33 Easy camping dinner ideas the entire family will love. Plus free printable menu to keep you organized.
My mind goes completely blank when trying to think of easy camping dinner ideas. Then come the quick go to meals like cheeseburgers and hot dogs.
Those are fine every now and again but not for every camping trip.
So we’ve come up with a list of 33 easy camping dinner ideas, that are kid and family friendly, to keep the guess work out of meal planning and to get a bit of variety back in our camping dinners.
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I’m not going to lie, the cheeseburgers and hot dogs are on the list but so are 31 other family friendly camping meal ideas.
Lots of times I don’t exactly need a recipe, especially when it’s just simple chicken Alfredo. What I need are ideas and a meal plan. And honestly, a menu to print out so that others can choose what kind of dinner they’re interested in too.
While we’re at it we’ll throw in a simple meal plan shopping printable to keep us extra on top of things.
Is this keeping on top of things? Or completely over the top? I’m not sure. It can’t hurt though.
33 CAMPING DINNER IDEAS
CAMPING DINNER IDEAS + Quick and Easy
Cheeseburgers and French Fries – Cheeseburgers and french fries are an easy camping dinner meal everyone will love. To make them extra easy, pick up your favorite burgers from the frozen section and serve with all the fixings. Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onion and of course cheese.
Brats with Sauerkraut – Grilled brats by themselves are delicious, but since we’re camping let’s make them a bit extra. Top them with sauerkraut and grilled onions and load it up with spicy mustered.
Grilled Chicken Sandwiches – Start the grill and make some easy grilled chicken sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes and red onions. Serve with pickles and chips.
Hot Dogs – Sometimes hot dogs are my energy level after a day of either traveling or exploring the area. Toast the buns on the grill and add all the condiments. Mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and mustard.
Pizza / Pizza Bites – Pizza is great but pizza bites are super easy to make in a deep dish cast iron skillet. Buy the dough in the freezer section and dip in your favorite pizza sauce. Full Pizza Bites Recipe here.
Pigs in a Blanket – Ok, it’s kind of like hot dogs. But if the kids are up for trying something a bit different, wrap up hot dogs in Crescent rolls and try your luck with cooking them over the fire. Or cut them in half and make them in a pie iron over the fire instead.
Sloppy Joes – It might be a bit messy but kids will love sloppy joes. Make it simple with ground beef and a Sloppy Joes seasoning packet and serve with a side of coleslaw.
Campfire Nachos – Tortilla chips, cheese, black bean salsa, jalapenos and sour cream. Yum. Make this in a cast iron skillet to get the cheese nice and melty.
Camping Haystacks – My favorite first night dinner meal. Haystacks are light and hearty and only take a few minutes to prepare. After an afternoon of traveling, this is the perfect camping dinner. Camping Haystack Recipe here.
CAMPING DINNER IDEAS + CHICKEN
BBQ Chicken & Rice – Fire up the grill and make some BBQ chicken with rice. Serve with fresh vegetables such as grilled brussels sprouts.
Teriyaki Chicken with Veggies – Keep it easy with your favorite Teriyaki chicken marinade then grill up some onions, peppers and grilled pineapple.
Chicken Enchiladas – Make head in a tin foil pan and heat up over the fire for a quick and hearty dinner night. Serve with fresh cilantro and sour cream.
Chicken Kabobs – Don’t forget your skewers (like we usually do). Chicken kabobs are a great way to get your veggies in. Slice up some onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes and more!
Chicken Fajitas – Tortillas, chicken, onions, peppers and fajita seasoning. Topped with sour cream and cilantro. Hmm, seems like a lot of these meal ideas have similar ingredients. That’ll keep the grocery list extra easy!
Chicken Wings – Have you tried Yoshida’s Marinade for your chicken wings yet? You should! Serve with macaroni salad and watermelon.
Chicken Alfredo – Grill up the chicken over the fire with a bit of salt and pepper and pick up your favorite Alfredo sauce.
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Chicken Quesadilla – Cook this dish in the cast iron skillet for an easy dinner night. Chop up chicken, onion, pepper and sprinkle some taco seasoning. Fully cook. Add to tortillas and top with a Mexican cheese blend. Place back in cast iron skillet until cheese is nice and melted. Top with a spoonful of sour cream.
Grilled Chicken Salad – Let’s go with something a bit lighter and make a grilled chicken salad with fresh strawberries and feta cheese. For this dish we like to use Brianna’s Strawberry Blush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing.
CAMPING DINNER IDEAS + Steak & More
Beef Burritos – Let’s load this up with fully cooked ground beef, rice, corn, black beans, lettuce, cheese and guacamole. Don’t forget to season the beef with salt, pepper, garlic, tomato paste, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Add a couple of tsp. of water to the beef mixture then add all your fixings to the burrito tortilla and wrap tightly.
Beef / Steak Tacos – Keep is simple with ground beef tacos with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa and sour cream. Or, jazz it up with steak taco night with steak, avocado, red onions, salsa, cilantro and a bit of lemon.
Steak Fajitas – Let’s do marinated flank steak for these steak fajitas and load it up with grilled onions and red and orange bell peppers with a bit of cilantro and sour cream.
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry – Flank steak and broccoli over a bed of rice. The sauce on this one has a few more ingredients than I like to pack with us, but you can always make the sauce ahead of time and bring it along in an air tight container.
Steak Kabobs w/ Veggies – Marinated steak with onions, peppers and pineapple. Served with corn on the cob and potato salad.
Ribs w/ Mac and Cheese – Let’s do some BBQ ribs with our favorite macaroni and cheese. Not interest in making macaroni and cheese? Pick up your favorite pasta salad from the deli section.
Rice and Beans w/ Kielbasa – Keep it simple with rice and beans with kielbasa. If you have some picky eaters, just call it hot dogs and see if you can get away with it.
CAMPING PASTA DISHES
Spaghetti and Meatballs – Boil up some water for spaghetti and keep it simple by using your favorite meatballs from the freezer section.
Tortellini w/ Spinach & Grilled Cherry Tomatoes – Pasta keeps dinner nights really easy, but let’s slip some veggies in there with some fresh spinach and grilled cherry tomatoes.
Mac and Cheese w/ Hot Dogs – We’re not getting fancy here. In fact, we’re making boxed mac and cheese and slicing up hot dogs to put in the pot. Since this dinner has completely been taken over by the kids, get the ketchup x2 bottles and just let it happen.
Rotini Pasta w/ Ground Chicken and Veggies – To make things a little different, try some rotini pasta with ground chicken. Either use your favorite jarred sauce, or make your own using fire roasted tomatoes, onions and bell peppers.
American Chop Suey – That brings me back to my childhood. Can we add some white bread with butter and garlic powder on top? No? Ok, move along. Nothing to see here.
Chili Mac – It’s close to American chop suey, but we’re adding beans and a ton of cheese. No one will complain with this dinner.
EASY CAMPING DINNER + FISH
Fish Tacos w/ Creamy Slaw – Grab some tilapia and season it well. Cook to perfection and top it with a creamy slaw and lemon juice. Now why isn’t there a food truck at my campground?
Shrimp Foil Packets – Easy shrimp foil packets with kielbasa, corn on the cob, squash, zucchini and cilantro. Don’t forget a bit of lemon juice.
Salmon Foil Packets – Individual salmon foil packets with asparagus and a slice of lemon on top. Wrap up and cook over the campfire grill.
Grilled Shrimp and Pasta – Grill up some shrimp and make a pot of garlic pasta. There won’t be leftovers.
CAMPING DINNER IDEAS + SOUP
Beef Stew – Have some time? Let this beef stew simmer for a few hours for a more flavorsome dinner.
Chili w/ Corn Bread – Chili is great for those crisp evening where you need something warm and hearty. Try our campfire chili recipe here.
Chicken and Dumplings – Make some chicken and dumplings in a deep dish cast iron skillet with lid. Just watch that your campfire doesn’t get too hot.
Ramen Noodles – That’s it. Easy peasy- Or! Slice up some onions and cabbage and cook in boiling water. Top with sriracha.
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup – What I love about this dinner idea is how you can go simple with canned soup and white bread, or you can pick up some nice bread from the bakery and add several different cheeses.
CAMPING SIDE DISHES
- Pasta salad
- Potato salad
- Coleslaw
- Macaroni salad
- Baked beans
- Side salad
- Chips and pickles
- Loaded baked potatoes
- Hummus and veggies
VEGGIE IDEAS
- Green beans
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cucumbers
- Squash
- Zucchini
- Corn on the cob
- Avocado
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Eggplant
- Spinach
- Peas
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
CAMPING DINNER MENU PRINTABLE
These easy camping dinner ideas are great and all, but wouldn’t it be better if we could print this out like a menu and have everyone take a look and see what they’d like?
You’re in luck! (because I needed this printable too)
33 Easy Camping Dinner Ideas – Free Printable Download
Since I like shopping with a meal plan in mind with along with a grocery list, let’s add that in here as well.
Camping Dinner Meal Plan – Free Printable Download
Alright, I think we’re set up for a great camping trip. One where you don’t have to think about what’s for dinner, because now you already know.
Happy Camping!
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