Short answer: the best campervan recipes use one pan, one or two rings, store-cupboard ingredients that keep without a fridge, and very little water. Think stews from tins, one-pot pasta, shakshuka, kettle noodles and a proper fry-up. Below are our guides to cooking on a two-ring hob, one-pan meals, using an air fryer on hook-up, and the kitchen kit that earns its space.
How we cook in the van
We cook most nights in the van, and the kitchen is small. Two gas rings, a sink that holds one pan, a fridge that is mostly full of milk and cheese, and a water tank we would rather not empty on washing-up. That shapes every meal we make. If a recipe needs an oven, four pans and a food processor, it stays at home.
What works is simple: one pan on one ring, ingredients that keep in a cupboard, and timings short enough that you are not burning through gas. Most of our favourite van meals start with an onion, a tin of something and a pan we already own.
Campervan recipe guides
What makes a good van recipe
- One pan, or two at most. Less washing-up means less water and less grey waste.
- One ring where possible. It leaves the other ring free for the kettle and saves gas.
- Store-cupboard first. Tins, jars, pasta, rice, lentils and spices keep for weeks without a fridge.
- Short cooking times. Twenty minutes on a low flame beats an hour of simmering.
- Flexible. If the village shop has no peppers, a tin of sweetcorn will do.
Van recipes in Roam
Van recipes are in the Roam app now. You tick the kit you cook with (gas hob, induction, oven, grill, kettle, toaster, microwave, air fryer, slow cooker or Remoska, barbecue or campfire) and how many hob rings you have, and Roam only shows recipes that fit your van. There is an "I have nothing electric" button for wild camping nights. You can also filter by van-friendly tags like one pan, no fridge needed, low water and low washing-up.
When you start cooking, cook mode takes you through one step at a time with timers, and when you plan a few meals, Roam adds them all into one combined shopping list sorted by aisle.
Questions
What is the easiest meal to cook in a campervan?
Anything that goes into one pan from tins: a chickpea and tomato stew, one-pot pasta, or beans on toast with a few extras. Five minutes of chopping and twenty on the hob.
Can you cook in a campervan without a fridge?
Yes. Lean on tins, dried pasta and rice, lentils, long-life milk, hard cheese and a few eggs. Buy meat on the day you cook it.
Is it safe to cook inside a campervan?
Keep a window or roof vent open whenever the hob is on, fit a carbon monoxide alarm, and never use a barbecue or camping stove inside the van. Have a fire blanket within reach of the hob.
How do you save water when cooking in a van?
Cook pasta in just enough water to be absorbed, wipe pans with kitchen roll before washing, and wash up in one bowl of hot water rather than under the tap.