Simple Camping Meals - Best Recipes for Your Trip

When packing for a camping trip, you might be surprised by the amount of items you need to bring with you - clothing, sleeping accessories, toiletries, tools, water supply, and, of course, food. Even if you are going car camping, your storage space is limited, and fitting in bulky cooking equipment can be a challenge.

Luckily, not all camping recipes require you to have a lot of appliances at hand. Below is the list of our favorite simple camping meals that are not only delicious but also extremely undemanding and fast to make.

5 Easy-to-Make Camping Food Recipes

Meal planning will enable you to avoid packing unnecessary items on your trip. Here is a list of cooking essentials you are sure to benefit from:

Heavy duty foil
Salt, pepper, spices
Knives
Sporks
Dutch oven
Grill
Camping pot and pan

With this equipment, you are guaranteed to have a wide array of recipes to choose from. Some of the meals that campers love the most are:

1. Sandwiches

Sandwich with garnish on foil

Sandwiches are a great food option for a camping trip because they are simple to make and store, and there are infinite variations of them you can create.

Here are a few great sandwich ingredients that can go without refrigeration for a fair amount of time:

Canned tuna
Hard cheese
Olives
Cucumber
Ham
Hummus
Sun-dried tomatoes
Pesto
Leafy greens
Beans

These products can remain fresh in your backpack for quite a while, making them a perfect fit for your camping food list. Mix and match them to create a sandwich or use them as a base that you can complement with cooked products, such as grilled meat.

You can pre-cook sandwiches at home to have a quick snack ready when you are hiking or prepare them at the camping spot.

2. Grilled Corn

Grilled corn and vegetables

Corn is a true camping classic. If you are tired of it being grilled without additional ingredients, take a look at our three favorite variations that make it a delicious camping food option you won’t be able to get enough of:

Spicy corn on the cob. Place the ears of corn on heavy-duty foil. Brush a mixture of butter, thyme, hot pepper sauce, and bouillon granules over the corn. Add jalapenos and seal the foil tightly. Grill over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.
Corn in husks. Carefully peel back the corn husks and remove the silk. Soak the corn in cold water for approximately 20 minutes, drain, and pat it dry. Spread butter with spices, such as parsley, paprika, or thyme over the corn. Then, rewrap the corn in husks, secure them with string, and grill over the campfire. Serve with cheese, if available.
Corn with chipotle and lime. Soak the corn in husks in cold water for 30 minutes, drain, and tap it dry. Grill the corn over medium heat until tender, turning occasionally. Peel back the husks, remove the silk, and spread the mixture of butter, lime zest, ground chipotle pepper, salt, and minced fresh cilantro over the corn.

These easy camping meal recipes are sure to brighten up your days away from home!

3. Dutch Oven Bean and Ham Soup

Dutch oven above a campfire

This is one of the best camping meals for a chilly evening at a campsite. Here are the three simple steps to prepare it:

Place 1 pound of dried navy beans in a Dutch Oven and add water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the dish to a boil and keep it on the fire for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand until the beans are softened.
Drain and rinse the beans and return them to the pan. Add a chopped onion, 1 cup of chopped carrot, 2 cups of chopped celery, 4 cups of cubed ham, and 2 smoked ham hocks. You can also use dried basil, salt, and pepper.
Then, cover the pan and place it on the grill rack for cooking on medium heat until the beans are tender. Discard the ham hocks before eating.

This meal is sure to fill you up after a long day of outdoor activities.

4. Foil Packets

Foil packets cooking above a campfire

If you are looking for an easy camping food idea, don’t miss out on the foil packets. It’s a tasty and simple way to cook a wide variety of products. Here are some of our favorites:

Potatoes and sausage. Prepare a campfire or grill for medium heat. In a bowl, toss potatoes with sausage, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add bacon if available. Divide the resulting mix and place it on separate pieces of foil, on the dull side. Fold the foil and seal it tightly. Place the packets over a campfire or grill and cook them for approximately 15 minutes on each side.
Fish turns out very tender when cooked in foil packets. Spread butter on the pieces of foil and place 1 salmon fillet in the center of each. Add salt, pepper, onion, garlic, dill, basil, and lemon. Fold and seal the foil around the fillets and cook over a campfire or grill for approximately 10 minutes.
Cheese hash brown. Prepare a campfire or grill for medium heat. Mix potatoes with bacon, 3/4 cup of cheese, salt, and pepper. Place the resulting mix on separate pieces of foil. Fold the foil, seal tightly, and put the packets over a campfire or grill, and cook for 6-9 minutes on each side. This meal tastes best when served with eggs and pico de gallo.

All in all, you are free to explore the flavor combinations from the products you have available.

5. Hot Dogs

Hot dogs on a camping pan

Hot dogs have long become a staple among camping meals. It is a simple dish that can be cooked by stick roasting, on a grill, or on a pan and served with or without bread. Some great toppings for your hot dog are: