If there’s one thing we know for certain about camping, it’s that the combination of fresh air, oodles of activities, and a relaxed attitude can really work up an appetite! Whether you’re car camping or going totally off-grid, few things are as important as planning ahead with easy camping meals for the family. Our favorites? They are simple to prep and serve, require a minimal amount of cookware, and taste even better eaten al fresco!
Camping is one of summer’s most popular activities. A chance to reconnect with nature, to swim, hike, and sleep under the stars, is something that enthusiasts look forward to year-round. Though you can’t control the weather, carefully planning out your family’s meals and snacks can go a long way toward ensuring a successful camping trip. To start, avoid complicated dishes that require myriad ingredients or utensils. The best food to make while camping relies on pantry staples and ingredients that don’t require refrigeration or special treatment. Ingredients that can be prepped ahead and that can be used in more than one meal are also great. This is the time to lean into one-pot dishes and those that don’t require an oven or any fancy equipment. After all, with so many fun things to do, nobody wants to spend their time cleaning up!
Heading camping this summer? Then, it’s time to start planning meals that will satisfy everyone in the family. Easy to pack, prep, cook, and clean up, these Success Rice® recipes deliver taste and satisfaction with minimal fuss. They’re so good, you’ll want to make them all year long!
Easy Camping Meals: No Oven and Minimal Cleanup
Want to take the dread out of cooking while camping? It’s an easy task if you plan ahead! First of all, focus on quick-cooking meals made with minimal equipment. Plan plenty of skillet dinners and one-pot dishes that don’t require lots of clean-up. To save space when packing, it’s also best to avoid dishes that require too many condiments or bulky or single-use ingredients. Reduce waste by packing sturdy pots, pans, and reusable or biodegradable containers instead of relying on foil or aluminum trays. Finally, zero in on dishes that the whole family will enjoy, from salads and layered bowls to savory rice dishes and more.
One-Pot Chili with Rice
Few things will get your family back to the campsite quicker than the aroma of this hearty beef and kidney bean chili bubbling on the camp stove. Make the chili at home, then cool it and pack it up to reheat at the campsite. Serve it with Success® boil-in-bag white rice and shelf-stable garnishes, like avocado, hot sauce and pickled jalapeños.
Pearl Couscous and Chickpea Salad
This salad is one of our favorite easy camping meals for a family on a budget. A light dinner or side, it’s a zippy blend of Success® boil-in-bag pearl couscous, chickpeas, fresh vegetables and za’atar-spiced vinaigrette. Save time and room in your tote by mixing the couscous, vinaigrette and chickpeas ahead of time, then adding the fresh veggies at the last minute.
Easy Texan Red Beans and Rice
Spend the day splashing, laughing, and exploring, knowing that this tempting, 3-step dinner awaits! Easy to make over a camp stove or fire, this crowd-pleaser is a tasty blend of seasoned beans, aromatics and Success® boil-in-bag white rice. Serve it simply or, if you have the ingredients handy, garnish each bowl with cheese, tortilla chips, jalapeños or your favorite toppings.
Quick and Easy Fried Rice
If you’ve never made fried rice while camping, now’s your chance! This uncomplicated version boasts all of the umami flavors of the traditional dish, without finicky steps. We recommend combining Success® boil-in-bag jasmine rice with carrot, celery, green onion, and ham, which can all be chopped ahead of time and toted to the campsite in a resealable container. Before your trip, crack eggs into a container to make them more portable, as well.
Simple Lemon Butter Pearl Couscous
Whatever else is on the menu, you’ll want to whip up this satisfying Success® boil-in-bag pearl couscous side. Citrusy and sunny, it’s a 15-minute must-have that screams summer! Alongside grilled sausages, burgers, fresh-caught fish or hot dogs, it’s a delicious way to stretch your ingredients to feed more mouths.
Creamy Pearl Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Quick-cooking Success® boil-in-bag pearl couscous morphs into a complete meal in this zippy recipe. A grown-up riff on mac and cheese, this dish will appeal to campers of every age. Luscious and rich, with parmesan, cream and the bright pop of sun-dried tomatoes, it’s comfort food that you and the family will eagerly devour after a day spent playing in the sun.
Miso Kale & Rice Power Bowl
Boiled eggs are perfect camping food; satisfying and protein-rich, they can also be prepped ahead of time and kept cold until needed. For this energizing power bowl, you’ll want to pack several soft-boiled eggs, a bag of whole-grain Success® boil-in-bag brown rice, sautéed kale and garlic, and sesame-laced yogurt sauce. On-site, all you’ll have to do is cook the rice, combine every flavorful ingredient, and dig in!
Easy Shrimp Fried Rice
Turn a weeknight star into the belle of your camping trip with this seafood fried rice recipe. Though you may not think of shrimp as camping fare, pre-cooked crustaceans are an easy way to pump up the protein in any dish. Simply keep them cold until ready to use. Here, they’re paired with Success® boil-in-bag jasmine rice, crisp veggies, egg and soy sauce for a quick dinner that requires very little post-dinner clean-up.
Tuna Onigiri
Mixed with cooled Success® boil-in-bag sticky rice, simple canned tuna turns into a popular snack, lunch, or dinner. A welcome alternative to basic sandwiches, these flavorful bites are fun to assemble and delicious. Come to think of it, you might want to double the recipe—everyone is likely to want more than one!
Camping Meal Prep Tips Before the Trip
Beyond picking the right dishes to make while camping, prepping ahead of time is the best way to guarantee smooth mealtimes. Follow these helpful tips and get your camping trip off to a great start.
- Making a list of the ingredients and equipment you’ll need for each meal during your camping trip will ensure that nothing gets forgotten. Planning dishes that overlap (meaning that they use some of the same ingredients or utensils) can also reduce your packing list.
- A day before you head out, look over your list for items that can be prepped ahead of time. Chop as many veggies as you can, labeling them carefully so you know which dish they go with. Remember that some fruits and vegetables—such as potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers—should be chopped right before you use them.
- If a dish calls for a mix of sauces or spices, read through the recipe to see if you can combine them ahead of time. In most cases, you’ll get the same flavor from pre-mixed sauces and seasonings, and you’ll save the effort of carting extra bottles to your campsite.
- As much as possible, try to pack ingredients for each dish together. This will make prepping and cooking easier and save you from running around looking for misplaced ingredients while dinner is cooking!
- Remember to take only what you need. Avoid packing excess food that you’ll then have to store safely. Try to pre-portion ingredients so that you only cook the amount of food that you and the family will eat.
- When helpful to do so—for a pearl couscous salad or a loaded quinoa bowl, maybe—pre-cook grains before you head out. That way, they’ll be ready to mix with other ingredients without a minute of extra effort.
- To minimize the number of items that have to be kept cold, focus on shelf-stable staples that can be stored at room temperature. From cans of soup and beans to Success® products, instant oatmeal, canned fish, jerky, and more, there are plenty of delicious options to consider!
Making Budget-Friendly Camping Meals for Families
When camping is a family affair, you want to ensure everyone eats well without breaking your budget! Plan for days of delectable, stress-free meals with these top tips.
- Expecting hordes of hungry campers for dinner? Pack plenty of affordable pantry staples—like rice, pearl couscous and quinoa—and get more servings from every meal. Easy last-minute additions to any menu, they’re delicious with little more than butter and a sprinkling of salt!
- Great as side dishes, pantry staples can also be used for hearty breakfasts and snacks. Turn brown rice, fruit, and sugar into a vitalizing whole-grain bowl, or prep some quinoa energy balls ahead of time to nibble on throughout the day.
- Instead of cooking three meals a day, repurpose leftovers in creative ways. For example, you can easily turn leftovers into fried rice or a stir-fry, or layer yesterday’s pearl couscous or quinoa with cooked veggies and proteins for a hearty meal in a bowl.
- This summer, pack Success® products for camping and avoid the stress of unexpected grocery runs. Pantry staples you’ll turn to from morning until night, they make it easy to cook delicious meals at home and in the great outdoors!