Camping with the family this summer? We’ve pulled together a collection of the best camping recipes you’re sure to want to try cooking in the great outdoors.
We have a range of easy camping recipes, including BBQ food ideas, vegetarian options, and a few desserts too. And they can call be cooked on one camping stove, and are a good size for a family of four or more.
According to Mintel, camping trips reached around 16.7 million in 2022, and the popularity of camping is predicted to rise even further this year. It's no wonder more of us are searching for the best camping recipes to whip up in the great outdoors. If you prefer not to cook on holiday, take a look at our no-cook dinners. Otherwise, keep on reading for warming, comfort foods that can be enjoyed all year round (as we know camping isn’t just a summer thing for some of us - bring on the rain!)
Camping truly is the perfect excuse to dust off the camping stove that’s hidden in your garage, lite up the BBQ, or embrace that rustic campfire that brings the inner child out in us all, but before you get cooking, you need to make sure you’ve bagged yourself an efficient camping stove - and we share a host of great recommendations below too.
Easy camping recipes for families
1. Sausage and potato casserole
Serves/makes: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 25 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, frying pan, knife, chopping board, and wooden spoon
It takes just six ingredients to make this easy sausage and potato casserole which can be cooked on your camping stove in 25 minutes. Fewer ingredients mean less weight in your cooler bag leaving more room for snacks and treats for the little ones instead.
Depending on how long you’re camping for, you could easily prep this meal ahead chopping the peppers, potatoes, and onion and storing them in a Tupperware before heading to pitch up.
A pack of your favourite sausages coated in a rich tomato pasta sauce (of your choice) makes a filling, hearty meal that everyone is sure to enjoy. Serve with crusty bread for mopping up. Don’t forget the sausages can easily be swapped for veggie-friendly ones to cater to all.
Get the recipe: Sausage and potato casserole
2. Salmon burgers
Serves/makes: 4 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, griddle pan, spatula, knife, and mixing bowl/plate
If you are bored of the same old beef burger and are looking for a speedy alternative, salmon burgers are a great choice. Not only are they super quick and easy to make taking just 10 minutes to cook on a griddle pan, but they are also a much healthier, less fattening choice than meat burgers - making them an all-around family favourite.
If you don’t want to marinate the salmon fillets whilst camping, you could do this ahead of time so they are extra flavoursome when cooking. Or you could easily drizzle with the lime juice, soy sauce, and honey when on the griddle pan - whatever is easiest for you.
Don’t forget to bring the burger buns or rolls to sandwich each piece of fish in. A couple of sachets of lemon mayo and a handful of salad leaves would make these salmon burgers even more adventurous. Just make sure you’ve got a citronella candle or two lit when cooking and eating fish, as unfortunately flies tend to love the smell.
Get the recipe: Salmon burgers
3. Cranberry and cheese toastie
Serves/makes: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, frying pan, spatula, and knife
Just five ingredients and you’ve got yourself a mouthwatering lunch or dinner option that we’re sure the kids are going to enjoy too. Crisp sourdough bread glued together with melted Cheddar cheese and thick-cut parma ham - delicious.
This recipe requires cranberry jelly, however, it can easily be swapped for a sauce of your choice. Add mustard for a fiery punch of spice, or keep it classic with a squirt or two of tomato ketchup. You could also leave the sauce and enjoy this toastie as it is.
We’ve used sourdough bread in this recipe, but again, swap for a family favourite as an alternative. Oh, and don’t forget the packet of crisps.
Get the recipe: Cranberry and cheese toastie
4. S’mores
Serves/makes: 6 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove or campfire, skewers, and plenty of napkins (for mopping up the mess)
S’mores are a classic campfire treat. They can easily be made on a camping stove, BBQ, or the good old-fashioned way (which we’d recommend!) over an open fire. The perfect dessert choice that your kids are sure to want to help make but please do supervise and make your children aware of the dangers of fire, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
We’ve made our s’mores using digestive biscuits, marshmallows, and chocolate but this trio is interchangeable, especially if you fancy experimenting with different chocolate or you want to give the classic US/Canada s’mores using Graham Crackers a go. Sticky, gooey, sweet, and just perfect for enjoying with a crowd.
Get the recipe: S’mores
5. Quick farmhouse fry-up
Serves/makes: 3 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, frying pan with lid and spatula
Brunch for dinner? Why not! All the rules go out of the window when you’re camping anyway right? This delicious one-pan dish is packed with potatoes, mushrooms, chard leaves, and eggs. It’s a posh fry-up that can be cooked in just one frying pan in just 20 minutes.
If you want to save time when prepping this dish, you could chop the potatoes, and mushrooms before you head off on your trip. Just store them in an airtight container in your cooler bag before using them. Serve with crusty bread, a baguette, or crusty farmhouse loaf will do, and eat immediately for the best taste, flavour, and texture.
This recipe serves three however is easily adapted to feed a family of four or more - add another egg and an extra handful of mushrooms, and potatoes and that should do the trick.
Get the recipe: Quick farmhouse fry-up
6. Chorizo, potato and thyme quesadillas
Serves/makes: 4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, frying pan, spatula, and knife
A filling, flavoursome choice for adults and children alike. These easy-to-make quesadillas take just 20 minutes to cook on your camping stove and can be served as soon as they are ready. These quesadillas are made using chorizo sausage, however, you could add other meat to the mixture like shredded cooked chicken or sausage pieces to up the protein.
Serve with a handful of salad leaves if you want to keep up your five-a-day count, or just enjoy them as they are. The warming, spicy smell of the chorizo and melted cheese will make the tent next door rather jealous that they’re not having what you’re having.
Get the recipe: Chorizo, potato and thyme quesadillas
7. Apple and cinnamon porridge
Serves/makes: 2 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, two saucepans, and wooden/metal spoon
Another camping classic that never gets old is porridge - except this time we’ve given it an extra sweet twist with stewed apples and a hint of cinnamon making it a great choice for dessert too - especially if you add a cheeky spoonful of Nutella in the porridge mix for a chocolatey twist.
Stew the apples on low heat with the honey until caramelised. Make the porridge in the other saucepan (you will need two saucepans for this recipe, as the apples and porridge are cooked separately and then combined together at the end for a mouthwatering result) with oats and milk. Spoon the sticky sweet apple mixture on top of your bowl of freshly made porridge. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve - it's that simple. Oh, and did we mention that this recipe can be easily doubled or tripled to feed more?
Get the recipe: Apple and cinnamon porridge
8. Pan haggerty
Serves/makes: 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, heavy-based frying pan with lid or foil, knife, and serving spoon
Comfort food at its finest. Mouthwatering layers of cheese and potato - it’s a great side dish that is adapted to cater for four or more however, we do love it as a main meal option when camping - especially when we’re looking for something seriously overindulgent when the rain makes a dampening appearance.
Prep the potatoes ahead of time, depending on how long you’re camping for, and layer up in the frying pan with heaps of cheese - choosing from Northumberland, Lancashire Original, or Cheddar cheese. You could top it with shredded cooked chicken or meat of your choice, or you could serve it as it is suitable for vegetarians.
Get the recipe: Pan haggerty
9. Herby sausage omelette
Serves/makes: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 15 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, frying pan, and spatula
For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this herby sausage omelette is the perfect filling choice that the kids are sure to approve of. Made with just four ingredients; butter, frankfurter sausages, eggs, and Italian mixed herbs, it’s a cheat meal that doesn’t break the bank either costing under £1 a head.
Ready and in your mess tins in just 20 minutes, this is one of our favourite camping recipes as it’s such an easy option and takes just four steps to make. Not much prep is needed either, you just need to whisk up the eggs before cooking, but even then you could whisk them in the pan, and the sausages need to be cut up, but again, what are clean hands for?
Get the recipe: Herby sausage omelette
10. Easy fried rice with egg and spring greens
Serves/makes: 1 | Prep time: 6 mins | Cook time: 6 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, frying pan, knife, and mixing/serving spoon
A bit more of a complex recipe, however, if you prep the dressing at home, and store it somewhere cool until needed it should be a pretty speedy option that can be adapted to suit however big or small your family is.
A packet of cooked rice, spring greens, onions, and a couple of eggs go a long way in this recipe, especially if you choose to make the dressing and serve with it. A flavour-packed meal that can be cooked all in one pan.
If you’re making for more, choose a bigger, deeper pan to ensure the rice doesn’t come spilling over the edges. You can add leftover meat to this dish too if you want, like shredded chicken, beef, or pork - they all go perfectly with the flavours and textures of the rice.
Get the recipe: Easy fried rice with egg and spring greens
11. Sweet chilli corn
Serves/makes: 4 | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 20 mins
Equipment needed: Camping stove, tin foil, griddle pan/deep frying pan with lid and tongs
A delicious side dish that would accompany any of our listed camping meals with perfection. Our corn the cob isn’t just any old corn on the cob however, each is topped with butter, sweet chilli sauce, and seasoned to taste.
Cooking on a griddle pan or deep frying pan is easy. Just coat each corn with butter and sauce and wrap it in tin foil parcels. Place on the heat and leave to cook, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes. If you have a lid for your pan you could pop it on to speed up the cooking process. Simple, delicious - oh, and did we mention corn on the cob can be cooked on a BBQ too?
Get the recipe: Sweet chilli corn
Best camping stoves
- Millets - Campingaz Camp’Bistro Elite Cooking Stove
- Decathlon - Wood-Burning Camping Stove MH500 Light Grey
- Amazon - Cadac 2 Cook 2 Pro Deluxe QR
- Argos - Campingaz Party Grill 400CV Camping Stove
- Amazon - Campingaz Chef Folding Double Burner Stove and Grill
- Halfords - Halfords Portable Gas Stove
If you're looking for more camping inspiration, why not have a look at our sandwich fillings recipes, along with our warming jacket potato fillings too? We've also got an array of foods you didn't know you could grill to browse through - some of which you might want to try on a griddle pan over your camping stove.
