We love to spend time around the fire on a cool autumn night and we love the scent of fresh wood smoke in the air. Are you looking for fun ways to host a great backyard fire? How about making s’mores or cooking hot dogs over the fire? Many families love to cook food with family and friends and many who purchase Fox River Fire Rings want to know – can you cook over a backyard fire pit? We have the answers you need!
Yes – anything that you would cook on your grill you can cook over your backyard fire pit – and the wood smoke may even add to the flavor. You can cook over your backyard fire pit, but it may take some extra equipment and a little more practice to create a culinary masterpiece. We may be able to help at Fox River Fire Rings.
Top 4 Tips for Cooking Over Your Backyard Fire Pit
Are you ready to get started? Do you want more than campfire potatoes and hot dogs the next time you have a backyard fire at your home, lake house or cabin? We may not be expert chefs like Gordon Ramsay or Bobby Flay – but we have cooked over our fair share of campfires. Here are our top four tips for cooking over your backyard fire pit created by Fox River Fire Rings.
1. Choose the Right Cooking Equipment
Campfire potatoes in foil are great – don’t get us wrong – but sometimes you just want more and when you have the right cooking equipment, you can upgrade your campfire meals. Available tripods allow you to suspend cooking grates, pots, pans or Dutch ovens over the fire to cook your favorite meals. Handheld cooking baskets can be used to cook vegetables and smaller food over the fire – just like roasting a hot dog – and a high-quality cast iron Dutch oven can be put in the fire.
2. Use the Right Firewood
We know we have covered the right types of wood to burn in your fire pit – and what you shouldn’t burn – but the firewood you use can have a big impact on how your meal turns out. Dense hardwoods are the best firewood to use when cooking because they burn hotter and longer than softwoods like pine. Oak, hickory, mesquite, cherry, apple and pecan wood are great for cooking and can add additional flavors to your meal.
3. Build a Good Fire
How you build your fire will have an impact on how well you are able to cook your meals. You want to build a fire that creates large coals, builds a solid heating bed and provides even, consistent temperatures. We recommend building a teepee style of fire to cook over. A teepee fire will start to break down after about 20 minutes of burning and will create the heating bed that you need for consistent cooking temperatures within about 30 to 45 minutes.
4. Choose Easy-to-Cook Foods
It doesn’t take much to cook a hot dog over the fire – it is about as simple as it gets – but while roasting wieners is fun and delicious, you may want to have a little more for your next backyard fire. When you use a backyard fire to cook, it is important to choose easy-to-cook foods until you become better at building a good fire and get used to the temperatures involved. Foods that are easy and fun to cook over an open fire include corn on the cob, chicken or pork shish kabobs, grilled pineapple and fruit, cast iron brownies, skillet s’mores and more.
READ MORE: Fox River Fire Rings vs Breeo Smokeless Fire Pits
Do you want to upgrade your next backyard fire and your menu at the same time? You may ask – can you cook over a backyard fire pit? The answer is yes, and we have a few quick tips that can help you create a campfire culinary masterpiece at home. Contact Fox River Fire Rings today for more information on our custom outdoor fire rings!
