Camping food doesn’t need to be complicated or boring! Include some of these tasty camping food ideas on your camping menu and you will look forward to every meal.
Jump to: Camp cooking tips | Camping breakfasts | Camp dinners | Sides and salads | Camping desserts
Top camp cooking tips
Pack a good camping stove. You can cook just about anything on a two-burner camping stove that you could cook on your stovetop at home. The trick is making sure that your stove offers decent wind protection and simmer control. We recommend this camping stove, or check out our full review on the best camping stoves here!
Prep what you can ahead of time. Make your life easier once you are at the campsite by doing some of the work ahead of time. Chop vegetables, pre-cut meat for kabobs, make your marinades and sauces. You’ll thank yourself when you have a little extra time to relax in camp before you have to start cooking!
Start with meals and techniques you’re familiar with. If you are new to camp cooking, set yourself up for success by choosing camp meals and cooking techniques that you already use at home. Remember, there’s no ordering take out for plan B, so this might not be the time to attempt a souffle for the first time 😉 Luckily, most of the meals we’re sharing with you are easy enough to try on your next camping trip!
Brush up on some of your camp skills. Learn about how to pack a cooler properly, how to wash dishes at a campsite, and how to use a camping Dutch oven.
Camping breakfast ideas
A great day outdoors starts with a great breakfast. Here are a few of our favorite camping breakfast ideas. Oh, and don’t forget about the camp coffee!!
1. Apple Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
Few things are as satisfying on a camping trip as a good breakfast sandwich. It has all the hit ingredients of all-American breakfast, assembled together in a convenient grab-and-go package. This recipe features homemade maple and apple sausage patties, melty cheese, and is topped with a fried egg.
Get the recipe
2. Banana Bread Pancakes
Who would settle for regular old pancakes when you could start your morning with Banana Bread Pancakes?! Just add walnuts, banana, and a scoop of brown sugar and you’ll start the day with a real treat.
Get the recipe
3. Cast Iron Frittata
If you’re looking for a hearty car camping breakfast, look no further than this cast iron frittata! Blistered cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and shallots all layered together with cheese and eggs, a frittata is a wonderful way to start your morning.
Get the recipe
4. Halloumi Breakfast Sandwich
Four words: FRIED CHEESE AND EGGS. This is one of our favorite camping breakfasts!
Get the recipe
5. French Toast
French toast is a camp classic. In this recipe, we break down the basics so you can make perfect French toast, every time!
Get the recipe
6. Cinnamon Apple Pancakes
Light, fluffy, and layered with incredible apple flavor, these cinnamon apple cider pancakes are the ultimate fall weather camping breakfast. If you like spiced apple cider, you’re going to LOVE these pancakes!
Get the recipe
7. Chorizo and Sweet Potato Hash
Sweet potato breakfast hash with crumbled chorizo sausage and diced scallions—this super satisfying one skillet breakfast is a perfect way to start the day.
Get the recipe
8. French Toast Sticks
These French Toast Sticks are on the table quickly and are fun for kids and adults.
Get the recipe
9. Super Seed Apple Oatmeal
When we need a quick, no fuss breakfast that isn’t boring, we cook up a pot of this apple oatmeal. It’s loaded with chia, flax, and hemp seeds for an extra nutritional boost, and sweetened with cinnamon apples.
Get the recipe
10. Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles is an easy camping breakfast – crispy tortillas simmered in a spicy tomato sauce and topped with a few eggs. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, and it’s vegetarian, too!
Get the recipe
11. Stuffed French Toast
Filled with fresh strawberries and sweet mascarpone cheese, this stuffed french toast recipe is an easy way to upgrade a classic camping breakfast.
12. Chickpea Breakfast Hash
For an extra protein punch, we swapped out traditional potatoes with chickpeas in this simple breakfast hash recipe.
Get the recipe
13. Shakshuka
This easy shakshuka recipe is loaded with flavor. Eggs poached in a slightly spicy pepper & tomato sauce, then topped with feta cheese – perfect for enjoying with a slice of crusty bread.
Get the recipe
14. Vegan Coconut French Toast
Confession: we are not vegan, but we still LOVE this recipe. The batter is made with banana and coconut milk, which gives this French toast a subtle tropical vibe.
Get the recipe
Camping Dinner Ideas
After a day full of hiking and outdoor adventure, nothing beats returning to camp and enjoying a great meal while relaxing around the campfire.
15. Dutch Oven Chili
An entire meal that cooks in one pot, this Dutch oven chili and cornbread recipe is perfect for cool-weather camping.
Get the recipe
16. Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
These Shrimp Boil Foil Packets are quick to prepare, easy to clean up, and can be cooked directly over a campfire or BBQ. Just assemble your ingredients, seal them inside using aluminum foil and parchment paper, and place them over your campfire or grill!
Get the recipe
17. Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
We set out to make a better veggie burger, and this sweet potato and black bean burger checked all the right boxes!
Get the recipe
18. Brats with Peppers and Onions
Caramelized onions and peppers are the perfect accompaniment for brats!
Get the recipe
19. Dutch Oven Enchiladas
Cheesy, spicy, and oh so filling – these veggie-stuffed Dutch Oven Enchiladas are a campfire favorite.
Get the recipe
20. Lentil Sloppy Joes
A whole-foods take on classic camp fare, these red lentil sloppy joes are vegan AND can be cooked in just one pot!
Get the recipe
21. Campfire Grilled Fish Tacos
These campfire grilled fish tacos couldn’t be easier to make! Season the fish with lime, chili, and cumin, then grill on the fire. Stuff into a tortilla with a scoop of the spicy corn salsa and dig in!
Get the recipe
22. Grilled Gyro Kebabs
Grilled lamb, tomatoes, and halloumi cheese served with a yogurt sauce – it’s like a gyro on a stick!
Get the recipe
23. Grilled Chicken Veggie Skewers
A simple marinade and fresh vegetables make these chicken skewers a healthy option for your next camping trip.
Get the recipe
24. Halloumi Tacos
Halloumi is a grillable cheese and we think the perfect way to use it while camping is to stuff it into tacos!
Get the recipe
25. Grilled Ratatouille Kebabs
These vegetable kebabs would make a bright, colorful addition to any camping menu.
Get the recipe
26. Campfire Paella
We camp a lot on the coast, so we always pick up some fresh shellfish on our way to the campsite so we can make this simple but stunning campfire paella!
Get the recipe
27. One Pot Protein Pasta
Why settle for a bowl of carbs, when it could be packed full of protein, too?! We use lentil pasta in this one-pot meal to up the nutritional profile.
Get the recipe
28. BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
Combining BBQ sauce, pan-fried chicken, melty Colby Jack cheese, and tangy pickled red onions, these “gourmet” quesadillas are the perfect camping lunch or dinner!
Get the recipe
29. One Pot Beef Stroganoff
Our take on one of our favorite comfort foods, this beef stroganoff is simple to make in one pot.
Get the recipe
30. Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos
This vegan taco is loaded with plant-based goodness – roasty sweet potatoes, charred peppers, and smoky black beans.
Get the recipe
31. Dutch Oven Lasagna
This lasagna cooks in a Dutch oven over your campfire and is loaded with cheesy goodness.
Get the recipe
32. Sweet Potato Peanut Stew
This hearty stew is loaded with flavor and will warm you from the inside out – perfect for early or late-season camping trips!
Get the recipe
33. Chili Mac
This One Pot Chili Mac is a tasty and satisfying camping meal! Cheesy noodles with perfectly browned ground beef and protein packed beans, everyone will love this nostalgic one pot meal.
Get the recipe
34. Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken Tacos
Using a quick citrus marinade, these grilled chicken tacos offer a blast of summer flavor.
Get the recipe
35. Campfire Pizza
Make Pizza Night part of your camping menu! This pizza cooks in a cast iron skillet over your campfire and can be made with all your favorite toppings.
Get the recipe
36. Dutch Oven Red Beans and Rice
Smoky, spicy, and deeply satisfying, this hearty one-pot meal is a camp-friendly adaptation of red beans and rice.
Get the recipe
37. Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
With bright, tropical flavors, these Pineapple Chicken Kabobs are an easy, fuss-free camping meal perfect for summertime grilling!
Get the recipe
38. Veggie Dutch Oven Stew
This Vegetable Stew is an awesome Dutch oven camping meal that is hearty and full of flavor.
Get the recipe
39. Blackened Shrimp Tacos
Bold, spicy, and incredibly quick-cooking, these Cajun blackened shrimp tacos deliver a robust flavor that can easily be pulled off in a matter of minutes.
Get the recipe
40. White Bean Chili
A delicate balance of spicy and sweet, white bean chili is a great one pot meal for warm weather camping. A little lighter than the traditional tomato-based version, this white chili is just as flavorful and filling.
Get the recipe
Grilled Sweet Potato Fajitas
Grilled sweet potato “steaks”, roasted peppers and onions, and a New Mexican chile marinade, these vegan campfire fajitas are a new take on an old classic.
Get the recipe
42. Dutch Oven Chicken Marbella
Sweet, savory, and saucy, this Dutch oven recipe for Chicken Marbella delivers a “gourmet” campfire experience but without any of the work.
Get the recipe
Camping Sides and Salads
43. Grilled Asparagus Bundles
Grilled asparagus wrapped with crispy prosciutto, these quick and easy prosciutto asparagus bundles are a great way to class up your camping happy hour.
Get the recipe
44. Dutch Oven Cornbread
Featuring green chiles and sharp cheddar cheese, this Dutch oven cornbread recipe takes camp comfort food to the next level.
Get the recipe
45. Grilled Mexican Street Corn
We love to serve this with a simple grilled steak!
Get the recipe
46. Panzanella Salad with Peaches and Tomatoes
This panzanella bread salad is like the greatest hits album of summer flavors with sliced peaches, tomatoes, and basil. If croutons are your favorite part of a salad, this one is for you!
Get the recipe
47. Campfire Popcorn
This DIY version of the Jiffy Pop popcorn we all loved as kids uses a few simple spices to make things interesting.
Get the recipe
48. Campfire Nachos
Great as an appetizer or as an indulgent dinner, this nacho recipe is super easy to put together and would be great with any of your favorite nacho toppings.
Get the recipe
49. Skillet Cornbread
Perfect for pairing with chili or campfire stew, this cast iron skillet cornbread cooks right over the campfire.
Get the recipe
Camping Desserts
What better way to end a meal than with a campfire dessert? Try one of these recipes out on your next camping trip.
50. Dutch Oven Apple Cobbler
Use your Dutch oven to bake this simple apple cobbler over your campsite. You can prepare the cobbler topping at home before your trip, so this dessert comes together with little effort!
Get the recipe
51. Banana Boats
A favorite of kids and adults alike, banana boats are a camping classic. Check out this post with 9 different topping ideas!
Get the recipe
52. Quick and Easy Apple Crisp
If you’re short on time, this apple crisp is SO easy and is really an afterthought of a dessert!
Get the recipe
We hope that you and your family enjoy these camping recipes! If you’re hungry for more, check out these easy camping meals, best camping breakfasts, favorite campfire desserts, or our collection of Dutch oven recipes!
This post was first published on February 13, 2018 and updated in 2020 with new recipes.
