Camper’s Beef and Veggie Stir Fry

This beef and veggie stir fry recipe is an easy high-protein camping dinner that’s ready in under 20 minutes (after the marinade). It packs a ton of flavor and is easy to scale up for larger groups! Let’s get started…

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When it comes to easy camping meals, this is currently one of my favorites. (It’s even been on repeat at home for a quick weeknight dinner.)

This easy beef stir fry recipe for campers only requires a few ingredients and is ready in under 20 minutes. It cooks up in one pot or pan for quick cleanup and is high in protein for a camping dinner that will fill you up.

It’s great for just two campers, or you can easily scale it up for a large group. What more do you need in a camping dinner, right?

Why You’ll Love This Beef Stir-Fry Camping Recipe:

• ready in under 20 minutes
• high in protein
• only need one pot or pan
• prep at home options to make things even easier at camp
• minimal cleanup
• easy to scale up or down depending on your group size

Main Ingredients for this Beef Stir-Fry Dinner

1. Tender Cut of Beef

There are different cuts of beef you can use in a beef stir fry. In general, you want to choose a tender cut for this recipe. My top choices are top sirloin steak or flank steak.

I usually choose a top sirloin steak for stir fry due to its tenderness, while it still remains a more budget-friendly choice.

While the steak can be expensive, this recipe does stretch the meat to multiple servings, making the cost per serving cheaper.

2. Beef Marinade

For this recipe, you can keep it simple and just use soy sauce. I usually have Korean chili paste, or Gochujang, in my fridge. I like to add it to the marinade, but it’s optional.

Lastly, we have the question of adding baking soda or not. Baking soda can help tenderize thinly cut strips of meat.

I’ve tried this stir fry with and without baking soda in the marinade. I don’t notice a huge difference, so it’s an extra step I think you can skip, especially when camping. Simple camping meals are the way to go!

3. Stir Fry Sauce

Any stir-fry sauce you like will do in this recipe, and you don’t need much of it. I buy a 12 oz bottle from the brand 3 Dragons (found it at Whole Foods). The quality and flavor are excellent.

One bottle lasts for several meals because I use only about 1/4 to 1/3 of it each time. It’s a big flavor, and the beef already has a lot of seasoning, so don’t go overboard with the stir-fry sauce. You can always try the stir-fry and add more sauce if desired.

4. Veggies

This one pot camping meal is a great way to get some fresh vegetables in on a camping trip. It can be hard to eat veggies while camping, but this dish has a good variety. We use onion, red bell pepper, broccoli, and snap peas. I’m obsessed with snap peas in this recipe. They are so good!

5. Cooked Rice Packets

The last major component in this recipe is the rice. To make this an easy camping meal, we use pre-cooked rice packets. All you do is break apart the rice in the bag before adding it to the skillet. So easy!

Make Ahead Options

You can prep the beef at home and then freeze it with the marinade in a plastic freezer bag. Place the frozen beef in the cooler. It will usually thaw within a day, ready for cooking on the first or second night of your trip. I wouldn’t marinate the beef any more ahead of time than that.

You can also wash and chop your veggies 1-2 days in advance. Store them in the cooler until you’re ready to cook.

How to Scale This Camping Recipe to Feed Larger Groups

This recipe is very easy to scale to larger servings. Keep in mind that if you double this recipe, you’ll need a larger skillet or pot to fit all the ingredients.

The cast iron pan I use in the photos/video is a 10-inch (rim to rim). You’ll need at least a 12-inch skillet or a large pot. This dinner also works great on a Blackstone griddle if you have one.

More One Pot Camping Dinners:

• One Pot Sweet Ginger Chili Beef and Cabbage
• One Pot Thai Chicken Curry
• One Pan Camper’s Sloppy Joes

Easy Camper’s Beef and Veggie Stir Fry

This is an easy high-protein camping dinner that’s ready in under 20 minutes. It packs a ton of flavor and is easy to scale up for larger groups!

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Servings: 2 people

Prep Time: 2 hours hrs

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Equipment

• Camp Chef Everest Stove
• Lodge 10-inch Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

 

Beef Marinade

• 1/2-3/4 pound top sirloin steak (or other tender cut of beef)
• 2-3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 3/4 tsp Korean chili paste (Gochujang paste) (optional)

Other Ingredients:

• 1/2 white onion (sliced)
• 1/2 red bell red bell pepper (cut into strips)
• 4 oz snap peas
• 1 small head of broccoli (cut into florets)
• 2 tbsp ghee (or cooking oil of choice)
• 8.8 oz cooked rice packet
• 12 oz jar of stir fry sauce* (you don’t need the whole jar, see notes)
• sesame seeds for topping (optional)

Instructions

 

• Add the soy sauce and Korean chili paste (if using) to a bowl or freezer bag and mix well.
• Slice the steak against the gain in THIN slices (no more than 1/8 inch thick). Add the beef slices to the marinade. Marinate the beef for at least 2-3 hours and up to 24 hours. (See blog post for make ahead option.)
• Before cooking, prepare and have all your ingredients ready to go.
• Heat a large cast iron skillet or pot over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of ghee followed by the onions, peppers, snap peas, and broccoli.
• Cook the veggies, mixing frequently, until they become bright in color and soften a little. Sometimes I add a splash of water to the pan to create steam to help the veggies cook. Once done, set the veggies aside in a bowl.
• Place the skillet over a medium to medium-high heat and add more ghee or oil to the pan, followed by the beef. Cook the beef, mixing occasionally, until it’s browned on both sides. This usually only takes a few minutes because the beef is sliced so thin.
• After the beef is fully cooked, add the veggies back to the pan. Then add the cooked rice and a drizzle of the stir fry sauce. I use about 1/4 of the bottle. Mix well and heat until the rice and sauce is hot. Test and add more sauce if desired.
• Top with sesame seeds and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

*You don’t need much stir fry sauce. I buy a 12 oz bottle from the brand 3 Dragons and use about 1/4-1/3 of the bottle, at most. It’s a big flavor and the beef already has a lot of seasoning, so don’t go overboard with the stir fry sauce. You can always try the stir fry and add more sauce if desired. 

This recipe is very easy to scale to larger servings. Keep in mind that if you double this recipe, you’ll need a larger skillet or pot to fit all the ingredients. The cast iron pan I use in the photos is a 10-inch (rim to rim). You’ll need at least a 12-inch skillet or a large pot. This dinner also works great on a Blackstone Griddle if you have one. 

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