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  4. 30 Exciting Camping Recipes for Dinner Around the Campfire

30 Exciting Camping Recipes for Dinner Around the Campfire

Kaitlyn Yarborough, Assistant Editor and Writer for Southern Living
By Kaitlyn Yarborough Updated May 14, 2021
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Sweet Heat Hot Dogs
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Allison R. Banks; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Camping season is all about taking to the great outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, and oohing over the star-studded night sky. It's certainly not about serving white-tablecloth gourmet meals, but that doesn't mean hot dogs on a stick and lukewarm beans in the can are the only options. We've collected 30 easy and crowd-pleasing campfire dinner recipes that will turn even the most outdoor-averse into happy campers.

Whether you're looking to prep cold salads and classic spreads like egg salad and pimiento cheese beforehand—or if you're excited to use your campfire to whip up cast-iron skillet suppers, foil packet dinners, and camp food recipes like juicy burgers and cowboy steak—these will have you covered, so that you can just enjoy being around the flame with your loved ones.

Get your scary campfire stories ready, because these delicious camping dinners will have you itching to pitch a tent. 

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Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice

Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice
Credit: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice

This comfort dish just got a travel-friendly makeover. You won't be sorry showing up with these prepped and ready to warm back up. 

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Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese

Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese

Make a classic pimiento cheese sandwich even more satisfying by stuffing it with store-bought fried chicken tenders. Prep the pimiento cheese spread beforehand and assemble the sandwiches on-site for a quick meal.

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Brined Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauces

Buttermilk-Parmesan Ranch Sauce
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Brined Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauces

This grilled chicken gets a ton of flavor from the brine, made with herbs, garlic, brown sugar, and chiles.

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Ranch Turkey Burgers

Ranch Turkey Burgers
Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ranch Turkey Burgers

Something about ranch just feels like summertime, and these burgers definitely master the ranch-flavored zing.

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Cowboy Pasta Salad

Cowboy Pasta Salad
Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Cowboy Pasta Salad

Inspired by our beloved Cowboy Casserole, this recipe uses taco-inspired ingredients such as black beans, corn, cheese, jalapeños, cilantro, and ground beef to create a filling pasta salad to make and take.

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Vera Stewart's Mama's Egg Salad

Egg salad finger sandwiches and option for dipping
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards

Recipe: Vera Stewart's Mama's Egg Salad

Prep these classic Southern sandwiches ahead of time and store in a cooler for whenever you need a quick bite to eat. 

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Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix

Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix
Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Katie Jacobs

Recipe: Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix

This mix will satisfy everyone's craving for something sweet and salty. It's packed with cereal, bite-size pretzels, candy-coated peanut-butter candies, mini marshmallows, and a yummy butter mixture that includes brown sugar and honey. 

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Magic Cookie Bars

Magic Cookie Bars
Credit: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Magic Cookie Bars

These retro bar cookies always please the crowd. One Test Kitchen Professional described them perfectly: "gooey, slightly crunchy, and melt-in-your-mouth, chocolate-coconut heaven." 

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Steak-and-Potato Kebabs

Steak-and-Potato Kebabs
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Steak-and-Potato Kebabs

Steak and potatoes—it's as no-fuss as it gets. These kebabs go from backyard barbecue to campfire grill without missing a beat.

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Sweet Heat Hot Dogs

Sweet Heat Hot Dogs
Credit: Jennifer Davick; Prop Styling: Allison R. Banks; Food Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Recipe: Sweet Heat Hot Dogs

Upgrade your basic campfire hotdogs with sweet-hot pickles, shredded red cabbage, and a creamy topping made of mayo, whole grain mustard, and hot chili sauce.

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No-Bake Granola Bars

No-Bake Granola Bars
Credit: Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: No-Bake Granola Bars

These bars will double as a post-hike snack and post-dinner sweet.

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Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets

Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets
Credit: Johnny Autry; Prop and Food Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Recipe: Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets

The steam and juices from the chicken, lemon, tomatoes, and butter make for a tender pasta supper that will fill up all the bellies.

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Frito Pie

Frito Pie
Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Frito Pie

Any Texan knows that this recipe will feel right at home on the campgrounds. The corn chip-laden dish will be even easier to serve if the chili is made ahead, then reheated and assembled into its Frito pie form over the fire.

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Puppy Chow Snack Mix

Puppy Chow Snack Mix
Credit: bhofack2/Getty Images

Recipe: Puppy Chow Snack Mix

Odds are you've enjoyed this sweet, powder sugar-covered delicacy before, and it's a great option to bring as a huge batch. 

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Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter

Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter
Credit: Photo: Tina Cornett

Recipe: Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter

These mini sandwiches are simple but wonderfully tasty. Instead of baking, wrap them in tin foil and throw them over the fire.

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Cranberry Chicken Salad

Cranberry Chicken Salad
Credit: Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner

Recipe: Cranberry Chicken Salad

This spread will see you through when you need a packable dinner that can be kept at the ready in a cooler bag. We dressed up the grocery-store staple with celery, sweet pickle relish, chives, parsley, and seasonal favorite dried cranberries.

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Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs

Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs
Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe: Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs

Just look at that char, folks. Using chicken thighs will make sure these kebabs don't dry out as quickly.

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S'mores Pie

S'mores Pie
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Melissa Gray

Recipe: S'mores Pie

Enjoy this old-school camping treat in a whole new way that can be prepped ahead and brought along to serve up later.

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Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Credit: Micah A. Leal

Recipe: Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This bacon-and-tomato pasta salad is already a crowd-pleaser, but you can make it extra inviting by serving in small Mason jars—which are easily portable! 

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Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak

Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak

You can't beat the cast-iron crust that this recipe gives to tender steak. It's the ultimate camping meal.

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Skillet Charred Beans

Skillet Charred Beans
Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Kellie Kelley; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Recipe: Skillet Charred Beans

These soup beans feel wonderfully nostalgic as is, but we really kicked up the flavor with jalapeño chiles and thick-cut bacon.

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Potato Chip Cookies

Potato Chip Cookies

Recipe: Potato Chip Cookies

Another salty-sweet favorite that will satisfy everyone's post-dinner cravings, these classic chocolate cookies get a salty crunch from crushed potato chips.

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Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies

Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies Recipe
Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies

This old-fashioned childhood favorite just got even more scrumptious with a surprising salty-sweet caramel filling.

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Potato-Bacon Hash

Potato-Bacon Hash
Credit: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Potato-Bacon Hash

This side will always be welcome around our campfire. The skillet is packed with russet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and thick-cut bacon.

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Sloppy Joe Carolina-Style Burgers

Sloppy Joe Carolina-Style Burgers
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Sloppy Joe Carolina-Style Burgers

This recipe combines two camp meal favorites: Sloppy Joes and burgers. And the crowd will go wild.

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Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese

Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese
Credit: Photo: Stephen DeVries, Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese

No one will turn down a hearty grilled cheese with ham and Dijon mustard after a full day of outdoor activities.

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Grilled Peach Cobbler

Grilled Peach Cobbler
Credit: Greg DuPree

Recipe: Grilled Peach Cobbler

We prefer not to give up our favorite summer cobbler, even for the camping weekend. Turns out, the cast-iron skillet might make it better.

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Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick

Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick
Credit: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick

This juicy brick chicken recipe will win the camp crowd over, easy. Crispy chicken and cast-iron skillet potatoes work together in perfect harmony.

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Grilled Pork Meatball Kebabs

Grilled Pork Meatball Kebabs
Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

Recipe: Grilled Pork Meatball Kebabs

These easy grilled kebabs master a balance of sweet and heat, just how we like it.

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Ginger-Plum Slump

Ginger-Plum Slump
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mary Clayton Carl Jones

Recipe: Ginger-Plum Slump

A slump is essentially a cast-iron skillet of simmered fruit topped with pillowy, lightly sweet dumplings—which makes it perfect for using a grill or campfire instead of an oven.

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By Kaitlyn Yarborough

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 30 Foil Packet Red Beans and Rice
    2 of 30 Fried Chicken Sliders with Pimiento Cheese
    3 of 30 Brined Grilled Chicken with Dipping Sauces
    4 of 30 Ranch Turkey Burgers
    5 of 30 Cowboy Pasta Salad
    6 of 30 Vera Stewart's Mama's Egg Salad
    7 of 30 Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix
    8 of 30 Magic Cookie Bars
    9 of 30 Steak-and-Potato Kebabs
    10 of 30 Sweet Heat Hot Dogs
    11 of 30 No-Bake Granola Bars
    12 of 30 Lemon-Basil Chicken Breast Foil Packets
    13 of 30 Frito Pie
    14 of 30 Puppy Chow Snack Mix
    15 of 30 Ham-Stuffed Biscuits With Mustard Butter
    16 of 30 Cranberry Chicken Salad
    17 of 30 Lemon-Herb Chicken Kebabs
    18 of 30 S'mores Pie
    19 of 30 Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
    20 of 30 Cast-Iron Cowboy Steak
    21 of 30 Skillet Charred Beans
    22 of 30 Potato Chip Cookies
    23 of 30 Oatmeal-Caramel Cream Pies
    24 of 30 Potato-Bacon Hash
    25 of 30 Sloppy Joe Carolina-Style Burgers
    26 of 30 Ham and Dijon Grilled Cheese
    27 of 30 Grilled Peach Cobbler
    28 of 30 Top-Shelf Chicken Under a Brick
    29 of 30 Grilled Pork Meatball Kebabs
    30 of 30 Ginger-Plum Slump

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