Campfire Chili in Cast Iron
Handfuls of fresh peppers and canned beans into a Dutch oven. An hour on coals and you have dinner for four.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 12 oz
- cal / oz
- 52
- protein
- 32 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 50 min
- total time
- 70 min
- water
- 1000 ml boiled
- 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
- Dutch oven
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Actual cooking
Ingredients
| Ground beef or turkey | 1.5 lbs | |
|---|---|---|
| Red bell peppers | 2 large | any pepper mix works; use what the store has |
| Poblano pepper | 1 | optional if you find them |
| Jalapeno pepper | 1 | |
| Onion | 1 large | yellow or white |
| Garlic cloves | 3 | |
| Carrots | 2 medium | |
| Celery | 2 ribs | |
| Mushrooms | 8 oz | any kind |
| Dark red kidney beans | 2 cans (15 oz each) | |
| Tomato sauce | 1 can (15 oz) | |
| Beef broth | 2 cups | |
| Vegetable oil | 2 tbsp | |
| Smoked paprika or smoked serrano powder | 1 tsp | |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Dice all the peppers, onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and garlic.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over coals or on a grill grate. Brown the ground meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat if you have it, though keeping some adds flavor.
- Add the diced vegetables and garlic. Stir and cook for five minutes until they start to soften.
- Pour in the broth, tomato sauce, and kidney beans with their liquid.
- Stir in the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Move the Dutch oven to the cooler edge of the fire or suspend it above coals. Simmer uncovered for forty to fifty minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the chili thickens slightly.
- Taste and adjust seasonings. If it's too thin, simmer longer. If it's too thick, add water.
Dutch oven chili is car camping at its most practical. You prep once, walk away for an hour, and have hot food for everyone. The long simmer breaks down the peppers and beans into a thick sauce rather than a soup, and the meat browning step builds flavor up front so the gentle heat later just blends everything together.
The peppers do the work here. Fresh peppers carry more vitamin C than tomato sauce alone, and they taste brighter. Use whatever the campground store has if your usual combination isn’t there. Poblanos are nice if you find them, but red and green bells work just as well. The canned beans and tomato sauce are shelf-stable standbys that pack light and last, making this recipe flexible for remote camps where you can’t pick and choose.
Packing
Bring meat fresh in a cooler, or use shelf-stable ground meat in pouches. Pack canned beans and tomato sauce. Peppers, onion, and celery travel whole. Garlic and spices in small bags. Oil in a dropper bottle.
Variations
- Swap beef broth for chicken broth and ground chicken for lighter chili.
- Add canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for more smoke and heat.
- Stir in chocolate chips or instant coffee near the end for depth; use sparingly.
- Top with sharp cheddar, sour cream, or fresh onion if you have them at camp.
https://2nerdsinatruck.com/campfire-chili