Camping Meals & Easy Food Ideas for Australian Touring

Camping meals work best when they use a small number of ingredients, require limited cookware, minimise washing up, use ingredients across several meals, can tolerate changes to the plan and suit your available fridge and cooking capacity. One-pan meals are particularly useful because they reduce both cooking equipment and cleanup.

Good breakfast options include eggs with mushrooms and tomatoes, bacon and eggs, breakfast wraps, oats with fruit and yoghurt, toasted sandwiches, baked beans, pancakes, breakfast burritos and fruit and yoghurt bowls. Prepare ingredients the night before where practical.

Lunches do not always need cooking. Useful options include wraps, sandwiches, crackers and cheese, tuna, salad bowls, leftover meat, boiled eggs, cold pasta salad, fruit and canned fish. Keeping lunch simple leaves more time for travelling, fishing or exploring.

One-pan meals are ideal for camp cooking. Ideas include Thai Penang curry, chicken curry, beef stir-fry, chilli con carne, fried rice, sausages with vegetables, pasta, chicken and vegetable skillet, beef stew, shakshuka, noodles and curry sausages. Many of these can be adapted to whatever ingredients are available. A simple Penang curry uses sliced chicken or beef, Penang curry paste, coconut milk, vegetables, fish sauce, lime and herbs — cook the meat, add curry paste, add coconut milk and vegetables, then simmer until cooked. Serve with rice or flatbread.

Where local rules allow campfires, cast-iron camp ovens provide another style of cooking. Suitable meals include roasts, stews, damper, bread, casseroles, baked vegetables and desserts. Always check local fire restrictions before lighting any fire — fire rules vary by state, territory, land manager and current conditions.

A useful camp pantry can include rice, pasta, noodles, canned beans, canned tomatoes, canned tuna, curry pastes, coconut milk, herbs and spices, stock cubes, flour, oats, powdered milk, crackers, long-life wraps, dried fruit and nuts. These provide backup meals if weather, travel delays or fridge problems change your plans.

Potentially hazardous foods require proper temperature control. When camping, pay particular attention to meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, cooked rice, cooked pasta and prepared meals. Keep cold food properly refrigerated and minimise the amount of time perishable food spends unrefrigerated. Use a thermometer if you are uncertain about fridge performance.

For extended touring, plan meals around storage life — use fresh food early in the trip and keep long-life foods for later. A practical progression: first days use fresh meat, salads and fresh vegetables; middle of trip uses longer-lasting vegetables, eggs, cheese and cured foods; later days use pasta, rice, canned foods, dried ingredients and meal packs.