Camp Taco Night
Ground beef, taco seasoning, and shells over a fire. The fridge items get swapped out.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 69
- protein
- 32 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 25 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
- Canister stove
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ground beef | 1 lb | ground turkey works the same way |
|---|---|---|
| Taco seasoning | 1 packet | |
| Hard taco shells | 1 package | 12 shells, pack them in the pot so they survive the drive |
| Shredded cheddar | 6 oz | cooler item; a wedge of hard cheddar grated at camp keeps longer |
| Roma tomatoes | 2 | firmer than slicing tomatoes, they travel |
| Cabbage | 1/4 head | shredded, in place of lettuce |
| Salsa | 1 jar | |
| Sour cream | 1 small tub | optional, cooler only |
| Guacamole | 1 pouch | optional, shelf-stable pouches exist |
| Oil | 1 tbsp | only if the beef is very lean |
Method
- Set a skillet on the grate over a bed of coals, not flames. Flames scorch the pan and cook nothing.
- Break up the beef in the pan and cook it through, about eight minutes, stirring so it browns instead of steaming.
- Drain the fat into a can or the trash bag. Do not pour it on the ground or into the fire.
- Stir in the seasoning packet with a few tablespoons of water. Let it cook down two minutes until it coats the meat.
- Warm the shells for a minute on the edge of the grate, away from direct heat. They go from crisp to burnt fast.
- Build tacos to order. Meat, cheese, cabbage, tomato, then the wet toppings last.
This is a car-camping meal, so the cooler does most of the work. The only real change from the home version is cabbage instead of lettuce. Lettuce wilts into slime after a day on ice; shredded cabbage stays crisp for most of a week and takes salsa better anyway.
Drain the fat before the seasoning goes in. Taco seasoning is mostly starch and salt, and it will bind whatever grease is in the pan into a slick coating that ends up on your hands and the shells. A few tablespoons of water after draining gives the starch something to thicken instead.
Packing
Beef, cheese, and sour cream ride in the cooler on the bottom, under ice. Shells go inside the empty pot so nothing crushes them. Seasoning, salsa, and guacamole pouches live in the dry bin.
Variations
- Swap the beef for a can of drained black beans and a can of corn. Same seasoning, five minutes on the fire.
- Trade shells for flour tortillas, which do not shatter in a pack and can be griddled in the beef fat.
- No cooler at all: use a pouch of freeze-dried ground beef, rehydrate with the seasoning, and skip the dairy.
https://camprecipes.com/classic-recipes/tacorama-its-mexican-tonight