5 No-Cook Car Camping Recipes

Feast while you’re far away with these delicious, easy camping meals that don’t require any heated cooking! Perfect for any car camping setup.

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Bean salad offers weary travelers a refreshing source of protein after a long day of exertion. This savory blend of beans tossed in a tangy dressing makes for a perfect summertime dinner. And you know what they say—beans, beans, good for the heart, the more you eat…

Ingredients:

• 3 cans of black beans (or 1 can black, 1 can kidney, 1 cannellini beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 cup of canned corn (drained)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 medium jalapeño, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime), to taste
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
• Can garnish with avocado, lime wedges

Directions:

1. Combine beans, produce, and herbs in a bowl.
2. Mix together lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, and spices to make a vinaigrette/dressing.
3. Toss the salad in homemade dressing to evenly coat beans and produce.
4. Enjoy!

Charcuterie Board

Charcuterie boards are greater than the sum of their parts. There’s just something about the unbeatable combination of cheese, salami, and crackers that always hits the spot. This savory blend of protein, carbs, dairy, and fruit is the only food pyramid we need. This simple, satisfying snack board puts the "easy" in "easy camping meals."

CHEESE
If you’re traveling without a cooler you’re going to want to work with cheeses that don’t require refrigeration. Generally, hard cheeses that have gone through a long maturation process don’t need to be kept cool.

• Cheddar
• Parmigiano Reggiano
• Aged gouda
• Pecorino

SLICED MEATS
Just like most hard cheeses, cured meats also don’t usually require refrigeration.

• Salami
• Pepperoni

CRACKERS
Come one, come all!

• Triscuits
• Ritz
• Wheat Thins

TASTY ADDITIONS
Make it gourmet with...

• Grapes
• Slice apples
• A handful of trail mix or nuts
• Olives
• Water crackers

Tuna Salad

Tuna salad is the Leatherman of no-cook car camping meals. The versatility of this protein-packed recipe is second to none. You can eat it with bread as a hearty sandwich, serve it with crackers as a party dip, or even dollop it atop a salad for lighter fare. We also like to mix it up with tuna salad pita wraps or use it as a topping for cucumber slices. The opportunities are endless!

Ingredients:

• 20 ounces of well-drained canned tuna
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of relish
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup of minced celery
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt, pepper to taste

Optional:

• Add a few or all of the following to the above easy tuna salad recipe!
• ½ cup of crispy apples or radishes for a crunchy texture
• 1 small fennel bulb
• 2 tablespoons Capers add a nice salty, briny flavor

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Stir to combine well.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve however your heart desires!

Classic Greek Pita Wrap

Pita wraps are like the cool older cousin of sandwiches. This low-risk, high reward recipe is a refreshing dinner chocked full of tasty produce with a tangy filling. While other road roamers eat their mundane trail mix and rehydrated bagged meals for the third day in a row, you will be enjoying a meal fit for Greek gods.

Ingredients:

• 4 pitas
• 1 cup of regular Hummus
• Store-bought Tzatziki
• 2 thinly-sliced Persian cucumbers
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup chopped olives
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¾ cup feta cheese
• ⅓ cup parsley
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Deli cold cuts or shredded chicken