Outdoor Cooking: 3 Menus Over the Fire

Sleeping outdoors? Planning a fire? Wondering what to cook to make the whole experience even better? Instead of another bland camp meal, why not turn it into a mini feast? We’ll be honest—you probably won’t travel light with these recipes. And after eating, you might not be in the mood for a long hike. But we guarantee this adventure will stick in your memory far longer than any freeze-dried dinner.

Outdoor cooking doesn’t have to mean just sausages, reheated Adventure Menu meals, or protein bars. It can be fun, flavorful, and the perfect way to bond with friends and family. Remember our “5 Campfire Snacks” article? This time, we’re going full menu.

Note: Be responsible. Always fully extinguish your fire (especially in summer—use water, not just a quick sprinkle or… less conventional methods). Leave no trace. Nature deserves our care.

Turning an Adventure into a Feast

What Not to Forget

• Practice first. Cooking outdoors takes some skill. You’ll need to choose a safe spot, gather wood, manage your fire, prep ingredients, and have all the tools ready. If you’re unsure, start in your backyard or a nearby fire pit with easy access to supplies.

• Pick your spot carefully. Only cook where fires are legally allowed and won’t harm the environment. Having access to drinking water is a huge plus.

• Bring enough water. For drinking, cooking, cleaning—and especially for putting out the fire. Water bags or bottles are a must.

• Prep your food at home. Skip stuffing grocery bags into your backpack at the last minute. Pre-portion ingredients and avoid unnecessary packaging and waste.

• Pack a snack. While your main dish cooks, you'll get hungry. Quick bites help avoid hanger.

• Don’t forget a trash bag. You'll need it.

• Clean up. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—leave your cooking spot at least as clean as you found it.

Soup That Cooks Itself

Want to save time and effort? Try a soup that cooks while you walk—yep, in your backpack. All you need is a high-quality thermos with a wide mouth and good heat retention.

You could just throw ingredients into the thermos and top it with boiling water—but cold veggies can drop the temp too quickly, and undercooked soup isn’t exactly appetizing (especially if it includes meat or mushrooms).

A better option? Preheat the ingredients before transferring them to the thermos.

What You’ll Need:

• Wide-mouth, well-insulated thermos.
• Pot and stove for prep.

How to Prep:

• Clean and chop veggies, sausage, or other ingredients into small pieces.
• Add salt, pepper, herbs, and perhaps a bouillon cube.
• Bring everything to a boil.
• Transfer carefully into the thermos—and let the heat do the rest.

Menu 1: Roasting on a Stick – Potato Spirals + Meat or Fish

Remember the foil-packed potatoes from last time? This twist adds flair and crunch. It takes a bit of practice—but it’s worth it.

Try potatoes a little differently.

What You’ll Need:

• Sharp knife.
• Thin roasting sticks.

How to Prep:

• Skewer whole potatoes.
• Carefully carve a spiral around the potato.
• Gently stretch it out along the stick.
• Roast over an open flame until golden on all sides.

Add sausage, fish, or other proteins to complete the combo.

Meat or fish also go well with baked potatoes.

Menu 2: Grilling on Stone or Pan – Veggies + Steak

Fast, easy, and endlessly customizable—grilled meat and vegetables are a camp classic.

Under the stone or frying pan, there is still enough space for some treat in foil, see the previous article.

What You’ll Need:

• Knife and small cutting board.
• Clean flat grill stone or folding outdoor pan.
• Spatula or multitool.

How to Prep:

• Cut everything into bite-sized pieces, season well.
• Heat your cooking surface with a bit of oil.
• Grill on both sides until golden and sizzling.

Menu 3: One-Pot Wonder – Campfire Goulash

Got more time and a bigger appetite? Cook a hearty goulash (or any one-pot meal). You'll need a large outdoor pot or kettle and a stirring tool.

Caution: Avoid pots with plastic components. Melted plastic doesn’t go well with goulash.

You can cook a solo portion in a mess kit, but a communal pot shared with others is what makes it special.

There’s no one “right” goulash—just cook with what you’ve got and trust your taste.

An exact recipe is not necessary, you can make goulash in a million ways.

How to Prep:

• Heat oil in your pot over the fire. Sauté chopped onions with a pinch of salt.
• Add garlic and spices, let it get aromatic.
• Stir in diced meat, sausage, or mushrooms and brown them.
• Toss in cubed potatoes and veggies. Sauté briefly.
• Add liquid—water, broth, wine, or whatever you’ve brought.
• Let it simmer and adjust the seasoning.

A mushroom or potato goulash might take 30 minutes; a meat version can take an hour or more. But that slow simmer? Totally worth it.

Bonus Tip: Got extra time? Try making simple campfire pancakes to go with your goulash.

Hungry for More?

Did you enjoy today’s menu? We hope so. Next time, we’ll dive into something completely different—like insects as a sustainable protein of the future. Stay tuned!