40 Camping Recipes To Make On Your Next Trip Outdoors
Think outside the hot dog bun.
Summer is PRIME camping time. Even if you've been doing it for years, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your campfire kitchen. With these easy skillet, skewer, and campfire recipes, you'll be eating well in the great outdoors from breakfast to dessert. Whatever you choose to cook, we've got plenty of tips on how to build a solid cooking fire so you'll never be too far away from having campfire popcorn, campfire Caprese brie, and skillet beer cheese. And of course, TikTok creators have some genius tips for cooking over a campfire. You'll wish you could cook all your meals over a campfire.
When it comes to cooking over a fire, it definitely does not have to be the same ol' weenies on a stick. We love how foil packs take all our favorite home-cooked meals and make them campfire-friendly, with almost zero cleanup. Check out all our favorite foil pack recipes, like these gnocchi foil packets, berry crisp foil packs, and surf 'n' turf foil packs. Your favorite cast-iron skillet meals are also super campfire-friendly, making it almost too easy to make loaded campfire nachos, skillet beer cheese, and a campfire breakfast skillet.
Looking to replace your camping gear or upgrade your campfire kitchen? We have a handy guide to all the best camping gear and best camping cookware that will turn anyone into an outdoors expert. Camping on a budget? Check out our handy $20 Budget Eats guide to feeding four people while camping.
Grilled Beer Brats
It takes almost zero cooking skills to get perfectly charred brats topped with flavor-packed caramelized onions and peppers. First, the brats get burnished on the grill, then they finish off in a simmering beer bath alongside the veg. Use whatever beer you like to drink, but not IPAs (India Pale Ales), which are brewed to be hoppy (i.e., bitter).
Get the Grilled Beer Brats recipe.
Campfire Potatoes
These potatoes are the cheesy side your BBQ needs. They're great for camping too—the Parmesan and mozzarella might just sway even those who hate the outdoors.
Get the Campfire Potatoes recipe.
Skillet Beer Cheese
One of our top hall of famers, this dip will get any campfire party started. The pinch of cayenne really adds that special something to this melty, creamy beer cheese. This is best served with toasted baguette, good company, and a cold beer.
Get the Skillet Beer Cheese recipe.
Loaded Campfire Nachos
We apologize to many a camping trip for not thinking of this idea sooner. Thanks to a handful of canned goods, these loaded nachos come together almost instantly.
Get the Loaded Campfire Nachos recipe.
Gnocchi Foil Packets
The foil packets trap in steam from the wine and juices from the tomato and corn as everything grills, which in turn cooks the gnocchi to perfectly tender while infusing the pasta with all the flavors of the dish. Bonus: Some of the meal browns a bit on the bottom right before it finishes cooking, adding extra flavor.
Get the Gnocchi Foil Packets recipe.
Campfire Mac & Cheese
Extra cheesy mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food, and that's exactly what we want when we're camping. This simple recipe makes the ultimate macaroni and cheese with a buttery Ritz cracker topping. Get that campfire going!
Get the Campfire Mac & Cheese recipe.
Best-Ever Burger
There are about a million ways to top a hamburger, and we're not here to tell you what goes onto your patty. It is our duty to make sure that you're cooking burgers as best as you possibly can. Our golden rules: Be sure to let the meat come to room temperature and season generously with salt and black pepper before you grill up.
Get the Best-Ever Burger recipe.
Grilled Brie with Wine
We love digging into a wheel of gooey oven-baked brie, but in the summer, no one wants to bother with the oven. Give this classic appetizer a summery twist by cooking it on the grill, seasoning it lightly with garlic, herbs, and wine, and serving with some lightly charred bread.
Get the Grilled Brie with Wine recipe.
Campfire Berry-Peach Cobbler
You can cobbler over a fire—and it even browns like the real thing. Stupid-easy to prep, this bubbling fruit skillet is impossible to mess up.
Get the Campfire Cobbler recipe.
Grilled Shrimp Foil Packets
We love a good shrimp boil, but sometimes we don't have time for the production. Foil packs turn a shrimp boil into individual parties that are so fun to throw onto the grill! It's everything you love with way less work.
Get the Grilled Shrimp Foil Packets recipe.
Campfire Caprese Brie
We used a big wheel of brie to fit perfectly inside a 10" skillet. It was almost THREE POUNDS. You can definitely use something a bit smaller, depending on the size (and brie obsession level) of your crowd.
Get the Campfire Caprese Brie recipe.
Best-Ever S'mores
Ah, s'mores: three simple ingredients working together to make something much more delicious than the sum of its parts. Whether you keep it to the classic three ingredients or experiment with fun toppings like caramel or sliced fruit, this is one simple dessert that never disappoints.
Get the Best-Ever S'mores recipe.
Chicago-Style Hot Dogs
Chicago is as picky about hot dogs as New York is about pan pizza. The specific toppings are as important as the order in which they get layered. It's been "dragged through the garden," as the locals say, and we love it so very much.
Get the Chicago-Style Hot Dogs recipe.
Frito Pie
Originally created in Mexico but popularized in the American Southwest, Frito pies (not actual pies) are comfort food perfection. Picture this: a freshly opened bag of Fritos smothered in spicy beef chili, cheddar cheese, and some bright, crunchy onions and jalapeños. Best eaten directly out of the bag.
Get the Frito Pie recipe.
Campfire Rice Krispies Treats
Rice Krispies Treats never go out of style, and this toasted version is one of our new favorite ways to eat them. In order to get your treats nice and charred, they'll need a minute or two over the open fire. Make sure they were tightly packed into the baking dish before cutting; this will help keep them secure on your skewer while you're roasting. Using a double-pronged skewer helps too!
Get the Campfire Rice Krispies Treats recipe.
Sausage and Peppers Foil Pack
Pop these sausage and peppers on the grill for a quick meal with easy cleanup. These are great on their own, but even better in a bun or alongside pasta.
Get the Sausage and Peppers Foil Pack recipe.
Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs
Sure, gnocchi is amazing served in a bowl with a sauce, but have you ever had nicely browned gnocchi taken straight off the grill? We’re here to tell you that the crispy-chewy texture is something that you've GOT to try this summer.
Get the Tomato Gnocchi Kebabs recipe.
Oreo Cookie Skillet
This beyond-simple campfire dessert is like survival food, but make it Delish. Don't wait until the center turns golden—the rest will burn before it does! Plus, the top will continue to firm up as it cools. Serve it warm, scooped into bowls topped with your ice cream of choice.
Get the Oreo Cookie Skillet recipe.
Surf 'n' Turf Foil Packs
At your next summer camping trip, put a few of these bad boys on the coals and take more time to enjoy your evening. Once you have the ingredients prepped—all of which can be done the day before and stored in your fridge—it's a few minutes of assembly and only around 15 minutes of hands-off grilling.
Get the Surf 'n' Turf Foil Packs recipe.
Mackenzie Filson is a food writer and contributing digital food producer at Delish. Her favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate-pine. If wine was an astrological sign she'd be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. She's never met a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos she didn't eat in one sitting.
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