How do you cook in a Dutch oven over a campfire?

For this dish, place your Dutch oven over a fire on a metal grate or rack, which will be hotter for sauteeing . If you don't have a grate, let the fire burn down, and then bury the oven well into the coals so there's plenty of heat.

Can you put a Dutch oven in the fire?

The short answer is yes. You can't harm a cast iron Dutch oven with the temperatures generated by a normal campfire . Ideally you have the type of Dutch oven with three legs and a lid designed to hold coals. Those were specifically designed to be right in the fire.

Can you cook in a Dutch oven on top of the stove?

You can use a dutch oven on any kind of cooktop, including induction, as long as the dutch oven is cast-iron or another induction-compatible material . When you are using the dutch oven on a direct heat source, just make sure that the temperature does not get too hot and scorch it.

Is there anything you shouldn't cook in a Dutch oven?

In an enamel-coated Dutch oven, prolonged cooking with acidic ingredients may discolor the interior coating but doesn't erode it. The bottom line is, if using a seasoned cast iron Dutch oven with highly acidic foods, ensure the pot is well seasoned and limit cooking to short periods.

Why does my Dutch oven keep burning food?

Re-seat the lid and remove some coals if that doesn't fix it . If the lid is a problem, you'll probably have burned or dried out food. Use a pie tin set on 4 pebbles in the dutch oven for rolls, biscuits, pies, or pizza. It keeps a buffer of even, hot air around the dough to prevent burning.

How do you cook over a cast iron campfire?

The first step, is to ensure the cast iron is very hot. Once your campfire has been going for a while and produced a substantial amount of hot coals, rake some of the coals to the side of the fire. Place the cast iron pan on those coals and allow to heat.

What is the best way to cook over a campfire?

Cast Iron Cooking Cast iron cookware like griddles, fry pans or Dutch ovens are great, heavy-duty options to use when cooking over a fire. Spread out the coals of the fire to cover the area under your griddle or fry pan.

Do you put coals on top of a Dutch oven?

To get an even cook you'll need to place briquettes around both the top and bottom of your dutch oven . The placement of briquettes is key. Place them on both the outer rim of the lid and directly underneath the dutch oven in the form of a circle.

Easy Make-Ahead Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe (2024)

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Looking for a phenomenally scrumptious campfire chicken recipe that is also one of our fantastic make ahead camping meals that you just dump into your camp Dutch oven when you are ready to cook dinner? This Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe has Thai-inspired flavors that are bold, slightly sweet and make an almost-gourmet Dutch oven recipe for camping!

This is one of those unique recipes nobody expects at the campsite because it is ridiculously tasty! It seems way too difficult to make while camping BUT it is deceptively simple!

Easy Make-Ahead Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe (1)

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In This Post:

How To Make Campfire Chicken Ahead At Home

When I am making a flavor-packed camping meal that gets a little “messy” in the prepping stage … I like to do all of that work at home where I have unlimited water for cleaning up … and a DISHWASHER too!

This Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe is perfect for making at home because all of the ingredients are mixed together and cooked together.

I just combine the ingredients directly in my Gallon Freezer Bag and then work out the air as I close the seal on the bag.

I lay it flat in my freezer and just defrost it at the campsite when I am ready to cook it.

Camp Cooking Tip: When I am prepping make-ahead freezer meals I like to do a double batch which means I make 1 mess and get 2 meals out of it!

One for the campsite and one for home!

Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags

I label the bag with the name of the recipe and the date so after it freezes I don’t look at it and say, “Looks like a ‘mystery dinner’ night because I don’t remember what is in this bag!” LOL

Because of its warm, stew-like consistency, this Thai campfire chicken is one of our favorite winter camping recipes!

Easy Make-Ahead Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe (4)

How To Make Thai Campfire Chicken In A Dutch Oven

Are there any campfire recipes that don’t require aluminum foil? Yes!

My personal preference is to use a Dutch oven hanging from a Camp Dutch Oven Tripod when I am making my Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe.

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How To Cook Campfire Chicken

We live in Arizona and most frequently camp in National Forests … which means, we have to adjust our camp cooking during times of fire restrictions.

This Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe is awesome because you just “dump and simmer” this camp dinner.

You can cook it directly over a campfire but if you need to transition to a camp stove or RV stove because of fire restrictions … you can easily do that! See how to camp when camping fire restrictions are activated for more tips!

Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe Served Over Rice

The flavor-packed sauce is the best part of this Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken so I like to make sure every bit of it is enjoyed to the fullest! Make this as one of your one pot camping meals and serve a nice crusty bread on the side for dipping.

Or, make it a two-pot dinner by serving it over jasmine rice. It can also be made at home, cooled and placed in a freezer bag so you just need to defrost it and re-heat the rice at the campsite.

I also like topping this meal with a little fresh cilantro just before serving.

If you want a flavor-packed chicken dinner that is made all in a single pot, try our Dutch oven Latin campfire chicken!

Scaling Servings

Big pots of “dump and cook” food is perfect if you need easy camping meals for large groups. Just scale the recipe up to feed as many people as you need.

Camp Cooking Tip: If you are preparing this in advance and freezing the uncooked chicken, don’t use really large bags because it is too hard to safely defrost big batches. Use as many gallon-sized freezer bags as you need to contain the food in smaller quantities.

Similar Recipes

Can’t get enough Thai food at the campsite?Try this totally yummy, almost-gourmet Camp Oven Chicken Curry!

Try another dump & cook dinner with this Chicken Fajitas Freezer Meal.

For a more classic version of chicken and rice, try thisDutch Oven Chicken And Rice Camping Recipe that does not use canned soup!

Try this 3 Ingredient Caesar Chicken when you don’t feel like doing any prep work!

This Pesto Tortellini Bake Freezer Meal is another “dump and cook” make ahead camping meal that features chicken.

Prep this Beef And Broccoli Freezer Meal up to 3 months prior to your trip. It’s delicious and EASY!

You won’t miss your favorite Chinese take-out restaurant if you make this yummy Easy Dutch Oven American Chinese Chop Suey that uses your cast iron Dutch oven like a wok!

Prefer steak? Try this .

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Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe

Camping For Foodies Dinner Camping Recipes: Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe

4.48 from 55 votes

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Course: Dinner Camping Recipes

Cuisine: Thai

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 319kcal

Author: Kim Hanna

Equipment

12-Inch, 6 Quart Cast Iron Camp Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed in bite-sized pieces
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 lime zest and juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic minced
1 bunch green onions green and white parts, chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger*
1 teaspoon ground cumin*
2 teaspoon curry powder*
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper*
Cooked rice and fresh cilantro for serving optional

Instructions

If making as a freezer meal, combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag, seal and lay flat in freezer. Label outside of bag with name, cooking and serving instructions. Defrost fully before cooking. It will seem kind of thick when you dump it out of the freezer bag … but, don’t worry, it thins out as it cooks.
This symbol * means measure and mix at home (if you are making this entire recipe at the campsite, you can measure and mix the ingredients that are marked with * at home.)
Dump all ingredients in 12-inch Dutch oven and cover, cooking on low simmer till cooked through (about 30 minutes), stirring throughout because it will have a tendency to stick to the bottom of pan.
Remove lid and continue cooking till desired thickness.
Serving suggestion: Top with cilantro and serve over cooked rice (optional).
Camp cooking tip: We love cooking over the campfire with our Dutch ovens, but this recipe can be made in a cast iron skillet or other pan with a lid and be made using a camp stove or RV stove.

Nutrition

Cast Iron Dutch Oven Cleanup

After you have enjoyed this Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken Recipe, don’t forget to take care of your cast iron camp cookware!

You know what I say … treat your camp cast iron gear right and it will last for generations!

Check out these tips for cleaning and seasoning cast iron Dutch oven cookware!

Make sure you pack the campfire cooking equipment you need for all of your camp meals!

Want more ideas for yummy breakfast, dinner and dessert?

These Dutch oven recipes for camping will inspire you!

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