25 Simple One Pot Camping Meals for Your Next Adventure
We love one pot camping meals! They’re a great way to make meal prep at camp easy and delicious. So in this post we’ve gathered up 25 of our favorite one pot camping meals for you to pick from on your next adventure!
You can find these camping recipes in a printable format at the end of the post!
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Benefits of One Pot Camping Meals
Less Mess and Fewer Dishes - Need I say more? Camping dishes are the worst. With most one pot meals you’ll typically have a cutting board and knife or two to clean up, but only one messy pot!
Everything is Ready at Once - Don’t worry about your side dishes getting cold while your main dish is slowly simmering. With one pot camping meals, everything is ready at the same time with no extra thought or effort put in. Win!
Great for Group Camping - If you’re feeding a group while camping, one pot meals can greatly simplify your meal prep! As long as your pot is large enough, one pot meals are easily scalable by multiplying the ingredients in the recipe. No need to stress out and slave over multiple pots and pans spread between a couple different two burner camp stoves!
One Pot Camping Meals: What Makes the Cut
Must Be Relatively Simple - We do enjoy new recipes and great food, but, when we’re camping, we always want meal prep to be as easy and stress-free as possible. Cooking off our truck tailgate with a two burner stove and a portable camp sink, is just not the time when we want to whip up some elaborate recipe. So all the one pot camping meals on this list are pretty simple. No extra fuss (especially if you do the recommended prep at home!) or odd ingredients you’ve never heard of.
Only Require Basic Camp Kitchen Supplies and a Stovetop - And along the same line, none of these meals require special kitchen tools or equipment you won’t already have in your camp kitchen box, and each one is cooked over a camping stove. If you enjoy campfire cooking, most can be adapted to that method. But for simplicity's sake, you can stick with the camp stove (read this if you are searching for a great camp stove) for all of these one pot camping meals.
Should Be a Meal on Their Own - Lastly, one pot camping meals should be a meal on their own - you shouldn’t be having to think much about side dishes. That said, with many of these, we would recommend either throwing in some bread as a side or some salad. For camping, we love the bag salad kits that have dressing and toppings included. These can lighten up a heavier one pot meal, while still keeping meal prep simple.
Tips for One Pot Camping Meals
Use a Cast Iron Combo Cooker - Here’s the one* we use and highly recommend (this guide dives into WHY you’ll love it, and how you can take care of your own cast iron set for camping). This specific set is so versatile for cooking up one pot camping meals because it’s a pot, a pan, and a dutch oven all in one! The fact that it’s a thicker piece of cookware also helps the ingredients heat evenly.
Know the Cooking Time for Individual Ingredients - Although each recipe below gives the order of when to add different ingredients, it’s always wise to think through your ingredients and have an idea of which will take longer to cook. If you dump everything in the pot at once, well, it may not work out! So know when to add in each new ingredient so they all cook properly.
Generally, meat should go in first
Rice, pasta, and root vegetables (like carrots and onion) should go in early
Greens like spinach or kale should be added at the end
Herbs and spices can be added throughout and adjusted at the end
Cut and Chop to Similar Sizes - Try to cut and chop like foods into similar sizes - this will help ensure things are cooked evenly.
When Cooking Pasta in One Pot - If you’re cooking pasta for a one pot camping meal, the liquid doesn’t need to totally cover the noodles for them to cook. Use your best judgment and adjust. If the pasta is nearly done and you have too much liquid left, remove the lid for the rest of the simmering time. If all the liquid is gone but your pasta isn’t close to ready, add a little more broth or water and let it continue simmering. Be sure you keep the liquid simmering the whole time - too low of heat will lead to gummy pasta.
One Pot Camping Meals for Breakfast
Chorizo and Eggs
Ingredients: chorizo, eggs, green onion optional, shredded cheese optional, corn tortillas optional
Steps: Choose either Mexican chorizo (uncooked and found near other raw meats) or Spanish chorizo (cured and ready-to-eat sausage found near other cured meats like salami). Brown the Mexican chorizo, or slice up and brown your Spanish chorizo. Add your eggs and scramble all together. Top it off with green onion if you’d like, and shredded cheese if you want to bring down the spice. Serve with corn tortillas if you want a little filler.
Oatmeal
We like to make our own packets of quick-cook oats to limit the amount of added sugar - here’s the recipe we use to make them in bulk every couple of months. And if you don’t want to mess with heating water in the morning, another option is to make overnight oats - here’s a great recipe for that.
Steps: For the quick-cook oats, just boil ½ cup of water, stir it into the oats, and let sit for a couple minutes. For overnight oats, they are ready to eat!
Making toast in a cast iron skillet with just a little butter or cooking spray is a nice addition! And bring add-ins for your oatmeal - nuts, berries, dried fruit.
Corned Beef Hash and Eggs
Ingredients: can of corned beef hash, eggs
Steps: Dump a can of corned beef hash into your cast iron, and allow it to brown and crisp up a bit over low heat. When the hash is nearly done to your liking, add in however many eggs seem appropriate for your group. Scramble them in, give them time to cook through, and enjoy!
Pancakes
This can be as simple or involved as you like! For the simplest pancakes, buy some ‘Just Add Water’ pancake mix*, and then at camp all you have to do is add water to the mix and cook! Or, make your favorite pancake batter recipe to enjoy in the great outdoors. Here’s ours:
Ingredients: ½ cup quick cook oats, ½ c wheat flour, ¾ cup skim milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or applesauce, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp salt, 1 egg lightly beaten, 1-2 tsp cinnamon, 2 bananas cut into small pieces
Steps: Stir all ingredients together until smooth. Cook through and enjoy!
If making your own batter, we recommend you mix all dry ingredients together at home, and mix all wet ingredients together at home. Then at camp, all you have to do is mix the dry and wet concoctions together, cook, and enjoy! Don’t forget your syrup or maybe even fresh fruit!
Breakfast Scrambler
Ingredients: hash browns, eggs, shredded cheese, plus whatever add-ins: onions, peppers, bacon or sausage, spinach, mushrooms, etc.
Steps: Begin with either dehydrated hash browns* or frozen hash browns, and start them in the cast iron according to package directions (or grate real potatoes if you so desire!). Throw in chopped onion, bacon bits or pre-cooked crumbled bacon. Add in any other veggies your crew likes. Crack your eggs into the pan, scramble them in, and once cooked through, top with your favorite cheese.
We always either cook bacon at home before leaving for camp, or use crumbled bacon bits if pressed for time.
One Pot Camping Meals for Lunch
Mac & Cheese
This is another one pot camping meal that can be as simple or complex as you like! Grab a box of Kraft Mac N Cheese, (don’t forget to pack your milk and butter!), and slice up and add a pre-cooked kielbasa sausage.
Or, try a camping mac n cheese recipe that’s become one of our go-tos - you can find the recipe here. With this specific recipe, we often pre-cook the noodles at home and we always mix up the macaroni seasoning ahead of time.
Burrito Bowl
Ingredients: Spanish rice, can of black beans, precooked protein of choice (chicken, pulled pork), tomato, black olives, red onion or green onion, avocado, shredded Mexican cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips
Steps: Cook the Spanish rice according to package directions. If you like sauteed onion, push the rice to the edge of the pan and saute some onion in the center of the pan. Drain the black beans before stirring them in, add your pre-cooked protein, mix all, and heat. Top with chopped tomato, black olives, red onion or green onion, avocado, Mexican cheese, or sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.
Vegetable, Sausage, and Lentil Soup
Ingredients: 1 lb italian sausage, 1 finely diced onion, 1 stick of diced celery, 2-3 sliced carrots, about 2 cups cubed butternut squash, ½ cubed zucchini, 1 cup green lentils, 3.5 cups chicken broth, 2 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1 tsp italian seasoning, ⅛ tsp black pepper.
Steps: Cut the sausage into bite sized pieces before browning it in the pan. Once browned, set aside and wipe excess grease from the pan. Add the veggies and lentils. Cover all with broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes (until the veggies are almost done). Add the sausage back in, season, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Serving this with a hearty bread would be a tasty addition.
Pasta salad
Ingredients: 16 oz rotini pasta, 1 bottle Italian salad dressing, 6 chopped tomatoes, 4-6 chopped green onions, 1 can sliced black olives, 1-1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning. Optional protein - pre cooked cubed chicken, pepperoni
Steps: Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain off any liquid before tossing with Italian dressing. Add veggies, cheese, seasoning, and optional protein. Mix well, cover, and keep cool until serving.
Tuna Mac
Ingredients: boxed mac n cheese (don’t forget the add-ins like milk or butter), can of tuna, salt and pepper
Steps: Cook your favorite mac n cheese according to package directions. Drain and mix in a can of tuna. Season to taste.
One Pot Camping Meals for Dinner
Spaghetti
One pot camping spaghetti can be as simple as cooking your noodles, draining, dumping in a jar of sauce, and topping with cheese (you could throw in pre-cooked meatballs too). Or, follow the recipe below for a still simple one pot camping meal that will have a little more flavor.
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef or precooked frozen meatballs, ½ onion diced, 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 6 oz can tomato paste, 1 14 oz can stewed tomatoes, 8 oz uncooked spaghetti noodles, 3 cups water, ¼ tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste, parmesan cheese optional
Steps: If using ground beef, brown it in your skillet. Saute the onion. Drain (if using ground beef), then add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until spaghetti is tender, stirring occasionally. If you are using frozen precooked meatballs, add them in as soon as the noodles are soft enough to allow them to easily mix in. Top with parmesan cheese.
A bagged salad kit and bread would complete this meal.
Stir Fry
Ingredients: stir fry kit with sauce (check the freezer aisles of your grocery store), pre-cooked cubed chicken (or your protein of choice)
Steps: If you didn’t cook your chicken before leaving for camp, cube and cook it through. Set it aside, and heat the packaged stir fry kit according to the directions. Add the chicken back in toward the end of the cooking time.
Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients: 3 cloves minced garlic, 3 Tbsp butter, 1 lb beef sirloin, 12 oz mushrooms, 3 cups beef broth, 1.5 Tbsp worcestershire sauce, ¾ tsp dijon mustard, 12 oz wide egg noodles, ½ cup sour cream, salt and pepper to taste.
Steps: Saute the garlic and butter in a pan. Add the beef sirloin strips, being sure to brown all sides. Add sliced mushrooms, sauteeing another few minutes until the mushrooms are soft. Dump in the uncooked egg noodles, beef broth, worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard. Stir to combine, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir again, reduce to a simmer, and cover. While simmering, remove the lid to stir every couple minutes. After about 8-10 minutes of simmering, the pasta should be tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed. Add the sour cream and more salt and pepper to taste, folding everything together.
Chili
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 1 can whole tomatoes in juice, 1 can black beans, 1 large garlic clove sliced, 1 tsp chili powder, ½ tsp paprika
Steps: Brown the ground beef, then drain. Slice the whole tomatoes into pieces and add them in, along with the tomato juice from the can of tomatoes. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Serve with bread or cornbread, and use leftovers over hot dogs the next day.
Pasta and Veggies
Ingredients: ½ onion diced, 2 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp chopped basil, 1 Tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp lemon juice, 1 jar black olives, ½ jar capers, 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, 1 lb uncooked fettuccine or spaghetti noodles, 12-15 oz can tomato sauce, water, salt and pepper to taste
Steps: Saute the onion and garlic in the pan. Add all remaining ingredients. Using the empty tomato sauce jar, refill it with water 1.5 times and add that amount to your pan. Stir periodically and check the doneness of the pasta. Adjust water as needed during cook time, making sure there’s always some liquid and sauce surrounding the pasta. When the noodles are done, remove from heat and enjoy!
Although this recipe doesn’t call for any meat, you could add precooked chicken, shrimp, beef, or other protein towards the end of the cooking time.
Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients: 4 Tbsp olive oil (divided), 1.5 lbs chicken breast diced, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 quart low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups heavy cream, 1 pound penne pasta, 4 cups shredded parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste
Steps: Cube the chicken breast and season with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken in olive oil (it will continue to cook as you add more ingredients). Add minced garlic and more olive oil to saute. Add in the chicken broth, heavy cream, about 1 tsp kosher salt, about ½ tsp pepper, and the uncooked pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Remove from the heat and stir in parmesan cheese. The sauce will continue to thicken.
Madras Lentils
Ingredients: Tasty Bite Entrees Madras Lentils Package*, naan or other flatbread
Steps: We’ve only tried one flavor of Tasty Bite Entrees (madras lentils), and it is so tasty! Boil the pouch in water to heat the meal. Paired with flatbread warmed in a cast iron skillet, it is a surprisingly filling meal, and incredibly simple.
Chicken Pot Pie
This is best as a dutch oven recipe. In order to get the crust to cook as expected for chicken pot pie, you'll need to add heat to the top of the dutch oven using hot coals. If you aren't able to do this, the recipe will still work, but you will need to let it heat for a longer time and the crust won't be flaky.
Ingredients: olive oil, 1.5 lbs precooked chicken breast (cubed or shredded) OR 24 oz canned chicken, 2 tsp minced garlic, 1 onion diced, ¾ c milk, ¼ cup flour, 2 cans cream of chicken soup, 1 lb bag frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas), salt and pepper, 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls or refrigerated biscuit dough
Steps: Heat your precooked chicken or canned chicken in the dutch oven with oil and garlic. Add onion. Whisk together the milk and flour before adding it to the dutch oven. Mix in all other ingredients except the crescent rolls/biscuit dough, adding water or milk if it seems too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and layer whichever refrigerated dough you brought on top of the mixture. Lower the heat, add the preheated lid to your dutch oven, and bake for 25 minutes with hot coals on top. If the dough is golden brown and flaky, enjoy! If not, continue baking for 5 minute intervals until done.
BBQ Chicken and Potatoes
Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts, ½ package bacon, 4 small potatoes sliced, 1 red onion chopped, ½ lb butter, 1 bottle barbeque sauce
Steps: Slice the chicken breasts into strips and chop up the bacon into smaller pieces. Add both meats to the cast iron, stirring to brown all sides. Mix in sliced potatoes, chopped red onion, butter, and bbq sauce. Cover with your preheated lid to bake in your dutch oven. Using low heat, bake for 20-25 minutes before checking doneness. Continue adding time in 5 minute increments, until the chicken and potatoes are done.
Chili Mac
Ingredients: olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 onion diced, 1 lb ground beef, 14 oz can of black beans and/or kidney beans, 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes, 2.5 cups beef broth (or water), 8 oz uncooked elbow pasta, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp paprika, 1 ½ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp oregano, ½ tsp pepper, 1 ¼ tsp salt, 2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack, or mozzarella)
Steps: Saute onion and garlic in oil before adding and browning the ground beef. Add all other ingredients except the cheese, stir, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes, until the noodles are just cooked but still on the firm side (they’ll continue cooking as you do the next steps). Turn off the heat and stir in about 1 cup of the cheese. Spread the other cup of cheese over the top of the chili mac, and return the lid for a few minutes while it melts. Then it's ready to serve!
We highly recommend mixing the seasonings up in a baggie at home prior to leaving for camp to keep things simple!
One Pot Camping Meals for Dessert
Apple Crisp
Ingredients: 6 green apples, 2 tsp nutmeg, 2 tsp cinnamon, 3 cups quick cook oats, 1 cup flour, 2 cups brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 cup melted butter
Steps: To simplify this greatly, make the crust at home by mixing the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter. Store it in a bag or container to bring to camp. Thinly slice your apples. Press half the crust mixture into the bottom and about one inch up the sides of the dutch oven. Add the sliced apples, sprinkling in layers with the nutmeg and cinnamon. Cover the apples with the rest of the crust mix. Bake in the dutch oven, covered, over low heat, for about 45 minutes or until the crust is light brown and the apples are tender. Medium or high heat will burn the bottom of the crust.
S’mores Nachos
Ingredients: graham crackers, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, other favorite candy bars optional
Steps: Use either a cast iron pan or, for easy clean up, a disposable aluminum pan. First, layer broken up pieces of graham cracker, then top with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. Make it snazzy by adding other favorite candy too! Heat the pan over your campfire or camping stove for about 10 minutes or until everything has turned into melty goodness.
You can initially heat this in an oven at home, cool in the fridge, and pack it in your cooler as a chilled dessert - so yummy!
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients: Tube of refrigerated cinnamon rolls
Steps: First lightly oil and heat your cast iron pan and lid over your camping stove to warm them up. Fit the cinnamon rolls in the bottom of the pan and cover. Bake over very low heat for about 10 minutes, flip, and bake another 8-10 minutes. Low and slow is key so the bottoms don’t burn! Once done, top with the supplied frosting and enjoy!
Rice Krispie Treats
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp salted butter (or unsalted with a pinch of salt added), 16 oz bag mini marshmallows, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 6 cups rice krispies cereal
Steps: Melt 6 Tbsp salted butter in a pan, then add in all but one cup of mini marshmallows from a 16 oz bag. Stir until melted and remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract. Add 6 cups of rice krispies cereal and the remaining 1 cup of mini marshmallows. Once mixed, pour into a baking dish (lined with parchment paper for easy clean up) and gently press them into shape. Don’t smoosh them down too much because this will make them harder to eat. After about an hour, they’ll be ready!
Berries and Chocolate Pound Cake
Ingredients: 12-16 oz fresh berries, 2 Tbsp sugar, ¼ c butter, ¾ lb of pound cake, 2 rolo candy bars
Steps: Mix the fresh berries with the sugar and let sit for about 10 minutes. Melt butter in your cast iron skillet and cut the pound cake into 1 inch cubes. Throw that in the pan with the butter and let all sides get toasted. Remove from the heat before sprinkling the berries and the rolos over the top. Cover for about 5 minutes while everything warms and melts together. Done!
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There you have it, 25 easy one pot camping meals! We hope you found this list useful and that you enjoy some great meals while out on your next adventure!
As always, thanks for reading. We’d love for you to SUBSCRIBE for more camping tips!
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