Campfire Cooking: 15 Easy Recipes Beyond Hot Dogs

Emily and I ate hot dogs for our first three camping trips. Not because we love hot dogs, but because we had no idea what else to cook over a campfire. We would stare at the beautiful fire pit, roast some franks on sticks, and then feel vaguely unsatisfied as we watched the family at the next site pull a bubbling Dutch oven full of cobbler off their fire ring. What were we doing wrong?

The answer was nothing, really. We just did not know the techniques. Once you understand a few basic methods, foil packets, cast iron cooking, grill grates, and coals versus flames, campfire cooking opens up into something genuinely exciting. Over the past four years, we have developed a collection of go-to campfire recipes that are easy, use ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and taste amazing with that smoky outdoor flavor you cannot replicate at home.

Here are our 15 favorites, organized by technique. Every recipe has been cooked by us multiple times in actual campsite conditions, not a test kitchen. If you are building out your outdoor kitchen setup, our camping kitchen essentials under $50 guide covers all the gear you need to make these recipes.

Foil Packet Recipes: The Easiest Starting Point

Foil packets are the gateway to real campfire cooking. You wrap ingredients in heavy-duty aluminum foil, set the packet on hot coals, and wait. No pots to clean, no precise temperature control needed, and almost nothing can go wrong. Use heavy-duty foil or double-wrap with regular foil to prevent tears and leaks.

Recipe 1: Southwest Chicken Foil Packets

Dice one boneless skinless chicken breast per person into one-inch cubes. On a large sheet of foil, layer the chicken with half a can of drained black beans, half a cup of frozen corn, a quarter cup of diced bell pepper, and two tablespoons of salsa. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt, and a squeeze of lime. Fold the foil into a sealed packet with room for steam to circulate inside.

Place on hot coals (not flames) for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. The chicken cooks in its own steam mixed with the salsa, and everything comes out tender and flavorful. Open carefully because the steam is hot. We serve this over instant rice or stuff it into tortillas. This makes great leftovers too, which ties into the meal prep strategies from our camping meal prep guide.

Recipe 2: Garlic Butter Shrimp Packets

Peel and devein one pound of large shrimp (or buy them pre-peeled). Toss with three tablespoons of melted butter, four minced garlic cloves, a pinch of red pepper flakes, salt, and chopped parsley. Divide into two foil packets with a few lemon slices on top. Cook on coals for 10 to 12 minutes. Shrimp cook fast, so do not walk away. When they are pink and curled, they are done. Overcook by even three minutes and you get rubber.

This is our go-to recipe when we want something that feels fancy but takes five minutes of prep. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the garlic butter that pools in the bottom of the packet.

Recipe 3: Loaded Veggie Potato Packets

Dice two medium potatoes into half-inch cubes per person. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Add sliced bell peppers, diced onion, and a handful of broccoli florets. Wrap in foil and cook on coals for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the packet gently every 10 minutes to redistribute. The potatoes get crispy on the edges where they contact the foil and soft in the center. Top with shredded cheese and sour cream when you open the packet.

This is a complete vegetarian meal that fills you up after a day of hiking. We make it at least once per camping trip.

Recipe 4: Foil Packet Fajitas

Slice one pound of flank steak or chicken thighs into thin strips. Toss with olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add sliced bell peppers and onions. Divide into packets and cook on coals for 15 to 20 minutes for chicken, 12 to 15 for steak. Serve in warm tortillas with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. The foil packet method steams the fajita ingredients so they stay juicy instead of drying out over direct heat.

Cast Iron Skillet Recipes: Restaurant-Quality Over Fire

A 12-inch cast iron skillet is the single most versatile piece of campfire cookware you can own. It goes directly on a grill grate over the fire or sits on a flat rock next to the coals. Cast iron distributes heat evenly, holds temperature well, and gets better with every use. Ours cost $25 at a hardware store and has been on every camping trip for four years.

Recipe 5: Campfire Smash Burgers

Get your cast iron screaming hot over the fire. Form ground beef into loose balls, about a third of a pound each. Place on the dry skillet and immediately smash flat with a sturdy spatula or the back of another pan. Season the top with salt and pepper while the bottom sears. Cook for two minutes until the bottom has a dark, crispy crust, then flip. Add cheese immediately on the flip. Cook one more minute. These are better than any restaurant burger because the cast iron crust is unreal, and the smoky campfire flavor infuses everything.

We serve these on toasted brioche buns with whatever toppings we packed. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a good sauce. The key is a very hot skillet and not touching the burger after you smash it. Let that crust form.

Recipe 6: One-Pan Campfire Breakfast

Cook diced bacon or sausage in the skillet first, then remove and set aside. In the bacon grease, cook diced potatoes until crispy, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced bell peppers and onions for the last five minutes. Push everything to the edges of the skillet, crack eggs in the center, and cover with a lid or aluminum foil until the whites are set. Crumble the bacon over the top and serve directly from the skillet.

This is our Saturday morning tradition at every campsite. The whole thing cooks in one pan, takes about 25 minutes, and feeds our family with minimal cleanup. It pairs perfectly with campfire coffee and a good morning outside, which is exactly the kind of experience we describe in our family camping activities article.

Recipe 7: Campfire Quesadillas

Heat the cast iron over the fire to medium heat. Place a large flour tortilla in the skillet, add shredded cheese, leftover chicken or steak, black beans, and any other fillings. Top with a second tortilla. Cook for two to three minutes until the bottom tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip carefully using two spatulas. Cook another two to three minutes. Slice into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.

This is the ultimate leftover transformer. Whatever protein we had for dinner becomes quesadilla filling the next day.

Recipe 8: Skillet Cornbread

Mix one cup of cornmeal, one cup of all-purpose flour, a third cup of sugar, one tablespoon of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt. In a separate container, whisk one egg, one cup of milk, and a third cup of melted butter. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Grease the cast iron skillet with butter, pour in the batter, and set on the grill grate over moderate heat. Cover with foil. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. The bottom gets a beautiful golden crust from the cast iron.

Grill Grate Recipes: Direct Fire Cooking

Most campfire rings and fire pits have a swing-out grill grate, or you can bring a portable one that sits on the fire ring edges. Direct grilling over wood fire gives you the most intense smoky flavor but requires more attention than foil packets or skillet cooking.

Recipe 9: Herb-Crusted Grilled Chicken Thighs

Chicken thighs are far more forgiving over a campfire than breasts because the higher fat content keeps them moist even if you overcook slightly. Marinate in olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and lemon juice for at least an hour in a zip-lock bag in your cooler. Grill over medium coals (you should be able to hold your hand 6 inches above the grate for about 4 seconds) for 6 to 8 minutes per side until the internal temperature hits 165 degrees.

These are simple but taste incredible with wood smoke flavor. We often grill extra for quesadillas or salads the next day. Keeping your cooler organized for multi-day meal planning is something we talk about in our meal prep guide.

Recipe 10: Grilled Vegetable Skewers

Cut zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes into similar-sized pieces. Thread onto metal skewers (not wood, which burns over campfire heat). Brush with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every few minutes. The edges char beautifully while the insides stay tender.

Recipe 11: Cedar Plank Salmon

Soak a cedar plank in water for at least one hour. Place salmon fillets on the plank, brush with a mix of brown sugar, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, and minced garlic. Set the plank directly on the grill grate over medium coals. Cover loosely with foil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the salmon flakes with a fork. The cedar plank protects the fish from direct heat and infuses it with a sweet, smoky cedar flavor that is absolutely incredible. This is our date night campfire dinner.

Dutch Oven Recipes: The Campfire Slow Cooker

A Dutch oven turns your campfire into a full oven. You place coals on top of the lid and underneath, creating even heat that bakes, roasts, and simmers. A 12-inch Dutch oven is ideal for camping and serves four to six people.

Recipe 12: Campfire Chili

Brown one pound of ground beef in the Dutch oven over coals. Add one diced onion and four minced garlic cloves, cooking until softened. Stir in two cans of drained kidney beans, one can of diced tomatoes, one small can of tomato paste, two tablespoons of chili powder, one tablespoon of cumin, one teaspoon of smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add one cup of water or beer. Place the lid on with coals on top. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. The longer it cooks, the better it gets. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and diced onion.

We make a big batch on the first night of a camping trip and eat leftovers for two more meals. This pairs perfectly with the skillet cornbread from Recipe 8.

Recipe 13: Dutch Oven Peach Cobbler

Dump two large cans of sliced peaches (with syrup) into the Dutch oven. Sprinkle one box of yellow cake mix evenly over the top. Do not stir. Slice one stick of cold butter into thin pats and distribute over the cake mix. Place the lid on and set the Dutch oven on a ring of about 8 coals with about 16 coals on top. Cook for 35 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. This is absurdly simple and tastes like actual magic. The cake mix absorbs the peach syrup and creates a rich, cakey topping over tender fruit.

Recipe 14: Campfire Mac and Cheese

Boil one pound of elbow macaroni in the Dutch oven until al dente. Drain most of the water (leave about a quarter cup). Over low heat, stir in two cups of shredded sharp cheddar, one cup of shredded Gruyère, half a cup of cream cheese, half a cup of milk, salt, pepper, and a pinch of mustard powder. Stir until melted and creamy. Top with crushed Ritz crackers mixed with melted butter. Put the lid on with coals on top for 10 minutes until the topping is golden and crunchy.

This is not boxed mac and cheese. This is restaurant-quality mac and cheese cooked over a campfire, and the kids go absolutely wild for it.

Recipe 15: Fireside Cinnamon Rolls

Use two cans of refrigerated cinnamon roll dough (the kind in the cardboard tubes). Grease the Dutch oven with butter and arrange the rolls inside in a single layer. They will expand, so leave a little space. Put the lid on and cook with more coals on top than bottom (about a 2:1 ratio) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Spread the included icing while they are hot. Serve for breakfast with campfire coffee and watch everyone light up.

Essential Campfire Cooking Tips

Cook over coals, not flames. Active flames are too hot and too unpredictable for cooking. Build your fire, let it burn down to glowing coals, and cook over those. You will have much better temperature control and fewer burned dinners. A good bed of cooking coals takes about 30 to 45 minutes to develop from a fresh fire.

Bring the right fuel. Hardwoods like oak, hickory, and maple produce better cooking coals than softwoods like pine. If you are buying campground firewood, ask what species it is. Avoid burning pine or cedar for cooking as the resin can give food an unpleasant taste (cedar planks are the exception because they are designed for this purpose).

Control heat with coal placement. Moving your food higher above the coals reduces heat. Raking coals to one side creates a hot zone and a cool zone. You can sear over the hot side and finish cooking on the cool side. This two-zone approach is the most useful technique in campfire cooking.

Use a meat thermometer. Do not guess on meat temperatures over a campfire. A good instant-read thermometer costs $15 and removes all doubt about food safety. This is especially important for chicken, which needs to hit 165 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature.

Clean cast iron at the campsite. Do not let food sit in your cast iron overnight. While the pan is still warm, scrape it with a stiff brush or plastic scraper, wipe with a paper towel, and apply a thin coat of cooking oil. Never use soap on seasoned cast iron. If something is really stuck, heat water in the pan to deglaze, scrape, and wipe clean.

Building Your Campfire Cooking Kit

You do not need to buy everything at once. Start with these essentials and build from there:

Phase 1 (under $50): 12-inch cast iron skillet, heavy-duty aluminum foil, long-handled tongs, heat-resistant gloves, and a sturdy spatula. With just these items, you can make at least 10 of the 15 recipes above.

Phase 2 (add $80-100): 12-inch cast iron Dutch oven with legs and lid, a portable grill grate, and an instant-read meat thermometer. This unlocks all 15 recipes and basically anything you can imagine.

Phase 3 (nice to have): A campfire tripod for hanging pots, a cast iron griddle for pancakes and bacon, and a chimney starter for getting coals ready faster. These are luxury items that make campfire cooking more convenient but are not essential.

Campfire cooking has completely transformed how Emily and I experience camping. We went from dreading mealtimes to looking forward to them as the highlight of the trip. Start with one new recipe on your next outing. Once you taste what a campfire can do to a simple meal, you will never go back to plain hot dogs. Well, you might still make hot dogs, but now they will be gourmet campfire dogs with all the fixings.

Happy cooking, Mike & Emily