Camping is one of the best things about summer. It’s a fun way to spend time with your family and connect, sleeping under the stars and avoiding social media. Outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, and watching birds are great reasons to love camping. But you’ll need to eat before any of these activities, so before you sleep, check out our list of quick camping meal ideas for backpackers that will fill you up.
Tools Needed to Make Camping Food
When cooking outside, you need all the right equipment so that everything goes as planned. Outdoor adventure stores, such as Deermaple, have small, light tools that you can examine if you have limited space.
- Cooler
- Chef’s knife
- Aluminum foil
- Spatula
- Cutting board
- Tongs
- Eating utensils
- Water jugs for cleaning
- Fire-safe pot/skillet/dutch oven
Breakfast Food for Camping
When the sun rises, you want a full breakfast by the fire. If you like coffee, buy a small French press or Aeropress before camping. There is no reason why anyone should ever have to drink instant coffee.
Stuffed French Toast: For breakfast, try stuffed French toast. It will make you wonder why you even brought those pre-packaged oatmeals. Put mascarpone and blackberries on a “sandwich,” then dip it in eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon sauce. Put it on the stove and cook it until it turns golden brown. This is one of the most camping meal ideas for families with kids and easy camping meal ideas on a budget.
Pancakes: Since you can prepare the mix in a plastic bag or a jug and add water, pancakes are easily portable and accessible on the go. In terms of the pan, you could even use cooking spray to grease, oil, or melt butter and coat it. Do not forget the sugar!
Overnight Oats: Overnight oats are a great breakfast you don’t have to cook. They’re also great for camping because they contain protein and fiber. They’re also easy to change by adding mix-ins. The night before, make them with water and oats. Top them with granola, berries, nuts, seeds, or anything else you like the next morning. You can also use powdered milk, but some people don’t like that kind of milk.
One-Skillet Meals
If you have room in your car or van, a cast-iron skillet might be the best thing to bring to your camping trip. Even though they’re heavy, they give you a real country feel. You also don’t have to worry about damaging your nice pan.
Grilled chicken fajitas: This can be made as a foil-wrapped meal (see below). I love meals that are easy to make and come in a foil packet. This one is an especially good camping meal ideas for one person because it is full of protein and taste. The packages contain chicken, rice, bell peppers, and spiced onions.
Mac-N-Cheese: Mac-N-Cheese is comfort food only if it has been over the grill. You can add any protein you decide to add nutrient value to your diet.
Flame Pizza: You only need a flame, sauce, toppings, and dough already made and put in the fridge. Spread the dough out in a greased cast-iron pan. Put it over the fire and cook until the bottom is golden. Then, turn it over and cook the other side. Add the sauce, toppings, and shredded cheese. Cook until the crust is done and the fixings are warmed through.
Carne Asada Nachos: Eat these near a fire pit with a frying pan of crunchy tortilla chips, fresh beef steak, scrumptious queso, and cut-up vegetables. Some foods, such as the steak and the vegetables, should be cooked in advance and saved for heating up over the fire.
Ideas for Grilled Camping Food
Cooking over an open fire is possible if you bring your own grate. You can also use the little grills that some campsites have! After a day of exploring and “roughing it,” get ready for some of the best food you’ve ever had.
Grilled Street Corn: Grated street corn, or “Elote” in Mexico, is a famous street food you can eat anywhere. Remove the silk from your corn without removing the whole husk. Place the husks back on top and grill over a grate over the fire for 10 to 15 minutes, turning the food often. Mix the chili powder, salt, and mayo to make a hot spread. Sprinkle crumbled Cojita cheese and chopped cilantro on top of your corn.
Maple Sriracha Chicken Kabobs: Kabobs are great to roast over a fire because they cook on the stick. These Maple Sriracha Chicken Kabobs are an example. Prepare the chicken ahead of time, put it all in a bag, and then add it to the pan when you get there!
Piñatas: Use a tortilla instead of a bun to make regular hot dogs into “tacos.” Tostadas can be used for many things and are easy to pack. Stick them on skewers and cook them. Then, put them on a tortilla with your choice of toppings, like cheese, guacamole, salsa, etc.
Dutch Oven Camping Recipes
Do not forget to buy a Dutch pot with legs if you go camping. Cooking in a Dutch oven is very different from cooking in your home, so here’s a full guide on using one over a campfire. There are many ways to keep the oven’s temperature stable, especially when wind or outside weather needs to be considered.
Campfire Chili: Like all campfire recipes, a good campfire chili comprises various gravy and filling ingredients. One of my favorite recipes is Red Based, which uses black beans, dark red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, garlic powder, and cumin. It also involves chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
Omelet in a Bag: This is great for when you have a lot of people over. You can mix the eggs and put different amounts into plastic bags. Then, each person can add cheese, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, and fresh herbs. Do not wash the bags; boil them right in them instead.
Bacon Cheese Pull-apart Bread: Thaw the frozen dinner roll dough first, then cut each roll in half. Then, heat the butter and put it in a 12-inch-wide Dutch oven. Cover the cut rolls with melted butter and put them in the Dutch oven. Add cheese and bacon that has already been cooked. Put a lid on top and let the dough rise until it doubles. Toast it over the fire until it’s fluffy and light.
Prepare Ahead Camping Recipes
It can be easier to cook some things before leaving for the campsite. When it’s time to serve, you only have to cook or warm up the food.
Mason Jar Ramen: Backpackers always bring instant noodles, which is even better. Fill mason jars with noodles, vegetables, and spices at home. When ready to eat, use your campfire kettle to boil water and pour it into the jars.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad: It’s okay if you can’t cook over a campfire. A recipe like this will save you. Rinsed and canned chili beans should be mixed with cucumber, red bell pepper, feta cheese, parsley, capers, green onions, kalamata olives, black olives, celery, and feta cheese. Add a Greek dressing on top.
Easy Buttermilk Cornbread Muffins: Cornbread is always a treat, whether you eat it by itself or use it to scoop up the last bit of chili. Muffins that are already divided up make it easy to pack and serve!
Best Desserts for Camping
Campfire S’mores Nachos: If it sounds like roasting a marshmallow on a stick and placing it atop graham crackers with a chocolate chip, you will be shocked to learn how difficult this is. You only have to cook these nachos just once. Besides the typical s’mores items typically used, you will need foil and a pan for this recipe. You don’t have to arrange the ingredients in any particular order; pile it all on a piece of foil and grill it over hot coals until it’s all melty.
Campfire Banana Boats: Banana boat is one of the easiest snacks you can prepare, especially when you are out camping. It has the flavor of a s’more and the forgotten dessert of summer: the banana split. It might sound silly but put a banana piece in front of the fire, split it, and fill it with your choice of toppings. Then, wrap it in tin foil.
Cherry Cobbler: You can make a delicious crumbled cherry cobbler pie with a yellow cake mix, a can of pie filling, and any extra spices you like.
Foil Packet Meals for Camping
Tin foil is so easy to clean up after cooking. Aluminum foil quickly heats up and cools down because it is a great heat carrier. Don’t forget to add your favorite spices; there’s nothing worse than boring food while camping. Chopped vegetables are always a good choice for foil-box meals. My favorites are carrots, zucchini, potatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower.
- Green beans, potatoes, and sausage
- Hash Browns with Ham and Cheese
- Italian Sausage and vegetables
- Foil packets in the Cajun style
- Grilled chicken and vegetables
Tips on How to Cook Food While Camping
Consider a stove: A smaller camp stove that runs on fuel or alcohol can be a great buy if you only cook for one or two people, especially when traveling. The one I used for two weeks was made from two beer cans. At REI, campfires cost as little as $20. But if you’re cooking for a big group, you might want to use a campfire or a bigger grill to cook more food at once.
Get Ove Glove: You might think you can’t be hurt, but if you get too close to those hot coals, you could get badly burned and drop the food into the fire. Then, everyone must skip camping and go to the nearest urgent care center and McDonald’s instead. Get a glove that can handle the heat and use it. They’re cheap, useful, and simple to find in many shops.
Make it easy to clean up after your meal: Not all campsites have running water or sinks where you can wash your dishes. You might need to bring buckets of water and a tub for cleaning up. If so, get a camp soap that breaks down naturally and doesn’t harm the earth. Do not forget a dish towel!
Make sure your camp food doesn’t spoil quickly: In general, you should avoid milk and raw meat while deciding on your meals during the camping; if you don’t have a refrigerator with you. As for the last of the conceivable rationalizations, what will you do, suggest that those in the field have to eat freeze-dried lasagna or freeze-dried pizza?. For a short trip, bring a cooler with lots of ice, or choose camping meal ideas that don’t require refrigeration. That way, you can eat many of the same foods you make at home (until the ice melts). Do any measuring you need to do before you go camping. No one wants to look for the teaspoon for ten minutes.
Keep your food protected from wildlife: You might want to buy a “bear bag” that you can hang from a high tree branch so hungry animals can’t get to it. I did this every night for two weeks, and after that, I looked forward to the big hunt for a branch that was just tall enough to throw my line over it. There are bear boxes at some campsites, especially those in national or state parks, where you can keep your food safe. Find out about the place before you go so you’re ready. Do something about bugs (flies can be a pain): buy a citronella candle, bug spray, or a mesh screen for the oven.
The food you make while camping can be as fun and tasty as at home. These camping meal ideas will ensure you never go hungry, whether camping with your family, looking for camping meal ideas for one person, camping meal ideas for vegetarians, or walking through the woods. With a little planning and imagination, you can enjoy gourmet meals while being close to nature. Have fun camping!
