Campsites are often miles away from civilization, and that means no access to grocery stores. So you’re going to need some food for your camping trip. You might think that this is a problem until you realize how many great things there are about cooking outdoors.
Campfires create a unique flavor in the food without adding any unhealthy ingredients or preservatives, and they also offer an opportunity to use up all of those old vegetables sitting in your fridge!
Plus, if you have kids with you on the trip, it will be a lot easier on them because they don’t have to worry about what they can eat or not eat when everyone else has something different at their disposal!
1. Dutch Oven Lasagna
Camping with a Dutch oven is one of the best experiences you can have on a camping trip. Cooking this dish on site means that the flavors will come together nicely without needing to be seasoned before, and it will also allow you to reuse anything you might have sitting at home. You’ll need a campfire, a Dutch oven, some assorted veggies, cheese slices and lasagna noodles.
Boil your noodles in water for about 3 minutes until they are al dente and then drain them in a colander. In your Dutch oven place enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and then layer your noodles over top.
Next, chop up your vegetables into large pieces and give them a sprinkle of salt and pepper if desired. Add your chopped veggies to the pan and stir them into the noodles.
Now add about ¾ of a cup of water to the bottom of your Dutch oven, followed by two chicken cubes for flavor. Place one slice of cheese on top of each noodle then cover your pan with its lid. Bake it all together at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.
2. Fried Rice
Fried Rice is a dish that is frequently overlooked in the realm of cooking, but it’s an easy and delicious dish that can be cooked anywhere. If you are planning on camping, then fried rice is an excellent recipe to take with you. Just follow these steps to create this delicious meal outside of your home.
Bring two cups of long-grain white rice, two tablespoons of vegetable oil, one tablespoon of soy sauce, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon pepper, vegetables (whatever kind you have on hand), water or chicken broth for liquid and ten ounces frozen peas if desired.
Add all the dry ingredients to the pot in order to coat the rice before adding in water or chicken broth. Cook your ingredients for about 4 minutes and then add in your frozen peas if desired. Also add salt and pepper to taste before cooking your rice for another 3-5 minutes depending on the heat of the pan.
3. Spoon Bread (Biscuit)
Campers can now enjoy traditional southwestern cuisine right there in nature by cooking a spoon bread biscuit. This recipe takes only about thirty minutes to cook and creates a delicious dish that will keep you coming back for more.
To make the perfect spoon bread biscuit, start by combining two cups of flour, two tablespoons of sugar, three teaspoons of baking powder, one teaspoon of salt, one cup of milk or buttermilk, three eggs and one teaspoon vanilla. Add all these ingredients together to make your batter.
Pour the batter into an 8-inch square pan lined with butter or sprayed butter. Then put your oven on 425 degrees Fahrenheit to make the surface crispy while it cooks. The baking time should be around 20-25 minutes, depending on your oven. This is a delicious dish that everyone will love while camping!
4. Honey Butter Biscuits
Honey Butter Biscuits is a dish that can be prepared for breakfast with only a few ingredients and a pan.
Start off by preparing your biscuit dough and rolling it out on a floured surface. Cut your biscuit dough into shapes of your choice and then place them on the heated skillet to cook.
While they are cooking, sprinkle some honey or butter on top to give it that extra sweetness. Once you’ve finished cooking the biscuits, remove them from the pan and brush more honey or butter on top to make sure they’re nice and soft on the inside.
This dish can be cooked at any campsite with a stovetop frying pan over a campfire, but it’s always going through those important steps of preparation. These biscuits are a great way to start your day at the campsite, and it’s sure to be loved by kids and adults.
Read more: Best Camping Coffee Makers
5. Margherita Pizza Pockets
Margherita pizza pockets is a recipe that can be cooked on a campsite with no stove. Start by taking four triangles of puff pastry and cutting them in half. Put some shredded mozzarella cheese on each side of the inside, followed by tomatoes, basil leaves and garlic salt. Repeat this process until all the dough has been used up.
Next heat up your frying pan over an open fire or stovetop cooking surface which will cause the right amount of steam due to the ingredients being trapped inside. Cook the pockets for about three minutes on each side or until they are golden brown.
Finally, remove your pocket from the pan and cut it into four squares that have been formed by folding two opposite corners together. This should look like a pizza pocket.
Use small skewers to keep the pockets together and serve them with some dipping sauce of your choice.
6. Chili Dogs with Bacon, Onion and Cheese
One of the most popular recipes to cook while camping is a chili dog with bacon, onion and cheese. To make this recipe, start by cutting some white onions and frying them in a pan. Add in some bacon and cut into small pieces that will diversify the texture and also add some flavor to your dish.
Add some ground beef to this mixture and mix it together until it starts to brown on the outside. Start adding in your favorite spicy hot sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, water or beef broth and brown sugar. Once these ingredients are mixed together, add in your cocoa powder for a little extra taste.
Finish off your dish by stirring in some milk or cream for moisture if needed and salt & pepper for seasoning before removing it from the heat.
7. Scrambled Eggs and Cream Cheese
This recipe is simple because you only need four ingredients to cook scrambled eggs with cream cheese. Start by melting some butter in your pan, then dipping slices of cream cheese into the mixture until they are melted on both sides of each slice.
Once these slices have been prepared, pour in your whisked eggs into the pan. After this has been finished, add some salt and pepper as well as a few dashes of hot sauce before folding the egg mixture together until it starts to solidify.
Finally place your cheese-stuffed scrambled eggs on top of some lightly buttered toast for an extra crispy bite.
8. Pizza Logs
When making pizza logs, you will need to cook the dough on a lightly floured surface before rolling it up into small cylinders and then cutting them off. Next place your favorite toppings such as sauce, cheese and pepperoni (or anything else you like) to each cylinder before starting the wrapping process.
Once the dough has been wrapped, you then fry up your pizza logs in a frying pan with olive oil and cook until golden brown. If desired, you can brush some garlic butter on top to give them an extra flavor kick. Finally remove from pan and enjoy!
9. Stuffed Sandwiches
This recipe is great for making sandwiches at the campsite with deli meat, cheese and veggies. Start by cutting some whole wheat or sourdough bread into triangle halves. Add in your favorite sandwich fillings like deli meats, cheese slices, mayonnaise if desired, lettuce, tomato and onion slices (or anything else you desire).
Fold the two pieces of bread back together and brush the outside with some olive oil before toasting for 5-8 minutes. This sandwich should make for a quick, easy and delicious meal!
10. Chocolate Fondue
To cook chocolate fondue you will need to take about half a kilo of dark chocolate (about 1 pound) and chop it into small pieces.
Next place your chopped chocolate in a pan with some heavy cream and start heating it up on an open fire or stove until the chocolate starts to melt.
Add some extra ingredients like marshmallows, dried fruit, cookie dough chunks, pretzels or anything else you can think of before stirring everything together until smooth.
Once combined, these tasty chocolate treats can be scooped up with graham crackers, pretzels or other crunchy snacks for a sweet treat.
11. Grilled Tuna
Grilling your tuna will bring out the best taste to this dish. Start by mixing together some soy sauce and lemon juice in a small bowl before dipping your tuna into the mixture.
Next, place your tuna on an oiled grill for three minutes before flipping and cooking for another three minutes. Finally remove your fish from the pan and enjoy!
12. Campfire Lasagna
To make this dish you will need to take out some Ziploc sandwich bags or aluminum foil containers (all oven-save) and bag up all the ingredients into these containers.
First, start by layering in some sauce, then lasagna noodles (uncooked), followed by mozzarella cheese and pepperoni strips (or anything else you like). Repeat this process until everything is gone and all layers are finished.
After stacking all your ingredients in your containers, place them into the coals of your fire. Let these cook for around an hour or until all ingredients are fully cooked (stirring occasionally).
Finally remove from fire and let cool before enjoying!
13. S’mores
Everyone can enjoy s’mores by making this dessert at your next camping trip. Start by taking out some graham crackers, chocolate bars and marshmallows.
Place your chocolate on top of the graham cracker before adding in a roasted marshmallow for an extra gooey treat.
14. Pizza Buns
To make this dish you will need to take out some refrigerated biscuits or croissant dough and flatten them out on a floured cutting board. Next place some pizza sauce and toppings like cheese and pepperoni (or anything else you desire) before rolling the dough back up into a ball.
Finally, enclose your dough balls by pinching together the edges to seal everything inside. Place your rolls onto an oiled grill for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. This decadent meal is sure to impress all of your friends!
15. Campfire Quesadilla
To make this quick meal start by heating up some tortillas in a frying pan with some oil before adding in your desired fillings like cheese, sliced meat, vegetables and salsa sauce if desired.
Fold your tortilla together by flipping one side over the other to create a half moon shape before enjoying. This is sure to be a crowd pleaser on any camping trip!
16. Cinnamon Roll Casserole
To make this casserole you will need to take out some refrigerated cinnamon rolls and place them on the bottom of a greased Ziploc bag.
Next, take out some sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl before sprinkling it on top of the rolls.
Now add in your desired toppings like butter, chopped nuts or dried fruit before sealing up the bag and burying into the coals for half an hour or until dough has finished cooking. Remove from fire and enjoy!
17. Hobo Dinners
This dish is a classic camping meal that everyone will love! To make, simply take out some red potatoes and arctic onion (you may also choose to add in other vegetables like carrots or beans) and place them on top of aluminum foil. Next add in some oil and spices if desired before wrapping up the ingredients in the foil.
Place these packets onto your fire for around an hour or until potatoes are fully cooked. Open up the packets and enjoy!
18. Dutch Oven Potatoes
These mouthwatering potatoes are made by laying out some bacon strips on top of a greased campfire pan before adding in sliced potatoes, salt and pepper.
Drizzle some olive oil over top of the ingredients before covering with a second campfire pan and burying in the hot coals for around an hour or until all ingredients are fully cooked. Remove from fire and enjoy!
19. Dutch Oven Pulled Pork
For this recipe you will need to take out a whole pork shoulder and rub it in salt, pepper and any other spices you want. Next place the shoulder into a pre-heated Dutch oven before adding in water or broth and covering with the lid.
Place this pot over top of hot coals for around 2 hours or until meat has fully cooked through. Once the meat is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot and place onto a chopping board.
Remove any large bones or chunks of fat before shredding the rest of the pork with two forks. Serve with BBQ sauce if desired and enjoy!
Read more: Best Camping Knives for Outdoor Cooking
20. Dutch Oven Blueberry Cobbler
In order to make this tasty dessert start by taking out some refrigerated crescent roll dough and placing it on top of a greased campfire pan.
Next sprinkle blueberries, sugar and cinnamon over the dough before covering with another campfire pan and burying in the coals for around 30 minutes or until dough has fully cooked. Make sure to check underneath your cobbler halfway through cooking to avoid any burning.
Remove from fire and serve with ice cream, whipped topping or by itself!
21. Camper’s Rice
To make this dish start by taking out a medium sized mixing bowl before adding in 3 cups of boiling water, 1 cup rice, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon butter and some chopped vegetables if desired (carrots, peas, green beans).
Cover the bowl with a plate or some plastic wrap before burying in the coals for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve!
22. Campfire Garlic Knots
To make these garlic knots start by lining a campfire pan with aluminum foil before tearing off some crescent roll dough and stretching it into long strips.
Take out a small bowl of softened butter and garlic powder and drizzle over the dough before adding in some mozzarella cheese and tying the dough into knots. Bury your knots in the coals for around 15 minutes or until dough is fully cooked through. Remove from fire, brush with melted butter if desired and enjoy!
23. Bacon Cheese Fries
This mouthwatering dish starts by laying out some bacon strips on top of a greased campfire pan before adding in sliced potatoes, salt and pepper. Drizzle some olive oil over top of the ingredients before covering with another campfire pan and burying in the hot coals for around an hour or until all ingredients are fully cooked. Once the bacon is crispy and potatoes are cooked through, remove from heat and top with shredded cheese.
Remove from fire and serve!
24. Cooler Smoked Brisket
First, make sure that your smoker is clean before you start or any of your food will turn out less than delicious. Once the smoker is clean, it’s now time to fill it up with logs and put some more charcoal on top. Next, lay down a few large chunks of wood at the very bottom of the smoker and place a drip pan with a few layers of tin foil on top of it. Now all you need to do is just put your food on the racks and let it smoke for around an hour or two before turning it.
After that, enjoy! Just be sure not to overcook the meat and you’ll have a scrumptious meal in no time!
25. Cheese Grits
It is important to make sure that you start off with a pot of water and a pot set over the campfire. Add about a cup and a half of quick cooking grits into the pot of boiling water. Reduce the heat to low, cover with cheese cloth and allow the grits to cook for about 15 minutes or until they reach desired consistency. Remove from fire and enjoy!
26. Campfire Nachos
To make a delicious batch of cheesy campfire nachos, start by lining a campfire pan with aluminum foil before adding in some tortilla chips. Next, top the tortillas with some sliced jalapeno peppers and onions, as well as any other desired toppings. Drizzle olive oil over top before sprinkling shredded cheese over the entire dish. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bury it in the coals for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from heat and enjoy!
27. Sausage Spaghetti
To cook sausage spaghetti on a campfire, first you want to find a flat, level surface. Heat some olive oil in the pan and then add the ground beef and sausage to the pan. While browning the meat, season with salt and pepper. Once browned, drain off any excess fat and water from the meat. Next, add some chopped onions and garlic to the pan with a few tablespoons of red wine and cook for 5 minutes before adding tomato sauce and spices. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat or until sauce thickens.
Add some fresh or dried herbs before serving over pasta noodles or cooked rice.
28. Breakfast Porridge
This dish is similar to oatmeal but includes more grains such as cracked wheat, millet and barley. Add the grains with some cinnamon and salt in a pan with water over the fire and cook until they absorb most of the liquid. This may take around 20 minutes or so depending on your preference for chewyness (is that even a word?). Once oatmeal is cooked add some milk along with maple syrup to taste.
29. Campfire Peach Cobbler
To make campfire peach cobbler, first you need to gather up some ingredients which are peeled peaches cut into wedges, flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder and salt. Next you want to mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl before adding water and vegetable oil. Stir until all ingredients are wet and then place them into a pie pan over the fire. Pour melted butter over top before covering with aluminum foil and placing inside the fire for about 20 minutes to 25 minutes or until batter is cooked through.
Once cobbler is cooked, remove from heat and serve!
30. Slapjacks
It is crucial to start this dish off by mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl before adding water and vegetable oil. Stir until all ingredients are wet and then place them into a pie pan over the fire. Pour melted butter over top before covering with aluminum foil and placing inside the fire for about 20 minutes to 25 minutes or until batter is cooked through.
31. Campfire Hot Dogs
All you need to make delicious, campfire hot dogs are some hot dogs, hamburger buns along with your favorite condiments. Bring water to a boil over the fire in a pot and add the hot dogs. Once they’ve boiled for around 5 minutes remove them from heat and allow the hot dogs to cool down. Once they’ve cooled, place them on the buns along with your favorite condiments and enjoy!
32. Tuna Noodle Casserole
First you want to find a flat, level surface. Heat some olive oil in the pan and then add the ground beef and sausage to the pan. While browning the meat, season with salt and pepper. Once browned, drain off any excess fat and water from the meat. Next, add some chopped onions and garlic to the pan with a few tablespoons of red wine and cook for 5 minutes before adding tomato sauce and spices. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat or until sauce thickens.
33. Spicy Peanut Butter Pasta
First you want to bring water to a boil over the fire in a pot before adding spaghetti noodles, salt and olive oil. Allow it to cook for 12-15 minutes or until cooked through. Next add some creamy peanut butter along with cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, sesame seed oil and soy sauce. Stir until all ingredients are mixed well before adding some fresh lime juice to taste.
Read more: Best Powdered Peanut Butter for Campers and Hikers
34. Campfire Pulled Pork Sandwich
To make the pulled pork you want to get a nice sized pork shoulder (this should be around 3-5 lbs). Next, season the meat on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and cumin. Place the seasoned pork shoulder on some aluminum foil, wrap it into a package before placing on some hot coals for approximately 4-5 hours or until meat pulls apart easily with two forks.
While waiting on the pork you can make buns by mixing self rising flour, yellow cornmeal along with salt and pepper in a bowl. In another bowl combine buttermilk, baking soda and vinegar before combining with the flour mixture. Add some cheddar cheese to taste along with parsley or any other spices you may want to add for flavor!
35. Clam Chowder
To make a delicious clam chowder, first gather clams, potatoes, onions, celery and garlic. Bring water to a boil over the fire in a pot before adding all of these ingredients together. Once everything is cooked through remove from heat and add milk and heavy cream before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
36. White Bean Stew
Start this dish by first browning some pancetta (or bacon) in a cast iron pot. Next add some carrots, onions, garlic and celery in the pot, season with salt and pepper before adding thyme leaves. After cooking for 10 minutes or so you should be able to add white beans along with water or chicken broth. Allow to cook on medium heat for an hour before seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.
37. Campfire Apples
To make campfire apples you will need a stick for roasting, some apples, butter and brown sugar or other spices such as cinnamon! Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat before adding the brown sugar and allow it to boil for 1-2 minutes while stirring continuously. After that, simply place the apples on a stick and roast over the fire for about 3 minutes until caramelized and enjoy!
38. Teriyaki Chicken
First you will need to find some green onions (or scallions), chicken breasts, garlic powder, honey and soy sauce. Next chop up the green onions and add them to a saucepan along with the honey, soy sauce and garlic. Heat until the mixture boils before adding in chicken breasts which have been cut up into smaller pieces. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until no pink remains inside the chicken (be sure to flip it over halfway through).
39. Pizza Rolls
To make pizza rolls you want to roast some red peppers over the open flame before removing the skin and seeds. Next chop up pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese to taste along with any spices such as basil or oregano. Roll out some pizza dough into a thin layer then add in one tablespoon of this mixture into each section before folding the dough over the filling and sealing with a fork. Brush the top of each roll before baking for around 8 minutes at 425 degrees or until golden brown!
40. Veggie Burgers
Combine cooked rice, pinto beans, chili powder, garlic salt along with cayenne pepper in a bowl. Stir well to ensure the mixture has been blended thoroughly before adding in some veggies such as red onions and corn. Add the mixture to a small cast iron skillet before searing each side for around 5 minutes on medium heat. After that, place the veggie burgers on some buns and add your choice of toppings!
Final Thoughts
Luckily for you, we’ve got your back. We know how difficult it can be to get the best food when camping and cooking outside so we went ahead and found some great recipes that are perfect for any campers out there who might need some inspiration!
Of course you can take this list and expand on it however you want to fit the specific tastes of your crew!