Cast Iron for Camping
Cast iron cookware is extremely durable and able to withstand high temperatures, while also being versatile and able to be used for cooking almost anything!
It’s entirely possible to make delicious meals that taste just as good, if not better, than a home-cooked meal while camping! While there are many different ways to cook your meals when camping, few are as versatile and reliable as cast iron cooking.
Not only does it provide even heat distribution, but it’s also incredibly durable and easy to clean. Whether you’re making breakfast, lunch, or dinner, cast iron cooking can take your camping meals to the next level.
In this post I’ll cover how to use cast iron while camping, including the best cast iron cooking tools, as well as how to cook, clean, and store cast iron while camping.
When I first started using cast iron, I hated it. Everything stuck to it, it got rusty, and I felt like I could never get it clean. Of course, that’s because I was doing it all wrong and treating it like one of my normal non-stick pans.
After learning a few tricks for cooking with and cleaning cast iron, it is now my favorite cooking tool while camping, and for cooking some types of food at home as well!
Cast Iron Cookware and Accessories for Camping
While you don’t need all of these cast iron cooking tools, you’ll find that having a skillet and dutch oven are the two powerhouse pans that will enable you to cook almost anything you want over the campfire.
Pie irons are also extremely fun to use while camping and something that my kids and I love using every time we camp.
Cast Iron Cookware
Cast Iron Skillet
A cast iron skillet is a staple item in your camping kitchen. It’s versatile because it can be used for cooking over a campfire or on a portable camp stove.
Cast Iron Camping Dutch Oven
Camping dutch ovens will have little legs on the bottom that allow you to place the pan slightly over the coals rather than right on top. You can easily use three rocks to elevate if yours doesn’t have legs.
Cast Iron Combo Cookware
This is a great option if you want to make less of an investment into cooking with cast iron, because it’s a set that can act as a skillet, small pot, and a dutch oven all in one.
Cast Iron Pie Iron Camp Cooker
A cast iron pie iron is made of two rectangular cast iron plates hinged together to create a clamshell shape. It’s used to make campfire pies, grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken pot pies, and so much more.
My family LOVES using pie irons to cook while camping, so we’ve tried out quite a few fun variations using this tool. Here are all of my favorite pie iron recipes.
Cast Iron Griddle
A large, flat top or grated surface perfect for burgers, bacon, pancakes or eggs. I personally find this tool to be the least essential, because you can use your skillet to basically do the same thing as a griddle (it just may take more time because of the smaller surface area). However, if you are cooking for a large crowd, a cast iron skillet might be the perfect piece of camping cookware for you.
Cast Iron Accessories
Pan Scraper
A cast iron pan scraper is a small, handheld tool used to clean cast iron cookware. It’s usually made of plastic and is designed to remove food debris and residue without damaging the seasoning on the pan.
Metal Chainmail Scrubber
This is a durable cleaning tool used for removing tough food residue and buildup on cast iron. The chain-like design allows for thorough cleaning without damaging the seasoning on the pan.
Pot Lifter
A pot lid lifter is a tool designed to lift hot cast iron pot lids without burning your hands. It’s a must if you’re planning to cook with a cast iron dutch oven while camping!
Silicone Handle Guards
Removable silicone handle covers that make it possible to grip and hold the hot handle of your cast iron skillet.
If you purchase new cast iron cookware, it’s important to properly season it before cooking. I personally use flaxseed oil or grapeseed oil for forming my seasoning layer and follow this process for seasoning cast iron.
Three Methods for Cooking with Cast Iron at Campsite
1. Cooking with Cast Iron Over the Campfire
Cooking over the campfire is my favorite way to cook while camping, and cast iron makes this process very easy and extra delicious. There are two main ways you can cook with cast iron over the campfire: elevated over the open flame OR on a bed of hot wood coals/embers.
Cooking over the Fire
The first way you can cook over the campfire is by cooking over the flame of the fire. This requires you to have a way to elevate your cast iron skillet or dutch oven over the fire. The easiest way to do this is with a grill grate. Some campsites have these built into the fire pit, but it’s certainly not a guarantee. I bring a foldable camp grill grate with me when camping for this reason.
The grill grate is set up over the fire (once the flame is slightly below the grate) and then the skillet, pan, dutch oven, or pie iron is placed on this grate to cook.
The other option is to use a tripod cooker with grill. This sets over larger fires and you can hang a dutch oven or coffee pot from the chain or place a skillet or pot on the grate.
Cooking on Hot wood coals
To use this method, you’ll need to ensure that your fire has been going for about 30 minutes, thus making hot wood coals. Use tongs to pull some hot coals from the fire and make a bed of them slightly to the side. (You don’t want to place your cast iron directly into the flame.)
Place the skillet or dutch oven on the coals to preheat, and then cook, adding additional coals around the pan as needed.
2. Cast Iron Cooking Over Charcoals
Similar to the cooking method described above, you can also use charcoal briquets to cook with cast iron. Charcoal is a little easier to use than fire coals because the temperature is more consistent and charcoal burns for a longer amount of time. As a result, you can have a better idea of the cooking temperature and time when using charcoal.
To light the charcoal, use a fire starter or paper in the bottom of the charcoal chimney to light the charcoals. Give the coals about 10-15 minutes to fully light. You know they’re ready when the top coals begin to turn gray (ashy).
Then, pour the coals into the side of your firepit and place your skillet or dutch oven over the coals. You can also add some charcoals on the top of the lid of the dutch oven to create an cooking environment similar to an oven.
3. Cooking with Cast Iron on a Camp Stove
It’s also possible to use cast iron on a camp stove. It’s very important to keep the heat low on your propane stove to ensure the pan heats up evenly and slowly. Because the flame on a propane stove is quite small, it will concentrate all the heat in one place if used on a high setting.
How to Clean Cast Iron While Camping
Cast iron is inherently different than non-stick cookware and one of the main differences you’ll notice when using cast iron is in the clean-up process.
Although it may seem a little difficult at first, once you try out this process a couple of times, it’ll become second nature and you’ll find it easy to clean your cast iron cookware while you’re out camping.
Steps to Clean Cast Iron at Campsite
- Remove all excess food with a pan scraper. This step may be one of the most important steps in the cleaning process. If the food is really stuck, heat up some water in the pan and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, use the scraper to remove the food. A chainmail scrubber can also help to remove stuck on food.
- Dry the cookware thoroughly using a lint free towel or paper towel. Then, if possible, place the cookware over the fire or on a camp stove for a couple of minutes. This heats up the cast iron and removes any extra moisture. (This step is what keeps your cast iron rust-free.)
- Lightly oil the cast iron to maintain the seasoning layer. Rub a small amount of oil (canola, flaxseed, or even vegetable oil) all over the surface of the pan. Use a paper towel to remove all excess oil.
How to Store Cast Iron for Camping
Place a kitchen towel between any pieces of cast iron. This helps to keep moisture down and also to keep pans from scraping against one another.
In order to keep your cast iron in excellent shape, it’s important to store cast iron cookware in a place where it will not be exposed to any moisture.
My favorite way to store my camping cast iron is to stack all the pieces in a large canvas bag, with towels between the different pieces. Also, you can add silica packets in your pans to ensure there isn’t extra moisture. This is one of my 20 best camp cooking hacks!
For the pie iron camp cookers, I unscrew the handles for easier storage of the cast iron pieces. I keep this canvas bag in my camper for storage and for travel and it has worked well for both!
My All-Time Favorite Cast Iron Recipes
This campfire frittata is my family’s favorite egg breakfast recipe. It’s full of fresh veggies and can feed your entire crew.
We love making hobo pies like these camping pizza pockets and these mini chicken pot pies in our cast iron pie irons.
For dessert, I LOVE using a dutch oven to make dump cakes instead of s’mores. This Cherry Chocolate Dump Cake is my favorite.