How To Cook Over a Campfire: A Guide for First-Timers

It doesn’t get much better than cooking over a campfire. I’m convinced the same food tastes 100 percent tastier just because it was prepared outside. If you’re anything like me, you know there’s something magical about cooking over an open flame. Whether it’s the crackling sound of the fire, the aroma of wood smoke, or the anticipation of that first delicious bite, cooking dinner over a campfire is an experience like no other. I’m guessing you agree with me (or want to see for yourself) since you’ve landed on this blog post.

After a lot of trial and error, I’m thrilled to share this easy-to-follow guide on how to cook food over a campfire. It’s the perfect guide for first-timers, or those just wanting to brush up on their camp cooking skills for their next trip.

Preparing for Campfire Cooking

The crackle of a campfire, the smell of food cooking over open flames, and the joy of gathering around a warm fire to share a meal—campfire cooking is a tradition loved by many. However, this delicious experience comes with responsibilities. Before cooking food over a campfire, it’s important that you adequately prepare, practice safe measures, and respect the great outdoors.

Step 1: Choosing The Right Location

Finding a safe and legal (yes, you could be breaking the law) spot for your campfire is your first step. First and foremost, be sure there are no fire restrictions and that fires are permitted in your camping location. You can check state websites, visitor centers, and/or with the park rangers.

Once you have the all-clear, then you can look for a clear area away from trees, bushes, and other flammable materials. Be mindful of wind direction to prevent sparks from spreading, and always use previously established fire pits or designated rings when available.

Step 2: Gathering and Preparing the Right Resources

Selecting the right types of wood—hardwoods for longer burning and softwoods for kindling—is essential. Gather wood, tinder, and kindling responsibly by finding dry wood and avoiding live trees.

Although you may not always have the choice of wood when you are on a camping trip, it’s great to have a brief overview of each because some of us cook over a fire in the backyard. Plus, it will make you sound like a professional when you can explain the difference to someone.

1. Hickory: Known for its strong, smoky flavor, hickory is ideal for grilling meats, especially pork and beef. It burns hot and for a long time, making it suitable for longer cooking processes.
2. Oak: Oak is a versatile wood that provides a medium to strong flavor, suitable for a wide range of foods. It burns slowly and evenly, offering consistent heat for cooking.
3. Maple: Offering a mild, sweet flavor, maple wood is excellent for poultry and vegetables. It burns at a moderate rate, providing a steady heat that’s not too overwhelming for delicate foods. Maple is my personal favorite wood for campfire cooking!
4. Cherry: Cherry wood gives a mild, fruity flavor that enhances the taste of chicken, pork, and even some fish. It burns at a moderate rate, producing a good amount of heat without overpowering the food.
5. Apple: Similar to cherry, apple wood offers a mild, sweet, and fruity flavor ideal for poultry and pork. It burns slowly, allowing food to cook thoroughly while imbuing it with a subtle sweetness.
6. Pecan: Pecan wood provides a rich, nutty flavor that’s milder than hickory but stronger than fruitwood. It’s excellent for smoking meats, especially poultry and pork, and burns at a moderate pace.
7. Alder: Alder wood produces a light, delicate flavor with a hint of sweetness, making it perfect for fish and poultry. It burns fairly quickly but at a lower temperature, suitable for smoking and gentle cooking.
8. Birch: Offering a somewhat sweet flavor, birch is good for cooking poultry and pork. It burns quickly, so it’s better suited for dishes that don’t require long cooking times.
9. Cedar: While not typically used for direct cooking due to its intense flavor and the risk of flare-ups, cedar is popular for planking, where food is placed on a cedar plank to absorb the wood’s aromatic qualities. It’s especially good for fish. Fishing trip anyone?

Step 3: Building Your Fire the RIGHT WAY

I love experimenting with different types of campfires and the benefits each has for cooking. Before I started camping, I thought a fire was a fire as long as there was a flame, now I understand that building the right type of campfire can greatly enhance your cooking experience while camping.

Here’s a list of campfire types and their benefits for cooking:

1. Teepee Fire: This classic fire shape, constructed by leaning sticks against each other over a small pile of kindling, is ideal for quick and easy cooking. It concentrates heat upwards, making it perfect for boiling water or cooking skewered foods. As the burning wood collapses, it creates a bed of coals suitable for further cooking. Did anyone else think this was the only way to build a fire?
2. Log Cabin Fire: Built by stacking logs in a crisscross pattern around a small teepee fire, this type offers a more controlled burn. It’s excellent for cooking food that needs to be surrounded by moderate, even heat, like when using a Dutch oven or for roasting marshmallows.
3. Lean-to-Fire: By leaning pieces of wood against a larger log, you create a sheltered space for kindling. This fire type focuses heat on one side, making it suitable for direct grilling or frying on a pan. It’s also easier to control and feed with more wood.
4. Star (or Indian) Fire: In this configuration, logs are arranged in a star pattern with their ends meeting in the center. As the ends burn, you push them further into the center. This method offers a slow and steady heat source, ideal for simmering or slow roasting.
5. Platform (or Upside Down) Fire: Starting with larger logs at the bottom and smaller ones on top, this fire type creates a steady platform of heat as it burns from top to bottom. It’s excellent for long, slow cooking processes, providing consistent heat without the need for frequent adjustments.

Tools Needed for Cooking Food Over a Campfire

Campfire cooking requires the right tools that are durable, versatile, and suitable for the outdoor environment. When you are just starting, this list can seem a bit overwhelming, but I promise that with practice you will feel like a pro in no time!

1. Fire Starter: Matches (waterproof if possible), lighter, or a magnesium fire starter to easily ignite your campfire.
2. Kindling and Firewood: Essential for building and maintaining your fire. Consider bringing eco-friendly fire starters or gathering dry wood and small dead branches from the area, if allowed.
3. Grill Grate or Tripod: For placing pots, pans, or food directly over the fire. A tripod can be adjusted to control the cooking temperature.
4. Cast Iron Skillet/Dutch Oven: Cast iron cookware is versatile for cooking a wide range of dishes, from stews to baked goods, and are durable enough to withstand direct fire. I personally LOVE using the Rome pie irons, GSI Outdoors cookware and the Le Creuset cast iron alpine collection is a solid choice.
5. Heavy-Duty Aluminum Foil: Useful for wrapping food for cooking directly in the campfire coals.
6. Cooking Utensils: Including a spatula, tongs, a long-handled spoon, stainless steel tongs, and a meat thermometer to ensure food is cooked safely.
7. Cutting Board and Knife: For food preparation. Opt for a durable, easy-to-clean cutting board.
8. Portable Coffee/Tea Maker: For your morning brew, consider a French press, a portable espresso maker, or a simple coffee drip cone.
9. Cooler with Ice Packs: To keep perishables fresh, especially for trips longer than a day.
10. Pot and Pan Set: Preferably ones that are lightweight and designed for camping. Some sets are designed to nest together to save space.
11. Portable Camp Sink or Wash Basins: For cleaning up. Consider biodegradable soap to minimize environmental impact.
12. Reusable Water Bottles and Containers: For storing water and leftovers, reducing the need for disposable plastic.
13. Skewers/Marshmallow Sticks: For roasting marshmallows, hot dogs, or making kebabs.
14. Can Opener and Bottle Opener: Easily forgotten (speaking from experience) but often needed for meals and beverages.
15. Food Storage Containers or Bags: To protect your food from animals and keep it fresh. If camping in bear country, be sure to research the requirements!
16. Grill Gloves: Heat-resistant gloves can protect your hands from hot fire when cooking or adjusting logs in the fire.
17. Cleaning Supplies: Including sponges, dish towels, wire grill brush, and trash bags to keep your campsite clean and minimize your impact on the environment. As with any outdoor adventure, be sure to leave no trace.

Techniques for Cooking on a Campfire

Similar to the different types of fires, there are also different types of campfire cooking techniques. Don’t worry, you don’t have to master each one right away! I recommend starting with one technique each camping trip and then eventually choosing (and mastering) your favorites.

1. Direct Grilling: This method involves cooking food directly over the flames or hot coals on a grill grate. It’s perfect for foods that cook quickly, such as steaks, burgers, vegetables, and some fish. Direct grilling provides a smoky flavor and appealing grill marks.
2. Skewer Cooking: Skewering meat, vegetables, or even fruit and cooking them over the flames is a fun, interactive way to prepare food. It allows for easy rotation and even cooking, ideal for kebabs, marshmallows, and hot dogs. Who doesn’t love the good ol’ fashioned way of roasting a hot dog over the fire pit?
3. Foil Packet Cooking: Also known as hobo packs, this technique involves wrapping food in aluminum foil packets and placing them in the coals of the fire. It’s a versatile method that can be used for meats, fish, vegetables, and even desserts. The packets steam the food inside, locking in moisture and flavor. Foil pack recipes are always my go-to cooking method when I’m camping.
4. Dutch Oven Cooking: A Dutch oven is a heavy, cast-iron pot that’s perfect for campfire cooking. It can be used for baking, roasting, frying, and stewing. By placing coals both beneath and on top of the Dutch oven, you can achieve even cooking temperatures similar to an oven.
5. Pie Iron: Using a pie iron is a simple, yet effective way to get started with campfire cooking. It’s perfect for cooking sandwiches and pies. All you have to do is add two pieces of buttered bread and your ingredients and then rotate the pie iron over the fire for a few minutes on each side. You’ll have a savory or sweet meal in no time!

Safety Tips for Cooking over a Campfire

Although I hope your camping experience is as seamless and stress-free as possible, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Here are some safety tips to remember for your next camping trip.

General Campfire Safety

Always have water, sand or a fire extinguisher within reach, and never leave your campfire unattended. Ensuring your fire is completely extinguished before leaving is non-negotiable. You do not want to be responsible for a forest fire.

Food Safety

Prevent cross-contamination by keeping raw and cooked foods separate (have a separate cooking surface for each), and use a digital meat thermometer to ensure all foods are cooked to their safe internal temperatures.

Water Purification

Although some campsites have their own source of clean water, this is not always the case. Water purification is an important safety measure when cooking outdoors. The process typically involves collecting water from a natural source and then heating it over the campfire to kill off pathogens.

Be sure to boil water for at least one minute at altitudes less than 2,000 meters (and three minutes at higher altitudes) to ensure its safety for drinking and cooking.

Campfire Cooking Recipe Ideas

And, I saved the best for last. Here are my most favorite campfire recipes! You’ll never want to cook in your kitchen again.

1. Campfire Sausage and Peppers

Campfire sausage and peppers on the fire are just so delicious. Each foil packet encloses juicy sausage, tender onions, and bell peppers, along with tasty seasonings.

2. Campfire Shrimp Scampi

You’ll love the simplicity of this delicious campfire shrimp scampi. You can prep all the components at home and then just bring them along in a cooler, along with some good quality foil, and look forward to that gorgeous shrimp dinner on night one of your camping expedition!

3. Campfire Foil Pack French Dip

Served nice and hot from the campfire with the rich and savory au jus, this campfire French dip one of the highlights of camping, whether you’re camping out or simply dining al fresco in the backyard!

4. Campfire Banana Boats

These campfire banana boats are quick and easy to make and pair the distinctive flavor of bananas with chocolate, mini marshmallows, and graham crackers for that iconic s’mores appeal, along with sliced almonds and chopped strawberries

5. Campfire Apple Crisp

Juicy apples are sweetened with sugar and flavored with cinnamon, and this campfire apple crisp dessert is topped with a sweet and crunchy crumb topping. It’s a decadent campfire dessert that everyone will love.

Have Fun Cooking Over Fire!

As you can see cooking over an outdoor fire takes some preparation, practice, and patience, but you’ll surely be rewarded with a delicious meal in the great outdoors. With the right cooking method, camping cookware, and prep work you’ll be on your way to being the next greatest outdoor chef!

It’s time to get your cooler packed and test your skills cooking on the open fire!