The Best Easy Camping Meals (That Save on Washing Up)

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by

Richard Torres
in

Let’s be honest: the worst part of camping isn’t the bugs, the rain, or the deflating airbeds. It’s the washing up. And the queue for washing up. And then drying up.

Trying to scrub burnt bean juice off a pan with cold water at a communal tap while a queue of people watches you is nobody’s idea of fun. That is why the golden rule of our camping kitchen is simple: Fewer pots = more time for relaxing.

If a recipe needs three pans, a colander, and a chopping board, leave it at home. However, just because you are away from all of those home comforts, camp cooking doesn’t mean you need to eat rubbish. Here are some of our favourite “low mess” camping food ideas that barely use any equipment, taste delicious, and, most importantly, mean you can spend more time relaxing and less time scrubbing on your next camping trip.

1. The “No-Plate” Breakfast Wrap

  • The Concept: Forget frying bacon, eggs, and beans separately. This wraps everything into a tortilla, creating a sealed pocket of joy that you can eat with your hands (no plates to wash!).
  • The Secret Weapon: The RidgeMonkey Connect Compact Sandwich Toaster. Originally designed for fishing, this is a game-changer for campers. It’s basically a portable toastie maker that seals the edges of your wrap, meaning no leaks and no mess.

What to Pack from Home:

  • Tortilla wraps (they don’t squash like bread).
  • Grated cheese (pre-grate it and put it in a ziplock bag).
  • Pre-cooked sausages (cook them at home and just reheat – saves so much grease/cleaning on site!).

What to Buy Fresh:

  • Eggs (Top Tip: crack them into a plastic bottle before you leave home. No broken shells in the cool box!).
  • Fresh spinach or mushrooms.

Two-Line Instructions: Pour a little beaten egg into your toaster/pan, place the tortilla on top while wet, flip it, add fillings, fold in half, and cook until crispy. Eat straight from your hand!

The Washing Up List:

  • 1 x Toaster/Pan (wipe clean with paper towel).
  • Zero plates or cutlery.

2. One-Pot Chorizo & Chickpea Stew

  • The Concept: A hearty, warming dinner that feels gourmet but basically involves opening cans. It improves with time, so it doesn’t matter if you leave it bubbling while you have a beer. One of our favourite camping recipes.
  • The Secret Weapon: The Cadac 2 Cook 3 Pro Deluxe. You need a stove with good simmer control for this. We use the pot stand on our Cadac, which is stable enough to hold a decent-sized family pot.

What to Pack from Home:

  • Chorizo ring (cured meat keeps well without a fridge).
  • 1x Tin of Chopped Tomatoes.
  • 1x Tin of Chickpeas (drained).
  • Spice Kit: Smoked paprika and cumin mixed in a small tub. (Don’t bring whole jars!).

What to Buy Fresh:

  • Bag of spinach (wilt it in at the end).
  • Crusty bread (for wiping the bowl clean – less washing up!).

Two-Line Instructions: Fry sliced chorizo in the pot until the olive oil runs red, dump in the tins and spices, simmer for 15 mins, and stir in spinach at the end. Use the bread as an edible spoon!

The Washing Up List:

  • 1 x Pot.
  • 1 x Wooden Spoon.
  • Bowls & Spoons.

3. One-Pot Creamy Pesto Pasta

  • The Concept: Pasta usually requires two pots (one for boiling, one for sauce) and a colander. This method uses the “absorption” technique where the pasta drinks up the water, creating its own creamy sauce in a single pan. The perfect easy family meal.
  • The Secret Weapon: A good non-stick pot or Dutch Oven.

What to Pack from Home:

  • Pasta (Penne or Fusilli work best).
  • Jar of Pesto (Red or Green).
  • Optional: A tub of cream cheese or sour cream (makes it luxurious).

What to Buy Fresh:

  • Chicken breast (diced) or Mushrooms.
  • Bag of Spinach.
  • Cherry Tomatoes.

Two-Line Instructions: Fry the chicken/mushrooms until brown, throw in the dry pasta and just enough water to cover it. Simmer until the water disappears and pasta is soft, then stir in the pesto and spinach.

The Washing Up List:

  • 1 x Pot.
  • 1 x Wooden Spoon.
  • Bowls & Forks.

4. The “Gadget” Vegetable Chili

  • The Concept: A healthy, massive veggie stew that feeds a crowd. The “hard” part of this is usually chopping five different vegetables into tiny cubes.
  • The Secret Weapon: The Fullstar Vegetable Chopper. This is the exact tool for the job. Instead of balancing a chopping board on your lap, you just slam the lid down and it dices onions, peppers, and courgettes instantly into the container below.

What to Pack from Home:

  • Tins: 1x Kidney Beans, 1x Chopped Tomatoes, 1x Sweetcorn.
  • Spice Mix: Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Chili Powder (mixed in a small tub).
  • Tortilla Chips (for dipping).

What to Buy Fresh:

  • Onions, Peppers, Courgettes – (You may be able to bring these form home if you eat this on the first few nights)

Two-Line Instructions: Dice all the fresh veg in seconds with the chopper, fry them with spices, dump in the tins (juice and all), simmer for 20 mins, and use tortilla chips as scoops.

The Washing Up List:

  • 1 x Pot.
  • The Chopper blade (rinse immediately to make your life easier!).
  • Zero spoons if you use tortilla chips!

5. The “Boil in the Bag” Omelette (The Ultimate Hack)

  • The Concept: This sounds weird, but trust us. If you have a large group, this is the only way to cook eggs without dirtying a single pan.
  • The Secret Weapon: High-quality Ziploc freezer bags (ensure they are strong ones!).

What to Pack from Home:

  • Eggs.
  • Ham, cheese, onions, peppers (all pre-chopped at home) – use this recipe on your first morning.

Two-Line Instructions: Crack 2 eggs into a bag, add fillings, squish to mix, seal (remove air), and boil in water for 12 mins. Roll onto a plate.

The Washing Up List:

  • Zero. (Just throw the bag away).

6. Foil Packet “Fajitas”

  • The Concept: Steaming chicken and spices inside a foil parcel over the BBQ or campfire embers. It keeps the meat incredibly juicy and means there is zero scrubbing required. The perfect easy camping dinner.
  • The Secret Weapon: Heavy Duty Tin Foil.

What to Pack from Home:

  • Fajita Seasoning sachet.
  • Tortilla Wraps.
  • Heavy Duty Foil.

What to Buy Fresh:

  • Chicken breast strips.
  • Pre-sliced peppers and onions (grab a stir-fry pack to save chopping).

Two-Line Instructions: Pile chicken, veg, and spices onto foil, splash with water, seal tightly into a parcel, and cook on BBQ/embers for 20 mins. Open carefully and tip into a wrap.

The Washing Up List:

  • Absolutely Nothing.

The Essential Low-Mess Gear List

You don’t need a professional kitchen to cook these delicious camping meals, but a few smart gadgets make the difference between a relaxing dinner and a stressful juggle.

What’s Next?

You have the best camping recipes sorted, but do you have everything else? Check out our Ultimate Family Camping Packing List to make sure you never leave the mallet (or the corkscrew!) at home again.