What To Make When Camping

Figuring out what to make when camping is one of the best parts of trip planning. It sets the tone for your whole adventure, balancing ease with great taste.

Good camp food keeps you energized, boosts morale, and becomes a core memory. You don’t need to settle for boring meals. With a bit of smart planning, you can eat incredibly well under the open sky. This guide covers everything from no-cook ideas to one-pot wonders, ensuring you spend less time fussing and more time enjoying the fire.

This section is your master list of reliable, delicious camping meal ideas. We’ve broken them down by cooking method to help you match meals to your gear and energy level.

No-Cook & Minimal Prep Meals

Perfect for your first night, long hiking days, or when you just can’t be bothered to light a stove. These require zero heat.

Walking Tacos: Bring individual bags of corn chips. Open the top, add seasoned ground beef (pre-cooked at home and reheated) or black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, and lettuce. Eat right from the bag with a fork.
Hearty Wraps & Sandwiches: Use sturdy tortillas or rolls. Fill with pre-grilled chicken, hummus, sliced cucumbers, bell peppers, and spinach. Peanut butter and banana or jam is a classic that never fails.
Snack-Style Lunch Platters: Assemble a board of crackers, hard cheeses, summer sausage, nuts, dried fruit, and cherry tomatoes. It’s social, easy, and requires no cleanup.
Overnight Oats in a Jar: Before you leave, mix oats, chia seeds, powdered milk, and a pinch of cinnamon in a jar. At camp, just add water, shake, and let it sit overnight. Top with dried berries in the morning.

One-Pot & Skillet Wonders

These meals limit cleanup to a single pot or pan, making them a camper’s best friend. They’re hearty and simple.

Campfire Chili: Brown pre-seasoned ground turkey or beef at home. At camp, add it to a pot with canned beans, diced tomatoes, corn, and chili powder. Simmer until heated through.
One-Pot Pasta: In a large pot, combine pasta, jarred pasta sauce, water, and pre-cooked meatballs or sliced sausage. Bring to a boil and simmer until the pasta is cooked. Stir in some parmesan.
Hearty Breakfast Skillet: In a cast-iron pan, cook chopped bacon or sausage. Add diced potatoes (pre-boiled at home to save time), then scramble in eggs. Top with shredded cheddar.
Quick Campfire Jambalaya: Sauté sliced smoked sausage, add a bag of pre-chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper (the “holy trinity” mix from the store). Stir in instant rice, canned diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Cover and cook until rice is tender.

Foil Packet Magic

Foil packet meals are incredibly versatile and cook directly in the coals. Each person can customize their own.

Basic Method: Tear off a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place ingredients in the center. Bring the long sides together and fold down in a series of tight seals, then roll up the ends to create a sealed packet.

Lemon Herb Salmon & Asparagus: Place a salmon fillet on foil. Add asparagus spears, lemon slices, dill, salt, pepper, and a pat of butter. Seal tightly.
Italian Sausage & Veggies: Add sliced smoked sausage, chunks of potato, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
Breakfast Packet: Scramble 2 eggs with a bit of milk in a bowl first, then pour into the foil packet. Add diced ham, frozen hash browns, and cheese. Be careful when sealing.

Cook packets on hot coals for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway. Let cool for a minute before opening the steam.

Stick & Skewer Classics

Food on a stick is fun and feels quintessentially campy. It’s interactive and cooks quickly.

Hot Dogs & Brats: The all-time classic. Use a long, sturdy stick or a camp fork. Cook over flames, not directly in them, to avoid charring.
Campfire Kebabs: Skewer chunks of chicken (pre-marinated at home), bell peppers, onions, and pineapple. Grill over the fire, turning often, until chicken is cooked through.
Biscuit Dough on a Stick: Buy canned biscuit dough. Wrap a strip of dough around the end of a clean, peeled stick. Cook over medium heat, rotating slowly, until golden brown. Slide off and fill with jam or Nutella.

Sweet Campfire Treats

No camping trip is complete without a sweet ending roasted over the fire.

S’mores: Graham cracker, chocolate square, toasted marshmallow, top with another cracker. Try using peanut butter cups instead of plain chocolate for a twist.
Banana Boats: Slit a banana lengthwise (keep the peel on). Stuff with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Wrap in foil and heat in the coals for 5-10 minutes until melted. Eat with a spoon.
Grilled Fruit: Skewer peach halves or pineapple slices. Grill until caramelized and warm. Serve with a drizzle of honey or a scoop of shelf-stable whipped cream.

Essential Camp Cooking Gear List

Having the right tools makes all the difference. You don’t need a full kitchen, just these basics.

Stove & Fuel: A reliable camp stove (canister or liquid fuel) and extra fuel.
Cookware: A nesting pot set or a deep skillet with a lid. A cast-iron pan is great for fire cooking.
Utensils: Long-handled spatula and spoon, tongs, a sharp knife, and a cutting board.
Tools: Can opener, bottle opener, heavy-duty aluminum foil, ziplock bags, biodegradable soap, sponge, and a small towel.
Safety & Extras: Heat-resistant gloves, a lighter/matches in a waterproof container, and a small fire extinguisher or water bottle for safety.

Meal Planning & Food Safety Tips

A little planning prevents stress and waste, and keeps your food safe to eat.

Planning Your Menu

Plan by Day: Write down each meal. Make the first night’s dinner a no-cook or easy one-pot meal.
Prep Ahead: Chop veggies, marinate meats, pre-cook rice or pasta, and mix dry spice blends at home. Store in labeled containers or bags.
Pack Smart: Use a cooler with blocks of ice (they last longer than cubes). Pack meals in the order you’ll use them, with the first on top. Keep non-perishables separate.

Critical Food Safety Rules

Getting sick on a trip is the worst. Follow these rules closely.

Keep Cold Food Cold: Your cooler should stay at 40°F or below. Limit how often you open it. Keep raw meats in a leak-proof bag at the bottom.
Cook Thoroughly: Use a meat thermometer. Poultry should reach 165°F, ground meats 160°F, and steaks/chopps 145°F.
The Two-Hour Rule: Don’t let perishable food sit out for more than two hours (one hour if it’s over 90°F). Put leftovers back in the cooler quickly.
Water Safety: If you’re not sure about the water source, boil it for at least one minute, use a certified filter, or chemical treatment tablets.

Sample 3-Day Camping Menu

Here’s a practical menu to inspire your own plan. It balances effort with reward.

Day 1:

Lunch: Snack platter in the car.

Dinner: Walking Tacos (using pre-cooked taco meat).

Dessert: S’mores.

Day 2:

Breakfast: Hearty Breakfast Skillet.

Lunch: Hummus and veggie wraps.

Dinner: Foil packet salmon with asparagus and instant rice.

Dessert: Banana Boats.

Day 3:

Breakfast: Overnight oats (prepped the night before).

Lunch: Leftover chili reheated over the stove.

Dinner: One-pot pasta with sausage (easy before packing up).

Adapting to Different Camp Styles

Your cooking approach changes weather your car is ten feet away or your kitchen is in your backpack.

Car Camping

You have the luxury of space and weight. Bring a cooler, a two-burner stove, and more fresh ingredients. Cast iron dutch ovens and griddles are great options here.

Backpacking

Weight and space are critical. Focus on lightweight, dehydrated, or freeze-dried meals. Repackage everything to minimize trash. A single small backpacking stove and pot is your kitchen. Simpler meals like instant mashed potatoes with tuna or dehydrated chili are staples.

Large Group Camping

Plan meals that scale easily, like big-batch chili, pasta, or taco bars. Assign meals to different people or families to share the work. Make sure you have a large enough stove or cooking fire area to manage the volume.

FAQ: Your Camp Cooking Questions Answered

What are some easy camping meals for beginners?

Stick to no-cook meals like wraps and platters, or simple one-pot dishes like canned soup upgraded with extra veggies. Hot dogs and pre-made foil packets are also foolproof starting points.

How do you keep food cold while camping?

Use a high-quality cooler with block ice. Pre-chill everything before it goes in. Keep the cooler in the shade, covered with a blanket, and open it as infrequently as possible. Consider separate coolers for drinks (opened often) and food (opened rarely).

What can you cook on a campfire without a pot?

Foil packets are your best bet. You can also cook hot dogs, kebabs, or biscuit dough directly on sticks. For a breakfast, try cracking an egg into a hollowed-out orange peel and placing it near the coals to cook.

How do you clean dishes when camping?

Use a three-basin system: one with hot, soapy water for washing; one with clean hot water for rinsing; and one with a little bleach and water for sanitizing. Scrape all food scraps into your trash bag first. Use biodegradable soap and dispose of wastewater at least 200 feet from any water source.

What are good camping meals without a cooler?

Focus on shelf-stable items: canned chicken or tuna, instant rice, pasta, dried beans, hard cheeses, summer sausage, nuts, dried fruits, and powdered milk. You can make meals like pasta with canned sauce or rice and beans.

Figuring out what to make when camping is a skill that gets better every trip. Start with simple recipes and gradually try more adventurous ones as you get comfortable with your gear. The most important ingredient is always the company and the setting. A meal shared outside after a day of fresh air always tastes better, no matter how simple it is. With this guide, you’re ready to plan a menu that’s practical, delicious, and adds to the joy of your outdoor experience. Remember to always follow Leave No Trace principles, packing out all your trash and minimizing your impact so others can enjoy the wilderness too.