10 Camping Stove Recipes to Spice Up Your Wild Camping and Hiking Nights
10 Camping Stove Recipes to Spice Up Your Wild Camping and Hiking Nights
10 June 2026 (13 min read)
After a long day on the trail, a ham sandwich just doesn't cut it anymore. Your body wants a proper hot meal — something warm, hearty, something that pays you back for every kilometre.
Good news: cooking real food out in the wild with nothing but a camping stove is perfectly doable. Below you'll find 10 recipes tested in real conditions, easy to prepare with minimal kit. Picture a steaming bowl in your hands as the sun drops behind the fells, boots off after a full day on the path. These ten ideas turn any wild camp or hike — from the Lake District to Snowdonia — into a proper outdoor feast.
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What can you cook on a camping stove out in the wild?
Your stove opens up far more options than a freeze-dried pouch. The recipe families that work best for outdoor cooking are one-pots that simmer everything in a single pan, quick stir-fries, warming soups, hot-filled wraps and lid-covered "express bakes".
The catch? You're working with a single heat source, and every gram counts in your pack. Stick with fast-cooking ingredients: pasta, instant rice, vegetables that hold up well (courgettes, peppers, onions) and tinned pulses. Spices become your best mates — curry powder, dried herbs and a stock cube travel light and turn three basic ingredients into a real meal.
Prep at home changes everything. Chop your vegetables before you leave, portion out your spices in small ziplock bags, pre-mix your dry ingredients. On site, comfortably kitted out in Picture's outdoor lifestyle range, all you'll need to do is pour, heat and tuck in while the sun sets over your pitch.
OUR TOP TIP: Pack your meal kits at home in labelled ziplock bags (day 1 dinner, day 2 lunch). You'll save serious time and won't be hunting for paprika at the bottom of your pack by head-torch light.
Stove breakfasts: starting the day right after a night out
Your alarm goes off at dawn, the sleeping bag did its job and your legs are asking for fuel. A hot breakfast isn't a luxury for fussy walkers — it's the petrol that sets the pace for the first two hours on the trail. Aim for at least 400 to 500 calories to head out without bonking after an hour. Here are two recipes ready in under seven minutes, made with ingredients that tuck neatly into any pack.
The walker's porridge with dried fruit
The recipe that saves every chilly morning. In your pot, tip in 60 g of porridge oats and 2 tablespoons of powdered milk. Add 150 ml of boiling water, stir, and let it swell for three minutes while you pack the tent away.
Then stir in a handful of dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries), a spoonful of honey and a pinch of cinnamon. The porridge gets that perfect creamy texture that keeps you going without weighing you down. For the indulgent version, mash a fresh banana into the mix or drop in a few squares of dark chocolate that'll melt as it warms.
This one keeps you going right through to lunch thanks to the slow-release carbs in the oats and the long-lasting energy from dried fruit. You can pre-portion everything dry into a single ziplock bag before you leave.
Quick pan pancakes
For mornings you want to turn your wild camp into a Sunday brunch. Mix your batter at home in a small airtight pot: 100 g of plain flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. On site, just add 1 egg (carried in a hard egg case or cracked into a plastic bottle) and 80 ml of water or rehydrated powdered milk.
Lightly oil your pan on the stove, pour in two small ladles of batter and wait for bubbles to form on the surface before flipping. Each pancake cooks in two minutes a side.
Top them however you fancy: sweet with almond butter and honey, or savoury with hard cheese and a few slices of cured sausage. These pancakes have a soft, moist texture that's a million miles from a flattened sandwich loaf at the bottom of your pack. You'll hit the trail with a smile and a full stomach.
The best meal ideas for a wild camp
After a long day in the sun or the wind, your body wants more than a sandwich. The wild camp becomes that quiet moment when your pot turns into a proper outdoor kitchen. A well-thought-out hot meal recharges the batteries and boosts morale for tomorrow — because eating something delicious under the stars genuinely changes everything. Here are three recipes tested in real conditions that prove you can eat brilliantly without lugging a 15-kg pack.
A clever wrap recipe to put together at camp
The wrap is the unbeaten champion of fast wild-camp meals. Get your tortillas out (they handle being squashed in a pack remarkably well), fill them with home-grilled chicken or a plant-based alternative like smoked tofu, then add crunchy raw veg: red pepper slivers, halved cherry tomatoes, a few salad leaves if you've packed them.
The little trick that makes all the difference? A squeeze of lime straight over the filling before you roll your wrap. The lime weighs almost nothing and brings a fresh kick that wakes up tired taste buds. You can prep your veg the day before and keep it in a small airtight bag — it'll last 24 hours, no problem.
This recipe needs zero cooking: perfect for a quick lunch or for nights when you reach camp late. Five minutes flat, and you're already heading for your sleeping bag, well fed.
One-pot pasta with tomato sauce and olives
This is the recipe that converts every camping-stove sceptic. In your one and only pot, soften a chopped onion in a drizzle of olive oil until it turns translucent. Add 250 g of short pasta (penne or fusilli), pour in 600 ml of water and 3 tablespoons of tomato purée, then season generously.
Bring to the boil and turn the heat down. The one-pot magic kicks in: the pasta cooks straight in the sauce, soaking up all the flavour over 10 to 12 minutes. Give it a stir now and again so it doesn't catch. Three minutes before the end, throw in a handful of pitted black olives and a pinch of dried oregano.
The result? Creamy pasta with no cream at all, just one pot to wash up and a meal that warms body and mind. This technique is a game-changer for outdoor cooking — saves water, gas and washing-up, three precious things when you're wild camping far from the tap.
Warm lentil salad with grilled vegetables
Pre-cooked lentils in a pouch are your best friend for a complete vegetarian meal. Heat your pan on the stove, add a glug of olive oil, and chuck in pieces of courgette and pepper chopped before you left home. Let them char for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and again, until they pick up nice golden marks.
Once cooked, warm your lentils in the pot with a splash of water. Drain them and mix them straight into the still-steaming grilled veg. Throw together a quick dressing: two tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of half a lime, salt, pepper and a pinch of mixed dried herbs if you've got them.
This warm salad ticks all the boxes: rich in plant protein for muscle recovery, easy on the stomach before bed, and substantial enough to deal with a serious hiker's appetite. It comes together in 15 minutes flat and can be eaten straight from the pot to keep the washing-up minimal.
Hearty camping dinners on the stove
Camp evenings are that moment you set the stove up facing the last light of day, legs heavy but stomach demanding its due. It's also the time you swap your walking jacket for something more comfortable — a pair of joggers, why not. The hastily made ham roll is over: with three well-thought-out recipes, your pot turns into a proper kitchen under the stars. These hot, generous, fragrant dishes prove that camping and good food belong together.
Creamy veg curry with coconut milk
Your comfort-blanket meal for when the temperature drops and you fancy a bit of mountain exotica. Start by finely chopping an onion and a garlic clove, then soften them in your pot for 2 minutes with a drizzle of olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons of curry powder and stir for 1 minute until the spices come alive.
Stir in your pre-chopped vegetables — carrots, courgettes, red peppers — and pour in an individual carton of coconut milk (the 200 ml format fits any pack). Season, cover with the lid and let it simmer 12 minutes on a low flame. Once the curry is ready, cook your rice.
The silky sauce coats the tender vegetables and brings that warming comfort that takes the edge off a damp evening in the Brecon Beacons or the Peak District. Serve straight into your bowls, scattered with a few fresh herbs if you've packed them.
Stir-fried rice with tofu and peppers
This vegetarian dish comes together in 15 minutes flat — ideal for those moments when hunger sets in fast after a hard day. Cut 200 g of tofu into 2 cm cubes and pat them gently with kitchen paper to draw out the excess water. Brown them for 5 minutes in your pan with a little oil until they pick up a crisp golden crust, then set aside.
In the same hot pan, throw in a chopped onion and two red peppers cut into strips, and stir-fry for 3 minutes on a high flame, stirring constantly. Add your rice, the browned tofu cubes, then drizzle generously with soy sauce. Toss energetically for 2 minutes so every grain takes on the flavour.
The secret lies in fast, high-heat cooking — it keeps the vegetables crisp and creates those irresistible caramelised edges. A complete, balanced meal that satisfies properly without weighing you down.
Cheesy camp potatoes with mature cheddar and bacon
Yes, you read that right: a proper hot cheese and potato dish on a summit, wild-camp style. Use pre-cooked potatoes (boiled before you left home and carried in an airtight bag) and slice them into thick rounds. Brown 200 g of streaky bacon with a chopped onion in your pot until they crisp up.
Add the potato rounds, give them a 2-minute toss, then pour in 3 tablespoons of soured cream. Slice a thick wedge of mature cheddar — go for a strong Lake District or West Country one — into thin slabs so it melts evenly despite the stove's limited heat. Lay it across the potatoes, cover the pot straight away and let it melt for 5 minutes on a very low flame.
The result? Cheese flowing generously over steaming potato, with that proper hearty taste that turns any camp into a Highland bothy. Bring some crusty bread to mop up to the last drop — you'll thank us.
How to plan your meals for a 3-day hike?
A multi-day point-to-point hike turns meal planning into a real logistical puzzle. Every gram counts in your pack, and you need to juggle enough nutrition, no-fridge keeping and enough variety to keep morale up. The goal? Hold your energy steady while keeping the weight you carry along the path realistic.
Plan your menus and lighten the load
Before you even leave, break the route down meal by meal: 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners. Lean on foods with the best calorie-to-weight ratio — red lentils, light tins of chickpeas, or freeze-dried peas that rehydrate in minutes.
Your best ally? Pre-portioned ziplock bags by meal. Slip in your polenta, stock cubes and spices — you'll avoid digging into your whole stash at every break, and save valuable time. For protein, rotate: cured sausage (day 1), tuna in a soft pouch (day 2), lentils (day 3).
Packing tip: place the heaviest items (light tins from day one) at the bottom of your hiking backpack, close to your back, for better load balance. Also pack a breathable outdoor t-shirt to change into the moment you reach camp and cook dry.
Here's your checklist for 3 days on the trail:
Starches : instant polenta, couscous, minute rice, fast-cook pasta
Protein : tinned chickpeas, red lentils, cured sausage, tuna pouches
Vegetables : sweet potatoes, courgettes, dried onion, freeze-dried peas
Seasoning : stock cubes, curry powder, dried garlic, olive oil in a mini bottle, salt, pepper
Snacks : dried fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, energy bars
Spiced sweet potato soup
Perfect for your first night out, this warming soup is ready in under 20 minutes. Sweet potatoes travel well and their complex carbs do the job of rebuilding what the day on the path used up.
Serves 2: 2 medium sweet potatoes cubed, 1 chopped onion, 2 teaspoons of curry powder, 1 vegetable stock cube, 500 ml of water.
Soften the onion in a drizzle of olive oil, add the curry powder then the sweet potato cubes. Pour in the water with the crumbled stock cube, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Roughly mash with a fork for a velvety texture — no need for a blender at camp.
Polenta with courgettes and parmesan
This one-pot recipe becomes your friend on day 2, when you want a filling meal without piling up the pans. Instant polenta cooks in 5 minutes flat, freeing you up to enjoy the view.
Serves 2: 150 g of instant polenta, 1 courgette in thin rounds, 50 g of grated parmesan, 1 crushed garlic clove, 600 ml of boiling water, olive oil.
Brown the courgette rounds with the garlic in your pot. Set aside. In the same pot, bring the water to a boil and rain in the polenta, stirring constantly. Drop the heat, let it thicken for 3 minutes, then stir in the parmesan and the courgettes. Serve straight away — polenta firms up as it cools.
Tips for getting the most out of a gas stove
Choosing and using your cooking kit
Your pot is the all-rounder by default: it handles soups and one-pots in the same go. Lean towards an anodised aluminium model that combines light weight with good heat conduction. A small frying pan rounds out the kit perfectly for searing veg or tofu on a high flame.
The pot lid becomes your best friend for speeding up the boil and cutting gas use. By trapping the heat, it roughly halves the time it takes to bring a litre of water to the boil. Some lids double as a plate or a small pan, making every gram you carry work twice as hard.
For tidy packing, nest your kit pieces inside each other: stove inside the pot, gas canister wedged in the middle. You save precious space and protect your kit from knocks.
Managing the flame and cooking times
Dialling in the power of a gas stove takes a bit of practice. Always start on a medium flame to avoid scorching the bottom of the pot, then adjust as needed. A flame that's too strong wastes gas without actually cooking any faster.
Wind is enemy number one for your stove: it scatters the heat and triples your gas use. Make a windshield from a folded piece of aluminium foil, or pitch yourself behind a rock or wall. Above 2,500 m, allow 20 to 30 % extra cooking time — the thin air slows combustion and water boils at a lower temperature, something to remember even on the highest paths of the Scottish Highlands.
TOP TIP: Always combine pot lid and windshield to save up to 30 % of gas on each cook. Your canister will thank you, and you'll stay self-sufficient for longer.
From flame to plate: cook your adventure
Cooking on a stove genuinely changes the way you experience the mountains. That blue flame dancing under your pot isn't just heating your vegetables — it turns a simple walk into a proper sensory moment. The smell of curry drifting across your pitch, the sound of water hitting the boil announcing dinner, that first bite of one-pot pasta in front of a sunset over the Lake District or Snowdonia: that's what etches a hike into your memory.
Try these recipes on your next trip out, starting with the easiest. The morning porridge or the express wrap will convince you that eating well out in the wild needs no fancy kit and no chef's training. Whether you're off for a single night bivvy, a family camp or a multi-day adventure in the British uplands, these dishes fit your pace and your pack.
The pleasure of eating well outdoors isn't up for debate — it's cooked, with very little kit and a good dose of enthusiasm. So get the stove out, sort your ingredient bags, and go and treat your next adventures.
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