As camping food goes, I consider Spam a must-have item in my kit. Literally, I keep a can of spam in Leif the Adventure Van at all times, just in case of an impromptu camping trip.
Spam: The Secret Weapon for Campfire Cooking
Spam might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of healthy camping food, but it’s actually a pretty smart choice. When you’re out in the wilderness, burning calories like crazy, you need fuel that’ll keep you going. That’s where Spam comes in. It’s packed with fat, which is the perfect long-lasting energy source for those long hikes and challenging climbs.
Not only that, but Spam is also loaded with salt. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Salt? Isn’t that bad for you?” Well, not when you’re sweating buckets on the trail. Your body loses electrolytes like sodium when you sweat, and Spam can help replenish them. It’s like nature’s sports drink, but way more delicious.
What Is Spam Made Of?
Despite its reputation as mystery meat, Spam is actually made of high quality ingredients.
Pork with Ham: This is the primary ingredient, making up the majority of the product.
Salt: Used for flavor and preservation.
Water: Added during the mixing and canning process.
Potato Starch: Acts as a binder, helping to hold the meat together and retain moisture.
Sugar: Added for a touch of sweetness and to balance the saltiness.
Sodium Nitrite: A common preservative used in cured meats to prevent spoilage and maintain color.
Compared to a lot of processed foods, Spam is actually relatively clean eating. If you eat any fast food, you are eating things a lot worse than you will find in your can of Spam.
Isn’t All That Salt Bad For You?
Unless you have a medical condition that makes your body retain salt, it is very difficult to get too much salt from the food you eat. In fact, when you’re active and sweating, your body loses essential electrolytes like sodium. Spam’s saltiness can help replenish these lost electrolytes, aiding in hydration and preventing muscle cramps.
What About All The Fat In Spam?
To start with, if you are being active, you need calories and fat to maintain your body. That means all the fat in Spam is a good thing. If you are still flinching at it, consider that half a can of Spam, what I consider a serving, has about the same amount of fat as your average cheeseburger.
Restaurant
Calories
Fat(g)
Sugar (g)
Spam (100g)
210
16
>1
McDonald’s Single Cheeseburger
300
13
7
Burger King Single Cheeseburger
290
13
7
Wendy’s Dave’s Single Cheeseburger
480
37
8
Sonic Cheeseburger
720
42
12
Jack in the Box Single Cheeseburger
490
21
4
It is pretty easy to see that Spam is pretty reasonable when it comes to total fat compared to your average cheeseburger.
Where Is The Best Place To Buy Spam?
If you are just grabbing one or two cans for a camping trip, the best place to get Spam is at your local grocery store. However, if you are going to buy a lot of it, as much as I hate to say it, Amazon is your best bet. I’m finding cases of Spam on Amazon for about a dollar a can cheaper than what the store charges.
Easy Campfire Cooking Spam Recipes
Enough talking about how awesome Spam is for cooking while you are camping, on to the recipes. I’ve put together this list of Spam recipes that lend themselves to cooking over a campfire, or camp stove. These are all simple and easy to prepare and I think you will love to eat on your next camping trip!
In any of these recipes, if there are ingredients like onions, peppers or potatoes, you can prep those ahead of time to make cooking at camp easier. Do note that for best results, potatoes should be par-cooked ahead of time. This will give you a much better finished product faster when cooking on your camp stove or campfire.
Pan Fried Spam Bacon
What I have dubbed ‘pan fried Spam bacon’ is a staple breakfast when I am out camping. As I’ve stated, there is always at least one can of Spam in Leif in case of impromptu trips to the middle of nowhere. This recipe is as easy as slicing your Spam as thin as you gan get it, and then frying it up until it is nearly crispy. The art of this recipe is getting all the slices even, and cooking them until they are just at that point where the carryover cooking makes them crispy and not crunchy brittle.
How to make Spam Bacon
Start heating up your pan while you slice your Spam as thin as you can get it
When your pan is hot, add some bacon crease or other high-temp oil and a layer of Spam
Cook until tender-crispy, turning and moving them around the pan often to ensure even cooking
Repeat with however many batches of Spam you need, keeping the cooked ones warm.
Spam And Hashbrown Foil Breakfast Packets
Cooking in foil is a great time saver when you are camping. There are no pans to clean or dishes to wash. Simply cook and eat them right out of the foil. This recipe from AlaskaGranny combines pre-shredded hashbrowns, eggs, cheese and Spam to make an easy to make and easy to clean up breakfast.
How to make spam breakfast packets
Dice your spam into small cubes
Tear off about a 16″ sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil
Liberally grease the foil with bacon grease or shortening
Spread ~1 cup of frozen pre-made hashbrowns across the foil making a well in the center
Crack one egg into the well in the hash browns
Add ~1/2 cup of your Spam chunks to the top of you hash browns avoiding your egg
Top your egg with ~1/4c of shredded cheese of your choice, or one slice of processed ‘cheese’
Bring the long sides of your foil together and pinch to seal
Roll the ends to seal
Place on a grill or over your coals until cooked through, ~15 minutes
Spam Breakfast Sandwiches
This camping Spam breakfast sandwich comes straight from the makers of Spam itself. To save time when you are camping, you can pre-slice and caramelize your onions at home. This recipe is scaled to make four breakfast sandwiches.
In a small bowl combine the following to make a sauce
4 Tbsp mayo
2 Tsp Sriracha
Heat a pan to medium low, add cooking oil, your onions, and a pinch of salt and sugar
Cook slowly, stirring often until cooked and golden brown
Remove the onions from the pan, increase the heat and add your Spam
Fry the Spam until golden brown
Remove Spam and cook 4 eggs to desired doneness
Toast 4 burger buns
Return your Spam to the pan, top with cheese and let it start to melt
While the cheese is melting, spread your sauce on your toasted buns
Assemble your cheesy spam slices, caramelized onions, and eggs into your buns and enjoy
Spam Breakfast Burritos
Who doesn’t love a good breakfast burrito? In this recipe from Jason Bolt, Spam plays center stage to an otherwise Southwestern breakfast. One tip for this is if you are camping, you can dice or chop your vegetables at home, as well as drain and rinse your beans, so they are all ready to go when the time comes. Since he made his recipe at home, I’ve made some adjustments to his recipe to be more suitable for camping. This recipe makes 5 burritos.
How To Make Spam Breakfast Burritos
Dice one onion, one red pepper, one can of Spam, and about 2 cups of potatoes
Drain and rinse one can of black beans
Heat 1Tbsp of oil in a cast iron pan then sautee your onions and peppers
When cooked, remove them from the pan
Add more oil and your potatoes, when they are about done add the spam to the pan.
Mix up 8-10 eggs with some salt and pepper
When your potatoes and Spam are browned, add your eggs to the pan
Cook your eggs, stirring until they are done
To start assembling your burritos lay them out and spread sour cream on each
Evenly portion out your egg, potato, and Spam mix among your burritos
Then portion out your onions and peppers
Top with about 1/4c of each shredded cheese
Roll tightly and enjoy!
Spam Quesadillas
The dictionary defines a quesadilla as ” a tortilla filled with cheese and often a savory mixture (as of meat and vegetables), folded, and usually fried“. That being the case, that makes this Spam quesadilla legit. About as easy as it can get, all you need is a pan, some tortillas, a bag of cheese, and a can of Spam and you have a pretty much all purpose meal. In the video, he makes this recipe with two pans, I’ve modified it to use just one pan.
How To Make Spam Quesadillas
Dice or finely chop one can of Spam
Heat a pan with a little oil and brown your Spam
Remove the Spam the pan and reduce the heat
Add one tortilla, top with a handful of shredded cheese
Add a reasonable helping of Spam
Top with another tortilla and cook
When one side is brown, flip and repeat
After cooking, cut it up and enjoy
Spam ‘Steaks’ With Mushroom Gravy
Treat this spam like you would a bunch of roasted beef and whip up a batch of fried Spam and some mushroom gravy. People thing gravy is some mystical thing that is hard to create. Amazing gravy is an art, but a good gravy isn’t that hard and if you are cooking it while camping, it gets bonus points. The video uses a can of evaporated milk and a can of mushroom. The canned milk I can be ok with, but the mushrooms to me need to be fresh and sauteed, not canned. If you don’t have canned milk, you can also use half and half. They also add a dash of soy sauce at the end. This is a great time to put one of those soy sauce packets that come with your takeout food to good use!
How To Make Spam With Mushroom Gravy
Slice your Spam into 1/4″ thick steaks
Slice your mushrooms if needed
Heat a firing pan with a generous amount of cooking oil (not olive oil)
Fry your Spam in batches until they are brown and crispy on the outside
Dump the cooking oil out of your pan and add 3-4 Tbsp of butter
Once melted, add in ~1 cup of sliced mushrooms and cook until soft
Remove the mushrooms, and add 2 Tbsp of flour and stir
Cook for 1-2 minutes but don’t brown your flour
Reduce your heat and add one can of evaporated milk or 1 1/2 cups half and half
Return your mushrooms to the pan and cook until smooth stirring often
Arrange your Spam on a plate and pour your gravy over the top to serve
Spam Kebabs
This is an easy recipe that you is a snap to make. You could prep your Spam at home and coat it with seasoning so it is easier to assemble when it is time to cook.
How To Make Spam Breakfast Burritos
Cut up two cans of Spam into large chunks ~12/block
Place Spam in a container or bag
Add 2-3 tsp paprika or taco seasoning to bag/container
Close the container and shake to coat
Place your Spam on skewers with a little space between them
Cook over a grill/fire
While your kebabs are cooking, make your sauce
Combine 1/3c honey with 2/3c Heinz57 sauce
Brush your sauce onto your kebabs and let the sauce cook in
Serve up your kebabs
Spam Sandwich Spread
Most Spam sandwiches are just a couple slabs of Spam between two pieces of bread. This is another recipe that you can make mostly ahead of time.
How To Make Spam Sandwich Spread
Using a fork, break up a block of Spam and put it in a bowl
Add 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
Add 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Add 1/2 cup mayonnaise
Mix to combine and spread on sandwich bread
Spam Fried Rice
I would be greatly remiss if I didn’t include a Spam fried rice recipe in this list of camping Spam recipes. While fried rice might seem complicated for a camping recipe, it is actually very easy. The trick to good fried rice is to use enough oil and to keep your pan very hot. This will help to keep your food from sticking.
How To Make Spam Fried Rice
Dice one can of Spam into small cubes
Preheat a pan to high heat
While your pan is heating, beat 2 eggs
When your pan is hot, add some cooking oil and the eggs
Stir constantly breaking the eggs up, remove from pan when done
Add more oil and the Spam
Stir constantly until the Spam is browned
Add ~3 handfuls of mixed frozen vegetables
Crush or mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan
When the vegetables are approaching being soft add 2 cups pre-cooked rice
Stir constantly, breaking up the rice
Add in 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp sesame oil
To finish, add in the cooked eggs, and stir to combine
Spam Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Get all your calories and salt back after a long morning hike with these Spam grilled cheese sandwiches. A great easy lunch for when you are camping, these are a snap to make and will be perfect before that afternoon nap in the hammock.
How To Make Spam Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Slice a can of Spam thin and fry them until browned
Spread butter on two pieces of bread
Place the bread butter side down in your hot pan
Add a slice of American cheese, two slices of Spam, and top with one slice of cheese
Close the sandwich, brown and turn until nicely toasted and serve
Spam Recipes For Camping – Campfire Cooking
As camping food goes, I consider Spam a must-have item in my kit. Literally, I keep a can of spam in Leif the Adventure Van at all times, just in case of an impromptu camping trip.
Spam: The Secret Weapon for Campfire Cooking
Spam might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of healthy camping food, but it’s actually a pretty smart choice. When you’re out in the wilderness, burning calories like crazy, you need fuel that’ll keep you going. That’s where Spam comes in. It’s packed with fat, which is the perfect long-lasting energy source for those long hikes and challenging climbs.
Not only that, but Spam is also loaded with salt. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Salt? Isn’t that bad for you?” Well, not when you’re sweating buckets on the trail. Your body loses electrolytes like sodium when you sweat, and Spam can help replenish them. It’s like nature’s sports drink, but way more delicious.
What Is Spam Made Of?
Despite its reputation as mystery meat, Spam is actually made of high quality ingredients.
Compared to a lot of processed foods, Spam is actually relatively clean eating. If you eat any fast food, you are eating things a lot worse than you will find in your can of Spam.
Isn’t All That Salt Bad For You?
Unless you have a medical condition that makes your body retain salt, it is very difficult to get too much salt from the food you eat. In fact, when you’re active and sweating, your body loses essential electrolytes like sodium. Spam’s saltiness can help replenish these lost electrolytes, aiding in hydration and preventing muscle cramps.
What About All The Fat In Spam?
To start with, if you are being active, you need calories and fat to maintain your body. That means all the fat in Spam is a good thing. If you are still flinching at it, consider that half a can of Spam, what I consider a serving, has about the same amount of fat as your average cheeseburger.
It is pretty easy to see that Spam is pretty reasonable when it comes to total fat compared to your average cheeseburger.
Where Is The Best Place To Buy Spam?
If you are just grabbing one or two cans for a camping trip, the best place to get Spam is at your local grocery store. However, if you are going to buy a lot of it, as much as I hate to say it, Amazon is your best bet. I’m finding cases of Spam on Amazon for about a dollar a can cheaper than what the store charges.
Easy Campfire Cooking Spam Recipes
Enough talking about how awesome Spam is for cooking while you are camping, on to the recipes. I’ve put together this list of Spam recipes that lend themselves to cooking over a campfire, or camp stove. These are all simple and easy to prepare and I think you will love to eat on your next camping trip!
In any of these recipes, if there are ingredients like onions, peppers or potatoes, you can prep those ahead of time to make cooking at camp easier. Do note that for best results, potatoes should be par-cooked ahead of time. This will give you a much better finished product faster when cooking on your camp stove or campfire.
Pan Fried Spam Bacon
What I have dubbed ‘pan fried Spam bacon’ is a staple breakfast when I am out camping. As I’ve stated, there is always at least one can of Spam in Leif in case of impromptu trips to the middle of nowhere. This recipe is as easy as slicing your Spam as thin as you gan get it, and then frying it up until it is nearly crispy. The art of this recipe is getting all the slices even, and cooking them until they are just at that point where the carryover cooking makes them crispy and not crunchy brittle.
How to make Spam Bacon
Spam And Hashbrown Foil Breakfast Packets
Cooking in foil is a great time saver when you are camping. There are no pans to clean or dishes to wash. Simply cook and eat them right out of the foil. This recipe from AlaskaGranny combines pre-shredded hashbrowns, eggs, cheese and Spam to make an easy to make and easy to clean up breakfast.
How to make spam breakfast packets
Spam Breakfast Sandwiches
This camping Spam breakfast sandwich comes straight from the makers of Spam itself. To save time when you are camping, you can pre-slice and caramelize your onions at home. This recipe is scaled to make four breakfast sandwiches.
How To Perfectly Caramelize Onions
How To Make Spam Breakfast Burritos
Spam Breakfast Burritos
Who doesn’t love a good breakfast burrito? In this recipe from Jason Bolt, Spam plays center stage to an otherwise Southwestern breakfast. One tip for this is if you are camping, you can dice or chop your vegetables at home, as well as drain and rinse your beans, so they are all ready to go when the time comes. Since he made his recipe at home, I’ve made some adjustments to his recipe to be more suitable for camping. This recipe makes 5 burritos.
How To Make Spam Breakfast Burritos
Spam Quesadillas
The dictionary defines a quesadilla as ” a tortilla filled with cheese and often a savory mixture (as of meat and vegetables), folded, and usually fried“. That being the case, that makes this Spam quesadilla legit. About as easy as it can get, all you need is a pan, some tortillas, a bag of cheese, and a can of Spam and you have a pretty much all purpose meal. In the video, he makes this recipe with two pans, I’ve modified it to use just one pan.
How To Make Spam Quesadillas
Spam ‘Steaks’ With Mushroom Gravy
Treat this spam like you would a bunch of roasted beef and whip up a batch of fried Spam and some mushroom gravy. People thing gravy is some mystical thing that is hard to create. Amazing gravy is an art, but a good gravy isn’t that hard and if you are cooking it while camping, it gets bonus points. The video uses a can of evaporated milk and a can of mushroom. The canned milk I can be ok with, but the mushrooms to me need to be fresh and sauteed, not canned. If you don’t have canned milk, you can also use half and half. They also add a dash of soy sauce at the end. This is a great time to put one of those soy sauce packets that come with your takeout food to good use!
How To Make Spam With Mushroom Gravy
Spam Kebabs
This is an easy recipe that you is a snap to make. You could prep your Spam at home and coat it with seasoning so it is easier to assemble when it is time to cook.
How To Make Spam Breakfast Burritos
Spam Sandwich Spread
Most Spam sandwiches are just a couple slabs of Spam between two pieces of bread. This is another recipe that you can make mostly ahead of time.
How To Make Spam Sandwich Spread
Spam Fried Rice
I would be greatly remiss if I didn’t include a Spam fried rice recipe in this list of camping Spam recipes. While fried rice might seem complicated for a camping recipe, it is actually very easy. The trick to good fried rice is to use enough oil and to keep your pan very hot. This will help to keep your food from sticking.
How To Make Spam Fried Rice
Spam Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Get all your calories and salt back after a long morning hike with these Spam grilled cheese sandwiches. A great easy lunch for when you are camping, these are a snap to make and will be perfect before that afternoon nap in the hammock.
How To Make Spam Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
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