Besides the campfires, sleeping under the stars and the adventures you and your family and friends will have, eating delicious food is another essential part of camping. No matter how long you plan to camp, having some staple ingredients on hand will help you enjoy tasty meals while getting the fuel you need to keep exploring and having fun. Two popular and cost-effective ingredients are chicken and potatoes. They are highly versatile and easy to use in various ways throughout your trip.
Here are some meals you can make with chicken and potatoes when camping.
1. Chicken and Potato Tin Foil Dinners
Whether you are cooking over a campfire or using a grill, you can make an easy meal using tin foil. All you have to do is create a foil enclosure, like a bowl that closes at the top or a packet, and put any ingredients in it. Chicken, potatoes, seasonings and any other vegetables make a nutritious meal that will be ready within 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how hot your fire or grill gets.
Foil dinners are an excellent chicken and potatoes campfire meal because everyone can customize them based on their taste preferences, and they take little time to prep or cook. Once the foil packs are full, place them on the fire or grill and wait until the ingredients are fully cooked. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly cooked before eating — use a meat thermometer to verify that the internal temperature is at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cast Iron Chicken and Dumplings
If you have a cast iron deep skillet or Dutch oven, chicken and dumplings are another great chicken and potato camping meal. If you prepare the ingredients before your trip, such as chopping the veggies and chicken, you can make the meal within an hour or less. To make the dumplings easy, get premade biscuits and chop them into quarters before spreading them over your chicken mixture in the cast iron pan.
You can place the cast iron over a campfire or on a grill.
3. Grilled Chicken Thighs and Potato Salad
Grilled chicken thighs or breasts go great with potato salad. Marinate the chicken and roast it over the campfire. You can also boil the potatoes over the fire when preparing them for your potato salad.
4. Chicken Kebabs
For a fun twist on grilled chicken, try making chicken kebabs. Flavor your chicken using any marinade you prefer or try something new with jerk seasoning. Kebabs are easy and quick to make, and you can use any vegetables to place between each chicken piece, such as bell peppers, onions, squash, zucchini or grape tomatoes.
5. Campfire Chicken Pot Pie
If you want to make an easy comfort food, chicken pot pie is an excellent chicken and potato camping recipe. You can make the pot pie mixture using mixed frozen vegetables, onions, potatoes and your choice of chicken. Cook the mixture over the fire in a pan and serve with a side of bread or biscuits.
Campfire chicken pot pie is easy to make because the filling can be made using simple ingredients or anything you have on hand at your campsite.
6. Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Casseroles are also a great way to have a hearty meal while camping. Make a quick chicken and broccoli casserole during your trip using canned chicken, frozen broccoli, cheese and a can of cream of mushroom or chicken soup.
7. Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Chicken Chili
If you have an instant pot or a slow cooker, put together a big pot of chicken chili for your friends and family. Chicken chili is a fast and easy way to make a big meal. Including black beans, sweet potatoes and quinoa in the chicken chili helps you get a robust serving every time. You will also get plenty of protein and fiber while eating the chili.
8. Potatoes and Onions
If you need a quick side with your meals or want a simple but filling meal, roasting potatoes and onions over the fire is an excellent solution. You can cut the potatoes, onions and bacon to add protein and flavor.
9. Baked Potatoes
For a fast snack or meal, you could wrap potatoes in tin foil or a tin can and roast them in your campfire or on the grill to make baked potatoes. If you have cheese, sour cream, green onions, chives or other toppings, you can dress your potatoes to make fully loaded-baked potatoes.
If you are in the mood for something sweet, roast sweet potatoes or yams and dress them with sugar, butter and marshmallows.
10. Camper’s Skillet
You could also use a skillet to cook a meal comprising chicken and potatoes. One-pot meals are an excellent way to cook when camping because all the flavors from the ingredients work together. Plus, clean-up is easy because there is only one pan to clean. Make a breakfast skillet dish to ensure you and all your family and friends have a hearty breakfast. To make it a meat lover’s version, you could include multiple proteins, such as chicken, sausage and kielbasa.
11. Chicken Alfredo or Marinara
If your family likes pasta, you could bring sauces like alfredo or marinara to make different pasta dishes. For a protein, add grilled chicken that you cooked over the grill or campfire. You can cook the noodles over the campfire or grill by heating and boiling the water.
12. Chicken Sausage and Fries
For a spin on chicken and potatoes, you could get chicken sausages or brats to roast over the fire and cut potatoes in fry shapes to make baked fries. Using chicken sausages instead of hot dogs can be a fun twist on your classic summer barbecue.
13. Buffalo Chicken Dip
You could make a quick buffalo chicken dip with chips if you want something to snack on. You can use leftover chicken you’ve cooked earlier in the week, canned or rotisserie chicken. Shred the chicken and toss it in a pot with your favorite buffalo sauce, cream cheese, ranch and shredded cheese. Heat all the ingredients and stir together for a spicy, tangy dip everyone will love.
14. Dutch Oven Chicken Cacciatore
If you have a Dutch oven, you can cook chicken cacciatore, an Italian classic. Stir fry various vegetables like bell peppers and mushrooms in the Dutch oven before cooking your chicken and adding tomatoes. You could serve the chicken cacciatore with a side of roasted potatoes that you could throw on the grill or campfire.
15. Dutch Oven Chicken and Ham
You could also use your Dutch oven to cook chicken and ham to make a protein-filled meal. Potatoes are an easy way to add starch and sustenance to your meal. Throw potatoes in the Dutch oven with the other ingredients to have a delicious meal within an hour.
Try Chicken and Potatoes Campfire Recipes at Kampgrounds of America
The next time you want to try some of the best chicken and potato recipes for camping, make sure you have a campsite reserved at KOA. You will have a wonderful time at any KOA Campgrounds in the United States and Canada. With over 500 locations throughout North America, you will have plenty of chances to try all the chicken and potato recipes you want and put a spin on them as you get more comfortable cooking over the campfire or on a grill.
Get ready for your camping trip by finding a KOA Campground and reserving your campsite today!
About the Author: Kampgrounds of America
Kampgrounds of America is the largest system of open-to-the-public campgrounds in the world, with over 500 locations across the United States and Canada. Founded in Billings, MT in 1962, KOA’s family of campground brands – KOA Journey, KOA Holiday and KOA Resort – today serve more than a million camping families each year. KOA is dedicated to “connecting people to the outdoors and each other” by providing people with a variety of camping experiences and the information they need to make the most of their camping trip. Read more of their camping and travel resources by visiting KOA.com/blog.
