This Simple Dutch Oven Breakfast Hash is the perfect way to get your day started when camping. With most of the prep work done at home, it is really simple to put it together the morning of.
What Makes This Campfire Breakfast So Good?
For one, it is really good. It is a hearty meal and perfect for starting a day of adventure and exploring.
I am going to show you how to do most of the work ahead of time. This makes throwing it together really simple!
It is a great start to campfire cooking if you have never done it before. It is pretty easy to do and produces really great results.
Ingredients
- Potatoes- I like to cook these ahead of time. I will explain more about this below.
- Canola Oil- you can use any other oil you like, but this is my favorite to use in my dutch oven.
- Onion- thinly sliced
- Ham- I buy the ham steaks or roast and cut into chunks.
- Salt and Pepper- it takes minimal seasoning for this recipe.
- Other add-ins- We kept it simple, but the sky is the limit. You could add in any type of peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
Prep Work
The beauty of this recipe is its simplicity at the campsite. So, let me show you how to do as much ahead of time as possible.
Why prep at home? A few reasons. First, it makes cooking so much easier. This means you will use less cooking fuel. With less cooking time, you need less wood or charcoal.
It also makes for easier cleanup at the site as well. We do dispersed camping, so sometimes water is at a premium. When everything is prepped, you are washing and cleaning less.
For this breakfast, I used ham steaks and potatoes. I baked the potatoes at home, then cubed them when they had cooled. For the ham, I cubed it at home and brought it in a large ziplock bag. The onions were also pre-sliced.
That means everything was bagged and ready to go on site.
How To Make The Dutch Oven Breakfast
- Start your fire or charcoal. This by far takes the longest out of everything. It is best to cook over coals with dutch oven, not an open fire. I used wood for this, it took about 30 minutes to get it cooked down to good, hot coals.
- Spread the coals out flat and place the dutch oven on top.
- Heat the dutch oven.
- Then add in your oil and let this heat as well. It is important the pan and oil are heated before adding in your potatoes and ham. If it isn't, they will stick to the dutch oven and make a mess.
- When it is heated, add in your potatoes, onions, and ham. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Let them cook for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how hot your pan is before mixing.
- Once you flip the first time, I like to put the lid on to cook faster.
- Once it is heated, and cooked through, it is ready! You can top with cheese if you like. I skipped it, but if you like it, go for it!
Clean Up
Cleanup on this is very simple. Once all the food is out, allow the dutch oven to cool. Dutch ovens are great for holding heat, but it takes a while to cool down.
If it was cooked on a hot heat, everything should easily wipe out. You don't need to wash with soap, just a wet towel or dish cloth. That is it. I like to wipe with a tiny bit of oil to keep it seasoned after I am done cleaning.
Dutch Oven Recommendations
The 2 brands I use more than any other are Lodge Cast Iron and Camp Chef. They are brands I have used many times, I trust them, and they come at a decent price. Both these brands are also easy to find at most major stores and of course sporting goods stores.
The size of the dutch oven depends on how many people you are feeding. I only have 2 children, my hubby, and I. But…I have 2 teenage boys, so I generally plan pretty big meals. The 12-14-inch dutch oven works well.
- Here are some Lodge Dutch Ovens, I have the 10 and 12 quart. These are nice with the feet on them and the flat top. They are perfect for stacking if you are cooking multiple things at one time.
- I also use skillets for sauteeing over the open fire as well.
- If you are looking for a less expensive option, Camp Chef also makes a great Dutch Oven. I use the 14-inch classic in Camp Chef.
Tools For Making This Campfire Breakfast
- Dutch oven
- Heat Proof Gloves– optional, but very handy
- Lid lifter– Again, optional, but very handy
- Shovel or tongs to move coals around
Other Variations Of This Breakfast
There are a lot of ways you can change up this breakfast, let me share a few with you.
Breakfast meats. I used ham cubes, but you could also use bacon, sausage, or chorizo. All are really good in this skillet.
Hashbrowns. If you don't want to mess with cooking the potatoes, buy a bag of hashbrowns and throw those in! So easy.
Vegetables. There are a lot of other veggies you can add to this breakfast if you like. How about peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. There are a lot of options.
FAQ Dutch Oven Breakfast
Mine sit out on a shelf in our garage. They are sturdy and don’t need pampering. The most important thing to remember is to keep them away from moisture. That is the one thing that will give you problems.
Yes! This recipe is really simple to use with charcoal as well. Start the charcoal in your chimney. I would use at least 20-30 under for good, hot heat.
The cleanup is pretty simple on this! If your pan is hot, to begin with, the potatoes won't stick. Simply let it cool, then wipe it out!
Other Dutch Oven Recipes
- Campfire Nachos
- Ham and Cheese Pull-Apart Sandwiches
- Cheesy garlic pull-apart bread
- Dutch Oven Chili and Cornbread
- Brookie Dutch Oven Style
- Mountain Man Breakfast
Simple Dutch Oven Breakfast Hash
Equipment
- dutch oven
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 6 cups cooked potatoes or hashbrowns
- 3 cups cubed ham
- 1 cup sliced onions
- salt and pepper
- other veggies of choice
Instructions
- Make your fire or light your charcoal.
- Once it is down to coals, spread and place your dutch oven on top.
- Heat your pan over the coal. Then add your oil into the heated pan and heat the oil as well. You want it to be pretty hot.
- Add in your potatoes, onions, and ham.
- Sprinkle with your salt and pepper.
- Cook for 7-10 minutes before mixing.
- Flip once then cover with the lid.
- Cook until it is heated through and everything is browned and hot.
- That is it!
- It is best served right away while it is hot.
- Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!