Camp Meatballs in a Skillet
Italian-seasoned beef and sausage meatballs, browned over a fire instead of blasted in an air fryer.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 8 oz
- cal / oz
- 78
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 30 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ground beef | 1 lb | 80/20, keep it cold until it hits the pan |
|---|---|---|
| Italian sausage | 1/2 lb | casings removed if links |
| Breadcrumbs | 1/2 cup | plain dry, measured at home |
| Egg | 1 | or 1 tbsp powdered egg plus 2 tbsp water |
| Grated parmesan | 1/3 cup | the shelf-stable green-can kind travels fine |
| Onion powder | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Dried basil | 1 tsp | |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp | |
| Dried thyme | 1/2 tsp | |
| Salt and pepper | 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper | |
| Dried parsley | 1 tbsp | stands in for fresh |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | for the pan |
Method
- Build a fire down to coals, or get the grill grate hot enough that a drop of water skates.
- In a bowl or a gallon bag, mix the breadcrumbs, parmesan, dried herbs, onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper, and egg.
- Add the beef and sausage. Work it together with your hands until you no longer see streaks of seasoning, then stop.
- Roll into 18 to 20 balls, about two heaping tablespoons each. Press each one firm so it holds on the grate.
- Set a skillet on the grate, add the oil, and lay in the meatballs with space between them. Crowding steams them.
- Turn every three or four minutes until browned all around, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cut one open: no pink at the center, juices run clear.
An air fryer runs hot air around all sides at once. A skillet over coals does not, so the meatballs need to be turned and they need room. Give each one a gap and a quarter turn every few minutes and you get the same browned shell without the basket.
The breadcrumbs and egg are structure, not filler. They hold the ball together on a surface that moves and tilts. Dried parsley replaces fresh, which wilts to slime in a cooler within a day, and grated parmesan from a can needs no refrigeration on the way out. This is a first-night meal: raw ground meat has one cold day in it, no more.
Packing
Mix the breadcrumb-and-seasoning base at home and carry it in a bag. The meat rides in the cooler at the bottom, under ice, and gets used the first night.
Variations
- Simmer the browned meatballs in a jar of marinara for ten minutes and spoon them over instant polenta.
- Swap the sausage for another half pound of beef and add a teaspoon of fennel seed.
https://domesticsuperhero.com/web-stories/the-easiest-homemade-meatballs-in-the-air-fryer