20 Best Foods To Roast Over A Campfire
When it comes to cooking over a campfire in the great outdoors, there are so many more options available to you than hot dogs and s'mores. That's not to dismiss the deliciousness of these classic camping culinary staples. But sometimes, an outdoor excursion can call for a little extra effort to be put into that campfire cooking. Luckily, there's nothing stopping you from turning that campfire into a state-of-the-art kitchen appliance — all you need is a will and a way (to keep yourself from abandoning your oven entirely). From fancy cuts of meat to the most humble of vegetables, and all the savory and sweet treats in between, just about anything that can be roasted in the oven can be roasted over a campfire.
To cook effectively over a campfire, prepare thoroughly for the occasion. First and foremost, make sure to bring all the proper fire-making tools with you including kindling, wood, and a lighter. After all, there's nothing worse than setting up to cook outside, only to realize there will be no fire to cook on. After that flame is lit, all that's left is to roast and possibly give a toast to the delicious, flame-kissed food you've cooked. Otherwise, just meal prep what you can, bring gloves, invest in a Dutch oven or other cooking equipment, and otherwise just get as footloose and fancy-free as you can be with these top foods to cook over a campfire.
A piece of beef
It is, frankly, impossible to compile a list of sumptuous snacks to roast over a campfire without mentioning the obvious choice: a big piece of beef. From prime rib roasts to tri-tip to hamburger patties, or perhaps you prefer a hunk of chuck, a rack of ribs, a mighty tomahawk, or a real thick-cut steak (New York strip, ribeye, or otherwise). It doesn't matter what cut of beef you choose for roasting over that open flame so long as it's thick, properly seasoned, and cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
After selecting and seasoning your beef, the rest of the roasting process is as easy as starting a campfire, placing the meat inside, and waiting for it to be done ... so that you can then wait for it to rest before making those amazing tri-tip steak tacos you've been fantasizing about.
Grilled cheeses galore
Though a grilled cheese sandwich may have the word "grilled" in the title, there's no reason it can't also be roasted over a campfire. In fact, there may be something almost magical about a roasted sandwich — its crunchy, crispy bread, imbued with all those campfire flavors, and the cheese, stacked thick before being melted to ooey-gooey perfection. For those of you who haven't experienced the sublime pleasure of a grilled cheese cooked over a campfire in the great outdoors, know that it's a must-try moment for any bucket list.
And, when you consider all the downright amazing grilled cheese add-ons you can put in that sandwich to make it sing — such as sundried tomato, arugula, spam, pesto, and oh so much more — it's really quite hard to go wrong.
Leg of lamb
Leg of lamb is one of the best items out there when it comes to roasting over a campfire. Although this bone-in behemoth of a piece of meat may seem intimidating to the uninitiated, know that it is actually an incredible ingredient for foodies and newbies alike. To master the art of roast leg of lamb, you only have to remember a few simple tips and tricks.
First and foremost, ensure the lamb leg you are buying is not, in fact, a mutton leg (as mutton is older, gamier, and less tender). Secondly, remember that lamb has a strong flavor that even the open flames of a campfire may not address — this is easily remedied by poking a few holes in the leg with a knife and stuffing it with flavorful aromatics such as rosemary or garlic and season well. After that, the lamb leg is ready to roast.
Meatloaf (or British Fatty)
If ever there was an oven dish that was simply meant to be roasted outdoors, it would be the humble meatloaf. Though some may consider this dish to be a bygone relic of the past, the reality of its delicious combination of vegetables, meats, breadcrumbs, and more could not be any more complex. In fact, it's easy to judge the merit of a home cook from their meatloaf as the process requires mastery of many basic skill sets.
To roast a meatloaf over a campfire is the ultimate indication that you've won whatever competition you're in. After all, nothing tastes better with meatloaf than a subtle hint of smoke ... and bacon too, of course, which is why bacon-wrapped meatloaf is already a classic combo.
Pies, sweet and savory
When people think of campfire roasting their foods, pie is rarely (if ever) the first option to come to mind. But this preemptive pie dismissal is a shame, really, because both savory and sweet pies are among the most delicious of dishes that can be cooked over a campfire. They even come pre-wrapped in an edible exterior, the crust, which will simultaneously crisp up from campfire roasting while also containing and protecting all the delectable filling inside.
So, the next time everyone's planning a campfire cookout, show up with an apple pie, a shepherd's pie, a cornish pasty, a tomato pie, or any pie that tickles your fancy and gets those tastebuds feeling totally titillated.
The whole hog
If you haven't heard the term "whole hog barbeque," then you're about to have your mind blown. After all, it's not like everyone and their mother has had the opportunity to roast a whole gosh darned pig over a firepit. But that doesn't mean that anyone should have to go without the succulent, savory, sumptuous experience that is taking that first bite of suckling pig fresh off the spit.
To roast a whole hog, just remember that pork does best when salted well, sugared up, and slow-cooked to perfection with a spritz of apple cider vinegar from time to time. For cooking a whole hog, temperature control is key — the lower and slower the pig is prepped, the better it will taste on the plate. So, have patience and roast the day away with a whole hog over a campfire.
Fresh caught fish
When out in the wild, it makes sense to catch whatever it is that you plan to cook. That's why fresh fish is a go-to option for roasting over a campfire. And, even if fishing isn't for you (or you simply forgot to renew that fishing license), then there are always farm-fresh and wild-caught options at just about any supermarket on the way to the campfire cookout. You won't regret the extra effort when you taste that first bite of flaky, flame-kissed fish meat, with its skin crispy from the fire, locking in those delicious juices and keeping the meat mouth-meltingly tender.
Though most campfire cooking can be done with little to no equipment, it may be wise to invest in a grill cage for roasting fish over a campfire as the wire mesh helps keep everything in one piece. Otherwise, just keep the skin on the fish and enjoy the simple but delicious dish of campfire-roasted fish.
Classic roast chicken
The near-universally beloved concept of rotisserie chicken did not, in fact, begin with Costco's insanely popular (and delicious) take on slow-cooked birds. In fact, people have been spinning poultry over campfires for nearly as long as campfires have existed. Why? Because of the tasty, tender, flavorful, and juicy, ultimately impossible to critique chicken that comes from the process.
Whether the campfire-cooked chicken will be spatchcock-cut and roasted in a cage or turned on a spit, or even sat upright with a beer can inside, the results are pretty much guaranteed to please every single time. In fact, this method of cooking chicken outdoors is so easy that even the least experienced outdoor chefs should at least consider giving it a whirl.
Dutch oven campfire stew
If there was one item made for cooking food over a campfire, it's a sturdy cast iron Dutch oven. This handy piece of kitchen equipment will last you all of your days, and, when placed over a campfire, will help to create some of the most sumptuous stews in existence.
Simply add all of your ingredients for your favorite stew (or try a new stew), put the Dutch oven in, around, under, or on your heat source, and let the contents simmer away to savory, stew-y perfection. Any stew you enjoy cooking inside, whether it be done on the stovetop, in the oven, or perhaps in a pressure cooker or slow cooker will become better when cooked over a campfire in a Dutch oven.
Lasagna
Lasagna? Roasted over a campfire? Is that possible? These are the questions you may find yourself asking, and the answer is yes, yes, and absolutely yes. Lasagna is an unsung hero of outdoor campfire cooking, and its delicious layers of pasta, meat, and cheese are well suited to the process of slow roasting.
The steps are simple: make a lasagna (or buy one frozen from the supermarket — there's no judgment here), then pack that pasta pie into a vessel and over a campfire and watch as it roasts, its tomato sauce bubbling riotously under copious layers of thick, creamy, melty, rich cheesy perfection. This method works equally well for traditional lasagne Bolognese as it does for more exotic renditions, like (the surprisingly good) spinach and chicken liver lasagna.
Potatoes
Whether prepared as a spud-tastic side or served loaded up as a meal in their own right, potatoes are the hands-down easiest food to roast over a campfire. All you have to do to roast the perfect potato is clean it well to remove all the dirt (don't forget, potatoes grow underground), poke a few holes in the skin with a fork, rub the potato with some oil and salt, wrap it in aluminum foil, and place over indirect heat. Don't forget to rotate the potatoes as they roast too.
Other than roasting the potatoes over a campfire, the most important part of this recipe is (of course) the garnishes, add-ons, and otherwise fun potato flavor fillers like cheese, bacon, sour cream, chives, and whatever else you brought to the campfire cookout!
Chilaquiles
Homemade chilaquiles is a criminally underrated breakfast dish, which makes no sense considering its flavorful, colorful, and resourceful recipes that are great for using up all those quintessential camping snacks from the day before. If you have some stale corn tortilla chips, some leftover salsa, and an egg to garnish, then you're already halfway to making this amazing Mexican meal.
To roast over a campfire, heat your cooking pan over the campfire, add the corn tortilla chips, pour the salsa on top, crack an egg over the entire thing, and roast until the egg yolks are to your desired texture (though a thick, runny yolk is ideal for maximum chip dip action). After the dish is properly campfire roasted, top it with cheese, onion, and cilantro — then serve and enjoy.
Eggplant everything
Eggplants are one of those vegetables that you either love with a passion, hate with a vengeance, or are simply too intimidated to try — luckily, when eggplants are roasted over a campfire with all the bells and whistles they require, any and everyone can evolve into an eggplant aficionado. Something about the play of fire, smoke, heat, and char takes the humble eggplant and turns it into an integral campfire cooking ingredient.
For eggplant cooking tips, know they may be roasted whole or sliced to varying effects. If cooked whole, get a good char on every side of the skin to ensure full flavor potential is reached. If cooking sliced eggplant, remember to salt and rest the slices in a foolproof process that serves to draw out the more bitter flavors.
Your favorite veggie medley
It is a fact commonly known that those who claim they do not like vegetables probably grew up eating the poorly prepared version of veg — possibly boiled, steamed, or otherwise disgraced, limp, and lacking in flavor and texture. Well, with roasting, no one has to worry about badly made veggies ruining the balance of an otherwise fantastic meal. After all, nothing adds that little extra bit of somethin'-somethin' to a stack of vegetables better than a quick roast over a campfire.
From classics such as corn and tomatoes to more exotic options like peppers, shallots, and zucchini strips, there's no end to the options when it comes to campfire-roasted vegetable medleys ... especially when those vegetables get more flavor from a quick dredge in herb oil and salted well before hitting the heat.
Frozen pizza
There is absolutely zero shame in bringing a frozen pizza to a campfire cookout, and the reasoning behind this is foolproof: pizza that's been roasted over a campfire is just about as delicious as pizza that's been popped into a professionally wood-fired oven at any bougie bistro. After all, the campfire provides everything you need for a perfect pizza — heat, smoke, flame, and an opportunity for the cheese to luxuriously melt, tomato sauce to get bubbling, and crust to rise, crisp, and develop those delicious spots of char that only an honest campfire cook can provide.
So, the next time you're cooking in the great outdoors, consider swinging by a local grocery store on your way to pick up your favorite frozen pizza. From stuffed crust to deep dish, and all the artificial flatbreads in between, it's impossible to miss with a pre-made pizza pie.
Bone marrow crostini
While many options for roasting food over a campfire are fun, low stakes, and high reward, campfire roasted bone marrow crostinis offer a hint of the high life from your personal corner of the great outdoors. After all, nothing screams, "gourmand in the group" quite like busting out a few rows of split bones full of mouth-watering marrow.
For the best bone marrow bites, just salt those bones and roast them to perfection over the campfire, ensuring they don't overcook and lose all that amazing fat in the process. When done, remove the bones and their tender fillings from the fire, then toast off a few slices of bread (sourdough baguette is probably the best for this) ... then just scoop and savor.
Gyros and souvlaki
Chicken gyros (or any gyros for that matter) and souvlaki may seem like dishes more suited to a street food stand than to a campfire cookout, but that parallel is exactly what makes them an amazing meal to serve in the wild. These traditional sandwich wraps are, like most Greek cooking, comprised of a few simple ingredients treated with care and served sizzling hot.
For the meat, just marinate some chicken, pork, beef, or lamb in olive oil, red wine vinegar, and spices to taste. Place the meat on skewers and roast until the outer layer is charred to perfection while the inside is still juicy and packed full of flavor. As the meat is cooking, toss some french fries over the campfire to roast alongside, then pile everything high with tzatziki, tomatoes, and more.
Roasted squash
For the ideal hands-off food to roast over a campfire while you do whatever it is you like to do in the meantime, then a good winter squash may be the way to go. Yes, this food is typically baked in the fall and wintertime, but that doesn't mean your diet has to be constrained by seasonality — not when squash roasted over an open fire tastes so darned good.
Whether you prefer the classic acorn, butternut, spaghetti squash, or even the more delicate flavors of a delicate, there's no harm in roasting one up and trying it out. Roasted squash may be scooped out and made into a mash with butter (and even sugar) or it can be used as an ingredient in squash salad recipes and so on.
Stuffed mushrooms
Picture this: you're sitting by a campfire at dusk, sipping a glass of whatever you like best (wine, ginger ale, beer). The campfire by your side is crackling delightfully and you can smell the sumptuous scent of stuffed mushrooms wafting through the evening breeze. The portobello stuffed mushrooms you're cooking are almost done and the smell is enticing ... its earthy, savory, and smoky, too, loaded with hints of onion and garlic and something more.
You may ask yourself why you never thought to roast stuffed mushrooms over a campfire before. But it's okay, because now you know that no campfire is complete without roasted stuffed mushrooms, topped off with a generous helping of cheese, of course.
Porchetta
The porchetta is a much-beloved cut of pork, favored for its sublime taste and texture, even with the top culinary celebrities like Anthony Bourdain (who enjoyed a porchetta sandwich here and there). For those who don't know, porchetta is an Italian pork dish featuring a suckling pig, deboned and then rolled into a wheel with herbs and spices. That flavorful wheel is then traditionally roasted over a fire and sliced thin for sandwiches afterward.
To roast porchetta at home, the best first step is finding a reliable butcher who can order and debone suckling pigs for you. Then the only steps you need to do in order to roast Porchetta over your own campfire are to make a seasoning blend, put in on the pork, roll it up, and cook it low and slow. After that? Just enjoy.