If you’re the slightest bit like many people, when you hear the phrase campfire cooking, the first thing you’ll think of is “roughing it” and “living off the land” like the old days. Well, while eating wild berries, fishing for trout with a knife, and eating certain bugs was a true survival method that worked and kept many people alive and fed, we are leaps and bound away from those ancient campfire meals. We’re even beyond the can of baked beans and hot dogs and marshmallows on sticks! As hard as it may be to believe about campfire cooking, you can now eat like royalty cooking with fire from your own backyard!
The best part about eating like royalty is that it doesn’t require much prep and the meals are easy to make. Depending on what you’re making, some of these meals are packed with way more flavor than cooking traditionally on the stove. If you’re ready to wow guests with different foods cooked over a fire, take a look at these easy-to-make campfire cooking recipes.
Flaming Tequila Pig Shots
If you thought pigs in a blanket were good eating, you haven’t experienced the flavor punch of flaming tequila pig shots! For this recipe, you’re taking pre-cooked sausage (kielbasa or andouille), wrapping it in thick-cut bacon, adding cream cheese to the top, and then incorporating the flambé technique with your tequila of choice (flambé is completely optional but makes a pretty cool effect when serving!
Tip: When wrapping the bacon around the sausage, you can use a toothpick to hold the bacon so it doesn’t come apart when cooking. Once you have your pig shots all prepared, you can throw them on the grill and cook until the bacon is fully cooked
Here’s the full recipe for Flaming Tequila Pig Shots.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Ribs
Who would’ve thought that peanut butter and jelly could go in anything other than bread! Well, now’s the time to brace yourself because this American classic is going rogue; and by a rogue, we mean ribs!
For this meal, you’re going to be using baby back ribs. You’ll want to pull the membrane from the back and then slice each rib and thoroughly season them with your favorite barbecue seasoning. Once you have your meat seasoned, you can then get started on your PB&J sauce (peanut butter, jelly, black garlic sauce, Thai chili sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce). You’ll mix the ingredients, and cook in a skillet or pot over the fire until warm and thickened. From there, you’ll go through the process of smoking the ribs, and then frying them. Once the ribs are fully cooked, toss in your PB&J sauce and serve!
Here’s the full recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Ribs.
Smoked Nashville Hot Chicken Queso
Nashville hot chicken is already a flavorful signature meal, but when you combine the spicy red chicken with melty cheeses, topped with jalapenos and pickles, your tongue is in for a real treat! To get started with this recipe, you’ll want to make a brine of pickle juice and hot sauce for the chicken thighs to soak in for a few hours. After the chicken has marinated, season the boneless chicken thighs with a Nashville hot chicken seasoning blend of your choice.
Before you smoke your chicken, you want to also get a fire-safe skillet and combine Velveeta and cream cheese, and then add Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar to build layers of flavor. Put your chicken and skillet of cheese in the smoker. After 30 minutes, give the queso a quick stir to make sure it’s all melting evenly. Once the chicken is done, shred it and add it to the queso, and mix. Once thoroughly mixed, you can then add the pickles and jalapenos to the top.
Here’s the full recipe for Smoked Nashville Hot Chicken Queso.
Let Your Next Meal Be a Campfire Cooking Recipe
If you find yourself getting tired of eating the same meals and preparing them the same way, then it’s about time you start incorporating some flames into your meals. The recipes listed above can be prepared on the stove or in the oven but they’re so much better when cooked over fire.
With a few simple ingredients, a smoker, and sometimes a pot or skillet, you can take some of the most basic meals and prepare them to five-star restaurant standards! The recipes listed above are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to easy meals you can begin
