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We go camping every year, and these camping recipes have been tried-and-true family favorites over the years. Try our Woof ’em sticks recipe (campfire tacos), Mountain pies (hot sandwiches), and Campfire Baked Potatoes that are simple and delicious!
Campfire Breakfast Potatoes
This Breakfast Potatoes Recipe is a gem!
Camping breakfast potatoes are like little cubes of hash browns seasoned with simple garlic salt, paprika, and black pepper.
They turn out beautifully orange and are seasoned to perfection (I wrote down exact measurements for how much seasoning I used at the campground).
My family eats them up quickly (even my toddler likes to pop them in his mouth), and my children rave that this is their favorite camping food.
I have to agree, I can help myself with seconds, easily…
Before we jump in any further, I’d like to share all the possible equipment needed to accommodate your camping trip. I also share all my best tips for success, especially if you’re a novice to camping. So, read on for some useful information or jump to the recipe card to see my step-by-step instructions for making breakfast potatoes. And if you found this post helpful, don’t forget to comment. I’d love to meet you!
How To Make Breakfast Potatoes 4-Ways When Camping:
When I make these breakfast potatoes at home, I bake them in the oven at 425°F for 25-30 minutes (depending on how big they are cubed). Same seasonings, just a different cooking method on a sheet pan with aluminum foil. This can be done in an RV if using a smaller baking pan (15×10-inch pan size or smaller).
At the campground, I bring my large electric griddle with me and connect it to a power outlet provided by the campground using an extension cord.
A portable Blackstone can be used too; this way, I can cook enough for a family of 8 at one time. Keep in mind, breakfast potatoes should be cooked in a single layer; anything more should be cooked in batches separately.
If you don’t have portable electric cookware, you can cook breakfast potatoes in a cast-iron skillet over the fire. Most fire pits have racks that can be pulled down, and that is where you’d place the cast-iron skillet. Use only heavy-duty pans like cast-iron that don’t have any plastic (any plastic knobs or handles will melt).
Mise en Place
Equipment:
- Portable Electric Griddle, Blackstone, or large Cast-iron Skillet (for cooking over the fire), or Small Baking Sheet to bake in a camper oven if needed. Choose which cooking method suits best.
- A spatula turner
- Potato peeler
- Small portable Cutting board
- Bowl for washing your potatoes
- Sharp knife
- Teaspoon (If you don’t have a measuring spoon, you can use a stainless steel teaspoon).
Ingredients:
- Russet Potatoes- or gold potatoes can be used for making breakfast potatoes. For serving I calculate 1 potato for each person so I don’t end up with leftovers.
- Seasonings- like paprika, garlic salt, and black pepper are simple yet they add so much flavor and color to make these appetizing.
- Cooking Fat- like bacon grease or avocado oil can be used. You’ll need a high-smoke-point oil if cooking over the fire.
How To Get Crispy Breakfast Potatoes:
The key to making crispy cubes of potatoes on a griddle or pan is to cook them in a single layer. I recommend not flipping them for the first 8 minutes. This gives the potatoes enough time to form a crust and get extra crispy. I also use a good-quality cooking oil or bacon grease to help get a crispy crust.
What We Eat With Campfire Breakfast Potatoes:
Camping takes some intentional planning, which is why it’s good to share meal ideas.
Although these taters can totally do by themselves, I like to grab a pack of bacon (nitrate-free), and a dozen eggs along to the campground for this breakfast. It has a few purposes: allows me to use healthier animal fat, complements the simple potatoes, and adds extra protein. I’ll first render the fat from the bacon, so I can use it for cooking my eggs and potatoes. Plus, my children love to wake up to the smell of bacon and these potatoes!
Here is a list of our must-have condiments or sides for this tasty breakfast!
- Homemade Canned Ketchup, Canned Salsa, or Sriracha (my favorite).
- Orange juice or Homemade Canned Grape Juice
- Fresh Fruit, like watermelon or apple slices.
- Fried eggs (sunny side up or hard-over eggs), or No-Nitrates Bacon Slices.
How To Prepare Potatoes For Breakfast When Camping:
If using an electric griddle, preheat the griddle to 400°F. Add your fat of choice (I used bacon grease), and cook the seasoned and cubed potatoes for about 8 minutes without flipping. Then flip and turn every 5 minutes until crispy and golden. I cooked mine for about 18 minutes in an electric griddle.
For cast-iron cooking over the fire, get the fire going at least 30 minutes before starting. This will create embers (hot coals) and cook the potatoes more evenly without burning them. Once the embers are going, make a pile using grill tongs, somewhere in the middle, place the cookware above the pile of hot coals, and preheat the pan for a few minutes.
Typically, cubed potatoes take about 20 minutes to fry in a cast-iron skillet over a fire. Check for doneness after this time mark. If you camp with a camper or an RV, you can also bake these in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes in a sheet pan. Be sure to toss cubed potatoes in oil and seasonings, then roast or fry in a skillet.
Pro-Tip: If using bacon, cook that first to use the fat for fried eggs and cubed potatoes. For perfect camping eggs, hard over eggs can be cooked well on the electric griddle by preheating the griddle to 400°F, cracking the eggs over the bacon grease, then reducing the heat to 280°F. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or make sunny-side-up eggs cooked on one side for 3-4 minutes, or until the whites are set but yolks are runny.
Helpful Tips For Campfire Breakfast Potatoes:
- Always cook cubed potatoes on a rack over a little flame or embers.
- Cubed breakfast potatoes should always be cooked in a single layer; otherwise, they will steam and not crisp up.
- Use cookware without plastic handles or any plastic features when cooking over a fire.
- Fry bacon first (if using) to render the grease and use it for the potatoes.
- Use butter or avocado oil as other healthier cooking fat options.
- To plan how many potatoes are needed for your family, use one potato per person.
- Dice potatoes into equal-sized cubes about 1/4-inch thick for even cooking.
Have you made our campfire breakfast potatoes? I’d love to hear from you, comment, and rate this recipe below for more camping recipes to come!
Recipe Card with Step-by-step Photos:
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Campfire Breakfast Potatoes
Equipment
- 1 Electric Griddle or Cast-iron skillet, (Can use a portable Blackstone, too)
- 1 bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 7 Russet potatoes, (7 cups of diced potatoes)
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 Tbsp cooking oil, divided, (Avocado oil or bacon grease can be used)
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat the portable electric griddle or a cast-iron skillet over the fire (set over embers, preferably on a rack) to 400°F.
- Meanwhile, prep the potatoes. Peel, then dip them into a bowl of water and wash them. Transfer the potatoes onto a cutting board, pat dry with paper towels, and dice them into 1/4-inch cubes.
- Transfer diced potatoes into a mixing bowl, or, in my case, I used a skillet I had in the RV. Sprinkle potatoes with 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1 1/2 tsp paprika, and 1 tsp of ground black pepper. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp oil and bring over to the griddle.
- To the griddle, add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and the seasoned breakfast potatoes. Cook for 8 minutes without turning. Then flip them and cook them for 10-15 minutes, flipping them every 5 minutes. They should be crisp and golden brown.
- Transfer potatoes to a skillet or dish and place them on the picnic table with paper plates. Serve with fried bacon*, eggs, and your favorite condiments. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are serving breakfast potatoes with fried eggs and bacon. Cook the bacon on a griddle or pan first to render the fat. Then use half of that fat to cook the eggs and the other half to cook the potatoes. This is a frugal and efficient way to cook when camping.
- Can use a portable Blackstone Griddle, preheat over high, then reduce to medium-high heat when cooking potatoes.
- For perfect camping eggs read my chef pro tip.
Nutrition (per serving)
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