11 Best Korean Recipes for Camping

One of my personal favorite cuisines to learn about cooking as an adult is Korean food. So, I decided to seek out the best Korean recipes for camping to change things up a bit on our family adventures outdoors!

Korean food has a distinctive taste and can vary greatly depending on the dish. Generally, it is characterized by an umami flavor from fermented foods like kimchi and doenjang, and also a combination of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy flavors.

Popular Korean dishes include kimbap (Korean sushi rolls), bulgogi (marinated beef), bibimbap (mixed rice dish with eggs, vegetables, and meat), and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles).

While I have my own favorite Korean dish pictured below, bibimbap (pronounced “bee-BIM-bop”), I decided to ask some fellow bloggers what their recommended Korean recipes for camping are!

Best Korean Recipes for Camping

Korean food is an excellent option for camping as it is a cuisine that can be either cooked over an open flame or served easily cold.

The dishes tend to be plentiful in delicious vegetables so Korean food is a great way to add nutritious meals to your camping menu.

In addition to the Korean camping food ideas below, try packing a variety of side dishes, such as kimchi, pickled or fermented vegetables, and rice cakes for sharing around the campfire.

1. Folded Kimbap Sandwich

Kimbap is a popular Korean street food similar in structure to Japanese sushi. It is prepared by filling seaweed sheets with short-grain rice and other ingredients, such as meat, fish, and vegetables, and then folding it up into a sandwich shape.

This simple folded Kimbap sandwich is a great make-ahead and very packable recipe for your camping trip. It is a tasty snack or lunch and is sure to be a hit with friends and family when you are out camping, as it’s unique and so delicious!

2. Korean Short Ribs

Kalbi is a traditional Korean dish made from marinated short ribs. The ribs are usually cut crosswise and marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, and other sweet and spicy seasonings for several hours and up to 48 hours before grilling.

The resulting flavor of grilled Kalbi is tangy, sweet, and savory, with a strong garlic flavor. These Korean short ribs are super tender and fall off the bone. They are grilled in just 5 minutes flat!

3. Yachaejeon: Korean Vegetable Pancakes

Yachaejeon is a popular Korean pancake made with vegetables and eggs. It usually contains vegetables such as thinly sliced onion, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, and diced green onions in a savory egg batter.

The vegetables and egg are fried together in a large pan until the pancake is crispy and golden brown. It is often served as an appetizer or snack, but can also make for an excellent side dish or light meal.

The recipe is super easy to replicate and everything comes together in one pan, which makes it perfect for when you’re outdoors and want a minimal cleanup.

4. Creamy Gochujang Pasta

Gochujang is a Korean condiment made from chili powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. It has a spicy-sweet flavor with a bit of umami and is used to add depth of flavor to many dishes in Korean cuisine.

This Gochujang pasta is a simple 20-minute recipe that will warm you from the inside out when camping! It’s super creamy, comforting, and has a nice spicy kick to it.

5. Spicy Korean Soft Tofu Soup

Soondubu Jjigae is a stew made from soft tofu, meat, vegetables, and gochujang. It’s spicy, savory, and umami-packed.

The stew is typically cooked in a hot stone pot over an open flame for a smoky flavor, so it’s an ideal camping recipe. It is perfect for a comforting meal!

Soondubu Jjigae is made in one pot, so it is a great camping soup recipe. It can be made with any vegetables you choose with the addition of either shrimp, chicken, pork, or beef.

6. Keto Korean Beef

Do you need a super fast camping recipe that is also low-carb? This one is perfect for you. With brown sugar replacement, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil, you will be able to enjoy a flavorful and comforting keto recipe while camping.

This Keto Korean Beef is full of flavor that everyone loves and it is served over cauliflower rice or in lettuce wraps for a low-carb option that’s ready in under 15 minutes.

7. Korean Rice Cake Skewers

Teokkochi, or Korean Spicy Rice Cake Skewers, are one of Korea’s most popular street foods! They are a sweet and savory snack that makes for a delicious and crunchy meal.

Chewy rice cakes are threaded onto a skewer and grilled until lightly crispy on the outside. Then they’re slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce, made with gochujang, that’s to die for!

Add a garnish of chopped green onions and sesame seeds and serve with kimchi and warm rice on the side topped with furikake for a delicious and affordable camping meal.

8. Kimchi Bibimmyeon (Cold Spicy Noodles)

Cold noodles are a popular Korean meal option and this recipe is one of several favorites. Bibimmyeon, or Bibim Guksu, are perfect for a hot day!

Chewy wheat noodles are chilled and coated in a spicy gochujang sauce. They are topped with kimchi, cucumber, and a hard-boiled egg. This easy Korean dish is tangy, spicy, and light yet satisfying.

Make the noodles and hard-boiled eggs in advance if you would as they will last several days in the fridge and be a super convenient option for a camping lunch or dinner.

9. Korean Cucumber Pickles

Korean cucumber pickles, also known as oijangajji, are a popular side dish in Korean cuisine. They are made with cucumbers that have been salted and fermented in a brine solution with chili flakes, garlic, ginger, and other seasonings.

The pickles are usually served chilled or at room temperature as part of a larger meal. These Korean cucumber pickles are a nice combination of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy and a perfect accompaniment to the best Korean recipes for camping!

10. Korean Potato Salad (Gamja)

Gamja is a Korean potato salad dish. It is actually better if you make it ahead of time, like most potato salads, which makes it an excellent choice for a side dish for your camping trip.

It is made with boiled potatoes that have been peeled and cubed, then mixed with mayonnaise, garlic, onion, green onions, and various seasonings. The resulting salad has a creamy texture and savoury flavour.

The salad would be great alongside other banchan (small Korean side dishes) and a classic Korean barbecue meal.

11. Korean BBQ Tacos

These mouth-watering Korean BBQ tacos are made with flank steak, sirloin, or a New York strip that has been marinated for a couple of hours to make it tender and flavorful.

Serve them with a simple slaw and some quick pickled cucumbers (the recipe mentioned in this post) wrapped in tortillas. Prep ahead and marinate the beef and cucumbers for these tacos the morning that you are heading out to go camping!

Korean BBQ (or samgyupsal), above, is ALSO an especially popular way to enjoy Korean cuisine on your camping trip, as all you need to do is marinate some meat in advance and then fire up the grill while enjoying some drinks in nature.

Korean staples such as Japchae, Kimchi Fried Rice and Bibimbap are also great options for campfire cooking. Hearty soups such as Doenjang Jjigae or Gomtang can also be easily cooked over a flame, adding a nutritious element to your outdoor meals.

FAQS: Best Korean Recipes for Camping

If you are new to Korean food as well as cooking it you may have a lot of questions, especially about some ingredients you are unfamiliar with.

Final Thoughts on Best Korean Recipes for Camping

Camping is a great activity to enjoy with friends or family and having the right food on hand can make all the difference, so give some of these Korean recipes a try!

Korean cuisine is known for its vibrant flavors and the ability to create meals with minimal ingredients so it fits the bill perfectly.

The best Korean recipes for camping in this post are great for packing for a trip outdoors as they require minimal cooking and preparation. Enjoy them and feast in nature, creating memories that will last a lifetime!