How to Cook Fish over a Campfire with Proper Recipes

Camping is a relaxing, adventurous and at the same time enjoyable activity. People often go camping alone, with friends or even with family. Camping gives you the opportunity to get away from your busy urban life.

While camping if you have a pond or lake around and if you get the opportunity of fishing then you can utilize that as a leisure activity as well as a source of food. Fresh fish is rear meat you get in your urban life.

Preparing or cooking fish at the campsite is not a very hectic of tough work to do; also you do not need a lot of things to prepare fish at the campsite.

How to Cook Fish over a Campfire

Without campfire, you can never get the feel of camping. You do not even need a stove to cook fish; you can easily prepare some easy fish dish on the campfire. Here I will provide you with a guideline on how you can prepare fish over a campfire easily and with limited resources.

Campfire Cooking with Skewers

If you at least have some essentials then you can try this. Run skewers through whole fishes and place them at a fair distance on the fire pit. Roll the skewers to cook all the sides equally.

Do not forget to brush some oils on top of your fishes’ from time to time. Also, you can make some slits on the fish skin and pour some lemon juice to wash the distinct smell.

Cooking for Veggies Over Campfire  

If you have access to some vegetables like potato, beans, carrots, etc. then you can also cut the veggies and put them in the skewers. Spread some salt and pepper to enhance the taste of the veggies.

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Cook Using a Foil Paper

If you have access to foil paper, olive oil, and ginger and garlic, then you prepare this delicious grilled whole fish for your dinner.

Slit a fairly big fish from one side to make a pocket, put some minced ginger and garlic in the pocket. Als, brush some olive oil and lemon juice inside and also on the skin of your fish. Then put the fish in the foil paper and wrap it firmly.

Then put in on the griller on a campfire, if you do not have a griller then make your own with some sticks.

Cook Bass Fish or Other Fish Over a Campfire

If you went camping carrying a frying pan a spatula but without a stove, make this one really quick. While fishing tries to catch a bass, then fillet the fish properly, peel off the skin and make small cubes of the fish.

Wash it properly, and then marinate the cubes with salt, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Now put the fryer on the campfire pit and fry the cubes properly. You can have this dish for lunch and if you have rice then you can have the fish with rice as well.

How to Fillet a Fish (Bass) For Campfire Cooking

Filleting a fish for campfire cooking can be a fun way to serve your team or family camping members. If you are having camping near a pond or lake and have fishing options then this can be a great way of enjoying times and have fresh food.

The only thing can get in the way of proper cooking is filleting fish. Here are some tips you can follow:

• After the fresh catch of the fish out of the lake, try to bleed out the fish and preserve the meat. If you are having a fly fishing combo for catching, then sometimes bigger fish may be in your reach. For big fishes, bleed out it properly and dry it.   
• Skin the fish using a proper knife. Scrape or descale the fish properly so that the cooking looks and tastes awesome.
• Another thing you need is to cut the fish properly and removes its gut and other organs, which you do not want to eat. If you don’t know how to gut a fish, then watch the video carefully to learn it.

• Now you need to chop the head off the fish and then clean it properly.
• The last thing you need is to make proper pieces of the fish and ready it for cooking. If you don’t like the skin of the fish, you can remove it before.

Campfire Fish Recipes When You Are on Survival Mode

If you do not have anything with you, literally any essentials for cooking, then you can use this method. Build a campfire using tree branches or sticks, if you do not have griller then make a griller with small tree branches, and lite-up the campfire.

Now for marinating your fish with salt and pepper. If you do not have foil paper or anything like that to wrap your fish then take 2 big leaves and wrap around your fish slices. After that place the leaf packs on the griller and let it cook for around 10 minutes on each side.

Time Duration and Tricks

Cooking time depends on the fish and on your cooking process. If your fish is thick and big then it will take more time to cook than a sleek small fish. If we think generally then fish does not take much longer to get prepared.

While cooking does not cook the fish on one side, do not forget to flip the side or else you will end up eating raw fish. Also, poke your fishes with a fork or stick to check the rawness.

Also, if you are wrapping your fish inside foil paper or with leaves then eyeballing is a must. Always open then wrap from one corner, this way you can measure the rawness properly.

Keep an Eye on Cooking the Campfire Recipe

While cooking always keep an eye on it. As fishes do not take much time to cook therefore eyeballing can protect your fish from burning. Also while using foils take it off slightly before it is done the cooking. Foil papers keep your food warm and keep on cooking after taking off.

Therefore, undercooked food inside will get cooked properly from the heat of the foil wrap. 

Cooking Inside the Foil: Do and Don’ts

Do not peel off the skin if you are cooking your fish inside foils. If you peel off the skin then you might lose the moisture and end up having flaky and dry fish. If you cook the fish with the skin on then you will get a juicy dish for your dinner or lunch.

Remember, you should make some cuts on the skin otherwise the spices will not be able to enter the fish and you will end up with a stinky and smelly meal.

Safety and Precautions for Cooking Over Campfire

While cooking on a campfire you should always cook safely otherwise you can burn your flavored fish and even yourself. Campfire always loses some flakes of fire, therefore sit maintaining a safe distance.

If you are planning to grill your fish over a campfire then put it at a safe distance, otherwise, your fish will be burnt or you over-dried out. Also before placing fishes, try to control the flame this will help you cook your fish meal properly.

When You Don’t Have Proper Equipment

Sometimes, we go on a trip without giving much thought on camping or staying. Suppose, with taking the best rod for steelhead fishing, we may stay on the spot for the rest of the day for enjoying the weather.

But we don’t have the proper gear to cook. In this circumstance present mindset is the key.

Boiled Fish Recipes Over Campfire

If you do not have essential gears for cooking any of the methods mentioned above then you can also try having boiled fish. This way you can avoid the distinct smell of the fish.

• To boil the fish put a boiling pot or a fryer or whatever you have on fire, pour some water and let it boil.
• Now cut the fish in small pieces and throw those in the boiling water. You can boil the fish with the skin on or without skin, whichever you prefer.
• If you leave the skin on then you do not need any extra oil as fish skin contains a natural oil which makes the fish juicy and moist.

• To understand or feel the rawness poke your fish cubes with fork or stick. If you think your fish is half boiled then put some salt in and stir to mix.
• If you have herbs around you can also throw some cleaned herbs with the fish. Now if you see the fishes getting separated or flaky then your fish is ready.

What if Some of the Members Don’t Like Fish

If you have companies who do not like the fish smell and taste, then you can add some butter, some pepper, and some lemon slices to dilute the smell.

This will also help you to enhance the flavor. Last but not the least, you can also put your sliced or fillet fishes on dead fire pit which is still hot. This will help your fish cook slowly and you will get a juicy meal for leisure time.