10 Foods You Can Roast Over a Campfire Besides Marshmallows

Many of us love roasting marshmallows and building messy, gooey s’mores. But what if we told you there were a few other foods that taste amazing when roasted over a campfire?

There are numerous camping recipes available on the internet, but most involve fancy cooking tools. There’s no need for cooktops or grill gates here, though, because nothing beats a stick when it comes to cooking on a campfire.

For sanitary purposes, you can also use heavy-duty bamboo sticks with things you can roast over a campfire, and you’ll have no cleanup! If you’re headed out for a trip, these campfire roasting foods are perfect.

Thick Bread

This one takes a bit of creativity, but the rewards are worth it because, let’s face it, buttered toast is just the best! Weave your stick through a slice of bread a few times until it’s securely fastened. If the bread is thick, you might be able to just skewer the entire stick through the thick part.

Place a secured slice near the fire, but not directly over the flame. The beams of heat will rapidly toast your bread. Then, just spread a bit of peanut butter and jelly on it, or keep it simple with some melted buttery goodness. Bread is a simple and hearty choice that’s perfect for cooler camping days. It’ll “stick to your ribs,” and give you plenty of energy to tackle the day.

Tasty Hot Dogs

Campfire hot dogs are always a fun way to get the kids involved—and they don’t require any extra utensils to enjoy! Simply push the large skewers or sticks through the hot dogs and roast them over the flame. Campfire roasting is one of the best ways to enjoy a hot dog. It’s a classic for a reason.

You can toast up a few buns, as well. Grab the mustard and relish and enjoy savor every bite.

Briny Bacon

Just like the sliced bread we included above, you can weave bacon at the end of a skewer for a tasty morning meal (or even breakfast for dinner). Many people claim twisting bacon over a stick will do the trick, but weaving it will cook it more evenly. The grease will also drip down into the fire so you won’t have any pans to try to clean up in the middle of the woods.

Be sure to leave small gaps between each weave and rotate the skewers every few minutes until it reaches the desired crispiness. This can take 15 to 20 minutes to cook the bacon all the way through, so be patient.

Crunchy Corn on the Cob

The charred flavor of campfire corn is out of this world, and it comes in its own cooking vessel when you leave it in the husk! You’ll want to start by building a fire with intense flames. As you wait for your fire to burn down to hot coals (your heat source), prepare your corn.

With it still in its husk, place your corn in a large bowl or pot of water. Let it soak for at least 25 to 30 minutes, or until the bed of coals is ready.

Once all the flames have died down, use long tongs to place your corn directly on the coals and flip it every few minutes to avoid burning it. The husk will burn a bit, which is good, but be sure to rotate, so you don’t burn through to the actual corn.

Let the corn cool, and then carefully pull off the husk. Cover it in butter and enjoy this smokey treat.

Roasted Veggie Kabobs

Here’s a fail-safe way to get your kids to eat their vegetables. They’ll have so much fun roasting them, they won’t be able to resist eating something they cooked on their own.

Wash, cut, and coat your veggies of choice in a little olive oil, and then place the pieces on a skewer or large stick. Hold the veggies by the fire, but not directly over the flame. Rotate them multiple times until they’re ready.

Add a little salt and pepper right before munching down. Roasted zucchini, baby bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, squash, and onions all taste delicious with some natural smokey flavor.

Garlic-Butter Shrimp

If you love shrimp kabobs, then you already love campfire shrimp, too. Just mix a stick of melted garlic butter with two tablespoons of sundried tomato pesto and set it aside.

Skewer your uncooked shrimp on the ends of long camping skewers, and then baste them with garlic-tomato butter. Place your shrimp over the fire and rotate them every few minutes or so. Shrimp are easy to cook over a fire because they’re done in a matter of minutes, so everyone gets fed faster!

Before turning, always baste them with a little more garlic butter. Enjoy these with the roasted veggies we covered above.

Sweet Fruit

Many types of fruit taste delicious roasted over an open flame. The best part is they take on a new consistency and comforting flavor after they’re fire-roasted.

Strawberries and pineapple chunks are the most popular, but you can try just about anything. Be sure to chop them into bite-size pieces before you roast them.

You can take things to the next level by sprinkling some cinnamon sugar or spreading Nutella or caramel on your roasted fruit. It’s a quick and (relatively) healthy dessert and a nice change of pace from traditional s’mores.

Campfire Pizza

While you’re probably not going to be able to cook a pizza on a stick, you can still “bake” one over a campfire by using a cast iron skillet.

Take your favorite pizza dough and stretch it out in the pan. Bake it without any toppings over the fire until the bottom starts to brown. Flip the crust over, add sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings, and put it back on the fire until everything is melty, bubbly, and delicious.

Steak, Chicken, or Pork Skewers

If you want something a bit heartier than shrimp, choose a protein like steak, chicken, or shrimp. Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks, slide them on a skewer, and cook over the open flame! You’ll want to make sure you’re giving the chicken and pork enough time to cook all the way through, so you might want to bring a meat thermometer along. You can cook the steak to your desired doneness as long as it reaches its needed temperature.

Mixing up your meats is a great way to make sure everyone gets what they want, and you’re not really adding any extra prep or cook time to dinner.

Pretzel Bites

You can find frozen pretzel bites in just about every grocery store. Your local supermarket might even have fresh ones in the bakery section. Either option will work as a quick campfire snack.

Skewer the pretzel bites on your stick (thawing the frozen ones slightly first!) and lightly roast, making sure not to get too close to the flame so they don’t burn. You can cook a ton of these at once, so your family and friends can get to snacking that much quicker. Slide them off the skewer when they’re warm and serve them with melted cheese or grainy mustard.

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If this doesn’t give you the perfect excuse to go camping, we don’t know what will. Get the kids involved and have fun!