Camping Hot Dogs with Caramelized Onions
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Here’s a recipe for camping hot dogs with caramelized onions that will prove you can eat well while camping. They’re simple to make over a fire with just a few ingredients, and they taste especially good while outdoors. We’ve also rounded up a few of our favorite easy camping recipes we think you’ll love!
Camping hot dogs are a must when we pack up the tent and head into the forest. There is something special about the way a weiner or a smokie tastes when it’s been charred over the fire. When we make ours, we almost always turn them into caramelized onion hot dogs, as it takes them over the top.
This is one of those recipes that is hardly a recipe at all. Camping hot dogs with caramelized onions is more of an idea or suggestion than an official recipe. We trust that you’ve skewered a hot dog on a stick and held it over the fire until it’s hot and crispy. (And if you haven’t, can you please promise that you will this summer?)
And the term caramelized onions is really just a fancy way of saying onions that are cooked to the point of being deliciously sweet.
For these hot dogs with caramelized onions, we pile those onions into a hot dog bun with all your favorite condiments, then top them with a fire-charred hot dog. It’s an elevated camping hot dog recipe that is super easy to make and unbelievably delicious.
For more, check out all of our camping recipes!
Beyond camping hot dogs
While we love our camping hot dogs, there is so much more to make at the campsite!
When it comes to enjoying delicious food while camping, a little planning goes a long way. There’s a lot you can do with a grill, a fire, or a simple camp stove, but we still like to prepare some food ahead of time because we also like to kick back a bit.
We typically bring a cooler with yogurt, eggs, and a small bottle of milk, along with fresh veggies and fruits. We also pack some pantry items, such as small jars filled with olive oil, salt, pepper, nut butter, jam, oats, and pancake mix. Plus a few extra empty sealed containers for saving portions of things.
For cookware, we can usually get by with a simple cast-iron skillet, a pot, a cutting board, and a knife, along with a few plates, bowls, and utensils. Add a few tea towels and candles for ambiance (if fires are permitted), and you’re all set!
More easy camping recipes
While camping, hot dogs are a must-have; we also have a few other go-to recipes we love. Here is our curated list of easy camping recipes that are either simple to make or ideal for preparing ahead of time:
- The Best Black Bean Veggie Burgers – make these at home before you go, and then simply heat them in a pan over the fire
- Prawns with Lemon Garlic Butter – make sure you eat these on your first night, as prawns don’t last long
- Smoky Parmesan Corn on the Cob – this corn recipe tastes especially great on the grill!
- Pecan Crusted Salmon – prepare the pecan mixture before you leave – this salmon recipe is simple to make
- Baja Fish Tacos or Grilled Fish Tacos – tacos are always easy to make while camping. Serve them with some Easy Guacamole for a simple dinner.
- Black Bean and Corn Chili – one-pot dinners like this are perfect for reheating on a camp stove. You could even roast some sweet potatoes on the fire to make chili-stuffed sweet potatoes
- Deliciously Rich Lentil Bolognese – pasta is easy, too. Prepare a homemade sauce ahead of time for a satisfying meal that everyone will love.
- Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing – a hearty pasta salad that travels well and makes a filling and delicious lunch.
- Lemon Tahini Dressing or Strawberry Vinaigrette – a homemade vinaigrette makes tossing a salad an easy and tasty affair.
- Fajitas or burritos – simply cook a variety of veggies in a pan and serve them with tortillas, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, and a sprinkle of grated cheese.
The list doesn’t end here! We’ve got lots of inspiration for more camping recipes you’ll love. So plan on making some camping hot dogs with caramelized onions, then choose a few other easy camping recipes from the list!
Camping Hot Dogs with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large onions (sliced thin)
- 4 hot dogs
- 4 hot dog buns
- Ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard (to taste)
Instructions
- Start by caramelizing the onions. Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook for 3 minutes and then lower the heat to low and cook for 10 more minutes.1 tablespoon butter, 2 large onions
- While the onions are cooking start the hot dogs. Spear the hot dogs on your roasting sticks. Hold them close to but not directly in the flames. Rotate them a quarter turn about every minute or so. They will take about 7-10 minutes to warm through. If you want them a little more charred on the outside hold them in the flame at the very end.4 hot dogs
- If you want to warm your bun, lay it over your hot dog and toast it over the fire – this works best if you have a double roasting stick.4 hot dog buns
- Top your hot dog buns with caramelized onions and all the condiments you want then put a hot dog on top and dig in!Ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Wow… Small world. I can see this lake from my Dad’s house. I grew up near here and miss this view. 🙂
Wow is right! You are so lucky to have grown up near there. It really is one of the met beautiful places. I actually just came back from there again yesterday. I dream of having a little cabin on the lake there one day 🙂
I LOVE smokies when I am camping. I don’t usually go all gourmet and make caramelized onions but I think I will next time!
Kristen,
Your camping trip looks absolutely lovely. You succeeded in making me jealous about your private beach 🙂 So happy you had a great time.