20 Camping Meals for the Perfect Outdoor Excursion
This is the best campsite cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Whether you're nestled into the woods of a national park or setting up a tent lakeside, camping offers a chance to breathe in the crisp air, listen to the rustling leaves, and marvel at nature's beauty. By sleeping under the stars and making yourself at home in the wild, you can enjoy getting back to basics without the pressures of daily life and the distractions of modern technology. The food you cook in the great outdoors can also transform the experience. Whether you're brewing a fresh pot of coffee over a crackling campfire or savoring a hearty stew simmered under a starlit sky, the camping meals you prepare aren't just sustenance—they're part of a ritual that enhances the overall adventure. These are experts' top 20 camping recipes for your next excursion into the wild.
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What Kind of Food Is Best for Camping?
Steve Corson, who goes by the name Chef Corso, is the founder of Outdoor Eats, a site devoted to trail-tested recipes and backpacking meals. He says camping recipes can include "anything that gets you excited for meal time," suggesting that outdoor eating has fewer restrictions than many people realize.
However, he notes a few key considerations that could make your life easier on your next camping trip: "Bring items that can last without refrigeration for multiple days as well as items that are lower in pack weight and pack volume."
Dan Morris, outdoor expert and owner of Fire and Saw, says thinking ahead is the key to making camping meals for the perfect outdoor excursion: "When considering what types of food to bring camping, there are three big things to keep in mind. First, plan meals and snacks with as few ingredients as possible. Next, consider options that can be partially prepared beforehand. Lastly, plan meals that require as little cleaning up as possible."
Finally, you'll also want to invest in just a few simple tools—think a camp stove, cast iron cook-all, lid lifter and iron stand, and a pie iron—which will allow you to cook all the meals you'll need while enjoying the splendor of nature.
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Easy Camping Meals: Breakfast
You're up at the crack of dawn, the sunlight streaming through the trees. Making the perfect breakfast will get your day off to a good start. Here's what the experts suggest.
1. Wild West Beef Hash
If you want a feast for the senses that relies on very few ingredients and requires nearly no prep time, Erica Blaire Roby, the founder, owner, and champion pit master behind Blue Smoke Blaire BBQ, recommends making a Wild West Beef Hash.
This is a simple meal made in a single cast iron skillet that combines ground beef, potatoes (or sweet potatoes), salsa, corn, cheddar cheese, and cilantro. Using this recipe as a baseline, you can add any additional vegetables you desire.
"This flavorful skillet is sure to be a crowd-pleaser at your campsite. Top with a fried egg for a hearty breakfast!" Roby says.
2. Beef and Egg Tamale Skillet
Roby next recommends trying a beef and egg tamale skillet. This skillet uses many of the same ingredients as the aforementioned beef hash but adds scrambled eggs, tortilla chips, onions, and bell peppers. This is a good strategy if you're looking to limit the number of grocery items you're bringing on your camping trip without sacrificing a feeling of relative variety.
"Using leftover beef means you can have this dish ready in under 30 minutes," Roby notes.
3. Pancakes with Fruit and Nuts
Pancakes are another simple breakfast food you can make with little difficulty at your campsite—especially if you pack a pre-made pancake mix that requires only the addition of water or perhaps water, oil, and eggs. You'll need either a frying pan or a cast-iron skillet, as well as some oil or butter, but you're likely to find it just as easy to make pancakes outdoors as cooking in the comfort of your kitchen.
Top them off with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, and a little drizzle of maple syrup or a teaspoon of Nutella.
4. Traditional English Breakfast
Though it includes quite a few ingredients, a traditional English breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, toast, and potatoes—baked beans and a tomato garnish optional—is also well-suited for a camping trip. Kate Smith, a health and wellness coach and the food blogger behind Cooking Like Kate, suggests this as a hearty and filling breakfast for your next outdoor excursion.
Part of what makes this so appealing is that, minus the beans, it can be made in a single cook-all cast-iron pan, with the eggs, bacon, and potatoes cooking on the bottom, and the toast cooking on the pan's grill top. Simply season it with salt and pepper and your favorite spices to make the flavors pop.
5. Cereal, Granola, or Oatmeal
Cereal, granola, and oatmeal also offer extremely simple solutions for breakfast. Smith recommends keeping these in your cooler—along with milk and some fresh or dried fruit and nuts as toppings—in case you'd prefer to keep things especially simple at the campsite.
6. Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast burritos are another simple meal you can make on your cast iron skillet. In one pan, combine onions, potatoes, sausage, tomatoes, and scrambled eggs (black beans are optional). Then, fold those ingredients into a tortilla, add fresh avocado, and grill your burrito until the outside is crispy golden brown.
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Easy Camping Meals: Lunch
Looking for something simple yet satisfying for your midday meal? These are the best lunches to make at the campsite.
7. Burgers with Grilled Onions
Hamburgers are a great go-to lunch meal when you're camping. "Cook up your beef and onions on your campsite grill and then pair with your favorite toppings and sauces," says Roby.
To make them, you'll need ground beef or turkey, buns, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions for grilling alongside your burgers, and any condiments you enjoy.
8. Classic Kabobs
Kabobs make an ideal camping meal because you can pre-marinate them before you leave for your trip. Combine your favorite meat and vegetables on a skewer, let them soak in your favorite marinade overnight, and seal them in a sturdy container or Ziploc bag before placing them in a cooler to be transported.
"With some quick prep and assembly at home, these kabobs can serve as a colorful and satisfying lunch easily prepared over an open campfire," says Roby.
9. Pre-Made Grain Bowls
Smith also recommends making pre-made grain bowls, which you can store in the cooler, ready to be eaten. These might include your favorite combination of whole grains, proteins, vegetables, beans or legumes, and sauce.
10. Shakshuka
Mary Nguyen, executive chef and owner of the Denver eateries Olive & Finch and Little Finch, recommends making campfire shakshuka. This fan-favorite meal is a popular brunch menu item, but there's no reason you can't make it outdoors.
"Depending on your preference, you can assemble this entire dish at the campsite, or you can make the shakshuka base in advance and bring it to the campsite with you for an easy, nutritious hot brunch," Nguyen tells Best Life.
To try it, you'll need three tablespoons of olive oil, one chopped yellow onion, six cups of chopped tomatoes, half a cup of tomato sauce, two red bell peppers, three cloves of garlic, and one teaspoon each of coriander, paprika, and ground cumin.
"Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, spices, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened," Nguyen says, noting that this should take about five minutes. "Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover it and let it simmer for about 15 minutes," allowing it to reduce and then cool.
Once you're ready to eat it, "add the shakshuka to a heavy cast iron pot. Using a wooden spoon, make six evenly spaced indentations, or 'wells,' in the tomato mixture and gently crack an egg into each indention. Reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook on low until the egg whites are set. Uncover it and add the cilantro and feta, then serve it with a baguette for dipping," Nguyen advises.
11. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
A grilled cheese sandwich is one of the simplest lunch items you can make while camping—especially if you have a pie iron or grill top. Simply put two pieces of sliced cheese between two pieces of bread, slather a bit of butter on the outside, and bring it to high heat. You can also add sliced meats, such as grilled chicken or deli meats, and any vegetables you may have on hand.
For an even simpler approach, skip the fire and make regular sandwiches with cold cuts and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or hummus and vegetables. Corso also suggests a BLTA sandwich featuring bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
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Easy Camping Meals: Dinner
Just because you're camping doesn't mean you can't have a memorable meal. These delicious and hearty dinners won't disappoint.
12. Strip Steaks with Mexican-Style Grilled Corn
"Looking to take your campfire meal to the next level? Try serving a steak dinner! The best part of this recipe is that it only requires a portable griddle and some tongs," says Roby, who recommends pairing it with Mexican-style corn.
Before you leave for your outdoor excursion, make your marinade (a popular choice would be some combination of olive oil, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt and pepper, and garlic). Add your steaks to the mixture two to eight hours before you intend to eat, allowing them to soak up all the flavors.
As you grill your steaks, throw a few ears of shucked corn alongside them. Once they're grilled, coat them in mayonnaise, roll them in Cotija cheese, dust them with chili powder, and serve them with a wedge of lime.
13. Baby Back Ribs with Corn Bread
If you have a camping grill, baby back ribs also make a great outdoor dinner since you'll only need meat, seasoning, and barbeque sauce. You can pair these with baked beans, corn bread, and, if you like, a dram of whiskey. Try TINCUP's Adventure Pack for a double-walled, stainless steel canteen bottle designed to be campsite-friendly.
14. One-Pot Pasta, Chili, or Stew
Making a one-pot chili or stew can help feed your camping crew without adding unnecessary prep or cleaning. Though you could certainly make these meals on the spot, you can also prepare your usual recipes in advance and freeze them. Then, when you're ready, just toss it into a pot to reheat it.
If you opt for a one-pot pasta dish, you can pre-make your pasta sauce at home (either a meat sauce or veggie sauce), then boil your pasta by putting hot water on your camping stove for the effect of a freshly made meal.
15. Foil Pouch Meals
Another easy cooking strategy for camping is to create foil pouch meals, says Cierra de Gruyter, co-founder and chief visionary officer of Next Level Burger, America's first 100-percent plant-based burger joint chain. Her favorite is a tofu and broccoli pouch, which combines potatoes, onion, broccoli florets, and cubed tofu for a satisfying meal.
"In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Combine the spices with the [vegetable and protein] mixture and gently stir to coat evenly. Lay out two large pieces of aluminum foil (about 18" x 10") and split the vegetable mixture between the two pieces of foil," advises de Gruyter.
Then, fold two layers of foil around the vegetables to form a pouch, ensuring the vegetables are fully covered, and the foil is folded together tightly at all seams. Place both pouches inside a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (or reusable and sealable container), refrigerate them, and pack them in a cooler for the campsite.
Once you're at the camp, remove your vegetable foil pouches from the plastic bag and place them directly on top of hot coals, cooking them for 40-50 minutes. Carefully remove them from the fire, open the foil, and enjoy!
16. Sausage, Onions, and Peppers in a Toasted Bun
Hotdogs are classic camping fare, but if you want to dial it up a notch, opt for gourmet sausages with sautéed or grilled veggies on top. To have everything you need, bring Italian sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and your favorite mustard. Toast the bun over an open flame and pile on the fixings.
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Easy Snack Ideas for Camping
The experts also recommend bringing simple, easy-to-reach-for snacks that require minimal prep. Though s'mores and trail mix are undoubtedly popular, you might want to explore other staples.
17. Charcuterie Board
Corso recommends bringing charcuterie, such as dry cured meats, aged cheeses, and your favorite bread or crackers. Canned olives, grape leaves, artichokes, and hearts of palm can enhance your snack board with near-zero effort.
18. Your Favorite Dips
Next, Corso recommends bringing your favorite homemade dips. A few of his favorites are chorizo queso dip, buffalo chicken dip, and bacon and brie dip. Bring chips and cut veggies for an easy pairing.
19. Campfire Popcorn
Popcorn always makes a delicious snack, but there's something much more fun about making it directly over your campfire. You can do this with the help of a designated popcorn popper or any pot with a lid.
20. Peanut Butter Granola Balls
Finally, peanut butter granola balls are a high-protein snack that will keep your energy up while you're camping. You can make them at home before you go and pack them in a Ziploc bag or sealed container for a quick and easy snack any time you like.
