Whether you’re annoyed, don’t feel like camping or don’t have time: Get 45 recipe ideas and 7 detailed recipes that don’t require you to cook while camping.
Some love it, others hate it: cooking while camping.
For many, cooking on the campsite is part of the cozy atmosphere.
Others, on the other hand, are just annoyed by it or don’t have the time.
Whether you’re annoyed, don’t feel like it or don’t have the time: Here are my 45 ideas and 7 detailed recipes that don’t require you to cook.
What Is The Best Food For Camping That Doesn’t Require Cooking?
The best foods are those that are easy to prepare and that you and your fellow campers actually eat and fill up on. For example, sandwiches, wraps or sandwiches are available. But muesli and oatmeal also go well, as do salads or a snack with sausage, cheese, fruit, nuts and crackers.
That’s why I’m giving you 45 ideas and 7 recipes today that you can try out while camping.
You don’t have to cook for any of these 7 recipes or stand in the “kitchen” forever.
Have fun imitating and trying out!
45 No Cooking Camping Food Recipe Ideas For Your Camping Kitchen That Don’t Require You To Cook
I have collected and tried out these recipe ideas over the years. All were good, and I tried the sweet ones too, although I prefer savory. 😉
Camping Breakfast Ideas Without Cooking
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. These no-cook meals are high in protein and ideal for car camping or backpacking.
Most don’t even need refrigeration! So if you have to leave early and want to hike with the kids, throw your food in your backpack for breakfast on the go.
Here are my favorite ideas:
- Yogurt – Your favorite yogurt with fresh or dried fruit, nuts, granola, etc.
- muesli with milk
- Chia-Pudding
- Butter croissants with sliced ham and cheese or butter and jam
- Hard-boiled eggs (made at home or store-bought and kept in the refrigerator)
- Bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon
- Premade Pancakes with Powdered Sugar (my kids love these)
- Overnight Oats – mix up a jar or container at home, then add liquid the night before.
- One serving of overnight oats: 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, pinch each of salt, and pinch of cinnamon. Finally, add 1-2 tablespoons of dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts, pomegranate seeds, etc. The night before, add 2/3 cup milk and 1/3 cup plain yogurt.
- Sandwich with mashed avocado and sliced hard boiled egg
- Muffins / Donuts
- Peanut Butter Sandwiches or Chocolate Cream Sandwiches
- Protein or granola bars
- Apple peanut butter wrap on a whole wheat tortilla
- Fruit salad with coconut flakes and chopped nuts
- Trail mix – dried fruit, nuts, granola bars/energy bars
- Premade waffles with Nutella or maple syrup
- banana bread
You can find more ideas for breakfast from me in future post 🙂 .
Camping Lunch Ideas Without Cooking
Many days I am away from our campsite with my family at lunchtime.
We are often out exploring the trails, on the water or just sightseeing.
Instead of packing cooking utensils, a packed lunch is usually our first choice. Here are my favorite no-cook camping dishes for lunch.
- Sliced cheese, cucumber, lettuce and sliced tomato sandwich on whole wheat bread, or a tuna salad sandwich
- Canned tuna with crackers
- Colddogs
- Sliced veggies (like carrots) with hummus as a dip
- Hard boiled eggs with bread
- Ham and cheese on rye or pumpernickel bread with some whole grain mustard
- Premade pancakes with powdered sugar
- Pita sandwich with hummus and tomato slices, zucchini, olives, lettuce and feta cheese
- Pre-made fruit smoothies
- Lunch with sausage, hard cheese, cheese cubes, fruit and fresh bread
- Sandwich wraps with flatbread or tortillas
- Pre-made salads, such as couscous salad, chicken salad, Caesar salad, etc.
- Chicken Fajita Salad with chicken, beans, salsa, cheese, lettuce, olives, sour cream, and guacamole
- Sushi – California rolls with cucumber, avocado and (pre-cooked) shrimp with sushi rice
- Antipasto Salad – Chopped salami, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, peperoncini peppers, tomatoes, red onions, artichoke hearts, and Greek or Italian dressing
- Pita or flatbread pizza with marinara sauce or pesto, shredded mozzarella, spinach, pepperoni or salami, olives, etc.
- Beef Jerky
- Fresh fruit
Camping Dinner Ideas Without Cooking
Many of the simple camping meals that you can serve for lunch are suitable for dinner.
I’ll add a few more non-cooking ideas as well as some that require boiling water or reheating to serve. Hope you can use many of them.
- Cold Chicken – I find chicken tastes just as good cold as it does hot. For example, fry chicken drumsticks at home and take them with you
- Ramen Noodles – Ramen instant noodles are a super easy meal that just requires boiling water
- Miso Soup – There are some really good instant miso soup products out there
- Canned Food – Simply reheat on a camp stove or over a fire, such as canned pasta
- Canned soup is the classic
- stews
- canned meat
- Canned beans
- Pre-Cooked Pasta and Sauce – I don’t really like canned pasta, so I often resort to tortellini and ravioli, preferably with pesto sauce
- Dehydrated Meals – There are great companies that offer dehydrated meals for camping
Now I would like to show you my favorite recipes, which I like to prepare when it has to be quick and I don’t feel like cooking.
1. Wraps – Delicious, Versatile And Easy
Wraps are a brilliant dish. They are not only super quick and easy, but can also be booked individually. Depending on what you have there, you can simply fill it into the flatbreads.
Therefore, the following list of ingredients is only an example. You are welcome to let your creativity run free.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 2 Wraps
- A piece of cucumber
- A few tomatoes
- A few strips of peppers
- Kidney Beans
- Some plain yogurt
Preparation:
- Finely chop all the ingredients except the wraps, the beans and the plain yoghurt.
- Wash the beans and fill the wraps.
- The natural yoghurt serves as a sauce so that the whole story is not too dry.
- When you have filled the wraps, simply roll them up. To do this, first fold the bottom side up and roll the wrap to one side.
More tips:
If you have any spices with you, you can add them to the wrap as you like. You can also pimp up your yoghurt sauce with it. With a little salt and pepper – maybe mustard – you can conjure up a really good sauce.
2. Hot Dogs – Or Better: Cold Dogs
Even if the name is a bit confusing here, hot dogs can be easily integrated into a cold kitchen.
If you are not a vegetarian, you must have sausages in a jar in your camping kitchen! They keep forever and can be enjoyed both warm and cold.
You don’t necessarily need hot dog buns for the hot dogs either. Normal bread rolls are enough. Maybe you even have some left over from breakfast in the morning?
Here, too, you can top your hot dogs as you like. Depending on what your camping kitchen has to offer.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 1 bun
- 2 sausages
- Some ketchup
- Some mustard
- A few pickles
Preparation:
The preparation of the hot dogs is very simple and speaks for itself. Just cut open the bun, put the sausages in and top with what’s there.
3. Couscous Salad – Fresh And Hearty
Couscous is one of the so-called superfoods. It is low in carbohydrates, high in protein and healthy fats. The good news: It is ideal for the camping kitchen.
Couscous salad is versatile. There are innumerable variants. It is best to use whatever ingredients you have with you.
My sample recipe is about a couscous salad with tomato paste and smoked tofu. So ideal for vegetarians and vegans!
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 125 g Couscous
- 175 ml water
- 100 g smoked tofu
- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
First you need to prepare the couscous. Simply put it in a bowl and pour the water over it. Because it’s not boiling water, you’ll need to let it steep for at least 20 minutes. It’s done when all the water has been absorbed by the couscous.
During this time, you can chop the smoked tofu finely and add it to the swollen couscous at the end. Now add the tomato paste and the spices. Mix everything together well.
More tips:
If you have some natural yoghurt left, you can eat it perfectly with it. But you can also make a delicious yoghurt sauce out of it. You can also chop up the leftover vegetables and add them.
You can find more vegan recipes for your camping holiday at CountryLiving
4. Sausage Salad – Fruity And Hearty
Sausage salad is a popular dish after a long hike.
Also perfect for us campers and outdoor friends! However, this form of sausage salad is not the original, but a slightly fresher and fruitier version.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 100 g meat sausage
- 50 grams of cheese
- 1/2 onion
- 1/2 apple
- cheese
- vinegar
- salt and pepper
- Possibly some mustard
Preparation:
First you cut the onion, the apple, the cheese and the sausage into strips. For a more intense taste, I recommend a mountain cheese. But you can also use any other cheese that you have on hand or that you particularly like.
Mix the chopped foods together. Finally add vinegar, oil and spices. A small spoonful of mustard gives it that certain something.
More tips:
In Texas, a pretzel is traditionally eaten with it. But you can also do without the bread or simply eat a roll with it.
5. Avocado Bread – Vegetarian And Flavorful
The world is now only talking about avocados. Everyone is now aware that the super fruit does not exactly have the best ecological balance sheet. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean giving up this fruit entirely.
It’s about enjoying them in moderation and being aware of it. Nevertheless, the avocado is ideal for taking with you when you go camping. It is versatile and lasts a long time.
This recipe is one that goes really quickly and is therefore perfect for those who are very hungry.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 2 slices of bread
- 1/2 Avocado
- A few tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- Possibly some lemon juice
Preparation:
You now have the option of scooping out half of the avocado and putting it directly on the bread, or you can just make a kind of guacamole out of it. For the guacamole, mash the avocado half, chop the tomatoes, and add them.
Finally, season everything with salt and pepper. If you have some lemon juice, you can add that as well.
Smear the guacamole on the bread and enjoy. The healthy fats in avocados keep you full for longer.
More tips:
If you have chips or other snacks with you, you can also use the guacamole as a dip. Try it!
6. Tuna And Bean Salad – Protein Power For Campers
Tuna is not for everyone. Some find that it tastes like cat food, while others find the fish extremely tasty. I personally really like this recipe too!
Best of all, all the ingredients are perfect for camping. The nutrients in the food are also ideal for us outdoor friends. The beans and tuna give us a lot of protein and they have enough energy to throw us into the next adventure.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 1/2 can of white beans
- 1/2 can of tuna
- 1 onion
- 1 kidney bean
- 1 cheese
- Some vinegar or lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- Optional: 0.5 package feta cheese
Preparation:
- First you drain the beans and wash them off a bit.
- You can also drain the tuna.
- Then cut the feta and the onion into small cubes.
- Now mix all the ingredients together.
- For the dressing, add some oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Mix well.
More tips:
A piece of bread or a roll tastes best with it. Instead of feta cheese, you can of course use any other cheese you like.
7. Flatbread With Pesto – Italian Flair In The Tent
Pesto is something that should not be missing in any camping kitchen. The finished sauce is actually poured over pasta. However, if you don’t feel like cooking, you can use the pesto in other ways.
The following recipe is a kind of sandwich. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether you actually eat flatbread. You can take whatever bread you have on hand.
Ingredients for 1 serving:
- 1/4 flatbread or 1 roll
- Some pesto to spread
- Some cream cheese for topping
- A few tomatoes
- Some cucumber
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Cut open the flatbread or roll and spread pesto and cream cheese on it. You put your vegetables on top of that. You can of course take whatever you have.
Season everything with some salt and pepper.
More tips:
There is not only green basil pesto, but also red pesto. Personally, I’m not a fan of green pesto. That’s why I always use tomato sauces.
And how do you like the recipes and ideas? Which one will you cook first?
Wrapping
In conclusion, with a little planning and creativity, camping can be an enjoyable experience that doesn’t require any cooking. There’s a wealth of options to choose from when it comes to no-cook camping food ideas. From trail mix to sandwiches, salads, and cold-brew coffee, you can stay fueled and energized on a camping trip without having to cook over a campfire. With no-cook camping food, you’ll be ready for whatever adventures come your way.