13 Dutch Oven Recipes For Cooking Outdoors | Homesteading (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook outside in a Dutch oven? ›

Dutch ovens can also be suspended over a campfire using a tripod, placed on a campfire cooking grate over a fire, or placed directly on top of embers. Depending on your stove, it is also possible to use a Dutch oven on a camp stove. Our Dutch oven's legs fit in between the grates covering our camp stove's range.

You may need to take the lid off part way through the cooking process. However, some recipes may call for the lid to be off from the beginning, so consult your recipe. If the lid is not oven-safe, you'll need to leave it off no matter what. Tip: Most Dutch ovens come with oven-safe lids, but not all do.

For low heat, around 250°F to 350°F, you'll want a fourth full charcoal chimney or about 25 briquettes. Maximum temperature and length of the cook depends on how you spread out your coals. If you spread lit coals in a thin layer, your temperature will be lower, and the heat will dissipate faster.

The math is fairly simple. In order to guesstimate how many charcoal briquettes you'll need, take the size on the lid and multiply it by two. For example, if you have a 12-inch dutch oven-12 x 2 = 24 (charcoal briquettes.)

Olive oil is particularly good for Dutch ovens. Usually folks aren't using their ovens as much as skillets and some seasoning can become rancid. Olive oil won't do that because it's like the old timers used to say to me, “Olive oil will keep that cast iron sweet.”

Raw cast iron needs to be seasoned to make it nonstick and rust-resistant, while enameled Dutch ovens are somewhat nonstick and protected out of the box. High-quality enamel coatings are expensive, which is why enameled Dutch ovens cost more than their standard cast iron counterparts.

Cracks may form if the heat is too high, i.e. cooking above medium-low heat, especially when cooking dry or semi-dry recipes. It's best to cook these kinds of recipes (like stir-fries and sautés) after the pot is fully seasoned.

Though Dutch ovens may last a long time, they might not last forever. It's time to replace your Dutch oven if you see the enamel chipping inside of the pot.

On the lid, arrange the coals in a checkerboard pattern. Don't bunch the coals—this can cause hot spots that will burn food or damage the oven. To prevent hot spot problems in cooking, lift and rotate the oven a quarter turn every 10 to 15 minutes, and then rotate the lid a quarter turn in the opposite direction.

Can you boil water in a Dutch oven? ›

Simmer, boil, steam: On a basic level, a Dutch oven is just a heavy-duty pot with a lid. So any cooking method that can be performed in a typical pot, can be done in a Dutch oven as well. Think simmering soups, steaming rice, boiling water for pasta, etc.

Safe in the oven (up to 450°F) and on all cooking surfaces, including induction stoves, this Dutch oven offers style and performance to inspire any home cook to explore and do more in the kitchen. Hand wash only.

In that case, we recommend the infamous Dutch oven prank. For the uninitiated, a Dutch oven involves farting in bed, then quickly pulling up the sheets to trap your significant other with the smell. It's a decades-old trick that has surely ruined countless relationships, yet many dudes still dare to try it.

When you buy from Le Creuset, you're paying for high-quality pots and pans that are designed to stand the test of time. Rather than aluminum or stainless steel, Le Creuset craft their pieces from cast iron, which has a much higher heat capacity.

The indoor Dutch oven has no legs. You can easily use it on a stove top or in a standard household oven. Now look at the outdoor Dutch oven. It has legs that are designed to keep it just above coals, preventing direct contact with the heat and permitting oxygen to get to the coals.

Here are some ideas for cooking without a grill or stove: Campfire Cooking: Campfire cooking is one of the most traditional and iconic ways to cook while camping. You can roast hot dogs and marshmallows on sticks, and cook other foods like foil-wrapped potatoes, corn on the cob, or baked apples in the coals.

For this dish, place your Dutch oven over a fire on a metal grate or rack, which will be hotter for sauteeing. If you don't have a grate, let the fire burn down, and then bury the oven well into the coals so there's plenty of heat.

Outdoors, place an indoor Dutch oven on some sort of trivet or stand if cooking over charcoal. To let the pot come in direct contact with the coals will create hot spots, Hansen says. An indoor Dutch oven's domed lid need not prevent cooking with charcoal.