These camping tacos are an easy meal that can be prepped ahead of time. They feature basic ingredients and lots of topping options!
You know what's even better than arriving at your campsite? Having your first meal at your campsite!
When you've traveled a lot of miles, though, you might not feel like starting to cook from scratch for your first evening. At least, that's how we felt on a recent trip.
Happily, we had everything we needed for camping tacos — including meat previously cooked at home — so the prep was very easy, and we were chowing down in a matter of minutes.
These camping tacos are a tasty meal that can easily be made or reheated on a camp stove.
At Home: Prep the Taco Meat
I like to prepare the taco meat at home before camping, but this portion could also be done at camp.
Start by browning your taco meat. Add it to a hot pan with oil and add taco seasoning and salt. Once the meat begins to brown, break it up with a metal spatula.
Add a can of diced tomatoes to the taco meat and simmer the meat along with the tomatoes.
Keep cooking until the meat is nearly cooked through and the tomato liquid has mostly cooked off.
Next, add canned beans to the meat. If you’re preparing the meat at home, drain the beans. If you’re preparing at camp (on a less predictable heat source), you may want to add the beans AND their liquid if your meat seems a little dry.
Cook until the meat is done cooking and the beans are warmed through.
If you prepared the taco meat at home, let the meat cool and then store it for camping. I like to place the (cooled) taco meat in a freezer bag for later.
How to Make Camping Tacos
At camp, reheat your taco meat in a saucepan. I like to use this Stanley camping saucepan. Alternatively, if you cooked the meat at camp, serve the taco meat from the pan you cooked it in.
If your taco meat is partially frozen, it might be helpful to add a little salsa to the saucepan as the meat reheats.
Next, warm some flour tortillas.
I like to do this by placing them directly on my camp stove grate, or by wrapping a stack of tortillas in foil and warming on a campfire grate over indirect heat.
Prep your taco sides.
Halve cherry or grape tomatoes, thinly slice red onion and prep any other taco toppings you want.
We like to make a double-layer taco shell by spreading guacamole or sour cream across a warm flour tortilla, setting a crispy corn tortilla on top and then gently pressing them together.
When the meat is warm, assemble the tacos! I like to spread the ingredients out and let everyone assemble their own taco.
Dig in and enjoy along with a summer camping sangria or this fall-time camping apple sangria.
Camping Tacos
Ingredients
Camping Tacos:
- 8 flour tortillas (amount variable)
- 1 tablespoon oil (if your meat is very lean you may need extra oil)
- 1 pound ground turkey (or use beef, chicken or meatless ground beef)
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (omit or reduce if your taco seasoning has salt)
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 14 ounce can pinto or black beans
- 8 crunchy taco shells (optional)
Taco Toppings (amount variable):
- Cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- Shredded cheese (Mexican blend, pepper jack or whatever you have on hand)
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Sour cream
- Sliced red onion
- Hot sauce
- Salsa
Instructions
Prepare the meat (at home or at camp):
- Add oil to pan and warm over medium-low heat (or slightly indirect campfire flames).Add the taco seasoning and salt.Cook until meat begins to brown, breaking into smaller pieces with a metal spatula as the meat cooks.
- Add tomatoes, and continue simmering until the meat is cooked through and the tomato liquid mostly cooks off.
- Drain beans and add to meat. Cook until beans are warm.Alternatively, if your fire was a little hotter than intended and your meat seems a little dry, add the beans along with all (or most) of the liquid from the can.
- If preparing at home ahead of time, allow taco meat to cool for a few minutes, then move to the fridge. Optionally, place in a freezer storage bag and freeze for up to 4 months until packing camping cooler.After moving to the cooler, keep the cooler as cold as possible (packed with ice or other frozen goods) and use meat within 1-2 days. Reheat on a camp stove or campfire before serving.Note: If reheating from a mostly frozen state, it may be helpful to add a little extra liquid to the meat, such as salsa, to help ensure that it doesn't stick to the pot or pan.
Assemble Tacos:
- Warm tortillas individually on camp stove flame. After heating, wrap in foil or a towel to keep warm.Alternatively, wrap the stack of tortillas in foil and warm over indirect campfire heat.
- Optionally, create a stacked double-layer taco by spreading guacamole or sour cream on one flour tortilla, and placing a crunchy taco shell on top of the tortilla. Gently press the tortilla and shell together.
- Add desired amount of taco meat to a warm tortilla. Add desired toppings. Serve immediately.
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