One pot camping meals are the best option when limited by budget, time and space on the road. Whether you are looking for easy camping meals for family trips or the quickest camping stove recipes – we’ve got it all covered in this guide. We’ve mixed up our menu to include vegetarian camping recipes and some meaty campfire favourites to suit all tastes and diets.
Best of all, we’ve tried and tested these one pot camping meals and perfected the recipes over the years, so have included our top tips along the way for a fail-proof feast. As promised, all are quick, cheap and easy with minimal washing up (hurrah!) but let us know in the comments if we’re missing any of your favourite one pot camping meals and we’ll add it to this list!
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Risotto
One of the best easy camping meals for family trips as one pan goes so far and even small portions are incredibly filling!
- Prep Time 10 mins
- Cook Time 25 mins
- Total Time 35 mins
- Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 x Red onion
- 1 tbsp Lazy Garlic (2 cloves)
- Olive oil
- Arborio rice (1 cup for 2 people)
- Vegetable stock (double stock to rice, e.g. 1 cup rice = 2 cups stock)
- Vegetables (peas, spinach, red pepper)
- 1 x tin (400g) Passata / chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Chop Onion and sautee in a pan with garlic & olive oil. Add uncooked arborio rice, stir until glossy with olive oil.
- Add stock slowly ensuring to stir non stop. As the rice begins to soak up water, add vegetables (peas, spinach, red pepper whatever you wish).
- Add tin of chopped tomatoes or passata (sometimes we don't use the entire tin as the risotto will go soupy)
- Salt & Pepper to season. Add fresh basil & Cheese if you’re feeling fancy.
Notes
A cheeky little hack for the very hungry campers is to swap our arborio risotto rice with orzo. Orzo is a staple on any camping food list as it cooks much quicker than other pasta/rice making it perfect for one pot camping meals.
Fajitas
Fajita Friday doesn’t need to stop just because you’re camping. They are in fact one of the easiest one pot camping meals as they are the perfect way to use up leftovers. Just chuck any veg you have left into them.
- Prep Time 10 mins
- Cook Time 15 mins
- Total Time 25 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 x Red onion
- 2 x Peppers (chopped)
- Olive oil
- Paprika / fajita seasoning mix
- 3 tbsp Salsa or tomato puree
- 2 x chicken breasts - sliced
- Tortilla wraps
- Optional toppings such as guacamole, sour cream & cheese
Instructions
- Slice your onion, peppers & chicken. Add the onion & peppers to a frying pan on high heat - fry in until soft.
- Once veg is soft, add the chicken. Cook through until golden - approx 8 minutes.
- Add the seasoning mix or paprika with chopped tomatoes/salsa/passata (anything goes)
- Spoon onto a tortilla with toppings such as guacamole, sour cream & cheese
- Fold & devour!
Notes
If you don’t fancy taking chicken on your trip, swap it for chorizo. Chorizo is one of our favourite foods to take camping as it doesn’t require refrigeration and tastes amazing hot or cold. Or to make this vegetarian, swap the meat for halloumi or chickpeas.
Sausage Gnocchi
One of the quickest one pot camping meals but so fulfilling. The best thing about gnocchi is you don’t need to boil it in a separate pan, it cooks in the pasta sauce. It also cooks quicker and is slightly healthier than ordinary pasta – win, win!
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 x Red onion
- 1 tbsp Lazy Garlic (1 clove)
- 1 x tin (400g) Four bean mix
- 400g Passata (Approx. 1 carton)
- 500g Gnocchi (1 pack)
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 1 x Chorizo / sausage (optional if vegetarian)
Instructions
- Fry the onion, garlic (and chorizo/sausage if you wish) in olive oil.
- Drain the four bean mix, add to pan followed by passata & paprika.
- Add the gnocchi which will take approx. 5-8 minutes to soften in the sauce – taste to check.
- 5. Once the gnocchi is soft, it's ready to serve!
Cowboy Stew / Sausage Casserole
Are you even camping if you haven’t made a cowboy stew? There’s a reason this is one of the most popular one pot camping meals – it’s ready in under 15 minutes. There is no right recipe, it’s a case of chucking in whatever meat and veg you have with some tomato and paprika, then voila! If you’re looking for easy camping meals for family trips this is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser as you can adapt the ingredients to your taste (and budget.)
- Prep Time 10 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 20 mins
- Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 6 Pork Sausages
- 1 chorizo
- 1 Onion
- 1 tbsp Garlic (2 cloves)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- Tomato puree
- 1 tin four bean mix
- 1 tin Baked Beans
- Peppers / mushrooms / potatoes (whatever veg you have)
Instructions
- Fry your sausages with the onion and garlic until brown – fall in love with that smell! Once cooked, chop up (we use scissors for ease.)
- Slice the chorizo & peppers add to the pan with the sausages. Continue to fry for a further few minutes until peppers are soft.
- Add chopped tomatoes and four bean mix (substitute for baked beans if you don’t have both)
- Squeeze in a few tablespoons of tomato puree and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of paprika – allow to simmer for a few minutes.
- Serve in bowls as is or crusty bread to soak up the sauce
Notes
You can easily make this veggie by swapping out the sausages for potato, lentils or chickpeas. Also, if you don’t fancy carrying passata and four bean mix, use baked beans instead.
Lentil Dahl
One of the easiest camping stove recipes is Dahl as it is so cheap & quick to make and the perfect camping meal for vegetarians. If you’re looking for easy camping meals for family dinners then add this to your list, as it’s crazy how much you can make for less than the cost of a pint. It’s the perfect one pot camping meal to make at the end of your trip to use up anything you have left.
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 8 mins
- Total Time 13 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 tin (390g) Green Lentils
- 1 tin (400g) Chickpeas
- Olive oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 tsp Garlic ( 1 clove)
- 2 tbsp Curry paste or powder
- 4 handfuls of Spinach
- 1 tin (400g) Peas
- 1 tin (400g) Chopped tomatoes
- Naan or roti bread to serve
Instructions
- Sauté onions with garlic & olive oil
- Drain the lentils & chickpeas then add to the pan
- Immediately after add chopped tomatoes & a generous dollop of curry paste (substiture with curry powder if preferred.)
- Throw in any other vegetables you need used up (peas, spinach etc)
- Stir the mixture for further couple of minutes until piping hot. Not too long or the lentils & chickpeas will go squishy.
- Serve with naan or roti bread
Notes
If you’re a clumsy camper like us, a jar of curry paste is not the safest in your backpack. Instead, use curry powder – 2 tablespoons is perfect or if you fancy an extra kick sprinkle in a little more to your taste.
Goulash
One of the best one pot camping meals to warm you up before a chilly night in a tent… or campervan! We have adapted this recipe slightly for time and simplicity in comparison to the traditional slow-cooked recipe. It is one of our favourite camp stove recipes as it requires minimal effort but offers maximum flavour.
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 25 mins
- Total Time 30 mins
- Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 500g beef (stir fry beef cooks quickest)
- 500g potatoes (cubed)
- 1 x Onion
- 500ml Beef stock
- 1 carton (500g approx.) Tomato Passata
- 2 Peppers
- 2 tsp Paprika
- Red wine (optional)
- Olive oil
- Bread roll for the bowl
Instructions
- Fry the beef for a few minutes until brown - around 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan onto a plate.
- Add the Chopped peppers, onion & potato to the pan with oil & garlic.
- Add passata, beef stock, paprika and a dash of red wine - simmer for 20 minutes.
- Return the beef to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes until warm through.
- Serve in a bread bowl if you’re feeling fancy or with simply crusty bread
Chilli Nachos with Homemade Guacamole
Just because you are restricted by time, space & budget should not mean you have to skip on your favourite pub grub. Cheesy chilli nachos with homemade guacamole is one of our favourite one pot camping meals – perfect to share with a few beers after a busy day on the road.
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 15 mins
- Total Time 20 mins
- Serves 4 people
Ingredients
- 500g Mince
- 1 Red onion
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp Chilli powder
- 2 tbsp Paprika
- 1 Chopped red pepper
- 1 tin (400g) Baked beans
- 1 tin (400g) Four bean mix
- Cheese (optional)
- 2 large Tomatoes (cubed-ish)
- 1 Lemon (juiced)
- 1 Avocado
- 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt (not essential, but a delicious addition)
- Coriander
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Add mince to a fry pan on high heat with the onion. Cook until mince is brown (approx 5 minutes)
- Add peppers, chilli powder & paprika & stir.
- Mix in the baked beans & four bean mix. The tomato sauce from the beans will help make your chilly yummy & sticky before adding in passata. Leave to simmer as you make the guac. (approx 10 mins)
- For the guacamole: Smash the avocado with lemon juice, salt & pepper.
- Add the chopped onion, tomatoes (and coriander if you’re feeling fancy.) to the avocado smash.
- Top Your nachos with the chilli serve alongside guacamole.
Notes
Super easy to make this a vegetarian camping meal – just remove the mince! The secret ingredient to creamy delicious guacamole is greek yoghurt – add in a tablespoon and thank us later!
Thai Lettuce Cups
One of our favourite camp stove recipes because it’s ready in under 15 minutes! Super quick and easy – the perfect 1 pot camping recipe.
- Prep Time 2 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 12 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 500g Beef or turkey mince (we prefer turkey)
- 2 tbsp Red thai paste
- 1 Baby Gem Lettuce (3 "cups" each)
- 1 Red onion
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Add mince to a non-stick frying pan. Once brown, add chopped red onion + soy sauce.
- Fry until onion is soft and mince begins to crisp up. Drain any liquid if necessary.
- Mix in red thai paste – how much you use depends on how much spice you can handle.
- Continue to fry until the mince is crispy.
- Wash lettuce and pull apart leaves to create the lettuce “cups”
- Spoon your crispy, spicy mince onto the cups to serve – add other salad if you wish.
Notes
If you are not a fan of spice, you can substitute the thai paste with honey & soy for a sticky, tasty sauce.
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 2 Diced chicken breast or thigh
- 100g Cashew nuts
- 300g Fresh noodles
- 3tbsp Honey
- 2tbsp Soy
- 1 tsp Garlic/1 clove (we use the lazy garlic in a jar)
- 1 tsp chilli (we use lazy chilli in jar)
- 2 Peppers, sliced
- 130g Green beans
- Spring onion (optional)
Instructions
- Add diced chicken breast (or thigh) to a fry pan (or wok) on high heat. Cook until golden (approx 5-7 minutes)
- Add sliced peppers and green beans to the pan.
- As they cook, mix the soy sauce with honey in a cup (approx 50/50 but alter to your taste) Add garlic + chilli, again to your taste – we like it spicy so use 1 full teaspoon of lazy chilli.
- Add the honey soy glaze to the pan. As it reduces, stir in the cashew nuts.
- Add the fresh noodles to the pan, it’s easiest to use tongs to ensure they separate properly and cook through. (Approx 3-4 minutes)
- Once all mixed together, serve in bowls with a sprinkling of spring onion.
Notes
If you have some, coat your chicken in cornflour first before frying as it keeps the chicken moist. If you cannot get fresh noodles (the kind that doesn’t need to be boiled) you can eat this stir fry on its own, or inside a tortilla like a fajita.
Leek & Bacon Pasta
This camp stope recipe has only 4 ingredients and is ready in minutes, so it’s ideal for hungry families. It can be adapted, so if you only have one pot opt for gnocchi or orzo as it can be added straight to the sauce. Spaghetti or ordinary pasta will need to boiled and put to one side. You can use any type of cream cheese or sour cream, it entirely depends on your taste and what food you bring camping.
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 leek
- 200g Bacon Lardons
- 300ml Creme fraiche
- 75g Gnocchi / orzo / spaghetti (per person)
Instructions
- Put some pasta on to boil, once ready toss into a bowl with some olive oil (to avoid sticking) and keep 1 cup of the starchy water.
- Slice up the leek and it to a frying pan with the pack of bacon lardons. If you can't buy bacon lardons, ordinary bacon slices into small pieces works too.
- The fat from the bacon will help soften the leek, it should take around 5 minutes.
- Once soft, mix in the creme fraiche (you can sub with cream cheese if preferred.)
- Chuck in the boiled pasta with the cup of the starchy water.
- Serve & enjoy!
Notes
We did promise one pot camping recipes, so if you don’t have space to boil the pasta beforehand, you can use gnocchi or orzo straight into the pan without pre-cooking. Instead, add a cup of water to your leek/bacon/creamy mix and then your orzo or gnocchi. They will cook in the sauce without having to boil separately.
Halloumi Burgers
Halloumi burgers are one of our favourite vegetarian camping recipes, and taste best when made on the campfire or BBQ but are a perfect camp stove recipe too.
- Prep Time 4 mins
- Cook Time 6 mins
- Total Time 10 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 block of halloumi – slice in half through the middle
- Burger buns
- Side salad
- Sweet chilli sauce / condiments of choice
Instructions
- Cut your block of Halloumi in half horizontally, so it creates 2 thick slices = 2 burgers.
- Coat them in olive oil and if you’re feeling fancy you can coat them in herbs or paprika or simply chuck them straight onto the frying pan (or BBQ)
- Fry for a few minutes on each side until golden (usually takes just 3-4 mins)
- Add to a burger bun, then top with whatever you have to hand. Our fave toppings include: grilled red pepper & hummus, or sweet chilli and spinach, or salsa and guac, whatever you fancy!
Shakshuka
Shakshuka is one of the best one pot camping recipes as it can be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers as there is no right or wrong way to make it – its essentially baked eggs in a tomatoey sauce. This is our version, but feel free to adapt to your taste.
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 15 mins
- Total Time 20 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 Chorizo
- 1 Red pepper
- 1 tin (400g) Cannellini beans (or baked beans)
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tin (400g) Chopped tomatoes
- 250g Passata (approx. 1/2 carton)
Instructions
- Chop your chorizo and it to a frying pan. After 2-3 minutes add your chopped peppers.
- The oil from the chorizo will help soften the peppers. Once soft, chuck in the drained cannellini beans and passata. If you are using baked beans, you won’t need passata. Instead use 2 tbsp tomato puree to avoid “soupy” shakshuka.
- Add paprika and simmer for around 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.
- Create 2 small wells in your mixture and crack in your eggs. Add a lid and let the eggs cook through. This should take around 6 minutes.
- Once the eggs are cooked, it’s ready to be enjoyed. We love dipping in crunchy bread or simply spooning out of the pan – camping food at it’s finest!
Notes
If you don’t have a lid for your pan, use tinfoil instead.
Cauliflower Thai Curry
This is one of my favourite one pot camping recipes as again, you can adapt it to use up leftovers and it tastes incredible. Nothing like a little Thai spice to keep you cosey under the stars!
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower
- 1 tin chickpeas
- 1 tin of garden peas
- 1 jar red thai paste
- 1 tin coconut milk
- Naan or roti bread to serve
Instructions
- Chuck your tin of coconut milk into your pan (any kind of pan will do)
- Spoon in your thai paste – we enjoy spice, so use the whole jar, but you may only like a spoonful or two.
- As it warms up, chop your cauliflower into florets.
- Add your cauliflower, peas and drained chickpeas to the coconut milk + thai paste mix.
- Cook for around 8 minutes until the cauliflower is soft. Make sure your curry is simmering not boiling or you’ll have a mushy cauliflower on your hands.
- Serve up with roti bread, naan or rice if you have a second pot to cook some up in.
Notes
Feel free to chuck in any veg you need used up. This is one of the easiest camp stove recipes for using up leftovers as it tastes great with spinach, peppers, green beans or broccoli.
Jambalaya
When searching for easy camping recipes for family trips, Jambalaya is always a firm favourite. It is a rice dish that is similar to paella or risotto in that it is cooked in one pot with meat such as chicken or sausage. We’ve adapted it slightly (we use chorizo as our sausage as it doesn’t need refrigerated and orzo instead of rice as it’s quicker to cook) making it a super simple one pot camping recipe. This might not be the traditional method, but it is super quick and tasty!
- Prep Time 2 mins
- Cook Time 15 mins
- Total Time 17 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 150g Orzo
- 1 Chorizo
- 1 Peppers
- 1/2 tin Green peas (approx 150g)
- 1/2 tin Sweetcorn (approx 150g)
- 1 Onion (red or white)
- 2tbsp Tomato puree
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Firstly, fry up the chorizo.
- Then add pepper and onion and fry until soft.
- Add your tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, stir and simmer.
- Add the orzo then pop on a lid (or use tin foil) and simmer for around 8-10 minutes.
- Sprinkle in some peas and sweetcorn and paprika if you have handy – stir for 2-3 minutes to cook peas & sweetcorn.
- Taste test the orzo if it is soft (unless you prefer al dente) then serve up in bowls!
Fish Tacos
The first time we tried to make fish tacos was when we were camping in Australia, as we were looking for a super quick camping stove recipe because our van was so hot to cook in. They are hands down one of our favourite one pot camping meals because they take under 10 minutes to make, so you don’t have to stand over a hot stove very long.
- Prep Time 8 mins
- Cook Time 7 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 tin Sweetcorn (300g)
- 1 tin of mixed beans (or just black beans)
- 1/2 Red onion
- 2 large Tomatoes
- 4 Tortillas
- 200g Breaded fish goujons
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Chuck your fish goujons onto the frying pan with a little oil.
- As they are frying, chop the tomatoes and red onion then mix it in a bowl with a tin of mixed beans and sweetcorn.
- Scoop your taco bean mix onto your tortillas.
- One the fish is golden on both sides (takes around 3-4minutes per side) add these to your tacos.
- Squeeze on fresh lime and the condiment of your choice – we like chipotle mayo to give a wee kick, but sour cream also works or you may have your own fave taco combo.
- Best enjoyed in the sunshine with a cold beer – cheers!
Notes
When we have taco bean mix leftover, we mix it with some greek yoghurt and tuna for a sandwich filling for lunch the next day.
Red Pepper & Coconut Bean Stew
This spicy stew is a guaranteed heart warmer and one of our favourite Winter camping stove recipes. It’s super quick – ready in under 10 minutes and a definite crowd pleaser!
- Prep Time 5 mins
- Cook Time 10 mins
- Total Time 15 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 Red pepper
- 1 red onion
- 300g Cherry tomatoes (or tin of chopped tomatoes)
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
- 1/2 pack of Gnocchi (approx 250g)
- 1tbsp Red thai paste
- 1 tin of mixed beans such as haricot / cannellini / butter beans
Instructions
- Chop 1 red onion, 1 red pepper and a tub of cherry tomatoes (or a tin of chopped tomatoes if easier) and chuck in a pan with olive oil, simmering until soft.
- Add haricot, cannellini and butter beans into the pan with 2tbsp coconut cream + a small cup of water.
- Depending on your spice tolerance you could simply sprinkle in chilli flakes and seasoning as desired or we prefer to stir in a spoonful of thai curry paste for an added kick.
- Add the gnocchi and allow to simmer to cook the gnocchi until soft.
Notes
You can use the remaining thai paste for a few of our one pot camping recipes such as the cauliflower thai curry or crispy lettuce cups.
Chickpea Burgers
Not only is this a super easy camping stove recipe, but it’s also ideal for BBQs and campfires. If you are worried about taking beef burgers camping due to the lack of refrigeration, rustle up these tasty chickpea burgers instead!
- Prep Time 10 mins
- Cook Time 8 mins
- Total Time 18 mins
- Serves 2 people
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot
- 1 tin of chickpeas
- Curry powder
- Mango chutney (or sweet chilli sauce)
- 2 tbps plain flour
Instructions
- Grate the carrot into a large bowl. Drain and rinse the chickpeas then add them to the bowl.
- Mix in 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of mango chutney or sweet chilli
- Mash the ingredients with a fork, or it’s easiest to use your hands (Make sure you have biodegradable wet wipes at hand)
- Squish the mixture into patty shapes. Add to the frying pan (med- high heat) and cook in a little oil until golden on both sides - around 3-4 mins per side.
- Serve in buns or with a salad – enjoy!
Notes
You can use the remaining thai paste for a few of our one pot camping recipes such as the cauliflower thai curry or crispy lettuce cups.
TIME TO TAKE THESE ONE POT CAMPING MEALS ON THE ROAD
Now you are armed with our easiest and tastiest one pot camping meals, you need some outdoor inspiration! We got you covered. From the chilly Scottish Highlands to the sunny campgrounds of Australia – below is some of our favourite camping destinations.
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