Campfire Baked Potatoes for Easy Camping Meals

Campfire Baked Potatoes

There is something so wonderfully simple about a meal that cooks itself while you sit around the fire. Campfire baked potatoes have become my family’s favorite camping dinner because they need almost no prep, zero pots, and everyone gets exactly what they want. I still remember the first time I tried this: we had just set up camp, the kids were hungry, and I wrapped a few Russets in foil before tossing them onto the glowing embers. Forty five minutes later we had the fluffiest, most satisfying baked potatoes I have ever tasted.

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These potatoes cook faster over the fire than in your home oven and the smoky edge takes them to a whole new level. With a total time of just 47 minutes (2 minutes of prep, 45 minutes of cook time) and a yield of 8 people, this is a filling main course that feels like a treat. We lay out a simple potato bar with salted butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon bits and let everyone build their own. It is the ultimate easy camping meal. If you want to bookmark the exact campfire baked potatoes recipe we use, this is the one that never fails.

Jump to:

• Campfire Baked Potatoes
• Equipment
• Ingredients
• How To Bake a Potato in a Campfire
• Leftovers and Reheating
• How Long Do You Cook Baked Potatoes in a Campfire?
• Can I Use a Gas Grill?
• How Do I Make Baked Potatoes in a Charcoal Grill?
• Pin this now to find it later
• Free Guides
• Q&A
• Can I Use a Gas Grill?
• How Do I Make Baked Potatoes in a Charcoal Grill?
• How long do campfire baked potatoes take to cook?
• What are the best potatoes for campfire baking?
• How do you wrap potatoes for campfire cooking?
• Should you poke holes in potatoes before campfire baking?
• What toppings go well on campfire baked potatoes?
• Can you reheat leftover campfire baked potatoes?
• Are campfire baked potatoes healthy?
• FAQs
• Can I Use a Gas Grill?
• How Do I Make Baked Potatoes in a Charcoal Grill?
• How long do campfire baked potatoes take to cook?
• What are the best potatoes for campfire baking?
• How do you wrap potatoes for campfire cooking?
• Should you poke holes in potatoes before campfire baking?
• Campfire Baked Potatoes
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Last Step:
• Nutrition
• Did you make this recipe?

Equipment

You only need a few basic tools to pull this off at the campsite. Here is everything I pack:

• Heavy duty aluminum foil (do not use regular foil here, it will tear)
• A sharp knife (to prick the potatoes)
• Heavy duty paper plates (they hold up to hot, loaded spuds)
• Long grilling tongs or a sturdy stick found around the campground for retrieving the hot foil packs

That is it. No cast iron, no grill basket, just foil and a good fire.

Ingredients

The star of the show is the potato and the variety matters. Russet potatoes are the only choice for campfire baking because they are starchy and turn light and fluffy inside. Waxy types like Yukon Gold or red potatoes end up watery and dense over the fire, so I steer clear of them. You will need:

• 8 Russet potatoes (medium size works best for the 45 minute timing)
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (Colby Jack also melts beautifully)
• 2 ounces salted butter (I love a good Irish butter)

For extra heartiness, we sometimes cook bacon slices on a cast iron pan or griddle and crumble them into bacon bits. If you use unsalted butter, a sprinkle of salt and pepper goes a long way. Remember to keep the toppings simple so you can stay by the fire instead of fussing in the kitchen. For more outdoor cooking inspiration, you might enjoy this campfire baked potato recipe from Taste of Home.

How To Bake a Potato in a Campfire

This method is foolproof as long as you respect one rule: cook over glowing embers, never over a high flame. Here is exactly what I do, step by step.

1. Prepare the potatoes. If you plan to eat the skins, give them a quick wash and pat them dry. Then prick each potato several times with a fork so steam can escape. Double wrap every potato in heavy duty aluminum foil. Two layers prevent burning and keep the insides tender.
2. Build your coal bed. Once your campfire has burned for a while, shovel the hot embers into a flat, even layer. You do not need to bury the potatoes; just place them right on top of the glowing coals.
3. Cook for 45 minutes. Set the wrapped potatoes directly on the embers. For medium Russets, 45 minutes is perfect. If you are working with very large or jumbo Russets, add another 5 to 10 minutes. A pro tip: resist the urge to peek too often.
4. Remove and rest. Use long tongs or a sturdy stick to lift the hot foil packs off the fire. Let them rest, still wrapped, for a full 10 minutes. This finish cooking step makes the centers extra fluffy and they will be easier to handle.
5. Set up the potato bar. While the potatoes rest, arrange the plates and all the toppings: salted butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits if you like. Once the 10 minutes is up, let everyone unwrap their own potato and load it up. It is the easiest self serve dinner on the campsite.

Double wrapping is the secret to no burn potatoes every time. I cannot count the number of evenings this same ritual has saved us from hungry kids and complicated cleanup.

Leftovers and Reheating

A good rule of thumb is one potato per person, or one potato for every two toddlers. If you do have leftovers (which is rare in our camp), you can store them right in their foil. Pop them into an ice cooler and they will keep for one to two days.

To reheat, you have two easy options. In an RV oven, bake the foil wrapped potatoes at 350°F (176°C) for about 20 minutes, until they are heated through. Over the fire, simply place them back on the warm embers for 10 to 15 minutes. I have to be honest: leftovers never taste quite as magical as those fresh off the coals potatoes, but they still make a quick, hot lunch. For other stress free camping dinners, take a peek at our camping meals without fire ideas.

Hot embers, not flames, are the secret to perfectly fluffy campfire potatoes every single time.

How Long Do You Cook Baked Potatoes in a Campfire?

The full timeline starts with building your fire. From scratch, plan on about 30 minutes to get a good bed of hot embers. I like to use the tee pee method: a little bundle of straw, shaved bark, or old pine needles in the center, with three or four thin pieces of firewood leaning against it. Once that catches, I add larger logs two at a time and let them burn down. A small blower or just patient steady breaths can speed things up.

After that, the potatoes themselves cook for 45 minutes once they hit the embers. Here is a quick time breakdown so nothing catches you off guard:

Step	Time
Build fire and wait for embers	About 30 minutes
Cook potatoes on embers	45 minutes
Rest potatoes in foil	10 minutes
Total from lighting the match	Around 1 hour 25 minutes

Can I Use a Gas Grill?

Absolutely, and it is just as simple. Turn on only one side of your gas grill to create a hot zone. Wrap your potatoes in heavy duty foil (still double wrap), then place them on the unlit side. This indirect heat setup cooks them evenly without any burning. It is the same principle as the campfire and works like a charm.

How Do I Make Baked Potatoes in a Charcoal Grill?

A charcoal grill follows the same indirect heat logic. Shovel the hot coals over to one side of the grill and leave the other side empty. Place your foil wrapped potatoes on the empty side, close the lid, and let them bake indirectly for up to an hour and a half. Check for doneness at the 50 minute mark. If you are in a hurry, you can place the potatoes directly over the coals for a fast 40 minute cook, but you must double wrap them in foil to protect against charring. I usually go indirect to keep the skins from getting too dark, but both ways work.

Pin this now to find it later

If you are planning a camping trip or a backyard cookout, save this post to your camping board so you can pull it up right by the fire. It is one of those no recipe needed recipes you will come back to again and again.

Free Guides

Before you head out, grab our free guides that make all your kitchen and camping cooking easier:

• How To Convert Recipes To Freshly Milled Flour
• How To Make Whole Wheat Flour From Wheat Berries
• Where To Buy Sourdough Starter
• How To Make Oven Baked Bacon (3 Easy Ways)

They come in handy for everything from sourdough pancakes to the perfect bacon for your potato bar.

Q&A

Here are answers to the questions I get most often about cooking baked potatoes over the fire, plus how to adapt this recipe to different equipment.

Can I Use a Gas Grill?

Yes, you can. Turn on only one side of the grill to create a hot zone. Wrap the potatoes in foil and set them on the opposite, unlit side. The indirect heat will cook them through without burning, just like the campfire method.

How Do I Make Baked Potatoes in a Charcoal Grill?

Shovel the hot coals to one half of the grill and leave the other half empty. Place the foil wrapped potatoes on the empty side and cover the grill. With indirect heat, expect them to take up to an hour and a half (check at 50 minutes). For a quicker option, put the potatoes directly over the hot coals for 40 minutes. In either case, always double wrap them in heavy duty foil.

How long do campfire baked potatoes take to cook?

Campfire baked potatoes take 45 minutes to cook over hot embers for medium sized Russets. Total time including prep is about 47 minutes.

What are the best potatoes for campfire baking?

Russet potatoes are the best choice. Their starchy texture turns fluffy and tender when cooked over coals. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold tend to taste watery.

How do you wrap potatoes for campfire cooking?

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, then double wrap each one in heavy duty aluminum foil. Two layers protect them from burning and trap steam so they cook evenly.

Should you poke holes in potatoes before campfire baking?

Yes. Pricking the potatoes with a fork allows steam to escape and prevents them from bursting while they cook over the hot embers.

What toppings go well on campfire baked potatoes?

My go to toppings are salted butter, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and bacon bits. Setting up a potato bar lets everyone customize their own.

Can you reheat leftover campfire baked potatoes?

You can. Reheat foil wrapped leftovers in an RV oven or home oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or set them back on warm embers for 10 to 15 minutes.

Are campfire baked potatoes healthy?

One baked potato with the classic toppings (butter, sour cream, and cheddar cheese) contains about 391 calories, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of protein, and 21 grams of fat. It is a satisfying, make, it a meal option when you are out in the fresh air.

FAQs

Yes, you can. Turn on only one side of the grill to create a hot zone. Wrap the potatoes in foil and set them on the opposite, unlit side. The indirect heat will cook them through without burning, just like the campfire method.

“,”visible”:true},{“id”:”faq question 1784016458187 1″,”title”:”How Do I Make Baked Potatoes in a Charcoal Grill?”,”content”:”

Shovel the hot coals to one half of the grill and leave the other half empty. Place the foil wrapped potatoes on the empty side and cover the grill. With indirect heat, expect them to take up to an hour and a half (check at 50 minutes). For a quicker option, put the potatoes directly over the hot coals for 40 minutes. In either case, always double wrap them in heavy duty foil.

“,”visible”:true},{“id”:”faq question 1784016458187 2″,”title”:”How long do campfire baked potatoes take to cook?”,”content”:”

Campfire baked potatoes take 45 minutes to cook over hot embers for medium sized Russets. Total time including prep is about 47 minutes.

“,”visible”:true},{“id”:”faq question 1784016458187 3″,”title”:”What are the best potatoes for campfire baking?”,”content”:”

Russet potatoes are the best choice. Their starchy texture turns fluffy and tender when cooked over coals. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold tend to taste watery.

“,”visible”:true},{“id”:”faq question 1784016458187 4″,”title”:”How do you wrap potatoes for campfire cooking?”,”content”:”

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork, then double wrap each one in heavy duty aluminum foil. Two layers protect them from burning and trap steam so they cook evenly.

“,”visible”:true},{“id”:”faq question 1784016458187 5″,”title”:”Should you poke holes in potatoes before campfire baking?”,”content”:”

Yes. Pricking the potatoes with a fork allows steam to escape and prevents them from bursting while they cook over the hot embers.

“,”visible”:true}]}, > Print