38 Campfire Meals to Keep You Well-Fed in the Great Outdoors
Eating (very) well in the great outdoors isn't hard. Pack up your camping cooking gear and a cooler (or two) filled with all the fixings..."
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson1/38Grilled Crispy-Skinned Salmon With Whole Lemon-Sesame Sauce
For this lemony grilled salmon recipe, the key is cooking fish that still has its skin on.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Molly Baz, prop styling by Emily Eisen2/38
Hanger Steak with Charred Scallion Sauce
First you get excited because: hanger steak. And then you taste that scallion sauce...
- Christopher Testani3/38
Ultimate BLT
Two sweet-salty finishings let guests craft their own signature sandwiches, but if you’re a purist, leave them off and let the (excellent) bacon speak for itself.
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Andy Baraghani4/38
Grilled Chicken Skewers With Toum (Shish Taouk)
Toum, an intense garlic sauce usually paired with shawarma, is used as both a marinade and a condiment in this Lebanese chicken dish.
- 5/38
Charred and Raw Corn Salad
All the things that you love about elote (Mexican grilled corn), now in a convenient tossed-together form.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou6/38
Sweet and Spicy Grilled Summer Squash
The crosshatch pattern isn’t just for show (even though it does look cool)!
- Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Amy Wilson7/38
Grilled Swordfish With Tomatoes and Oregano
There’s only a kiss of honey in the vinaigrette, but it’s an essential player. With all the briny flavors from fish and the capers, you need a touch of sweetness for balance.
- Photo by Alex Lau, prop styling by Kendra Smoot8/38
Brothy Steamed Clams with Corn
This recipe is more formula than mandate: You can use mussels, cherry tomatoes, and shallots instead.
- Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone and Jennifer Ophir9/38
Crispy-Skin Salmon With Miso-Honey Sauce
Quick cooking, not-too-expensive, and super satisfying, salmon fillets are a weeknight dinner slam dunk—and our go-to method for making them is pretty much un-mess-up-able.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Alison Attenborough10/38
Orange Fish in Parchment
Because the fish, which is flavored with garlic, chile, ginger, and turmeric, is sealed in a pouch before it's baked, it stays extra moist and flavorful with no risk of drying out.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova11/38
Healthyish Barbecued Chicken
Classic grilled chicken gets updated with an easy, healthier barbecue sauce.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Dana Bonagura12/38
Chicken Under a Brick in a Hurry
Getting your chicken super juicy on the inside and extra crispy on the outside requires one simple tool (that’s the brick part) and a few helpful techniques.
- Gentyl & Hyers13/38
Grilled Cheese with Peak Tomatoes
Two sweet-salty finishings let guests craft their own signature sandwiches, but if you’re a purist, leave them off and let the (excellent) bacon speak for itself.
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones14/38
One-Pan Chicken Thighs With Burst Tomatoes, Harissa, and Feta
This recipe requires you to chop a grand total of zero vegetables. What's the shortcut? Harissa, a North African pepper sauce that brings the flavor (so you don't have to).
- Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Bowl from Heath Ceramics15/38
Grilled Shrimp With Old Bay and Aioli
Seasoned with Old Bay, a little garlic, and some charred lemons, these shell-on shrimp capture the nostalgic vibes of a classic East Coast fish shack—without any of the lines.
- Kyle Johnson16/38
Herby Black Rice Salad with Radishes and Ricotta Salata
If you're camping, make the rice before you leave and pack the vinaigrette in a little jar on the side. You’ll thank us, Scout’s honor.
- Kyle Johnson17/38
Chilaquiles with Blistered Tomatillo Salsa and Eggs
If you’ve got both a camp stove and a grill, you’re golden: Prep the salsa over the live fire and make perfect eggs on the propane stove.
- Kyle Johnson18/38
Pan Bagnat with Fennel
This sandwich gets better and better the longer it sits (okay, to a point); assemble it after breakfast and eat it when you’ve worked up an appetite.
- Kyle Johnson19/38
Red Wine–Marinated Hanger Steaks with Flatbreads
When it comes to marinating these steaks, go long. Time adds intense flavor, the wine helps tenderize, and you can get it going before you hit the road.
- Kyle Johnson20/38
Seared Cod with Potato and Chorizo Hobo Packs
If you’re camping, make this your night one dinner, when the fish is freshest.
- Kyle Johnson21/38
Peach-Blackberry Camp Cake
Line your Dutch oven with heavy-duty foil before baking for an effortless cleanup.
- Kyle Johnson22/38
Flaxseed–Chia Seed Pancakes with Bacon
Energy-packed flaxseed and protein-rich chia seeds give these flapjacks a lot more staying power.
- Kyle Johnson23/38
Ember-Roasted Corn and Leeks
No soaking, husking, or de-silking required. The corn cobs will slip right out of their husks when cooked. If camping, make the spice mixture at home before you go.
- Alex Lau24/38
One-Skillet Roasted Butternut Squash With Spiced Chickpeas
Stop struggling to peel and slice squash. Just roast it whole, tear up the flesh, then sear it off.
- Alex Lau25/38
Juicy Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Citrus Dressing
Rather than marinating ahead of time, which, let’s face it, doesn’t work on weeknights, we came up with a citrus-mustard-cilantro dressing that bathes the chops in punchy flavor.
- Peden + Munk26/38
Italian Sausage with Grilled Broccolini, Kale, and Lemon
Even sausage can dry out when overcooked; we like browning them over direct heat, then moving them to a cooler spot to finish cooking.
- Christopher Testani27/38
Iron-Skillet Peach Crisp
The best way to transport this is right in the pan, snug in a box.
- Photo by Peden + Munk28/38
Grilled Pork Chops With Soy Glaze
In this episode of Weeknight Grilling, we’re making thin-cut pork chops that come together f-a-s-t.
- Alex Lau29/38
Cornbread Tamale Pie
Cornbread tamale pie—a quick and spicy chili topped with cornbread—is your campfire's best friend.
- Alex Lau30/38
Seared Boneless Short Ribs with Salsa Criolla
This hot-sweet-smoky salsa transforms quick-seared short ribs into a dinner with complexity.
- Ted Cavanaugh31/38
Soy-Sauce-and-Citrus-Marinated Chicken
Not just for roast chicken: This vinegar, soy sauce, and citrus juice marinade also works with pork.
- Peden + Munk32/38
Torn Zucchini with Mint and Calabrian Chiles
No, you don’t have to tear the zucchini with your hands, but it makes for a cool presentation—and we all know it’s way more fun than using a knife.
- Kamil Bialous33/38
Whole Grilled Salmon with Chanterelles
This recipe is going to instruct you to remove the backbone of the fish from inside the cavity—no small task but well worth it.
- Alex Lau34/38
Butternut Squash Shakshuka
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet for this shakshuka recipe, just cook everything in a medium skillet and transfer to a 2-quart baking dish before cracking the eggs.
- Alex Lau35/38
Salt-Roasted Potatoes
Remember those pink salt blocks everyone was searing steaks on for a minute? A bit of kosher salt performs a similar function: transmitting heat.
- Alex Lau36/38
BA's Best Hash Browns
There are two kinds of hash browns: The chunky, floury, vaguely brown but not crisp kind, and the lacy, crunchy, shredded version here. Guess which one we prefer?
- Peden + Munk37/38
Chile-Lime Clams With Tomatoes and Grilled Bread
Sure you can cook clams right on the grill grate, but getting a skillet involved means capturing all of their delicious briny juices.
- Laura Murray38/38
Grilled Corn and Poblano Chile Salad
Psst…you don’t need to presoak or preshuck corn before grilling it. Just put the whole ears on the grate and the husks and silk will slip right off afterward. You’re welcome.
