5 Camp Cookout Classics for the Grill

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Photo: Sophia Martin

A portable camping grill earns its spot in the car for exactly these five things. If you’re still deciding what to bring alongside it, our campsite cooking essentials covers the rest of the setup.

The Grill: Amazon Basics Portable Camping Grill Grate

See the Portable Grill Grate on Amazon →

A heavy-duty, foldable grate that sets up over any open flame or fire ring — no propane tank or bulky grill body to pack. At 15.9″ x 12.2″, it’s sized for exactly the kind of cooking below: burgers, hot dogs, and a side or two, not a full backyard spread.

Best for: Getting real grill results from a campfire or fire ring you’re already building anyway.

1. Classic Grilled Burgers

Real grill marks and real char, the kind a stovetop or skillet genuinely can’t replicate no matter how hot it gets.

What you’ll need:

• 1 lb ground beef, formed into 4 patties
• Salt and pepper
• 4 slices cheese
• Burger buns
• Toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, condiments

How to make it:

1. Heat the grill to medium-high and season patties with salt and pepper.
2. Grill 3–4 minutes per side for medium, flipping only once.
3. Add cheese in the last minute and let it melt with the lid down if your grill has one.
4. Toast buns cut-side down for the last 30–60 seconds, then build with toppings.

Why it works at camp: nothing else on this list gets closer to a genuine backyard cookout than burgers actually cooked over open flame.

2. Grilled Hot Dogs

Simple, but the difference between a grilled hot dog and a boiled one is bigger than it sounds.

What you’ll need:

• 8 hot dogs
• Buns
• Toppings: mustard, relish, onion, chili if you have it

How to make it:

1. Grill over medium heat, turning every 1–2 minutes, until evenly charred on all sides (about 6–8 minutes total).
2. Toast buns on the grill for the last minute.
3. Build with toppings and serve immediately.

Why it works at camp: it’s genuinely hard to mess up, and the char you get from real grill grates beats anything a pan can do.

3. Grilled Corn on the Cob

A real side dish that cooks alongside everything else without needing its own burner.

What you’ll need:

• 4 ears corn, husked
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• Salt to taste

How to make it:

1. Brush corn with melted butter.
2. Grill over medium heat, turning every 2–3 minutes, until charred in spots on all sides (about 10–12 minutes total).
3. Season with salt and serve hot.

Why it works at camp: it shares grill space with the burgers or dogs, so dinner comes together on one heat source instead of two.

4. Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs

Crisp skin and real smoke flavor, genuinely better than anything a pan produces.

What you’ll need:

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

How to make it:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Grill skin-side down over medium heat for 7–8 minutes without moving it, until deeply browned.
3. Flip, brush with BBQ sauce, and grill another 8–10 minutes until cooked through.
4. Brush with more sauce before serving.

Why it works at camp: starting skin-side down over real heat renders the fat properly, which is the part a stovetop always struggles to get right.

5. One-Pot Baked Beans

Uses: the pot, off to the side while the grill handles everything else

The classic cookout side that needs almost no attention while the grill does the real work.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cans baked beans
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce
• Cooked bacon bits, optional

How to make it:

1. Combine all ingredients in the pot over a camp stove burner, medium-low heat.
2. Simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through and slightly thickened.

Why it works at camp: it simmers on a separate burner while the grill is fully occupied with everything else.

The Bottom Line

Five cookout classics that genuinely benefit from real grill heat, not a stovetop substitute. Pair it with our Essentials for Campsite Cooking for the rest of the setup — the pot, utensils, and cleanup gear that round out the whole cookout.

More Camp Recipes

• 5 Elevated Camp Dinners That Actually Feel Fancy
• 5 One-Skillet & One-Pot Camping Meals
• 5 Camp Breakfasts You Can Make in One Pan