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Campfire Chili

Campfire chili is a hearty, Dutch oven chili made with browned ground beef, beans, and tomatoes simmered until thick and bubbling. This camping dinner delivers classic comfort food flavor with a pot-over-fire finish that tastes even better with toppings.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 2 lb ground beef
Vegetables
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
Beans and tomatoes
  • 2 can (15 oz) kidney beans
  • 2 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
Spices
  • 3 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
Serving toppings
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheese for serving
  • 0.5 cup sour cream for serving
  • 1 crackers for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown ground beef in a Dutch oven over a campfire, breaking it up as needed until no pink remains. Add onion and bell pepper, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften.
Simmer the chili
  1. Add kidney beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper to the Dutch oven. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.
  2. Cover and cook for 35-40 minutes over the campfire, stirring occasionally, until thick and bubbling like a pot of chili over live coals.
Serve
  1. Serve hot with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crackers as toppings, so each bowl gets melty, creamy, and crunchy contrast.

Notes

Pro tip: For a thicker chili, keep the lid slightly ajar during the last 10 minutes so steam escapes and the sauce reduces. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge). For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (or swap with ground turkey) while keeping the same spices and simmer time.