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11 Must Try Dutch Oven Campfire Breakfast Egg Recipes 5 Bonus Videos

“Every time we go camping, our kids beg for Dutch oven breakfast,” words from a happy camping parent. There are amazing Dutch oven breakfast recipes featuring eggs located on the internet, in cookbooks, in the memories of retired camp chefs, and trial and error recipes that have become family favorites. Breakfast egg dishes in a Dutch oven is your “let’s get going” fuel for hikes, boating, fishing and camping activities. It’s amazing how far a Dutch oven breakfast will go. As a note, there have been many camping breakfasts that were shared with the entire campground.

How do you cook breakfast eggs in a Dutch oven? You need a cast iron Dutch Oven, a campfire or charcoal coals, and an empty stomach. Gather one of the delicious recipes and follow the directions to get a great tasting breakfast in your dutch oven on your campfire.

We have 11 tasty breakfast recipes but that’s right, there’s more. We also included 5 videos with even more recipes throughout this article. That’s 16 total recipes, so be sure to check them all out.

In this guide are breakfast egg recipes that have become favorites of campers at Boy Scout camps, family reunions, simple family campouts, and camping for adventurers. Chefs have specific suggestions on the size and type of Dutch oven you need to use and how to regulate the heat. Trial and error recipes are always good, but here are some ideas so you will have a successful Dutch oven cooking experience. A note: make sure you have enough to share with other campers in the campground. The smell of breakfast cooking in the cool mountain air is irresistible.

Pick a Size of Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Dutch ovens come in inch sizes. The most common are 10”, 12” and 14”. You can get Dutch ovens that are larger than 14”, but the bigger the Dutch oven, the more cumbersome it becomes. If you want to know what a suitable Dutch oven size for your camping breakfast could be, there is a general equation. Each quart equals one portion served. If you are feeding ten people, it seems logical that you would need a 10” Dutch oven. However, the equation does not take into consideration that campers usually have big appetites. It might be wise to up the equation to 1 ½ quarts per serving. So ten people would require at least a 14” Dutch oven. Any breakfast leftovers can always be eaten for lunch.

Consider the Dutch oven diameter if you are preparing large cuts of meat for breakfast. Diameter is measured in inches, and you can find Dutch ovens in many sizes, including oval Dutch ovens. Oval Dutch ovens are used for many different breakfast dishes, and they are used the same way as a round Dutch oven.

Consider the depth of your Dutch oven if you are roasting meat or preparing a huge breakfast. Deeper Dutch ovens are more suitable for preparing cuts of meat, and a general rule is to make sure the lid closes tightly when the food is inside. An ill-fitting Dutch oven lid will equal an ill-cooked meal.

A useful size guide is

Camp Dutch Oven Size Comparison and Guide

DIAMETER DEPTH CAPACITY SERVES
8″ 3.5″ 2 qt 1-2
10″ 4″ 4 qt 2-4
12″ 4.5″ 6 qt 4-6
14″ 5.5″ 8 qt 6-8
16″ 5″ 10 qt 8-10
18″ 5.5 12 qt 10-12
20″ 6″ 14 qt 12-14

https://castironDutchovenreviews.com/Dutch-oven-size-chart/

What is the Best Dutch Oven Size for Camping?

Everyone has an idea of what size of Dutch oven they like, but the most popular size is a 12-inch oven with 4.5 high walls that holds 6 quarts that will feed up to 6 people all the breakfast they can eat.

Cook Breakfast in a Dutch Over the Preferred Way

You can cook your Dutch oven breakfast on the kitchen stove, in the oven, and on a backyard gas grille. You can also use a Dutch oven with fire and in a deep pit. Great Dutch oven chef’s however mainly use charcoal because the heat is easy to distribute and control. One hint from a Dutch oven chef: Don’t use old charcoal, it doesn’t light or burn well.

Light your charcoal and wait until the briquettes are light gray. While waiting for your charcoal to turn light gray, it’s a good idea to prepare your Dutch with breakfast food.

To heat a 12” Dutch oven to about 350 degrees, a good rule is to take the size of the oven, double it, then put 1/3 of the coals on the bottom and 2/3 on the top. For a 12” Dutch oven you will need 10-12 coals on the bottom and about 14 to 16 coals on the top. Just remember that hot leaving coals around your Dutch oven too long will burn your breakfast.

Gather up what you are cooking for breakfast and get going. It’s a guarantee that hungry campers won’t wait too long.

Foods for Dutch Oven Breakfast

You can cook just about anything in a Dutch oven that you can cook over a stove or in a home oven. Eggs cook up great in a Dutch oven, bacon, and sausage is perfect, and hash browns are a staple. Some campers like to go high style and cook steaks and eggs in their Dutch oven.

You can also cook pancakes, French toast, waffles, scones, Scottish pancakes, blueberry pancakes, cinnamon rolls, Swiss eggs, and hash browns by themselves. You can also make oatmeal and boil milk for hot chocolate in a Dutch oven. Whatever your imagination can think up for breakfast, try it out in a Dutch oven for breakfast. You won’t be disappointed. (Recipes for breakfast bread will be included in another post.)

Dutch Oven Breakfast Egg Recipes

You can vary this recipe according to what you like in an omelet. Sometimes it is fun to use leftover steak or hamburger from last night’s dinner.

Dutch Oven Breakfast Omelet

  • Ingredients

6 well-beaten eggs

2/12 cups of breadcrumbs

1 lb. sausage, cooked

2 cups of milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

  • Preparation

Mix the egg, breadcrumbs, sausage, milk and cheddar cheese altogether and place it in the refrigerator or your cooler overnight. In the morning, heat your Dutch oven, pour in the mixture and cook until it is set and light brown. Poke a fork in it to make sure it is done. Doesn’t take too long to cook and tastes great!

  • Cooking

When using a 12” Dutch oven, follow the guidelines for the number of coals to put on the top and bottom. It is best to put about 10-12 coals on the bottom of your Dutch oven and about 14 to 16 coals on the top. The omelet will cook from the top down, set up, and be perfect within about 15 minutes.

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast

Mountain Man Breakfast is a favorite of Boy Scouts! Scouts ask for this breakfast dish all the time. They eat it well, and there will never be leftovers. Serve with cold milk or hot chocolate, and you will have satisfied scouts.

  • Ingredients

2-12 oz. package sausage

2-12 oz. package bacon

2-20 oz. bags hash browns

1 q/s lbs. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 dozen flour tortillas

1 medium onion

1 dozen eggs

1 bottle of salsa

  • Preparation

Cook sausage and bacon in Dutch oven until brown.

Add onions and cook until clear.

Remove sausage, bacon, and onions. Drain off most of the grease in the Dutch oven but leave a bit for cooking the hash browns.

Add hash browns and fry until golden brown.

Stir in sausage, bacon, and onions.

Beat eggs in a mixing bowl and pour over the hash browns, sausage, bacon, and onion.

Cover and cook until eggs are set and almost solid.

Sprinkle with cheese and continue cooking until eggs are totally set and cheese is melted.

Serve with warm tortillas and pass the salsa.

  • Cooking

A 12” Dutch oven might be small when cooking for a scout troop. It would be better to up the size of your Dutch oven and use a 14” oven. Place 12-14 hot coals or briquettes on the bottom of your 14” Dutch oven, and 16-18 coals on the top of the flanged lid. Occasionally check on your breakfast, but it should only take about 20 minutes to cook.

Dutch Oven Scrambled Eggs and Ham

Easy recipe and so much better in a Dutch oven and outside than cooked over the stove in a skillet.

1lb. cubed precooked ham

12 eggs

11 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cube butter

¼ cup whole milk

  • Preparation

Melt butter in a Dutch oven.

Mix the eggs milk and cheese together and beat until blended.

Add mixture to butter.

Stir with a flat utensil as it cooks.

Keep the bottom scraped.

When done, remove the Dutch oven from the heat and immediately serve.

  • Cooking

This breakfast dish cooks a bit differently. You don’t use a lid, and you stir continually. Depending on the size of your Dutch oven, bank up the coals around the sides and bottom of the oven. Banking coals will assure that the eggs and ham cook evenly.

Dutch Oven Breakfast Pizza

If you say pizza, kids will eat this recipe quickly, and you will have no complaints or leftovers. A family favorite on a campout and so much better than cold cereal and milk.

  • Ingredients

Biscuit dough (recipe at the end of the pizza recipe)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 lb. cooked sausage

12 eggs beaten well

  • Preparation

Flatten the dough in the bottom of the Dutch oven,

Pour eggs on top.

Cover with sausage and cheese,

Cook until dough is done.

  • Cooking

If you are using a 12” Dutch oven, the guide for the number of coals to put on the top and bottom is 10-12 coals on the bottom of your Dutch oven and about 14 to 16 coals on the top. Your breakfast pizza will cook quickly, so watch and make sure the crust doesn’t burn.

The crust for Pizza:

2 cups self-rising flour

Enough milk to make dough sticky

2 Tbsp oil

Mix everything well and form into flat 3” round balls. Add more flour if necessary. You can arrange the balls in the bottom of a Dutch oven and bake like biscuits or flatten out the dough and put the dough on the bottom of the Dutch oven to make the crust for the Breakfast Pizza. You can also make up this dough ahead of time, keep it in your cooler and use it for many different recipes.

Dutch Oven Sheepherder’s Breakfast

Not sure why this is called sheepherder’s breakfast, but maybe sheepherders eat this regularly. Whatever the reason it is called sheepherder’s breakfast, this is a delicious dish that will provide all the nutrients and protein you need for your daily hikes.

  • Ingredients

½ lb. bacon

½ pkg frozen hash browns

Dozen Eggs

½ onion, chopped

Alt and pepper to taste

Cheddar Cheese

  • Preparation

Brown bacon and onion in a Dutch oven.

Drain off some of the fat and add hash browns and salt and pepper.

When potatoes are done, make hollows in the potatoes and crack an egg in each hollow.

Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Cover and cook until eggs are done.

Yummy!

  • Cooking

Use a 12” Dutch oven. Place about10-12 coals on the bottom of your Dutch oven and about 14 to 16 coals on the top. Sheepherder’s Breakfast will cook from the top down, set up, and be perfect within about 10 minutes. Do watch the cooking time so you don’t burn your breakfast.

Dutch Oven Sausage Breakfast

Easy and fast. You can leave out the green chilies if you don’t like the taste of chilis but encourage your eaters to try the eggs with green chilies at least. They add a touch of taste to your breakfast.

  • Ingredients

6 beaten eggs

2 Tbsp chopped green chilies

1 lb. browned sausage

Salt and Pepper

1 ½ cups milk

1 cup croutons

¾ cup cheddar cheese grated.

  • Preparation

Combine eggs, milk, chilies, croutons and salt and pepper (to taste). Mix and pour into a greased Dutch oven. Sprinkle sausage and cheese on top.  Bake in a Dutch oven using coals for about 1 hour or until eggs are well done.

  • Cooking

Use a 12” Dutch oven. Use 10-12 coals on the bottom of your Dutch oven and about 14 to 16 coals on the top. Cook your sausage breakfast until the eggs are done. Cooking your recipe will take about an hour. Check the cooking food occasionally, so you don’t burn your breakfast.

Dutch Oven Swiss Eggs

Don’t think the Swiss are the only ones who eat this dish. It is named because of the cheese you use in the dish. You can also substitute other types of cheese for this dish but then it wouldn’t be “Swiss Eggs.”

  • Ingredients

8 oz. Swiss cheese, grated

1 cup heavy cream

½ tsp pepper

¼ cup butter

½ tsp salt

12 beaten eggs

  • Preparation

Coat a Dutch oven with oil or use a cooking spray. Sprinkle cheese in the bottom and dot with butter. Combine cream and salt and pepper and pour half the mixture over the cheese. Pour eggs on top of the cream mixture and pour the rest of the cream on top of the eggs. Bake in coals for at least 30-35 minutes or until eggs are done.

  • Cooking

If you are using a 12” Dutch oven, use 10-12 coals on the bottom of your Dutch oven and 14 to 16 coals on the top of the oven. Cook your Swiss Egg breakfast until the eggs are done and set. It takes about 30-35 minutes to set the eggs and have the dish ready to eat. Serve hot and enjoy.

Dutch Oven Scrambled Eggs and Biscuits

Yummy biscuits with scrambled eggs takes only 25 minutes to be ready to eat. Hungry campers, however, may not want to wait 25 minutes and will be sitting at the picnic table with eating utensils in hand. Be prepared to answer, ‘Is it done yet?’ every five minutes.

  • Ingredients

1 medium onion

1 small bell pepper

Optional: mushrooms, bacon, pepperoni, or whatever your family likes)

2 eggs per person

Salt and pepper to taste

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Garlic powder

Tube of store-bought biscuits

¼ cup of grated cheddar cheese

  • Preparation

Dice bell pepper and onion into small pieces. Chop up any additional ingredients you are adding to the scrambled eggs. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add the onion, bell pepper, and optional ingredients and mix with a fork or a whisk. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Pour the egg mixture in a hot Dutch oven (Hath your Dutch oven over the coals or charcoal before pouring on the egg mixture.)

  • Cooking

Prepare your fire for coals or use charcoal coals. Place your Dutch oven over the coals of the fire or the charcoal and shift coals around your Dutch oven.

Use the lid for baking the biscuits. Pour vegetable oil onto the lid and spread it evenly around the lid. A paper towel works well for this.

Open the tube of biscuits and brush both sides with vegetable oil. Place the oiled biscuits on top of the lid. You can place tin foil over the biscuits to ensure the biscuits book through.

Stir your scrambled egg mixture once in a while. Just take off the lid with the biscuits and set the lid aside. Replace the lid on the Dutch oven and keep cooking.

Just before the scrambled eggs are done sprinkle them with cheddar cheese. Place the lid back on the Dutch oven to melt the cheese.

Brown the biscuits on both sides and when they are brown, remove from the heat. Serve. Eat. Yum.

Dutch Oven Breakfast Casserole

This dish is similar to other Dutch oven breakfasts, but there are variations that can become popular with your family. This recipe yields 8 servings and takes about 20 minutes to prepare. Cook for about 30 minutes, and you have a great way to start the day.

  • Ingredients

3 cups hash browns

16 ounces fresh sausage, crumbled

6 beaten eggs

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Biscuit dough

4 Tbs butter or oil

  • Preparation

Place sausage in the Dutch oven with half the butter or oil and cook until browned. Remove from the Dutch oven and set aside.

Add the hash browns with the rest of the butter or oil — Brown on one side and flip.

Layer the cooked sausage on top of the hash browns

Add the beaten eggs atop the sausage. Sprinkle cheese on top of the eggs and sausage.

Spoon big dollops of biscuit dough around the top of the eggs until covered.

Place the lid of the Dutch oven on the oven and makes sure it fits tightly.

  • Cooking

Place the Dutch oven directly in the campfire over glowing coals, but away from flames. Add about 8 large coals to the top of the lid.

(You can also use charcoals for cooking this recipe. If using a 12” Dutch oven, place 10-12 coals on the bottom of the Dutch oven and 14-18 coals on the top. This dish needs high heat to cook).

Check and rotate the oven occasionally.

Breakfast is finished when the biscuits are browned and fluffy on the inside. Serve big chunks on each plate and smile when the compliments come.

Dutch Oven Mountain Man Breakfast with Biscuits

This Mountain Man Breakfast recipe is a similar recipe to the popular Mountain Man Breakfast that uses tortillas and includes salsa. The recipe is yummy, and Scouts seem to eat it as well as the traditional mountain man breakfast – or maybe they will just eat anything.

  • Ingredients

8 small sliced mushrooms (you might leave these out if campers protest)

1 medium chopped yellow onion

5 diced green onions

8 ounces of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

12 eggs

1 lb. pork sausage

6 large biscuits

1 pound shredded hash browns

Salt and Pepper to taste.

  • Preparation

Place sausages in a heated Dutch oven and break it up. Add yellow onions and sauté until the sausages are born and the onions are translucent.

Take the Dutch oven off the heat and place it on its lid to cool down for a bit.

Season eggs with salt and pepper and mix.

Drop the biscuits in the egg mixture and let them soak for five minutes.

Mix in a bowl the hash browns, mushrooms, green onions, and salt and peppers. Pour in the egg mixture into the bowl and stir it well. Make sure the biscuits do not fall into the bowl.

Place the Dutch oven back on the coals and pour in the egg mixture with the hash browns and vegetables into the oven with the sausages. Mix.

  • Cooking

Place the Dutch oven on top of 20 burning coals pieces and let it get good and hot.

Arrange the egg soaked biscuits over the vegetables, sausage and egg mixture in the Dutch oven. Place the lid tightly on top and arrange about 15 hot coals on the top of the lid. Let it cook.

After about 10 minutes, check the biscuits. If they are browned, take off the coals off the lid and place the lid back on the Dutch oven — Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Top with cheese place the lid back on to melt the cheese.

Serve hot and enjoy.

Dutch Oven Ham and Cheese Bake with Eggs

Another simple recipe that will quickly become your family’s favorite is Ham and Cheese Bake with Eggs. Try it on your next Dutch oven cookout. You will become the chef of the campground.

  • Ingredients

1 loaf Italian bread, cubed

1 bl. Monterey jack cheese, cubed

2 Tbs butter

3 ½ cups milk

Salt and Pepper

3 cups cooked ham, cubed

½ small onion, chopped

8 eggs

¼ cup mustard (optional)

  • Preparation

Mix bread, ham, and cheese in a Dutch oven. Sauté onion in butter until tender (use another pan – preferably a cast iron skillet).

Mix eggs, milk, mustard (optional) salt and pepper.

Add onion and pour over bread mixture.

Cover and keep cool overnight.

  • Cooking

Take the Dutch oven out of the cooler and heat your coals. If you are using a 12” Dutch oven, bake in coals for about 1 hour or until done. Use  8-10 coals on the bottom of the Dutch oven and about 12-14 coals on the top of the lid. Watch your food and keep rotating the Dutch oven to make sure the food cooks evenly. When the food is cooked, serve hot, eat, and take a bow.

Dutch oven cooking is traditional on campouts. Even if you camp in a trailer, Dutch oven cooking should be a staple of eating out in the forest. Eggs are very easy to cook over a campfire using a Dutch oven. All you need to do is take charge of your heat, watch your food, and eat. Dutch oven cooking is relatively easy. If you are unsure, just put all the ingredients in a Dutch oven, stir, and cook. Whatever you make will turn out wonderful.

More articles we think you will love

Can I Place A Dutch Oven Directly Into or Next To a Campfire?

How to Cook on a Campfire with a Dutch Oven ( Video and Recipes )

Dutch Oven Campfire Potato Recipes ( Cheese, Fried, Baked, Scallop )

 

Rickie Arms

Hi, I'm Rickie Arms, owner of Glampingorcamping.com. I am so invested in writing the best and most informative articles for you that I went out and bought a travel trailer just so I could write about it for you. I spend just about all of my off time both camping and glamping so I can share everything I have learned and will learn with you. I have spent my whole life camping and over the last 10 years, I have spent a large amount of time checking out glamping experiences with my wife and kids as well. Thank you for coming by and we hope to see you back here getting great information in the future. Rick Arms-

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