Camper Van Meals: 9 Easy & Delicious Dinner Ideas

By: Sofia Burley Updated:

Embarking on a camper van adventure doesn’t mean you have to compromise on delicious, home-cooked meals.

Whether you’re a seasoned van lifer or just starting out, these 9 easy and delicious dinner ideas will keep your taste buds happy and your belly full. Best of all, they’re suitable for all dietary requirements!

Table of Contents show

Transitioning to Camper Van Cooking

Making the switch from a full-sized kitchen to a camper van can feel daunting, but with a bit of planning and the right recipes, you’ll be whipping up gourmet meals in no time. Here are some tips to make your camper van cooking experience a breeze:

  1. Keep It Simple: Stick to recipes with minimal ingredients and easy-to-follow steps.
  2. Stay Organized: Batch cook and buy ingredients for multiple meals to save space and time.
  3. Prep Ahead: Cut up veggies, pre-cook meat, and store spice packets to make cooking easier.

Essential Camper Van Pantry Items

To make cooking in your van as efficient as possible, keep these essentials on hand:

  • Cut Up Veggies: Save space and time by pre-cutting your favorite veggies.
  • Pre-Cooked Meat: Store deboned rotisserie chicken or pulled pork in smaller containers.
  • Spice Packets: Keep taco mix, fajita mix, and gravy mix for convenience.
  • Dry Goods: Stock up on pasta, rice, oats, and other bulk dry goods.

9 Delicious Camper Van Meals

1. Stovetop Pizza

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

Who doesn’t love homemade pizza? With a stove, a large pan, and your favorite toppings, you can enjoy a delicious pizza right in your van.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Pre-cooked Pizza Crust
  • 1.5 cups shredded cheese
  • 2-4 tbsp Pizza Sauce
  • Toppings of choice (e.g., precooked chicken, pulled pork, peppers, black olives)

Recipe:

  1. Compile your pizza on the pre-cooked crust with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
  2. Grease the bottom of the pan, place the pizza inside, and cover with a lid.
  3. Cook on low for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use veggie toppings and vegan cheese.

Make it Gluten Free: Swap out a gluten-free pizza crust.

2. Pad Thai

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

This non-traditional Pad Thai recipe is full of veggies and easy to make in your camper van.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package rice noodles or udon noodles
  • 1/2 medium red onion, sliced
  • 1-2 tbsp garlic
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 carrot, sliced
  • 1/2 zucchini, sliced
  • Optional: baby corn, broccoli, celery
  • Optional: 1 egg per person
  • Optional: precooked chicken

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp garlic
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Toppings:

  • Bean sprouts
  • Green onion, chopped
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Crushed peanuts
  • Lime wedges
  • Chili flakes

Recipe:

  1. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
  2. Sauté the red onion and garlic for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the veggies and cook until tender.
  4. Mix the sauce ingredients together.
  5. Add the optional pre-cooked chicken, noodles, and sauce to the veggie pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  6. If adding eggs, fry them in the pan and serve with the noodle mixture, garnished with toppings.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Omit the chicken and egg.

Make it Gluten Free: Use rice noodles and Tamari.

3. Tacos

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

Tacos are easy, fresh, and versatile. Here are a few options to mix it up:

Option #1: Traditional Taco Meat with ground beef, garlic, onions, peppers, and taco mix.

Option #2: Chicken Fajitas with chicken breast, garlic, bell peppers, onions, and fajita mix.

Option #3: Pulled Pork Tacos with pre-cooked pulled pork.

Option #4: Cauliflower or Mushroom Tacos with veggies and taco or fajita mix.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of tortillas (corn or flour)
  • Meat of choice
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tbsp garlic
  • Taco mix or fajita mix
  • Grated cheese
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • Salsa
  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole

Recipe:

  1. Sauté your meat of choice with chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic.
  2. Add taco or fajita seasoning.
  3. Lay out your tortillas and add the meat mixture.
  4. Top with cheese, chopped tomato, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use cauliflower or mushrooms and vegan cheese.

Make it Gluten Free: Use corn tortillas and seasoning packets.

4. CopyCat Olive Garden Salad with Chicken

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

This fresh and light salad is perfect for summer evenings in the van.

Ingredients:

  • 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 can of black olives
  • 4-6 whole pepperoncini peppers
  • 1.5 cups of croutons
  • 1-2 chicken breasts

Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise (can sub vegan mayo)
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (can sub Parmesan cheese)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • Optional: 1/2 tsp dried parsley

Recipe:

  1. Add romaine, red onion, cherry tomatoes, black olives, and croutons to a large bowl.
  2. Heat up chicken in a frying pan.
  3. Mix all dressing ingredients together and add 1/3 of the dressing to the salad.
  4. Top with hot chicken and pepperoncini peppers.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use vegan mayonnaise and omit the chicken.

Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free croutons.

5. Joffles

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

Joffles are a family camping tradition—a grilled cheese with taco meat cooked over the campfire.

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf of bread
  • 1 container of taco meat
  • Cheese, goat cheese, or vegan cheese
  • Salsa
  • Butter or vegan margarine
  • Optional: ranch dressing, mayonnaise, nacho cheese sauce, hot sauce

Recipe:

  1. Warm up the pie iron in the fire.
  2. Grease the insides of the pie iron with butter or oil.
  3. Add a piece of bread to each side, stack your taco meat, cheese, and sauce on one side, and close the iron.
  4. Place the pie iron into the fire and rotate every minute until golden brown.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use vegan cheese, vegan margarine, and plant-based ground meat.

Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free bread.

6. A Stirfry

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

Stirfrys are a great way to clean out your fridge with a healthy and tasty meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rice or 1 package of rice noodles
  • 1 sliced red pepper
  • 1 carrot sliced
  • 1 onion sliced
  • 1/2 zucchini sliced
  • 2 handfuls of chopped broccoli
  • 1 handful of sugar snap peas
  • 1/2 can of baby corn
  • 1 small can of water chestnuts

Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp garlic
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Recipe:

  1. Cook rice or rice noodles according to the package instructions.
  2. Sauté the veggies in a large pan with olive oil for about 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and pour over the veggies.
  4. Cook until the sauce has thickened.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use veggie stock.

Make it Gluten Free: Use Tamari and rice or rice noodles.

7. Tomato Soup, A Grilled Sandwich, & Veggies

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

This comforting meal is perfect for rainy evenings or lazy afternoons in the van.

Ingredients:

  • Tomato Soup
  • Bread of choice
  • Sandwich fillings of choice (e.g., cheese, caramelized onions, tomato)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Cut-up veggies (carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes)
  • Dip for the veggies

Recipe:

  1. Heat up the soup according to the package directions.
  2. Use mayonnaise to cook your grilled cheese in a pan.
  3. Fill sandwiches with cheese, caramelized onions, tomato, and any other toppings.
  4. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
  5. Plate with soup, cut-up veggies, and dip.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Choose a vegetarian or vegan soup and vegan cheese.

Make it Gluten Free: Choose a gluten-free soup and bread.

8. Quesadillas

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

Quesadillas are flavorful, easy, and inexpensive to make.

Ingredients:

  • Tortillas (corn or flour)
  • Chicken (rotisserie or fried)
  • Cheese
  • Green onion, chopped
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced

For Dipping:

  • Salsa
  • Sour cream
  • Guacamole

Recipe:

  1. Cook red pepper and tomato in a frying pan with olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
  2. Build your quesadillas with fried veggies, chicken, cheese, and green onion.
  3. Cook on medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown.
  4. Serve with dips and a side salad.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Omit the chicken and use vegan cheese.

Make it Gluten Free: Use a gluten-free wrap or corn tortilla.

9. Mac & Cheese

GF/DF/VEGAN OPTIONS

For those chilly days when you crave comfort food, Mac & Cheese is the way to go.

Ingredients:

  • Daiya gluten and dairy-free mac and cheese
  • Vegan margarine
  • Almond milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • Shredded rotisserie chicken
  • Salad

Recipe:

  1. Cook pasta and add the dairy-free cheese sauce.
  2. Mix in vegan margarine, almond milk, salt, and pepper.
  3. Pair with a salad and shredded rotisserie chicken.

Make it Vegetarian/Vegan: Use Daiya mac and cheese.

Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free pasta.

Conclusion

Cooking in a camper van doesn’t have to be complicated. With these 9 easy and delicious dinner ideas, you’ll be enjoying gourmet meals on the go.

Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free, there’s a meal here for everyone.

Happy cooking and safe travels!

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Hi, I'm Sofia Burley, a seasoned camper who loves helping women experience the great outdoors. I'll share tips and recommendations based on my 10 years of experience to make camping fun and memorable for everyone.
Join me on this journey!