Loaded Campfire Potatoes Recipe
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with loaded campfire potatoes – crispy, tender spuds topped with gooey cheese, bacon, and zesty sour cream.
If you are looking for a delicious camping recipe, then you have come to the right place! These cheesy campfire potatoes are the perfect side dish recipe for your next camping trip!
Simply wrap the ingredients in a foil packet, cook over the campfire, and let the magic happen. This is, hands down, one of our favorite camping meals, and trust me, once you try them, you’ll be making them for every outdoor adventure.
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So yummy, so tasty, so easy you are going to want to add them to your camping meal planning as soon as possible. We make these loaded campfire potatoes every time that we head into the great outdoors. We also love these campfire loaded baked potatoes, so be sure to check them out too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This recipe is ridiculously easy—minimal prep, easy cleanup, and no fancy equipment needed! It’s completely customizable, so you can load it up with your favorite toppings like bacon, chives, or a dollop of sour cream. It works on a charcoal grill, traditional grill, and even in a Dutch oven, making it super versatile. Plus, it feeds a crowd, making it perfect for sharing around the campfire. And let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than crispy, cheesy, comforting potatoes after a long day outdoors!
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Our Camp Cooking Essentials
- A pie iron camp cooker makes cooking over the open fire super easy. Check out these 20+ Pie Iron Recipe Ideas for tons of camp cooker inspiration! Or visit my how to use a pie iron post for tips.
- Foil pie plates make tinfoil packet meals even easier with the sturdy base that they provide.
- These grilling bags that I recently found are amazing! Simply add all of your ingredients to the bag at home, then throw it on the campfire or grill when camping in the great outdoors. Avoid the grill bags with plastic windows, though, as they melt.
- We love these BBQ cooking gloves because they make handling campfire food a whole lot safer!
How to Make Loaded Campfire Potatoes
Ingredients
- Potatoes – Red, yellow, or white, use whatever potatoes you have on hand.
- Cheddar cheese – Because what’s better than a blanket of melty, gooey cheese?
- Bacon bits – Adds a smoky, salty crunch.
- Green onions – A fresh, zesty kick to balance out all the richness.
- Salt and pepper – These basic seasonings are a must-have.
- Olive oil (optional) – Keeps the potato slices from sticking and adds a light crisp.
- Sour cream (optional) – That cool, tangy finish that takes these loaded campfire potatoes over the top.
Instructions
1. Prep the potatoes by slicing or quartering them. You can toss them with a bit of olive oil, if you want to.
These potatoes make the perfect meal or side dish and can be cooked on the campfire or BBQ. I like that the preparation for this dish is quick and cleanup is easy. That’s a huge plus when camping!
2. Lay out a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray, and pile the potatoes in the middle of the foil.
3. Sprinkle on cheddar cheese, crispy bacon pieces, and green onions.
I try to do as much of my meal preparation as I can at home. Sometimes I will even pre-cook the potatoes in my oven, so that when we go camping, this dish doesn’t take as long to make. I purchase pre-shredded cheese and bacon bits so that all I have to do is cut the potatoes and onions and this camping recipe is good to go!
4. Wrap everything up tight in a tinfoil packet. I like to use two layers of tinfoil, especially if I am cooking this camping recipe on the campfire.
5. Place the packet close to the hot coals, but not IN the fire. Cooking this on a BBQ or charcoal grill is totally an option, too, and allows for more control over the heat and cook time.
6. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20-30 minutes, flipping occasionally.
7. Carefully open the packets (watch out for hot steam), top with sour cream, and dig in!
How to Make a Tinfoil Packet
- Cut two pieces of aluminum foil large enough to cover the entire meal (about 12″). Layer them one on top of the other. Optional: spray the interior with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
- Place recipe ingredients in the center. Bring up the longer edges of the foil and fold together. Grasp one end and roll it up, repeating with the other end.
- Alternatively, foil pie plates may be used to cook foil packet meals. Simply place the recipe ingredients into the pie plate and cover with aluminum foil before cooking.
- For best results, cook the foil packet on a grill over the open fire.
- Use caution when handling the foil packet, as it can become hot while cooking.
AH-mazing right?! We served these with Walmart steaks (they are seriously the best) and a Caesar salad. We felt like we were eating like kings! Loaded campfire potatoes are a camping staple for our family because they are simply delicious and so easy to make.
Tips for Camping Meal Preparation
- Prepare meals in advance at home whenever possible. Leave most of the mess at home, where running water is more accessible and cleanup is easier. Trust me on this one!
- Create “one pot” family style meals for quick dinners that don’t require a lot of thought.
- Use tinfoil packets, foil pie pans, or camp cookers. These tools help to make cleanup a breeze!
- Pack ingredients in 1-gallon freezer bags for flexible storage in small fridges and coolers.
- Plan meals that use similar ingredients to help make packing and planning easy. These cheesy vegetable campfire dip, loaded campfire cauliflower, and tinfoil packet nacho dip recipes are some of our favorites.
- Use my blank printable meal plan or camping meal plans to help organize your next trip.
Tips and Tricks
- Pre-cook the potatoes at home if you want to cut down on cooking time at the campsite.
- Cooking time will vary based on the size and thickness of the potatoes. Make sure the pieces are all about the same size for even cooking.
- Add other seasonings, like a sprinkle of onion powder or garlic powder, for extra flavor.
- Store all prepped ingredients in a freezer bag for easy packing in your cooler.
- Try cooking these in an air fryer at home for an easy weeknight version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! Prep everything at home, wrap in foil, and store the tinfoil packet in the fridge or cooler until you’re ready to cook.
How do I prevent the potatoes from burning?
Make sure to cook over indirect heat or on a bed of coals, flipping the packet halfway through.
Can I use different types of potatoes?
Absolutely! Yukon gold, red potatoes, whatever you have on hand, they all work just as well for these potato packets.
What other toppings can I add?
Load them up with jalapeños, mushrooms, sauteed onions, salsa, or even a drizzle of ranch!
Can I cook these in a Dutch oven instead?
Yes! Just layer everything inside a Dutch oven, cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
These cheesy potatoes are a great choice paired with chicken skewers, grilled steak, or burgers. They can even be a stand alone meal for lunch! Whether you’re camping in the great outdoors or just grilling in the backyard, this recipe is a must-try.
I would love for you to check out my new blog, Campfire Foodie, where I’m sharing ALL of the camping recipes!!
If you love these loaded campfire potatoes, please give them a five-star review and help me share them on Facebook and Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 6 white potatoes sliced 1/4″ thick
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 Tbsp bacon bits
- 2 Tbsp diced green onion
- 2 tsp butter
- salt & pepper
- sour cream optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients onto a large piece of tinfoil.
- Wrap securely with foil and place onto the cooking surface.
- Cook for 45 minutes on medium heat.
- Top with salt & pepper and sour cream as desired.
Nutrition
Hi, I have a question about loaded campfire potatoes. Can I put wrap foil in the oven for 45 mintues?
I don’t see why not! Probably would only need 30 minutes with consistent heat though <3
What temp do you recommend in the oven?
350 :)
What’s medium heat on a camp fire?
LOL Not in the flames but also not completely out of the fire?
I’ve been doing potatoes on the grill like this for years, bell peppers, onions, cheese, bacon or chunks of ham, lots of cheese. I use pie tins, aluminum loaf pans depending on how many are eating. Obviously some one has stolen my recipe. BTW, use non stick spray when using the tins to keep things from sticking or burning.
Yum! ;)
Obviously someone stole my dads recipe!! My dad would barbecue these on his Weber grill back in the 60’s!! So delicious…
No think great minds think alike … purely coincidental.
Hi Heather,
I won’t have a pie iron camp cooker to cook the loaded potatoes in. Can I use a tin foil pie tin and stick on a disposable bbq please?
Thank you
You sure can! That’s what I use <3
is love to cook the potatoes ahead of time but don’t want them to get mushy. Can you please tell me how you do them ahead?
I would bake them in the oven at home at 350 for 20 minutes or until just fork tender. Then when camping cut them up and load into your foil packet. Cook the foil packet until everything is heated through and a fork can be easily inserted.