21 Camping Appetizers You’ll Love—In The Backwoods or The Backyard!

Even if the outdoors isn’t your favorite place to be, these 21 camping appetizers will be enough to get you out of your comfort zone!

These savory starts to your dinner will make the journey so worth it after one bite.

Not all tasty foods need a full kitchen set up to prepare.

Sometimes, a cooler to transport it in and a simple grill or campfire will get the job done!

A select few of these appetizers can be made right at the campsite but others will need to have a bit of preparation ahead of time in order to be enjoyed out in the wilderness.

Rest assured, none of these are overly complicated but they are all very delicious.

Skewers make a great choice in planning portable appetizers so go ahead and try your hand at preparing some Greek Salad Skewers or Pretzel Ham & Cheese Kabobs.

For some dips to munch on while prepping dinner, Campfire Queso is a winner along with Campfire Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Bread is always a great way to start your meal so making some Pull Apart Garlic Bread is an easy choice.

Just be sure that you leave some room for dinner while you are snacking on these amazing appetizers!

1. Loaded Tot Kabobs

Potatoes, cheese, and bacon together are a sign you are about to have amazing tasting food in front of you.

These tot kabobs can be made ahead of time and warmed up when it is time to eat, or created from the beginning at the campsite as long as you have a reliable source of heat to cook with.

2. Summer Camping Charcuterie Board

Many might think that packaged food is best to take camping but having a big plate of fresh veggies, meats, and dips is doable and very much encouraged for your camping trip.

The great thing about a charcuterie board is that it can easily be adjusted to add in ingredients you like while leaving out the ones you tend to not touch.

All you need is to wrap up your items for transportation and assemble your board right before you want to eat!

3. Glazed Kielbasa Bites

The salty kielbasa of these bite-sized snacks is made better with the sweetness of the pineapple on top and the slight kick of the glaze brushed all over.

The great thing about these bites is that they are perfect year-round, for all different occasions so if you love these on your camping trip, you can enjoy them back at home, too.

4. Greek Salad Skewers

No cooking is needed for these skewers!

This is a great way to get fresh foods in your camping diet while also enjoying the wonderful seasoning blend that is brushed onto the cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes, and olives.

Since the skewer holds these together, there is no need for plates or forks to enjoy your salad making this an easy on-the-go appetizer.

5. Grilled Bacon Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks

Two ingredients held together with toothpicks have never tasted so good.

Although you will need frozen mozzarella sticks for this recipe, the good news is they will need to thaw out before they are cooked so letting them sit in a cooler is no problem at all.

Once your bacon is crispy from sitting over a fire, your appetizer is ready to dig into!

6. Loaded Deviled Eggs

For many, deviled eggs are the first to come to mind when thinking of appetizers.

To make the classic appetizer better, turn them into a low-carb version of a loaded baked potato!

For the easiest way to enjoy these at your campsite, cook the eggs and prepare the filling ahead of time then fill in the eggs before enjoying.

7. Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

One way these jalapeno poppers make a great camping appetizer is that you can prepare them ahead of time then grill them when it is time to eat.

Since there is not always access to a deep fryer when camping, a bit of parmesan cheese on top makes a nice crispy crust when it is cooking.

Add Dutch Oven Desserts to your camping list too.

8. Pickle Roll Ups

It seems as though many people either love or hate pickles.

For pickle lovers, these ham and ranch-flavored cream cheese snacks are the perfect way to start your camping meal.

These should be kept chilled until it is time to enjoy so make sure your cooler is ready for these.

9. Campfire Queso Dip

Full of meat, salsa, jalapenos, and of course, cheese, this is one of the best queso dips you can prepare, even for non-camping occasions.

All of the ingredients can be combined together to sit on a grill only needing some stirring about ten minutes into cooking.

Fresh veggies, tortilla chips, and french bread are excellent choices to dip into the queso but the options are endless!

10. Chipotle Corn Salsa

This corn salsa is great as a light nibble before your meal or as an accompaniment to your main dish.

This is sweet and smoky with a good level of zest and tang.

This can be refrigerated after cooking and will last up to four days if stored properly so on the off chance that there are leftovers, they can make it back home.

11. Campfire Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

There is nothing complicated in this recipe but the end result tastes magnificent!

With a foil pan and some tin foil, your two-ingredient appetizer can be prepared easily and quickly.

Once your prosciutto is crispy and your asparagus is tender, your new favorite camping appetizer is ready to enjoy!

12. Stuffed Baby Bells

A Dutch oven or camp grill and cast iron are the keys to getting these mouth-watering stuffed peppers ready to eat.

Italian sausage, two types of cheese, and bell peppers are the main ingredients of this yummy appetizer.

If you or any of your campmates eat gluten-free, this is the perfect food to not miss out on camping adventures.

13. Campfire Potatoes

With a nice campfire or grill, you can enjoy potatoes with tons of your favorite toppings.

Aluminum foil makes a disposable bowl to cook your potatoes in meaning no cleanup after!

You will fall in love with this as an appetizer but the good news is this can be made at home in your oven, too.

14. Pretzel Ham & Cheese Kabobs

When the main dish of the evening takes a lot of effort, something easy and simple like these kabobs is great to keep everyone satisfied until dinner time.

Pretzel sticks hold your ham and cheese together and ensure there are no utensils needed and nearly no cleanup afterward.

Keep in mind, your pretzel sticks will soften when they are chilled so it may be best to keep your meat and cheese chilled and not assemble them until you are ready to eat.

15. Cucumber Hummus Bites

These are delicious served chilled or at room temperature so there is no need to worry if you have limited access to a cooler or other tools for your appetizer.

If your day was full of physical activity, these light bites will be a great way to gain your energy back and fuel you up for the next day of camping.

With a sliced cucumber holding hummus, a sliced cherry tomato, and feta cheese, this is an easy yet flavorful snack that comes together quickly when you have little energy to prepare an extensive appetizer before dinner.

16. BBQ Little Smokies With Bacon

Would you believe that five ingredients are all it takes for this amazing appetizer that will surely disappear within minutes of being presented?

To make it easier, there are only three steps involved in preparing this: preheating the grill, mixing all of the ingredients together in an aluminum pan, and grilling it!

Since the little smokies are already cooked, the bbq mixture just needs to be warmed up to the right temperature.

17. Pull Apart Garlic Bread

There are few instances where garlic bread is not fitting for starting a meal, including camping meals.

If you have a large group or want something easy to make that everyone can enjoy, this pull-apart bread is perfect.

The process is as simple as cutting and stuffing your bread with your toppings and letting it cook!

Sweet or savory Mountain Pie Recipes take camping to the next level.

18. Italian Pinwheels

Mini Italian sandwiches are a great choice for appetizers as you are camping.

This can be prepared ahead of time and cooled until it is time to eat, or prepared as you are out camping.

Either way, this is very easy, full of flavor, and so satisfying.

19. Cold Beer Cheese Dip

Despite the fact that there are only four common ingredients needed to make this dip, it is definitely memorable in terms of camping appetizers.

This can be made ahead of time or right at the campsite since all it requires is mixing together the ingredients.

Pretzels, bread, chips, crackers, or vegetables are all delicious scoops to use for this dip.

20. Roasted Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers

There is nothing fancy needed for these stuffed peppers, not even fancy cooking tools.

The ingredients are some that you are likely to have at home or can find at any nearby grocery store while the cooking just requires a campfire or a grill and some other common tools.

You will be surprised at the power the fresh herbs have in this simple and quick recipe for stuffed peppers!

21. Campfire Spinach Artichoke Dip

If you are prepping for a camping trip and want to bring along this dip, just mix everything together and put it in a fire safe container.

When it is time to enjoy, put this on a campfire grill until it is nice and warm, to the level that you prefer.

If you have many camping trips in the next few months, you can also make a few batches of these and put them in the freezer for up to three months.

The bottom line

Adventuring out into nature without access to your favorite household luxuries can be made much easier when you know you have delicious camping appetizers waiting for you to enjoy!

These are easy to cook over a fire or grill, or might not even involve cooking, but will taste amazing, especially after a long day of traveling, hiking, or exploring the area.

Try out this list of amazing Camping Breakfast Ideas!