While I love nature and sleeping in a tent outside, the highlight of camping trips is always, without a doubt, the camping meals.
There’s something about cooking over a fire or preparing a big meal on a small camp stove that’s just so satisfying, especially after a long day of hiking.
Here’s me back in 2015, making breakfast for my parnter and myself the morning after an EPIC hike. (Dix peak in the Adirondacks, NY).
I’m smiling here, but in so much pain from that hike. But sometimes the soreness makes the food taste better!
All 70 of these easy and affordable best camping meals were suggested by the one and only Workweek Lunch community, which happens to be full of seasoned campers.
These recipes are specifically for car camping, not backpacking. It’s a whole other ballgame when you’re carrying all the food you need for a trip on your back!
I hope these recipes get you inspired to cook on your next camping trip… or just try them at home!
Related: Packing Food For A Road Trip & Meal Ideas
I hope you enoy these links! Some of these meals were a bit too basic to require a recipe (I think we can all confidently make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without a recipe) but when in doubt, just look it up!
Best Camping Breakfast Ideas
- Oatmeal
- Overnight oats
- Cream of wheat
- Pancakes
- Chilaquiles
- Huevos rancheros
- Omelet in a bag
- Orange muffins (I can’t wait to try these)
- Freezer breakfast burritos (heat on fire while camping)
- Starbucks spinach feta wrap
- Eggs and hashbrowns
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Campfire toast
Easy Camping Lunch Ideas
- Pasta salad (can prepare and eat out of a zip lock bag!)
- Raw veggie wraps and sandwiches
- Grilled veggie wraps and sandwiches
- Couscous salad
- Thai quinoa salad
- Avocado pesto pasta
- Tuna sandwiches
- Peanut butter jelly sandwiches
- Deli meat and cheese sandwiches
- Peanut butter, strawberry and banana quesadillas
- Peanut butter, ripe plantain and strawberry sandwiches
- Cheese, cured meat and crackers
- Pre-chopped bagged salad (storebought)
- Pizza bagels or mini muffins
Affordable Camping Dinner Recipes
- Cast iron burgers and veggies
- Tin foil fajitas
- Variations on foil packet meals
- Loaded potatoes cooked in the fire
- Tacos (I’m making these fish tacos like these on my trip)
- Chili with cornbread baked on top (dutch oven)
- Sausage and veggie skewers
- Mac and cheese
- Homefries and corn on the cob
- Chili mac
- Bean burritos
- Alabama camp stew
- Frozen chili to heat when you camp (pre-made)
- Quesadillas
- Campsgiving: powdered mashed potatoes, canned turkey and just-add-water-stuffing
- Roasted salmon
- Campfire pitas and hummus
- Cast iron pizza
- Nachos
- Stir-fries
- Pesto ramen
- Ramen noodle curry
- Shakshuka (can also be breakfast!)
- Pizza grilled cheese
- Walking tacos
- Street dogs: sauteed peppers and onions with a hotdog and mustard
- Camping poutine
- Pudgy Pies (aka Jaffles)
- Shepherd’s pie with instant potatoes
- Kraft dinner
- Beef jerky curry (regular curry, but with beef jerky chopped into it)
- Instant rice veggie bowls
- Chicken sausage, quinoa, sauteed zucchini with cheese and hot sauce
- Pita pizzas
- Hot dogs on a stick (classic)
- Grilled cheese
Best Camping Desserts
- Classic s’mores (we love ours with mint chocolate)
- Cinnamon rolls wrapped around Reese’s cups, roasted over a fire
- Banana boats
- Apple cobbler in a dutch oven
- S’mores cones
- S’mores quesadillas
- Pineapple & pound cake skewers with maraschino cherries
- Apple crisp foil packets
- Dutch oven peach cobbler
Meal Planning For Camping Trips
It’s tough to cook up the best camping meals without a plan. I highly recommend mapping out which recipes you know you want to try, while also leaving some room for leftovers and spontaneity on your trip.
Meal planning will help you have a more relaxed trip where you’re not constantly running to the store, picking up stuff you forgot to get (I’ve been there!)
Our meal planning template works great for workweek meal planning, but can also be used to meal plan for a camping trip!
Click here for our free meal planning template.
Related: Meal Planning For Beginners
Did we miss any of your favorite camping meals? Which best camping meals would you add to this list? Share below!
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