Camping recipes using a campfire, fire pit or portable propane campfire.

We have collected some of our favorite camping recipes. Of course, our favorites are desserts, and especially different varieties of S'Mores. We have included our favorite Breakfast Recipes, Dinner Favorites, Side Dish Camping Recipes, and Dessert Recipes.

There are several different methods of outdor cooking.  The oldest and most traditional method of outdoor cooking is the campfire.  The techniques for cooking on a campfire are the same as those used for everyday cooking before the invention of stoves or where stoves are still not available. Backpackers in a wilderness area that allows wood burning may decide to cook on a campfire to avoid the need to carry extra equipment; but most campfire cooking is done in campgrounds. Cooking food using a campfire can be tricky for those not accustomed to it. Because there is a risk of fire, campfires are baned in many areas, so many campers prefer to use a portable or camping stove instead.

Direct heat is the simplest method of cooking over a campfire. One of the most common methods is to roast food on long sticks or skewers that can be held above the flames. This is a popular technique for cooking hot dogs or roasting marshmallows for making s'mores. Another technique is to use pie irons (small iron molds with long handles)into which can be placed slices of bread with some form of filling and then placed over hot coals to cook.

Grills are simple to use and tend to make the food pick up flavors from the smoke. Grills over a campfire are used in the same way as ordinary charcoal barbecues. If the food is simply placed on the grill, it may catch fire so it requires constant attention. Handleheld grills that clamp over the food may be used for various tasks like warming food, grilling burgers or sausages or making toast. In cases where open fires are not allowed, portable propane campfires/fire pits or lightweight charcoal grills such as hibachis are used for direct grilling of food.

The Dutch oven is a heavy cast iron or cast aluminum pot, traditionally made with three short legs and a concave cover for holding hot coals on top. While such pots are generally considered too heavy for backpackers, Dutch ovens are often used in group cookouts.

Although picturesque, a pot hanging over the fire may spill, and the rigging may be difficult to construct from found wood. Generally this is done with metal rigging, much of which is similar to that used in home fireplaces before the invention of stoves. Two vertical iron bars with an iron cross-piece allow pots to be hung at various heights or over different temperatures of fire. Griddles, grills and skewers can also be hung over the fire.

A good alternative to cooking with a tripod is to cook directly upon the fire itself.  To do this properly the fire needs to have a reasonable bed of coals and to have burned down to the point where it is not a roaring fire.  While the pot may be set directly upon the coals, this is not advisable because the pot will tend to extinguish the coals.  To lift the pot up off the fire, two small logs of similar size may be used on either side of the pot.  The traditional camp-style Dutch ovens have three legs built into the pot to perform this function, and allows continued airflow through the fire while providing optimal heat.  The one down side to this form of cooking is that the pots will become blackened with soot and ash, which can be difficult to scrub off.  The ash and soot build-up can be easily avoided by applying a thin layer of dish soap (preferably biodegradable) to the outside of the pot before cooking.  The ash and soot will stick to the soap which is then easily rinsed off later.

Another commonly used technique is the baking of food in aluminum foil packets. Food is wrapped inside a durable packet of aluminum foil, crimped to seal, and placed on hot coals. Baked potatoes are commonly cooked this way but entire meals can be cooked in one packet. A simple way to adapt recipes where food is wrapped in foil is to use a barrier such as baking or silicone paper between the food and the foil.