Have you been struggling to find easy RV meals for your next RV trip? Clean your sweats today because you’ve made the best decision by reading this guide. I’ve also been there and I know what it takes to spend my entire vacation preparing meals. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll solve your problem by unlocking the RV meal planning tips. I’ll also let you know the 30 RV meal ideas you can prepare easily without stressing yourself. So whether you are a novice or an experienced chef, these tantalizing tips will transform your RV kitchen into a 5-star dining room.
RV Meal Planning and Cookware Tips
Meal planning organizes your life especially when you are busy on the road, or have many people to feed such as families, friends, and colleagues. It makes you feel comfortable that you have enough food for your RV trip and it also reduces unnecessary waste.
When planning on what meal to prepare, I always love to consider some factors like available food items, available ingredients, dietary preferences, and style of cooking. This is very important because it helps me to create a menu so that I can prepare ingredients ahead and store them in an airtight container. As a result of meal planning, my dining experience is always smooth and stress-free, you can also try it and see how easy it is.
Some basic tips:
- Prepare your menu in advance
- Do not overpack: Bring just the right amount of everything
- Account for your group size
Best Cookware to own
When you think about preparing the best meals, the first question that comes to your mind is what is the right cookware?
The good news is you don’t have to worry about that anymore because I am here to guide you through. So whether you just want to cook some stew or you want to cook your favorite, here are some essential cookware:
- Instant pots
- Crock pots
- Collapsible cookware (e.g. colander or measuring cups)
30 Easy RV Meals
These 30 easy RV cooking recipes for your next RV camping trip don’t require much time, effort, or equipment to prepare. The best part is, we’ve included camping meals of every type, from dessert to RV dinner ideas!
1. Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
I use just smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper as ingredients, and trust me, you can’t smell my shredded chicken and turn your back, you’ll simply feel the vibes of a delicious meal. Here’s how you can make this instant pot chicken recipe:
- Add chicken stock to the chicken in the instant pot
- Cover with lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes
- Remove the lid and shred the chicken with your forks
- Serve the chicken while it’s warm
2. Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner
This was my dad’s favorite meal, he loved to eat this chicken as his dinner when he was at Los Angeles park. He uses sliced onion, green bell pepper, red pepper, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin as ingredients. I was always privileged to eat this meal with my dad and it’s always fantastic. Here’s how you can make this Foil-Pack chicken:
- Put a sheet of aluminium foil in the oven and heat to 400°F
- Slice onion and bell pepper to the chicken in a bowl
- Mix the chicken with the fajita seasoning, oil, cumin, and lime juice
- Divide the chicken and aluminium foil into 4 places and package each chicken with one aluminium sheet
- Put each package in your oven and heat for 18 minutes.
- Serve the chicken with rice or any toppings of your choice
3. Egg and Potato Breakfast Scramble
I eat egg and potato scrambles as breakfast every friday. You’ll surely love this breakfast because it’s yummy! The ingredients include red potatoes, 2 teaspoons of oil, pinch of salt, dash of milk and small water. Here’s how you can make this breakfast scramble:
- Mix potatoes with water, oil, onions, pepper, and salt in a metal pot
- Boil the mixture for 5 minutes
- Peel the potato in the pot
- Mix the scrambled egg with a dash of milk and heat it
- Sprinkle the mixture with cheese and give it a minute
- Eat
4. Cinnamon Roll Skillet Cake
You’ll agree with me that cake is sweet but I am telling you that this skillet cake is super sweet. To bake this cake you’ll need flour, sugar, baking powder, biscuit, salt, milk, egg, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar. Here’s how you can make this skilled cake:
- Use a rolling pin to the each biscuit
- Put the biscuit in melted butter then add cinnamon sugar
- Roll the biscuit in a cylindrical shape
- Allow the cake to bake for 30 minutes
5. In-A-Pinch Pizza
I found out that this is a quick and easy recipe that helps to satisfy my desires for a fantastic pizza. Here’s how you can make this pizza:
- Get a bread and spread some cheese on top
- Add tomato, dried vegetables, and cooked meats in the middle
- Put it in an oven for 3 minutes and make sure the cheese melts
- Enjoy your tasty meal
6. Honey Mustard and Rosemary Chicken
This is my favorite weekend meal. I love it because it’s so easy to bake and unlike the previous RV meal, it only requires 5 ingredients which are chicken thighs, salt, honey mustard sauce, thyme, and fresh rosemary. Here’s how you can prepare this chicken meal:
- Mix honey with minced garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper
- Put chicken breast in the mixture and leave it for 30 minutes
- Heat the mixture containing chicken breast for 7 minutes
- Serve yourself with vegetables or rice as toppings
7. Instant Pot Beef Stew
This meal is mouthwatering and easy to make. One of my friends said he didn’t know the meaning of the word delicious until he tasted this beef stew. You’ll love to hear that he prepared the beef stew using beef, chopped onion, garlic, oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Here’s how you can prepare your beef stew:
- Add oil and necessary ingredients to the instant pot
- Add beef to the pot
- Close the lid and cook for 35 minutes
- Stir the stew until it’s thick
8. One-Pot Southwestern Pasta
This pasta makes an easy and quick one-pot meal which can be done in 30 minutes or less. Pasta is one thing that everyone loves making in their instant pot. I know you love it but how can you prepare it? Here’s how:
- Boil the pasta using the instructions on the package
- Heat oil in a pan and cook garlic with onion for 4 to 5 minutes
- Add the boiled pasta and pasta sauce then mix together
- Serve with fried chicken
9. Perfect French Toast
The French Toast is a recipe that I absolutely love to make when I am tired. French toast will help you to start your morning the best way. The major ingredients for this recipe are; Bread, eggs, milk, salt, sweetener, maple syrup, and butter. Here’s how you can prepare your French toast:
- Mix the eggs, milk, sweetener, and vanilla extract together
- Slice your bread and apply the mixture in the middle
- Toast your bread for 3 minutes
- Serve with any toppings of your choice
10. Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
This is an excellent dish that requires simple ingredients and results in a very delicious family meal. I have loved this meal since I was 8 years old because my lovely mum always prepares it as our Wednesday meal and it’s always superb! Here’s how to prepare the Spanish rice:
- Add tomato sauce to the uncooked rice
- Stir well and heat for 25 minutes
- Add onions, beef, and other ingredients
- Allow to cook for 10 minutes
11. Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes
If you are tired of eating rice everyday, you’ve got to change your diet and one of the easy diets you can consider is the crock pot sweet potato. I cooked this meal yesterday and I am a living testimony of its delicious taste. Here’s how to prepare the meal:
- Peel the layers of 2 sweet potatoes
- Rise them and cook slowly for 3 hours
- Slice the potatoes and add some fish stew
- Enjoy
12. Salsa Chicken
This is what I eat when I get back from weekend camping trips. Not only is it yummy, but it only requires 3 ingredients in its recipe. Just like crock pot sweet potatoes, salsa chicken is also made in a crock pot. The ingredients are chicken breasts, salsa, and cheese. Here’s how to cook the chicken:
- Put the chicken in the crock pot
- Pour a jar of salsa over it
- Sprinkle with cheese
- Cook it for 1 hour 30 minutes
13. Easy Barbecue Steak Bites
If you are thinking about a unique and delicious dinner tonight, Barbecue steak bites are one for you. This meal will tantalize your taste buds in an unforgettable way. This recipe uses simple ingredients like onions, sliced steak, chicken broth, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and butter. Here’s how to prepare the barbecue steak:
- Cook the onions until it’s slightly brown
- Add salts and pepper to the steak
- Cook the steak for 20 minutes
- Add some butter to the sauce and heat for 30 minutes
- Serve them with your favorite side dishes
14. Basic Omelettes
Making an omelette in my RV is one of the easiest things ever. This is because it only requires me to take some few steps and those few steps are what you’ll also take today. Here’s how you can make your omelette meal:
- Beat 2 eggs with a fork
- Melt some butter in a pan by heating gently
- Add the eggs to the pan
- Fold the omelette and serve it
15. Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghetti bolognese is perfect for a quick midweek meal. I learned to cook this spag when I was a teenager and since then, I have never skipped it on thursdays.
Ask anyone who’s even remotely familiar with RV cooking and they’ll tell you this is the easiest thing to cook ever. It’s as simple as adding store-bought tomato paste to noodles. Then, just add whatever ingredients you want, whether it’s ground beef, hotdogs, or carrots.
Here’s our recipe:
- Heat oil in a pan
- Add some onions and heat till golden
- Add garlic and fry for 3 minutes
- Add ground beef and mix it with tomato paste (of your choice), salt, and pepper
- Serve with freshly cooked spaghetti
16. Spiral Grilled Hot Dogs
This next recipe is for hot dog lovers. I found myself pleasantly surprised the first time I tried it. This method adds a surprising amount of flavour to your hot dogs:
- Skewer your hot dog
- Cut your hot dog with a paring knife
- Grill your hot dog on medium heat for 5 minutes
- Serve with toppings of choice
17. Fluffy, Fluffy Pancakes
If you’re craving pancakes, here’s a great recipe for really fluffy ones. The batter is rather hard to make, so do check it out on the website we’ve linked to above:
- Preheat your non stick pan
- Pour your batter on the heated pan
- Serve with maple syrup and honey
18. Italian Sausage and Peppers
Now for italian food, here’s a popular Italian dish. Of course there’s wine involved, because what’s an Italian dish without wine right? All you need are butter, garlic, onions, bell peppers, spices, wine, and of course Italian sausage. Here’s how to make sausage and peppers:
- Heat sausage till brown
- Transfer sausage to plate and slice
- Cook garlic and onions for 3 minutes, then add peppers
- Put sausage slices in skillet and simmer for 15 minutes
- Add wine to sausage and serve with red beans, rice, and biscuits
19. Fruit Salad
For health-conscious RVers, fruit salad is a staple. It’s great as a dessert after meal, or even as an appetizer before your meal.
I like to use blueberries, mango , grapes, and kiwis, but it’s up to you:
- Peel all the fruits (or don’t if you don’t want to)
- Mix them in a box
- Squeeze orange and lime juice
- Chill and serve after 3-4 hours
20. One-Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew
Craving a taste of Vietnam? Then look no further than this
Each time I cook this Vietnamese beef stew, I always remember my parents because it’s their precious stew. All the ingredients are beef, vegetables, brown sugar, tomato paste, and fish sauce. Here’s how to prepare Vietnamese beef stew:
- Remove the outer leaves of your lemon grass
- Slice the beef into cubes
- Add all the ingredients and mix them
- Preheat your oven for 5 minutes
- Put the mixture in your oven and allow to cook for 6 minutes
21. Grilled Zucchini
For fans of zucchini, here’s a quick, easy, and delicious way to prepare it:
It’s fast, it’s healthy, and you only need six ingredients – garlic powder, olive oil, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and zucchini. To make this delicious meal:
- Mix all the 6 ingredients in a large bowl
- Preheat the grill pan over medium heat
- Put the zucchini in the pan and cook for 5 minutes
- Serve with chopped parsley
22. Cast Iron Skillet Burgers
As the name suggests, you’ll need cast iron pan for this recipe. The good news is, this burger won’t take you more than a few minutes to prepare:
- Get some quality beef
- Add oil to your cast iron and make sure it is well seasoned
- Preheat the pan before you add the burger
- Season the burger with salt and pepper
- Add the burger to the pan and heat for 25 minutes
23. Grilled Salmon
One of my favorite camping meals, grilled salmon is a universally loved fish. Here’s how to prepare this delicious and nutritious meal:
- Get a salmon fillet with the skin on
- Mix the salmon with grape seed oil, kosher salt, and black pepper
- Make some charcoal fire to grill the salmon
- Grill the Salmon’s skin and flip both sides to distribute heat evenly
24. Banana Bread
Banana is sweet and yet healthy at the same time, two things that usually don’t go together. The banana bread makes for a great breakfast. Here’s how you prepare it:
- Preheat your oven
- Mash the banana and add butter
- Mix baking soda, salt, beaten egg, sugar, and flour together
- Bake the bread for 55 minutes
- Cool and serve
25. Egg Muffins
This is a 4 in 1 recipe, it includes spinach, tomato, mozzarella, and eggs. Friends, I really love this meal! And I hope you also find it delicious. Here’s how you can prepare egg muffins:
- Beat your eggs in a pan
- Mix it with spinach, tomato, and mozarella
- Add salt and pepper to the mixture
- Bake for 10 minutes
- Let it cool then serve it with your desired toppings
26. Vegan Rissoto
This risotto is creamy and rich in taste. In my family, we use this meal as a weekend bite and trust me, you’ll really love it. Here’s how you can make this lovely meal:
- Add olive oil to a pot with chopped onions
- Add sliced mushrooms and garlic
- Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes
- Add 1½ cup of vegetable stock and stir well
- Add salt and black pepper to the mixture
- Cook for extra 5 minutes
27. Korean Beef and Broccoli
What I love about this Korean meal is that it’s quick, easy, and of course, it’s delicious! Here’s how you can cook the meal:
- Add ground beef and garlic to a skillet
- Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
- Add orange juice, brown sugar, and cornstarch to the skillet
- Cook for 5 minutes
- Serve over rice with broccoli and green onions
28. Instant Pot Gumbo
If you are always feeling cold and you are tired of weather for two, you can try out the Gumbo meal. Here’s how to make the meal:
- Add olive oil, pepper, onion, and garlic to your instant pot
- Add chicken, butter, and shrimps to your instant pot
- Cook for 5 minutes
- Serve with rice or any noodles
29. Instant Pot Chicken Stew
Chicken stew is an alternative to Gumbo stew. So, if you need another instant pot meal, then this chicken stew is a good option. Here’s how to make chicken stew:
- Heat your instant pot with its saute function
- Add onion, carrot, chicken, celery, potatoes, salt, and pepper to your instant pot
- Cook for 5 minutes
- Add chopped parsley before serving
30. One-Pot Beef Rice Pilaf
This easy RV meal requires just one pot and it’s super delicious. If you have a pressure cooker, you can easily prepare this meal in 25 minutes. Here’s how to go about it:
- Put some onions, carrots, pepper, tomato sauce, spices, and beef stock in your pressure cooker
- Heat it for 10 minutes
- Add white rice and little water
- Cook it for extra 15 minutes
- Serve with your favorite toppings
Summary
The opportunity to cook in an RV is a great one, It saves you the precious time of going to eat in a restaurant. I believe this comprehensive guide on the best RV meals is enough to help you make an informed choice so that you can start enjoying tasty meals in your RV. If it’s your first RV camping trip, I understand that you may not find it easy to cook now but I promise you that if you are ready to practice consistently, you’ll be a master at RV cooking.
We hope you loved these easy RV meals! If you liked it, check out our tips and guides and RV gear recommendations!
