10 Yummy Camping Food Recipes Quick, Easy and Healthy

Let’s cook quick-easy-healthy camping meals, while also staying environmentally friendly.

Camping is an all-season, great family activity that connects everyone. However, preparing and cooking food can be either super fan or hassle because of the limited tools in an unfamiliar environment. To make the mealtime the best part of memories, we've created a list of delicious camping food recipes that are eco-friendly, easy, quick to make, and will please every member of your family!

All recipes use:

• Only 1 cookware (pot, skillet, foil packet, pie iron, etc)
• Quick-to-cook ingredients
• Partially prepared at home before heading off to camping. You know, you don’t have to do all at campsite.

1. Grilled Chicken Skewers

These satay-inspired Thai Grilled Chicken Skewers can be made ahead and grilled right on the campfire.

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound (500g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 small red onion
• 1 red pepper or capsicum
• 1 zucchini
• 1 cup (250ml) satay sauce

Instructions

1. If you want to make satay sauce yourself, mix ½ lime juice, 1 tsp (5ml) honey, 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) curry powder, 3 (45ml) tbsp peanut butter, ¾ cup (180ml) coconut milk
2. Place chicken thighs in a food container, pour satay sauce, and distribute sauce evenly. If you like, you can put chicken on skewers. Do this at home.
3. Fire up your grill or get your campfire going. You’ll be cooking the skewers over medium-high to high heat.
4. Build your skewers: chicken on their own skewers, and the vegetable together. Brush the veggie skewers with the leftover sauce.
5. Once the grill has reached a medium-high heat, place all the skewers on the grate. Grill, turning often, until the chicken has cooked through (about 10 minutes), and the vegetables are tender (7-10 minutes).
6. Serve with some home brought sweet chili sauce & enjoy!

2. Campfire popcorn

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (60ml) popcorn kernels
• 1 tbsp (15ml) vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp (2ml) garlic powder
• Pinch of salt

   

Instructions

1. Toss popcorn kernels and vegetable oil in pie tin. Cover tightly with foil, doming the top to leave enough room for kernels to pop, and place on campfire.
2. Using tongs, gently shake pie tin until popping stops. Season with garlic powder and salt.

3. Baked Sweet Potatoes + Chili 

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
• 15 oz (450g) canned kidney beans, drained
• 6 oz (170g) canned tomato paste
• ½ can beer (about 170ml)
• 1 tbsp (15ml) chili powder
• ½ tbsp (7ml) cumin
• ½ tbsp (7ml) salt

   

Instructions

1. Wrap each of the sweet potatoes in heavy duty foil and nestle them into the embers of your campfire. Turn them every so often to ensure they cook evenly.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, make the chili. Over medium heat, warm the oil in a pot. Once hot, add ¾ of the diced onions (reserve the rest for topping) and stir for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the beans, tomato paste, beer (or other liquid, like broth), and spices. Stir well to combine. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once the potatoes are soft and cooked through (about 30 minutes total, give or take a bit depending on their size), retrieve from the fire. Carefully unwrap the foil. Use a knife to cut a slit in the potato, then top with the chili, onions, and anything else you have on hand. Enjoy!

4. Campfire Nachos

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil
• ½ pound (450g) tortilla chips
• 8 oz (30ml) hot tomato sauce, or equivalent
• 1 cup (250ml) shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 15 oz (430g) can black beans, drained
• 1 large avocado, cubed
• 4-5 green onions, sliced
• handful of fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 small lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Lightly oil the bottom of a large Dutch oven (a pot with a lid), to prevent the nachos from sticking.
2. For the first layer, evenly spread ⅓ of the chips into the Dutch oven, topped with ¼ hot tomato sauce, ¼ can black beans, ¼ cup cheese, and a handful of avocado, green onions, and coriander. Repeat for the second layer.
3. For the third and final layer, use the remaining ⅓ portion of chips, ½ hot tomato sauce, ½ can black beans, ½ cup cheese, and the remaining avocado, onion, and cilantro.
4. Cover the Dutch oven and place on a metal grill over your campfire for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve with the lime wedges.

5. Grilled Mexican Street Corn

Ingredients

• 4 corns
• ½ cup (120ml) mayo
• ½ lime juice
• 1 tsp (5ml) chili powder
• ½ tsp (2ml) salt
• ½ cup (120ml) soft cheese, crumbled
• handful of coriander, chopped

Instructions

1. Prep the corn by peeling the husks back (without detaching them from the bottom) and remove all of the silk. Replace the husks.
2. Place the corn on a grate over your campfire. Grill, turning frequently until the corn is charred in places and cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to cool a bit so they are safe to handle. Remove and discard the husks.
3. Combine the mayo, lime juice, chili powder, and salt in a small bowl. Slather evenly all over the corn. Sprinkle the Cotija and cilantro over the top.
4. Serve & enjoy!

6. Dutch Oven Cornbread with Green Chiles

Ingredients

• 1 cup (15ml) milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp (30ml) honey
• 1 cup (250ml) cornmeal
• ½ cup (120ml) flour
• 1 tbsp (15ml) baking powder
• 1 tbsp (15ml) salt
• 4 oz (120ml) can green chilis, drained
• ¼ cup (60ml) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp (30ml) butter

1. Light 24 charcoal briquettes or start a campfire if you want to use wood embers.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the milk, egg, and honey together. Add the dry ingredients (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt) and stir until combined.
3. Move 7 of the charcoals or embers into a ring and place the Dutch oven on top. Once hot, add the butter to melt. After the butter has melted, pour in the cornmeal batter. Sprinkle the green chilis and cheese over the top.
4. Cover the Dutch oven and place the remaining 17 charcoals or embers on top of the lid to create an oven heat of about 425 degrees. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the middle of the cornbread has cooked through, and the top is beginning to brown.
5. Carefully remove from the heat, serve & enjoy!

7. Camp Stove Chilaquiles

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
• 6 soft corn tortillas cut into wedges
• ½ red onion, diced
• 2 cloves and garlic, minced
• 7oz (200ml) hot tomato sauce, or tomato sauce and a chopped jalapeño
• ½ tsp (2ml) salt
• 2 – 4 eggs

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tortilla triangles in a single layer and fry for a few minutes until golden brown, flipping once. Remove and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
2. Lower the heat to medium. Add the red onions to the remaining oil and stir for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds and then add the tomato sauce, salt, and a splash of water to the skillet. Bring to a simmer, then add the fried tortillas. Stir to coat.
3. To cook the eggs, move the tortillas to the outside edges of the skillet to create a well in the center. Drop the eggs into the sauce and cook to your preference – you can scramble them or cover the skillet and allow them to simply poach in the sauce.
4. Serve with the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

8. Cinnamon Apple Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250ml) flour
• 2 tbsp (15ml) sugar
• 1½ tsp (5ml) baking powder
• ½ tsp (5ml) salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup (120ml) whole milk
• ½ cup (120ml) spiced apple cider, or apple juice
• ½ cup (120ml) shredded apple
• Butter or oil to grease pan
• Maple syrup for serving

Cinnamon Apple Topping

• 1 apple, cored and cubed
• 1 tbsp (15ml) butter
• 1 tsp (5ml) sugar
• 1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon

Instructions

1. To make the batter, whisk egg, milk, and apple cider together in a medium bowl. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, stir to combine. Fold in the shredded apple.
2. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Generously grease the surface, then pour the batter out ¼ cup at a time.
3. When the bottom of the pancakes are golden brown and little air bubbles begin to form on the top, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
4. To make the Cinnamon Apple Topping, melt 1 tbsp butter in the skillet and add sliced apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to coat the apples, then stir for a few minutes until apples have softened.
5. Serve pancakes topped with cinnamon apples and maple syrup.

9. Grilled Halloumi Tacos

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200g) halloumi cheese
• 1 tsp (5ml) olive oil
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 pepper, (jalapeno if you like things spicy, poblano for medium heat, or bell pepper for mild)
• 6 corn tortillas

To Serve

• handful cilantro, chopped
• salsa
• avocado slices
• corn, beans, or rice
• lime wedges

1. Pre-heat the grill.
2. Place the quartered onions and pepper on the grill. Turn occasionally so they cook evenly. Once the vegetables begin to soften and are black in spots, it's time to add the halloumi.
3. Brush the halloumi with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the halloumi on the grill and grill each side for about three minutes, or until grill marks form on the cheese. Remove the cheese & vegetables from the grill.
4. Heat the tortillas over the grill, 15-30 seconds on each side.
5. Slice the halloumi into bite-sized pieces. Dice the onion and chop & de-seed the pepper.
6. Build your tacos & enjoy with a cold drink!

10. Classic One Pot pasta

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves and garlic, minced
• 5 oz (400g) canned tomatoes
• 5 oz (400g) canned broth
• handful fresh basil, torn, or dried ones
• 1 tbsp (15ml) Italian seasoning
• ½ pound (220g) pasta
• salt to taste
• handful of parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in your pot and then add the onions. Stir until translucent, then add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
2. Dump in the tomatoes and their juices, the broth, basil, Italian seasoning, and the pasta. Give it a big stir to combine everything. The liquid may not completely cover the pasta yet – that is OK, just stir it fairly often so it cooks evenly; if you add too much liquid your sauce will not thicken up enough by the time the pasta is done.
3. Cover your pot until the liquid comes to a boil (this quickens the process and saves you fuel). Once it’s boiling, remove the cover and cook until the pasta is al dente. The cooking time on the pasta packaging will be a good indicator but use your judgment as all camp cooking setups are a bit different.
4. Once your pasta is cooked through, serve, topped with cheese and fresh basil if you’ve got it!

We hope you are inspired with this list to make delicious camping foods. You can't go wrong with any of these recipes -- they're easy to make, and they'll all please your whole family.

Sources

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53990/campfire-popcorn-recipe/

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/27-easy-camping-meals/

https://www.delish.com/cooking/menus/g27615055/camping-food-cooking-recipes/?slide=2