This hearty Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef brings the rustic charm of outdoor cooking to your table with tender chunks of beef and buttery vegetables wrapped in convenient foil packets. While this beloved meal appears on the restaurant’s menu for only a limited time each year, you can now enjoy this creative adaptation of classic camping cuisine whenever the craving strikes. This complete, satisfying meal works equally well in your home oven or on the backyard grill, proving that no actual campfire is required for outdoor flavors.
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What makes this recipe so good?
This hearty Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef Meal shows up on the restaurant’s menu for a limited time each year, but you can enjoy it all year round when you make it yourself. It’s a creative adaptation of a classic camping meal featuring tender chunks of beef and buttery vegetables.
It’s simple to make, easy to clean up, and endlessly versatile by changing up the ingredients. It’s a complete, fun meal that you can make in your home oven or on a grill in the backyard at a tailgate; no campfire required.
Campfire beef ingredients and their roles in the recipe
For Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef, you’ll need:
- Chuck roast, trimmed and cut into large bite-sized pieces – is the main protein of the dish. Chuck roast is an economical yet tough cut of meat that has a generous amount of fat and will remain moist during the longer cooking time required for the meat to become tender.
- Vegetable oil – helps to sear the chuck roast.
- Seasoned salt – like Lawry’s, gives the beef a deeper flavor profile than kosher salt.
- Carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks, lend sweetness to the dish, helping to balance out the savory and tangy flavors of the other ingredients.
- Red potatoes – halved or quartered, if large – are starchy and hold their shape better than other potatoes. Red potatoes are a good and inexpensive way to bulk up the dish and help soak up some of the cooking liquid.
- White onions – peeled and quartered lend a mild sweetness and a hint of umami flavor to the recipe.
- Grape tomatoes – contribute some acidity and pops of freshness to help balance out some of the sweeter components.
- Corn on the cob, cut in half – supplies a crunchy texture and more sweetness to the mix.
- Unsalted butter – adds richness and helps keep all the ingredients from drying out.
How to make this Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef recipe
To sear the chuck roast:
- Place a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat.
- Trim any fat and sinews from the chuck roast and cut it into slightly larger than bite-sized pieces.
- Toss the meat with seasoned salt.
- Add oil to the hot skillet.
- Quickly sear the beef chunks to give them some color, 10 to 15 seconds per side. Sear the beef in batches to prevent the meat from steaming. Allow the skillet to return to temperature before each batch, and add oil as needed.
- Reserve for later.
To fill the packets:
- Lay out four 12 x 18-inch pieces of aluminum foil on your work surface.
- Evenly divide the seared beef and the prepped vegetables between the pieces of aluminum foil and top with a pat of butter.
- Bring the short edges of the aluminum foil to the middle, then bring in the longer edges. Fold to edges to seal. You can add another layer of aluminum foil for extra protection.
To cook in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Place the filled packets on a baking tray.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the dish once during cooking.
- Remove the packets from the oven and let them sit unopened for five minutes before opening and serving.
To cook on the grill:
- Place the packets directly on the grill grate and close the lid.
- Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and cooked through. Make sure to flip after 20 minutes.
- Allow the packets to rest, unopened, for five minutes once they come off the grill.
What to serve with Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef
Although Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef is a complete meal on its own, adding an appetizer or dessert will make it even better. Here are three summer dishes that go great with this Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef recipe:
Strawberry Shortcake. Few desserts scream summer more than Strawberry Shortcake. This recipe, inspired by Ted’s Mountain Grill, forgoes store-bought shortbread for the homemade variety. It may take a little longer to make, but it makes all the difference. One bite, and you’ll never want an ordinary Strawberry Shortcake again.
Fruit Dip. Fresh fruit is always a great dessert or even an appetizer. Jason Deli’s Fruit Dip makes it even better by adding a creamy tang. This easy-to-make dip contains only three ingredients, yet it tastes incredible. It pairs well with almost fruit, but it’s particularly good with sweet melons like watermelon and cantaloupe.
Greek Salad. Give your meal a little Mediterranean vibe with a Traditional Greek Salad. The combination of crisp lettuce, tangy tomatoes, briny olives, salty feta, piquant onions, and cool cucumbers tossed in a simple red wine vinaigrette is bright and refreshing. Serve as a small side salad with Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef, or turn it into a light meal on its own.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Cooling Process: Allow leftover food to cool completely before transferring to airtight containers
- Refrigerator Storage: Store for up to 3 days maximum for food safety and quality maintenance
- Reheating Method: Use a large skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of water, cover and cook 15 minutes, shaking occasionally for even heating
- Texture Preservation: Avoid microwave reheating, which can make vegetables mushy
More Cracker Barrel copycat recipes
- Chicken and Dumplings
- Country Fried Pork Chops
- Country Fried Steak
- Hamburger Steak
- Meatloaf
- Smoky Grilled Chicken
- Southern Fried Chicken
Check out more of my easy recipes for beef and the best copycat Cracker Barrel recipes on CopyKat!
Cracker Barrel Campfire Beef Meal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast trimmed and cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt plus extra
- 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 large white onions quartered
- 8 small red potatoes halved or quartered if large
- 12 grape tomatoes
- 2 ears corn each cut into quarters (8 total pieces)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter divided
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over high heat. Lightly season the beef with 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt. When the skillet is hot, quickly sear the beef on all sides, just enough to brown the exterior. Do not cook through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cut four large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, each about 12×18 inches. For extra security, you can cut additional aluminum foil and double wrap each packet.
- In the center of each foil sheet, layer the following: A quarter of the seared beef, a quarter of the carrots, 2 onion quarters, 2 small red potatoes, 3 grape tomatoes, 2 pieces of corn, 2 tablespoons of butter, and a generous sprinkle of seasoned salt.
- Fold the foil around the ingredients and seal tightly to create a pouch. Be sure all the edges are securely folded to trap steam during cooking.
- To cook on a campfire or grill, place the packets on hot coals or a preheated grill for 30 to 35 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and the beef is fully cooked. To cook in the oven, place the packets on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Let the packets rest for 5 minutes before opening. Use caution when unwrapping, as the steam will be hot!
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