We’ve been seeing a renaissance for camping and RVing. With the increase, more people than ever are taking a stab at campfire cooking. So, we wanted to share our best fire pit cooking tips with all you campsite warriors.
We became part of the statistic as 48 million households took at least one camping trip in 2020, and the numbers continue to grow. As we searched for safe ways to travel and vacation with our 6 children, camping seemed like a logical choice. But it had been quite a while since hubby or I had gone on a genuine camping trip.
I wanted to make sure that the food we served was safe and delicious. We are kind of foodies. And when it comes to traveling with kids, having full bellies can curb some negative behaviors we want to avoid.
Fire pit cooking is definitely a fun way to do it! Some of the below tips also work for campsites that have power when you bring along your camp stove, but there is just a whole different experience with campfire cooking that we love.
Check out our best fire pit cooking tips below.
Table of Contents
Fire Pit Cooking Tips
Campfire cooking is definitely different than using your microwave or oven. But a few tried and true fire pit cooking tips will have you campfire cooking like a pro.
The following fire pit cooking tips are some of our favorite tips we use while on our family camping vacations:
1) Buy a Cast-Iron Pan
I love cast-iron cooking. In fact, I have shared several cast-iron skillet recipes on the blog. If you are looking for ideas check out my post on an easy campfire steak and eggs breakfast and this delicious bone-in pork steak recipe.
They are so yummy!
But don’t just take my word for it. Try using a cast-iron pan for yourself.
They are durable, they can go from the edge of the fire to straight in, and they actually are healthy to cook with. You will be surprised at how easy it is to season a cast-iron skillet and clean it.
2) Bring Aluminum Foil
Be sure to bring a box of good-quality aluminum foil. Aluminum foil works great if you don’t have room in your cast-iron pan. There are numerous foil-pack recipes you can try, from side dishes to desserts.
Aluminum foil is also great for storing leftovers and other odds and ends. Simply rinse it off to be recycled—no waste.
3) Prep Your Food at Home
Prepping your food ahead is one of my favorite fire pit cooking tips. You will save so much time that you can spend doing more enjoyable vacation things.
It’s way easier to chop veggies at home and to leave any waste in your compost. We have even cracked eggs and left the shells behind for scrambled eggs (adding them all to a used and cleaned creamer container is such an easy way to store and pour for scrambled eggs!).
Also, make sure that you bring any needed utensils for your campfire cooking. But less is more. Only take what you need, not the whole utensil drawer.
Long-handled tools are best.
Which reminds me, you may want to check out our post on camping must-haves. It’s a quick list of our camping essentials.
4) Prep Your Fire
Fire prep is one of the most important fire pit cooking tips if you aren’t used to building campfires.
First, it is necessary to start with seasoned wood. That means cut wood that has aged long enough for the internal moisture to evaporate. Using dry wood will significantly cut down on smoke from your fire.
If you are worried about getting your fire started, you can purchase starter logs or use lint-filled toilet paper rolls (using the highly flammable lint out of your dryer). Use the designated fire pits provided at your campsite. If one is unavailable chose an area free of debris, brush, and overhanging trees.
Light your fire at least an hour before your desired cook time so the fire can burn down a bit and create hot coals. Bigger is not better in campfire cooking; it simply flames too high and wastes your firewood.
5) Alternative Cooking Accessories
We covered bringing my favorites, a cast-iron pan and aluminum foil, but now let’s go over the other cooking accessories we recommend.
Remember that cooking over a fire will take longer than cooking in an oven at home. I recommend having a food thermometer to make sure your food reaches a safe temperature.
We also like cooking with retractable hotdog skewers, a Dutch oven, and a grill rack. It’s worth investing in a few of these items and seeing what fits your cooking style best.
6) Have Water on Hand
Always have a bucket of water on hand. Even though you may be using a fire pit, accidents happen. Water is essential if the hot ash catches nearby brush on fire. Also, dip hot metal utensils in your water bucket to cool them. And if there is an accidental burn on your skin, hold the affected area in the cool water for several minutes and/or use a cool wet compress.
Lastly, it is crucial to pour water into your fire pit and swirl the hot ash with a stick before sleeping. This will help prevent accidental forest fires when you are not able to attend your fire.
7) Bring Non-Cook Food
It’s always a good idea to have non-cook snacks and food on hand. It’s handy if your meal will take longer than expected, or if something goes unpredictably wrong.
Some ideas may include granola bars, apples and oranges, or the fixings to make peanut butter and jelly.
I prefer to have a non-cooked lunch, so we don’t have to worry about the fire midday.
But breakfast and dinner over the fire make for such a fun camping experience. Chris even heats up water over the fire first thing in the morning for us to sip while we sit and listen to the crackle of the campfire.
Final Thoughts on the Best Fire Pit Cooking Tips
I hope these fire pit cooking tips help you on your next camping adventure. If you are looking for a fun trip, you may want to try Weeki Wachee State Park in Florida. It is a great winter trip for out-of-state travelers, with wonderful activities like canoeing and manatee watching.
And now that you know some of my favorite fire pit cooking tips, be sure to check out those campfire recipes. The steak and eggs really is super delicious and a great start to your day before hiking or swimming.
If you have a unique campfire cooking tip be sure to drop it in the comments below.
Leave a Reply