Delicious Things to Cook in a Backyard Fire Pit – Recipes You’ll Love

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If you have a backyard fire pit and haven’t yet cooked on it, you are in for a real treat. As long as you have a grill for your pit, you can cook anything on a backyard fire pit that you could also cook on a grill. There is nothing quite like the taste of food cooked over an open fire. Let’s look at some backyard fire pit creations that are just waiting for you to make.

What to Cook in a Backyard Fire Pit:

Campfire Kabobs

Source: Mark Hougardy

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound of meat (use your favorite tender cut of meat, poultry or fish)
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 bell pepper
  • 2 small zucchinis
  • 12 button mushrooms
  • ½ pound of green beans
  • Choice of seasonings
Equipment:
  • Skewers as needed (if using wood skewers, soak in water first)
  • Aluminum foil
  • Cutting knife
  • Cutting board
  • Campfire or charcoal
Directions:

Cut the meat into several chunks 1 to 2 inches thick. We cut and lightly seasoned the meat with olive oil and thyme the evening before our trip. This was placed in a re-sealable container and set in the refrigerator until the next day. The next morning we packed the meat in a well-iced ice-chest and made sure the other ingredients were also well chilled.

Work on the green beans. This will allow them to cook while the kabobs are being assembled. Make an aluminum foil pocket. Place the green beans inside with some olive oil with some slices of onion for flavoring. Crimp the pocket together and place on the grate over of the coals. Turn every few minutes over the coals as needed. The packet might need a full 25 minutes to cook. The packet can be placed directly on the coals if they need to cook faster.

Next, prepare the kabobs. Cut the veggies into chunks about the same size as the button mushrooms. Use any order you wish but we generally order the kabobs with meat, onion, mushroom, peppers and zucchinis. The sturdy zucchinis and peppers make good end pieces. Four of our kabobs had an assortment of meat and veggies, the fifth kabob was mostly meat.

At dinnertime, the coals from the fire were spread over a one-foot square base. The kabobs were placed on a grate about 8 inches above the coals. These were slow cooked over the heat (no flame) for about 15 minutes. We used a small grate that lays over the larger grate found on many fire pits. This helps with cleaning and to keep food from falling into the fire.

Grilled Tomatoes

Source: Reserve America

Tomatoes wrinkle beautifully over an open flame. Cooked tomatoes are better for you, too, because the heat releases lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. You don’t have to eat them plain either; roasted tomatoes are delicious in a number of campfire meals, especially when smothered over pasta.

  • Tomato sauce: Rub your whole tomatoes with olive oil and place them on the grate of your backyard fire pit. Turn them frequently to give each side an even cook. Once finished, let cool and give them a rough chop. Add the chunks into low sodium vegetable or chicken broth. Toss in Italian seasoning, garlic and fresh basil for a light, roasted tomato sauce.

backyard fire pit

Image Source: Pixabay

Campfire Chicken with Fire-Roasted Potatoes and Sauteed Veggies

Source: Bal Arneson

Campfire Chicken Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • One 5-pound whole chicken
Fire-Roasted Herb Potato Ingredients:
  • 16 baby potatoes (red or Yukon Gold will also work)
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauteed Veggie Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seed
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seed
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 Japanese eggplant, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick
  • 4 ounces baby portobellos, sliced
Equipment:
  • A campfire or barbecue rotisserie
  • Butcher’s twine
Campfire Chicken Directions: 

Prepare a campfire and let it burn down to coals. Set up a camping rotisserie about 15 to 18 inches over the coals. (Alternatively, preheat a grill fitted with a rotisserie to medium heat.)

In a small bowl, combine the cumin, paprika, turmeric, cardamom, salt and pepper. Mix to blend. Rub the chicken on all sides with the spice mixture. Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine.

Mount the chicken on the rotisserie and cook, turning slowly and constantly, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature registers 170 degrees F. Add small logs to the fire, one at a time, to maintain heat during cooking; keep the new logs around the margins of the fire so the chicken doesn’t come into direct contact with the flames. Periodically rake the coals to evenly distribute the heat under the chicken. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the rotisserie and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Fire-Roasted Herb Potato Directions:

Prepare a campfire and let it burn down to coals (if you haven’t already). Set a grill grate over the backyard fire pit. (Alternatively, preheat a grill to medium heat.)

Lay two pieces of aluminum foil, about 18 inches in length, on top of each other. Place the potatoes in the center of the foil. Scatter the garlic, thyme, rosemary and butter over the potatoes, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Fold the edges of the foil up and around the potatoes, and seal them together to create a pouch. Transfer the pouch to the grill and cook until the potatoes are tender and browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Halfway through, open the foil pouch and turn each potato to ensure even cooking.

Sauteed Veggie Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over a campfire grill grate. (Alternatively, place on a burner over medium-high heat.) Add the fennel and mustard seeds and saute for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, eggplant, onion, red pepper, zucchini and portobellos, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Serve with campfire chicken with fire-roasted potatoes and sauteed veggies on the side.

Cook’s Note:

The chicken can also be roasted in the oven: just place the spice-rubbed chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack and roast for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees F.

backyard fire pit

Image Source: Pixabay

Summing Up

As you can see, there are so many fun things that you can cook outdoors using a backyard fire pit. We hope that these recipes have inspired you to create something delicious. If so, don’t forget to share your experience with us in the comments below!

Related Article: Best Fire Pit – Our Top Choices and Overall Pick

Image Source: Pixabay

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