in any Dutch oven may it be in camp or at home. The only thing to keep in mind is the biscuit topping; we need both some room for the biscuits to rise and some air space between the top of the biscuits and the lid of the Dutch oven.
Some cast iron Dutch oven manufacturers have created pots with lids that second as a skillet. The lid will offer the additional room. Here’s an example: https://amzn.to/3K2pUzU
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
- Cutting Board for tenderizing and cutting the chicken and to cut the vegetables. I suggest using a separate cutting board. We use a red one for meat and another color for vegetables.
Meat: https://amzn.to/3NVPibP
Vegetables: https://amzn.to/3DeNYvB - Tenderizing Mallet (optional): https://amzn.to/46OrKye
- Needle Tenderizer (optional): https://amzn.to/44Jaqc8
- Zipper Bag – We use the zipper bag to brine the chicken before we cut the pieces and then to store the pieces until we are ready to cook: https://amzn.to/3OgcBhV
- Knife to cut the chicken, potatoes, onions, and garlic.
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Can Opener
- Wooden Spatula or Sauté Paddle: https://amzn.to/3K1g1Cu
- Pastry Cutter: https://amzn.to/43uQqsP
- Biscuit Cutter: https://amzn.to/3rrJdw9
- Rubber / Silicone Spatula to Stir the Biscuits with and to get the Biscuit Dough out of the bowl.
- Basting Brush (to add the egg glaze/coating to the top of the biscuits).
Mixture Ingredients
- 3-4 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (brined, tenderized, and cut into bite-sized pieces).
- 1/2 Cup of Flour (separate and apart from the biscuit flour).
- 2 Cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
- A Few Pieces of Fatty Bacon
- 1 Large Onion, Chopped or Diced
- 3-6 Cloves of Garlic, Diced or Minced
- 3 Russet Potatoes
- 2 Bags of Frozen Mixed Vegetables
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- Worcestershire sauce to taste (1-3 Tablespoons [give or take])
- Pepper to Taste
- Salt to Taste
- A Bit of Beer on Reserve. Hold on to the beer; we’ll add it if we need to.
Note on Salt: I brine my chicken meat before I cook this recipe. Brined chicken has salt already. Worcestershire sauce has salt and so does the Cream of Chicken Soup. Just sayin’
Biscuit Ingredients
- 2 Cups of All Purpose White Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 8 Tablespoons of Cold Butter
- 1+ Cup of Buttermilk (or 1/2 Cup of Buttermilk and 1/2 Cup of Beer [Mild Lager or Wheat Beer])
- 1 Scramble, Raw Egg for Coating the Biscuits
Note: You could use a full cup of buttermilk. But, you may need a bit more buttermilk to get the right consistency. Or, if you only have milk, just use a cup of milk. It’s all good!
Ready to Cook
There are a couple of ways to do this. You can pre-prepare your ingredients at home or prepare the whole meal in camp. It’s totally up to you. If you are pre-preparing at home, don’t cut your potatoes until you get to camp.
You could set your charcoal briquettes or wood to fire and get your coals ready for the Dutch oven. Or, you could get everything chopped up and ready before setting the fire. It’s up to you.
We’ll be frying our bacon and sautéing our chicken, onions, and garlic first. Set your Dutch oven up for frying. For our 12-inch Dutch oven, we’ll need 24 briquettes or the equivalent in wood embers.
Later, we’ll be baking the dish. Considering the 12-inch Dutch oven and the baking method, when the time comes, we’ll place 16 briquettes on the top and 8 briquettes on the bottom.
Learn how to heat a camp cast iron Dutch oven here: https://beerandiron.com/how-to-heat-camp-cast-iron-dutch-oven/
This recipe will cook in two parts. You will need a second batch of briquettes when it comes time to cook the top biscuits.
Step 1: Tenderize 3-4 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. Brine them in a beer/salt brine for about 1 hour then pat dry. You could pre-prepare the chicken at home and carry it to camp in a doubled zipper bag or other container.
Here’s the link on how to make a beer brine: https://beerandiron.com/2023/02/simple-roasted-chicken (This recipe shows how to brine a whole chicken but the brine recipe is the very same).
Step 2: Pull out the frozen veggies and let them start warming up to “room” temperature. Or, rather, “the great outdoor’s” temperature.
Step 3: Cut the chicken breast meat into larger bite-sized pieces. Pat dry the chicken breast meat. Place the cut, pat-dried chicken meat into the 1/2 cup of flour and coat the pieces. They will eventually stick together and the flour will be a bit sticky; that’s A-OK. Set the floured chicken aside.
Step 3: Cut up the onion and the garlic. Set aside.
Step 4: With the cast iron camp Dutch oven over 30-briquettes (or more), render the fat from some of the fatty bacon (cut or not cut).
Step 5: While the bacon fat is rendering, wash and cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Skin on or skin off; it’s up to you. I just leave it on. You could place the cut potatoes in a bowl of water (optional).
Step 6: Brown the chicken pieces up until they are no longer pink…and just before they are safe to eat. Chicken is considered “done” at 165°F / 74°C. I will cook a bit more when we put this all together. NOTE: Don’t overwhelm your pot with the chicken. Sear/brown in batches. Add more bacon if you need more fat.
Step 7: Once the chicken is browned remove the chicken from the pot and then sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are clear…not so clear as to be able to read newsprint through them, but you get the point. NOTE: If you need more cooking fat, you can add more bacon before adding the onions and garlic.
Step 8: Here’s the easy step: After you’ve sautéed the onions and garlic, return the chicken to the pot. Then, mix in the veggies, evaporated milk, cans of soup, potatoes, poultry seasoning, and Worcestershire Sauce. Salt and Pepper to taste.
Step 9: Mix all the ingredients in the pot all about and smooth out the top. The mixture should not be too runny nor should it “set” like pudding either. If the mixture is too thick (more than likely), add some of the reserved beer.
NOTE: We’re not creating soup. And, the ingredients in the pot all have moisture to some degree. We want it thick but not too thick.
Step 10: Bring the mixture to a bubbling boil. Don’t let it stick to the bottom. If it’s sticking, add some beer to thin it out. Once the mixture is bubbling, set the camp Dutch oven to bake.
If your briquettes have burned down too much, you will need to use a fresh batch.
Place 16 briquettes on the top of the oven and 8 under the oven and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft and taste done (careful on sampling those potatoes…they are HOT!).
Step 11: While the mixture is heating up to a “bubble,” prepare the dry ingredients for the biscuits. Mix together in a bowl:
- 2 Cups of All Purpose White Flour
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Blend all these ingredients together. Then, cut in the butter with the pastry cutter. You want a cornmeal consistency.
Don’t add the buttermilk (or other liquids) yet. Store the dry biscuit ingredients in a cold place (like the ice chest) for now.
Step 12: Once the potatoes are cooked (and the chicken is at least 165°F / 74°C), prepare the biscuits.
Note: How do your briquettes look? Do you need to start another set?
Biscuit Steps
A word on the biscuits. Homemade biscuits are my preference. However, a can of biscuits will work perfectly in this recipe. It’s up to you.
Biscuit Step 1: Add the buttermilk (or other liquid) to the dry biscuit ingredients.
Biscuit Step 2: Using the rubber / silicone spatula, mix the biscuit ingredients until you have a sticky dough mixture.
Biscuit Step 3: Remove the dough and set on a floured surface. Don’t knead the dough. Just flatten the dough and then fold over a few times. Dust with flour if it’s too sticky. Coat with a bit of flour so the dough does not stick to the surface nor your hands.
You’ll want to flatten the dough a bit thinner than you would if you were making morning biscuits. We want these biscuits to be a bit thinner than normal.
Biscuit Step 4: Cut the biscuits with a biscuit cutter. You could form them with your hands or cut them with a knife. No worries. Cutting with a biscuit cutter gives the best results. And, they all don’t have to be round either. Cut them “any which way but loose.” They may have half-moon shapes and that’s okay. We’ll piece these together in a bit.
Biscuit Step 5: Place the cut biscuits on the top of the cooked pot pie mixture. Just puzzle them in. If you run out of room, just shove the last one or two in sideways.
Biscuit Step 6: Scramble the raw egg. Using the basting brush, “paint” the top of the biscuits with the raw egg.
Return the lid to the pot.
Step 13: The hot pot pie mixture is our biscuit’s “bottom heat.” We need to heat the top of the Dutch oven. Place any of the remaining briquettes from the bottom of the Dutch oven to the top of the Dutch oven. Add the equivalent of about 20 briquettes to the top and let the biscuits bake.
Step 14: After about 10 minutes, check on the biscuits. How do they look? Turn the lid 1/3rd turn. Let the biscuits cook until they are nice and golden brown.
NOTE: If they look like they are done but are not browning up, add more briquettes to the top of the oven.
Once the biscuits have brown up nicely, your meal is ready to eat!!
Summary
And that’s it y’all. This is one of my all time favorite camp cast iron Dutch oven recipes. And, as easy as it is cooking this in camp, it’s easier to cook in the home stove. Use your 7 quart cast iron Dutch oven (or half the recipe for the 5 quart) and enjoy. NOTE: if you cook this inside, cook on the stove top until the potatoes are done (Step 12), then prep the biscuits and then bake at 400°F / 205°C until the biscuits are golden brown.
My name is Sulae and I love to share the magic that comes from my black pots and pans. You all be sure to sign up for the news letter and I’ll keep my messages short-and-sweet as well as few and far between. You keep on cooking in those cast iron beauties and enjoying those frosted glasses of that fermented barley pop.
We’ll see you next time on beerandiron.com.
Website: https://beerandiron.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beerandiron
Twitter now called “X”: https://twitter.com/IronRecipes
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironrecipes/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/beerandironrecipes/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3jcMjHBuZ7C0x2TnssetrG
Chicken Pot Pie Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Beer-Brined & Tenderized Chicken Breast, Potatoes, Vegetables, with a Buttermilk Biscuit Crust all cooked in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven. We high-society now!
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Searing and Browning the Chicken / Sauté the Onions and Garlic
- Tenderize 3-4 Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. Brine them in a beer/salt brine for about 1 hour then pat dry. You could pre-prepare the chicken at home and carry it to camp in a doubled-up zipper bag or other container.
- Pull out the frozen veggies and let them start warming up to “room” temperature. Or, rather, “the great outdoor’s” temperature.
- Cut the chicken breast meat into bite-sized pieces. Pat dry the chicken breast meat. Place the cut, pat-dried chicken meat into the 1/2 cup of flour and coat the pieces.
- Cut up the onion and the garlic. Set aside.
- With the cast iron camp Dutch oven over 30 (or more) briquettes, render the fat from some of the fatty bacon.
- While the bacon fat is rendering, wash and cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks.
- Brown the chicken pieces up until they are no longer pink.
- Once the chicken is browned, remove the chicken from the pot and then sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are clear.
Adding The Other Ingredients
- After you've sautéed the onions and garlic, return the chicken to the pot. Then, mix in the veggies, evaporated milk, cans of soup, potatoes, Worcestershire Sauce, and Poultry Seasoning. Salt and Pepper to taste.
- Mix all the ingredients in the pot all about and smooth out the top. The mixture should not be too runny nor should it “set” like pudding either. If the mixture is too thick (more than likely), add some of the reserved beer.
- Bring the mixture to a bubbling boil. Don't let it stick to the bottom. If it's sticking, add some beer to thin it out. Once the mixture is bubbling, set the camp Dutch oven to bake.
- While the mixture is heating up to a "bubble," prepare the dry ingredients for the biscuits.
Preparing the Biscuit Crust
- Blend all the biscuit ingredients together. Then, cut in the butter with the pastry cutter. You want a cornmeal consistency. DON'T ADD THE BUTTERMILK YET.
- Once the potatoes are cooked (and the chicken is at least 165°F / 74°C), prepare the biscuits by adding the Buttermilk
- Using the rubber / silicone spatula, mix the biscuit ingredients until you have a sticky dough mixture.
- Remove the dough and set on a floured surface. Don't knead the dough. Just flatten the dough and then fold over a few times. Dust with flour if it's too sticky. Coat with a bit of flour so the dough does not stick to the surface nor your hands.
- Cut the biscuits with a biscuit cutter.
- Place the cut biscuits on the top of the cooked pot pie mixture.
- Scramble the raw egg. Using the basting brush, "paint" the top of the biscuits with the raw egg.
Finishing Up
- The hot pot pie mixture is our biscuit's "bottom heat." We need to heat the top of the Dutch oven. Place any of the remaining briquettes from the bottom of the Dutch oven to the top of the Dutch oven. Add the equivalent of about 20-30 briquettes to the top and let the biscuits bake.
- After about 10 minutes, check on the biscuits. How do they look? Turn the lid 1/3rd turn. Let the biscuits cook until they are nice and golden brown.
- Once the biscuits have brown up nicely, your meal is ready to eat!!
Notes
Take your time and create this recipe for the first time. The second time will be much easier. ENJOY!
Easy Beer-Brined Chicken Piccata in a Beer and Lemon Sauce Cooked in Cast Iron Recipe
Chicken Breast, Lemon, Beer, Capers, and Butter. This is a super-easy recipe for most any night of the week. Easy at home and easy in camp.
Pork and Spuds Cooked in the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven Recipe
Pork, rosemary, potatoes, bell pepper, and thickened with seasoned bread crumbs. An easy Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven Recipe with few ingredients. Easy. Delicious.
Heating a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Beer and Iron’s Heating a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
In preparation for more outdoor cooking this summer, we are going to start off our Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven article series with a how-to heat the cast iron Dutch oven. Later, we’ll talk about packing for outdoor cooking. And even later, we’ll get into the recipes and a few hacks that I am sure you will love.
Affiliate Links are Included in this Article
First and foremost and pretty please with sugar on top…don’t overthink this. You will never, ever, ever get a perfect spot-on temperature in your Dutch oven. Heck, even home ovens have variations. “If your oven is well-calibrated and you’ve set it to 350°F, the element might stay on until the cavity hits 370°F, then switch off, then switch back on when it dips to 330°F.”
If you can remember the basic gist of this article, you will feel as free as a bird and appear to be as smart as any great outdoor chef.
Here’s the basics:
Option #1 – The 2x Rule:
Use twice as many charcoal briquettes as the diameter of your Dutch oven. Take ⅓ of those briquettes and put them on the bottom and ⅔ of those briquettes on the top. It’s that easy…ish…there’s always that “ish” part. This article will elaborate on the specifics of heating the Dutch oven with more clarity and accuracy.
Example: Take a 12” Dutch oven. Multiply 12 by 2. That equals 24. Divide 24 by three. That’s eight. Take 8 briquettes and put them under the oven; 8 is 1/3rd of 24. Take 16 and put them on the top; 16 is 2/3rd of 24.
Option #2 – Plus 4 / Minus 4 Rule:
Take the diameter of your Dutch oven and add four; that’s how many charcoal briquettes go on top. Then, take the diameter of your Dutch oven and subtract four; that’s how many briquettes go under the Dutch oven.
Example: Take a 12” Dutch oven. Subtract 4 from 12, that gives you 8. Put 8 briquettes under the oven. Next, add 4 to 12. That gives you 16. Put 16 briquettes on top of the oven.
These formulas call for (what seems like) charcoal count-specifics. They are not really specifics; they are guidelines. Getting your Dutch oven to exactly 350°F / 177°C and holding that temperature for the duration of your cook is not possible. These coal counts are only your starting point. It’s a count to get you started learning how to heat the Dutch oven.
This article and the video will focus on the 2x rule. It’s just a preference. The count does not always match when using the 2x Rule and the Plus 4 / Minus 4 Rule. Truth of the matter is this: There’s a whole lot of other factors that go in to heating a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven and that’s where this article will attempt to offer some clarity.
DON’T OVER THINK THIS…JUST HAVE FUN! The only rule to remember is this: You can cook under-cooked food longer, but you can’t un-burn food.
There are so many Dutch Oven Sizes.
We have a couple of 16” Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Ovens that are some of my most prized possessions. Funny thing…I rarely cook in anything smaller than a 10” or bigger than a 12”. That leaves only about 3-4 sizes we cook with and will primarily be the examples I give in this article (affiliate links).
Let’s look closer at the 10” and 12” inch cast iron Dutch ovens.
10” Regular – 10 Inch / 4 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
10” Deep – 10 Inch / 5 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven
12” Regular – 12 Inch / 6 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven
12” Deep – 12 Inch / 8 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven
My suggestion is to start with a 12” deep Dutch oven. Lodge and Camp Chef have an 8 Quart, 12” deep Dutch oven that are great go-to Dutch ovens. I ain’t gonna call them “Starter Ovens” because they are “Finisher Ovens” too. A 12” deep camp cast iron Dutch oven is a good size to start cooking with and it’s one you’ll keep using as you “age” and grow in your outdoor chef skills.
I like the Lodge version for its family-owned, USA-made quality and proven durability; I am USA based and like to support local folks. Lodge makes a great Dutch oven. And, though Camp Chef ovens are made overseas to my location, the quality is very good and so is the durability. Truth be known, I have a few pieces crafted in Asia and they are wonderful ovens.
One of the things about Camp Chef that I will have to brag about and that’s the little thermometer notch. Some folks call it a steam vent. But, I use it for meals that I am cooking and need to monitor the temperature more closely.
I am just naming Lodge and Camp Chef. There are many, many other brands out there. And, don’t underestimate the found-in-the-wild, Asian-made pieces that have no markings or very vague markings. Some of my favorite Dutch ovens are these heavy-duty beasts that gives me the option to feed a dozen people out of a single pot.
In the video, I even show a Dutch oven from Cabela’s. It’s a 12” that I picked up a few years back after forgetting my Lodge at home (yes…it does happen). It’s been a pretty good pot.
Heating Sources are Varied and Plentiful
- The Popular Charcoal Briquette
- Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal
- Wood Fire like a Campfire
To start, use charcoal briquettes to heat your Dutch Oven. They are easy to obtain and the formula a bit easier to follow. Get the “how” down and then experiment with other heat sources.
Truth be known, nothing is going to give you an even temperature when cooking with any heat source while you create meals in the great outdoors. Your Dutch oven temperature will vary based on the number of coal or amount of firewood, the distance from that heat source, the stage at which that heat source has burned down to, the size of the Dutch oven, humidity, even elevation, and the weather (raining, windy, hot, or cold outside).
The best way…the very best way to heat your Dutch oven to the optimum temperature…you ain’t gonna like this…the very best way to learn how to heat a cast iron Dutch oven is to cook, cook, and cook some more. Like the old adage: Practice makes perfect. It’s so true in cooking and especially with cast iron cooking.
I have folks all the time that ask, “Sulae! My food didn’t turn out like your recipe said it would. I did just what you did and (insert any number of problems here). A lot of times, no! They didn’t do “just what I did.” I’ve cooked the same recipe two or three or more times a week when I am stuck and needing to perfect that dish. My family will love the dish the first night. Me. I’m like “meh.” The second night, my family is like, “this one is good; but so was last night.” By the time I get to my own “YES! This is perfect!” They are like, “Meh. We’ve had this same meal 10 nights this week! Please make something else!”
They love me.
I am not saying that you should cook the same meal 10-nights a week; I am suggesting that you use your outdoor camp cast iron Dutch oven more than 3-5 times a year. Get out on the back patio, have a beer, make some fire, and cook dinner. Get good in the back yard and you’ll be good at camp.
By default, you cook in the kitchen most of the time. You have a large box in your kitchen that regulates its own temperature. The stove top has dials that help you quickly regulate the heat from Lo to Hi by turning a knob. You have practiced and now you are on your way to perfection (in our dreams).
Camp Dutch oven cooking is rough and tough cooking. And, you’re going to burn something; I guarantee it. Something is going to stick; you know it will. Something is going to disappoint. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom. No sir! No Ma’am! The chance of failure is what makes the successes so incredible! You can make chicken pot pie all the live long day at home…in your kitchen…and in your oven. Is it good? Sure! It’s good!! Now, create that recipe in a camp cast iron Dutch oven. Is it good? NO! It’s GREAT! You’ll be amazed how delicious nostalgia tastes.
Where most camp Dutch oven chefs struggle is the temperature. And that’s where we are going to start. Learn to heat with charcoal briquettes first and then you’ll get that eye and the feel for heating with other sources.
A Comment on Temperature
First and foremost! We are initially looking to learn to heat a Dutch oven to 350°F / 177°C. I’ll give more advice later for lower and higher temperatures. Let’s stick with learning the basic heating of a camp Dutch oven at the very common 350°F / 177°C (though a friend of mine in Mexico says that most home ovens default to 190°C whereas the USA ovens default to 350°F). To all y’all that are looking for exactness…y’all gotta give that up. We will “try” to reach 350°F / 177°C and in our attempt we may reach 374°F…or 190°C. That bit of difference is expected and ain’t in no way and no how worthy of a discussion. Just sayin’
Considering the camp Dutch oven, our food will cook the very same at 350°F / 177°C as it will at 374°F / 190°C. If it’s perfect at 350°F / 177°C, it’d been perfect at 374°F / 190°C. If it burned at 374°F / 190°C, it would have burned at 350°F / 177°C.
For now remember “around” 350°F-374°F and “around” 177°C-190°C. The outcome of your food will be the same (good or bad…LOL).
There are three ways you will cook in your cast iron Dutch ovens:
- Baking
- Frying, Searing, or Sautéing
- Roasting
Heating your cast iron camp Dutch oven starts by identifying the type of meal you are going to create.
Baking will require less heat directed to the bottom and more heat directed to the top.
Frying, Searing, or Sautéing or even boiling something requires all the heat on the bottom of the Dutch oven.
Roasting is usually an even distribution of heat with a few caveats we’ll likely discuss briefly today and really cover in individual recipes.
The Commercially Common Charcoal Briquette
Regardless of the type of cooking you are going to do, using charcoal briquettes will give you a defined number to use based on the size of your Dutch oven. They say that 5 out of 4 people struggle with math. You don’t have a problem with math. Not you! But folks I know. And for those folks, here’s your formula: Take the diameter of your Dutch oven and multiply it by two.
The Times Two Guideline
Identify a starting number of charcoal briquettes you need to heat the Dutch oven. Your starting point will always be the times two rule. From there, we can “turn up” the heat or “turn down the heat.” It does not matter if you are baking, roasting, or frying, the times two rule will show you how many briquettes you need to start.
Take the diameter of your Dutch oven, multiply it by two, and that is how many briquettes you will need to cook with (for the most part and with some specifics we will cover later).
You have your 12” Dutch oven and need to know how many charcoal briquettes to use. You will need 24+ briquettes to start. And, like giving someone a birthday whippin’, you’ll need one (or more) to grow on. Remember the birthday whippin’ reference.
Okay. So, you have your 24 charcoal briquettes and they are glowing red hot (some more red hotter than others). Where on or around the Dutch oven do you place these briquettes? That depends on what kind of cooking you are doing.
Are you baking, roasting, or frying?
Baking
For the most part, I bake. Cakes, pizza, and bread…I do a lot of baking. There are some dishes that seem like they should be boiled or fried but really should be baked. Consider a pasta-based dish like a goulash or a rice-based dish like jambalaya. They start off very soup or stew-like but end up turning into a dish that would be better “baked” with most of the heat on the top like baking (or even roasting with an even distribution of heat on the top and the bottom).
There’s a lot of air above the food you are creating. The food is often sitting on the bottom of the oven and almost in direct heat to the heat source. Actually, the oven is “almost” in direct heat whereas the food IS in direct heat. We need to be gentle to the food and not burn it. After all, you can continue cooking food that’s not fully done, but you can’t un-burn food.
To bake in your Dutch oven, take the size of your Dutch oven and multiply it by two.
Now, take that number and divide it by three. Take two parts (2/3rds of the briquettes) and put them on the top of the Dutch oven. Take the one part (1/3rd of the briquettes) and put them on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Here’s some real math:
- You are cooking with a 12” Dutch oven. Take 12 and multiply it times 2
12×2 = 24 - Take twenty-four and divide it by three
24÷3 = 8 - Take 8 briquettes and put them on the bottom of the Dutch oven and put all the rest on the top or the lid. That will be 16 briquettes on the top and 8 briquettes on the bottom.
With 16 briquettes on the top and 8 briquettes around the bottom, you will essentially be cooking in a 350°F-374°F and 177°C-190°C oven.
Note: You may end up with an uneven three parts. No worries. Put the extra briquette wherever you want to…top…bottom…it’s all good.
Roasting or Broasting
Let’s say you want to cook a whole chicken in camp. Or you may have a prime rib you are going to cook in a salt crust. Maybe a nice tenderloin…stuffed and wrapped in bacon!!! You need to Roast or Broast (braising and roasting). Do the same math in relation to the diameter of the Dutch oven. A 12” Dutch oven calls for 24 briquettes. Now, put half on the top and half under the Dutch oven. There’s a bit more to it…but…for the most part…this is your formula.
I seldom use this method to heat my Dutch oven. I usually follow the baking or frying methods.
Frying, Searing, Sautéing or Boiling
For soups, stews, chilis, gumbo, and a whole bunch of other meals, you will place ALL of your briquettes under the bottom of the cast iron Dutch oven. If you are cooking in a 12” Dutch oven, all 24 briquettes will go under the oven.
However, there’s a quick word on frying, searing, sautéing, and browning: You’ll likely need to add more briquettes sooner rather than later to keep the heat high enough. I often will “turn up the heat” by about 50°-100°F (10°-38°C). I’ll talk about turning up the heat (and turning down the heat in a bit).
Combining Heating Methods
What you will find more common than not is when you need to first fry or sauté and then bake. Let me give you an example. You plan to make a wonderful goulash and need to “brown” your beef first as well as sauté your onions. Using my 12” Dutch oven, I will first place all 24 briquettes on the bottom and get that pan searing hot! After I brown my meat and sauté my onions, I will “turn down the heat” by placing 16 briquettes on the top and 8 under the Dutch oven to let the meal cook and the noodles soften. To mix things up a bit, at the end I may want some cheese on the top. I want that cheese to be melted and maybe even a bit toasty. I will add ALL my briquettes on the top of that Dutch oven and BROIL the meal (keeping an eagle-eye on it so I don’t burn it).
Okay…
So far, we have learned how to heat a 12” cast iron Dutch oven depending on if we are baking, roasting, or frying and we are looking for the equivalent of a 350°F-374°F and 177°C-190°C oven. You’ll be asking about that temperature range if we are frying with all the heat under the oven. And YES! It will be hotter at the surface than 350°F-374°F and 177°C-190°C. Much hotter. We also know that a meal that needs to be boiled or fried needs to have a higher surface temperature because the oil or the liquid will distribute the heat. We still follow the times two guideline.
Cycling Briquettes
As briquettes burn to ash, they cool down. A full, red-hot briquette will burn hotter than a smaller half-spent briquette. This is logical. Most of the time you will need a 2nd batch of charcoal briquettes. And, sometimes a third batch and even a fourth batch.
Here’s how you will manage that.
Let’s say you have a chicken that needs to cook for an hour. You figure you need to roast the chicken. Taking your 12” deep Dutch oven, you know you will need 24 briquettes. Perfect!
And like giving someone a birthday whippin’, you’ll need more “to grow on.”
If you need 24 briquettes to start cooking, then place 26-30 briquettes (give or take a couple) in that chimney. We’ll use 24 and leave the rest of the burning briquettes in the charcoal chimney or wherever you are lighting them. While they are all getting fired up, set your Dutch oven up. When the coals are ready, place the coals as you would for roasting, frying, or baking depending on your preference. That will leave extra briquettes in the chimney. Just leave them there.
About 10-15 minutes later, after you have placed the first round of briquettes on the Dutch oven, toss in about 26-30 fresh briquettes in that chimney and on top of those (now) burned down briquettes you left earlier…those are the extra briquettes we left in the chimney “to grow on.” Let those burning briquettes fire up or help fire up your new briquettes. By the time the new briquettes are ready to go, cycle out your old briquettes for the new ones.
Then, about 10-15 minutes later, do the same thing. Add enough briquettes to use on your Dutch oven and add a few more “to grow on” or to start your next batch of briquettes on. Keep going until you are fairly sure that your chicken (or whatever meal you are creating) is going to be done before that last batch runs cold.
Note: You can remove the spent briquettes before adding the new ones, or you can just add the new ones in between the spent ones.
How to Increase or Decrease Your Dutch Oven Temperature
Now, we know how to get our ovens to about “around” 350°F-374°F and “around” 177°C-190°C. But, what if we want to turn down the temperature or turn up the temperature?
The range I give of “around” 350°F-374°F and “around” 177°C-190°C is to try to get your oven at around those temperatures as a guide. Consider 350°F-177°C our base temperature. This method will allow you to calculate and better “turn down” or “turn up” the temperature by about 25°F or about 14°C (not down to these temperatures but adjust the temperatures by 25°F or 14°C intervals from the base 350°F-374°F to 177°C-190°C).
To reach about 350°F or 177°C in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven, we know we need to take the diameter of our Dutch oven and multiply that by two. This tells us how many briquettes we need. To turn the heat up or down by about 25°F or 14°C, you will need to either add or take away 2 (two) briquettes for every 25°F or 14°C adjustment you would like to make.
For example, let’s say you are cooking a recipe that calls for 400°F / 205°C that is about 50°F / 28°C warmer than our base 350°F / 177°C. We add 2 briquettes for every 25°F or 14°C [approximate]. That means we need to add 4 (four) more briquettes.
Considering the 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven, you will need 24 briquettes for your base 350°F / 177°C and then to reach 400°F / 205°C, you will need to add four more for a total of 28 briquettes.
24 plus 4 equals 28. Twenty Eight briquettes divided by three is: 9.33…put about 18-19 on the top and about 9-10 on the bottom.
What if your goal is to low-and-slow a coffee crusted pork roast for 8 hours at 200°F / 93°C.
Fahrenheit
350°F – 200°F is 150°F difference. 150°F divided by 25°F intervals is six. 6 x 2 briquettes is 12 LESS briquettes to keep a Dutch oven at 200°F. If we need 24 briquettes to reach 350°F, we’ll need 12 (24-12=12) for 200°F (8 on the top and 4 under the Dutch oven).
Centigrade
177°C – 93°C is 84°C difference. 84°C divided by 14°C intervals is six!! Look! At! THAT!! It’s magic!!
There’s no need for exact because exact is not possible.
Placement of Your Charcoal Briquettes
There are all kinds of patterns that folks use to organize the briquettes on and under the Dutch oven. I usually start in a ring around the top and cross over. Think of the lid like a clock. Start placing the briquettes at 12 and 6, then 3 and 9, then the spaces between. Then start filling in the middle.
Evenly distribute the across the top in a circle starting from the rim working your way in toward the handle. Just space them out as evenly as you can. On the bottom, place them just on the edge of the diameter of the Dutch oven’s bottom if you are baking or roasting. If you are frying or boiling, place them under the Dutch oven in a circular, evenly-spaced circle working from outer to inner.
Turning the Dutch Oven
This will keep a hot area of coals from over-cooking part of your meal and leaving the other parts underdone. Inevitably, one briquette will burn longer than another, the wind will be blowing in from one side or another. And as you cook, the cast iron Dutch oven will be cooler in one spot than another. We will turn the Dutch oven and the lid periodically to even this out.
After about 10 minutes of cooking, use your lid lifter to turn the lid ⅓ turn clockwise. Don’t lift the lid; just turn it in place. Then, using the Dutch oven handle, turn the whole Dutch oven ⅓ turn counter clockwise. You find that the lid will be right back where it started in reference to the outside world but the food on the inside will be over and under different heating spots.
Some folks turn their ovens ¼ turn. And that’s okay. Heck, a ½ turn is okay too.
Me? I just turn in 3rds.
Conclusion
And that is the end of the charcoal briquette heating method. I started with this method both because it’s the most popular and because it offers the Dutch oven chef the opportunity to fine tune her or his techniques to better judge how to heat with other heat sources like hardwood natural charcoal or even a campfire.
The reason I wanted to start with charcoal briquettes is to become accustomed to the briquette size, rate of burn, and how to manage the briquettes. Other ways you can heat your Dutch oven is by using Natural Premium Hardwood Lump Charcoal or by using the hot coals created in a campfire. Though they are not as easy to use, they are completely and perfectly suited to cook with. You will run into challenges with size and distribution. A large lump of hardwood charcoal may not fit under the Dutch oven, or one lump may be larger and therefore closer to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
There’s some tricks to the trade and I plan to create an article on heating with other sources than the common charcoal briquette. Be sure to sign up on the email list and I will keep you updated.
Hey! Did you make it this far? Look! At! YOU!! I am proud of you. I hope you have your questions answered. But, if you do not…feel free to send me a message or comment below. I love to talk and I really love talking about Camp Dutch Oven Cooking.
Supplies You May Need (Affiliate Links)
Supplies and Equipment Seen in the Video:
A version of the item. All links are affiliate links.
Interesting:
Dutch Oven Charcoal Briquettes Magnetic Cheat Sheet (https://amzn.to/3VigTrb)
Lodge Dutch Ovens:
Lodge 10” Regular – 10 Inch / 4 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3L1BpY8)
Lodge 10” Deep – 10 Inch / 5 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3L3j64P)
Lodge 12” Regular – 12 Inch / 6 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3An8xEG)
Lodge 12” Deep – 12 Inch / 8 Quart Cast Iron Deep Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3LpWyN7)
Other Lodge Ovens:
Lodge 14” Regular – 14 Inch / 10 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/41UXHli)
Lodge 8” Regular – 8 Inch / 2 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven (https://amzn.to/3AnM9v2)
Camp Chef Versions:
Camp Chef Classic Dutch Oven 12″ Dutch Oven – 6 Quart (https://amzn.to/3mXpFOt)
Camp Chef 12″ Cast Iron Deep Dutch Oven – 8 Quart (https://amzn.to/43XwEaM)
Camp Chef Classic 10″ Dutch Oven – 4 Quart (https://amzn.to/41rqjCN)
Camp Chef Classic 10″ Deep Dutch Oven – 5 Quart (https://amzn.to/3N9rHpa)
Other Supplies:
Dutch Oven Lid Lifter (https://amzn.to/41S4XhN)
Dutch Oven Lid Stand (https://amzn.to/3mRXZus)
ThermoPro TP07S Wireless Meat Thermometer (https://amzn.to/3oDDHoV)
ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer for Cooking (https://amzn.to/40uJM4g)
Camp Chef Camp Table with Legs (https://amzn.to/3N6BLzt)
Aluminum Camping Table 3 Foot, Portable Folding Table Adjustable (https://amzn.to/3H5SrTV)
Heat Resistant Fire Protection Fireplace Gloves (https://amzn.to/3Apthfb)
Teak Long Wooden Spatula, Heavy Duty (https://amzn.to/43WQT8z)
Charcoal Chimney (https://amzn.to/3LoKFa6)
Kingsford MatchLight Instant Charcoal Briquets (https://amzn.to/3oIwSm8)
Lodge Camp Dutch Oven Tongs (https://amzn.to/41DbT2w)
Ready to Cook
This is not a recipe article. But, I figured y’all may want a copy of my chicken and rice recipe for the Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Baked Chicken and Beer Rice Recipe in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Baked Chicken & Beer Rice – Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Use either Chicken Breast, Bone-in / Skin-on Chicken Thighs, or Skinless / Boneless Chicken Thighs…in a Camp Cast Iron Dutch Oven.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven over 30-40 charcoal briquettes (or equivalent heat source). Keep a 2nd Dutch oven nearby (not on or over the heat but near the heat) as a warming pot (optional).
- Add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Gather all your prepared ingredients and perform any fireside preparations. Set out your 6-8 pieces of prepared chicken on a cutting board or other surface and season with poultry seasoning first, then do a light dusting of cornstarch.
- Once the oil in the cast iron Dutch oven is hot and fry-ready (you’ll see wisps of smoke rising from the surface), pan fry 3-4 pieces at a time until golden brown on both sides. They do NOT have to be fully cooked at this point (better to remain a little raw). Store the pan fried chicken in a separate Dutch oven to keep warm.
- We are about to start baking and need to have a full, fresh set of charcoal briquettes ready. Start a new batch of charcoal briquettes for baking. Set 24 – 26 briquettes in the charcoal chimney and get them fired up.
- Remove any excess oil from the Dutch oven (a paper towel does quick work of this…don’t wipe…just pat the excess oil from the pan) and leave enough oil to saute the onions and garlic. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until translucent(ish).
- Add your chopped green bell pepper, diced celery, and rice. Stir it all about for a few minutes to sauté and deglaze that pot.
- Add the can of Cream of Mushroom Soup, the can of Cream of Chicken Soup. Fill both cans with beer (20 ounces of beer) and pour the beer in the pot. Then, add the Sour Cream and a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.
- Make sure all the ingredients except for the chicken are thoroughly blended. Then taste for saltiness. Add salt and pepper only if you need to. Your chicken has been brined and should be perfectly salty. Take a taste of the mixture in the pot and add salt and pepper as you enjoy a dish to taste. You may need to add some pepper but the soups that you added may have enough salt to “carry” this recipe.
- If you added salt and/or pepper, thoroughly blend the mixture again. Make sure there are no grains of rice stuck to the sides of the Dutch oven. Any grains of rice outside the liquid will not cook. Level off all the ingredients in the pot at this point.
- Add the chicken to the top and let the chicken rest on the top of the mixture. If, while sitting in the warming pot, any broth was created by the “waiting” chicken (the container or the Dutch oven you held the chicken in, pour that into the pot with the chicken and rice; just pour it in on the top; don’t worry about mixing it in.
- Place the Dutch oven lid on the pot. Start with a fresh set of 24 charcoal briquettes. Arrange them for baking. Place 8 briquettes under the oven and 16 on the lid. Turn the pot and then the lid every 10 minutes.
- Let the recipe cook until the chicken is 165°F / 75°C and the rice is completely cooked. If the rice is going to be underdone, it will be the rice closest to the top. Add beer and keep cooking if the rice needs more time.
- Remove the pot from the heat and serve the chicken and rice hot straight from the camp cast iron Dutch oven.
Notes
Chef Tip #1: We are going to cook the entire recipe in one 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch oven. However, I suggest you have TWO 12-inch cast iron camp Dutch ovens at the ready (or one 12-inch and a 10-inch). We will first sear and brown our chicken; the chicken will be hot but not fully cooked when we get to the “sauté the vegetables” step. So, what do we do with the chicken while we are sautéing the vegetables? I suggest you have a 2nd camp cast iron Dutch oven “near” the heat but not over or on the heat. This way the chicken can stay warm while we sauté the vegetables.
Note on the “prepared chicken:” I always brine my chicken in a beer and salt brine. If I am using chicken breast, I first tenderize the chicken breast meat and then brine for one hour before packing the chicken breast meat to camp. If I am using chicken thighs, I brine the thighs for about 3 hours before packing for camp. And, I usually brine at room temperature and refrigerate after I have removed the chicken from the brine.
Chef Tip #2: Is your chicken searing with as much “enthusiasm” as your first batch? If you feel you may not have enough heat for sautéing the onions and garlic, set another batch of briquettes to fire to finish searing the chicken and sautéing the vegetables.
Chef Tip #3: Keep this in mind when adding chicken. The pot and oil are very hot, adding the chicken will cool it down; it’s an expectation. It’s supposed to do that. If you add too much chicken at one time, it will cool that pot too much and you will not get that good, golden sear. Take your time here. You can really add a lot of heat to the bottom of that camp cast iron Dutch oven. Really, really hot!
Chef Tip #4: When changing cooking types like we are here from frying to baking, start with a new, freshly prepared batch of briquettes for the next cooking type like when we start baking this dish.
Chef Tip #5: Save that oily paper towel; it makes a great fire starter.
Chef Tip #6: If you are struggling with your rice’s “doneness,” you may have not added enough liquid to the pot in the first place. This often happens when you are “measuring” the beer in the empty cream of chicken soup can. WATCH THE HEAD (foam)! Make sure you are adding TWO FULL cans of beer and not a can of beer with a head on it.
Chef Tip #7: Cooking rice in a camp cast iron Dutch oven is kinda tricky. Noodles are as well. Here’s my suggestion for this recipe: When the chicken is almost done (around 135°F − 57°C or so), open the lid and remove some of the rice at the very top. Is the rice done? Yes? Perfect! Then let the chicken continue to cook to 165°F / 75°C. If not, add a bit of beer, broth, or water to the pot…just a bit…and then check again when the chicken reaches 165°F / 75°C. Yes? Perfect! But, what if not? Then, add a bit more liquid and remove the heat from the top of the Dutch oven. Leave the heat on the bottom. Keep checking until the rice is done.
Recent Comments