This post may contain affiliate links. Campfire Nachos made in a Dutch oven are a simple, fast, and easy camping meal that nachos whole family will enjoy.
A beloved happy hour classic, now being served at a campground near you. What better way to end the day outside than with a cold beer, warm campfire, and a big plate full of cheesy nachos? However, the lack of a conventional oven might lead people to believe such cheesy, crunchy deliciousness isn’t achievable in the great outdoors. By using a cast iron Dutch oven with a lid, you can make nachos no matter where you are.
With a Dutch oven, you can place coals or embers on top as well as underneath, allowing you to cook your meal from both sides. However, with nachos, it’s even possible to do the whole thing on the camp stove or over a fire. Think of the chips as the bricks and the cheese and toppings as the mortar. One layer of chips followed by one layer of cheese and toppings. Keep stacking the layers like that until the pot is filled or you run out of supplies. And of course, every good house needs a roof, so make sure you give a double helping to the top layer. If you build your nachos correctly, each chip is a celebration of crunch, cheese, and delicious toppings.
Place over heat, pour yourself a drink, and when you get back you’ll have a Happy Hour appetizer that’s worthy of being called dinner. Why you’re going to love this recipe: Nachos are a fun, easy, and communal meal that takes very little time to prepare. It’s perfect as a quick appetizer for larger groups or a full entree for two. There are very very few ways this can get screwed up. You’re essentially just melting cheese, so the barrier to entry for this meal is pretty low, even for camp cooking novices.
Which toppings make the perfect batch of nachos? Don’t have a lid for your Dutch oven or cast-iron skillet? A sheet of aluminum foil over the top should do the trick, or you could cover it with a large plate. Lining the bottom of your Dutch oven with parchment paper or foil will make clean-up a snap! Campfire Nachos Ingredient Notes Cheese selection can be highly subjective, but we prefer a mix of Sharp Cheddar, Colby, and Monterey Jack blend. You can do this yourself or pick up a bag of Shredded Mexican Cheese.
Would love to try on our camping trip this weekend. Just wondering, will the chips get soggy? The chips will get slightly steamed while melting the cheese, but they shouldn’t be soggy. I tried making this and burned the HECK out of everything in the pot. We had the dutch oven NEAR the fire and checked after 5 minutes, everything around the edges was absolutely black and the center of the batch tasted like burned chips. Without knowing your exact setup, here are some thoughts: 1. Did you have any sort of liquid in the pot?
Made this on our last campout with a variation. I added taco seasoned ground venison. 12 briquettes on the bottom and 18 on the top of my Dutch oven. About 30-45 minutes s and turned out a meal for 4. I hope I don’t mess it up.