Campervan cooking recipes is a grand phrase for what actually happens in Florie most evenings: a two-ring gas hob, a RidgeMonkey, and me trying to convince Issy that whatever's in the pan isn't for her. But that's the whole point — proper van life meals don't need a proper kitchen, just the right kit and a bit of stubbornness.

Everything here is grouped by what it's cooked in, not chicken versus lamb versus fish, because on a two-ring hob the equipment decides the meal before the ingredients get a say. The RidgeMonkey handles anything that wants a lid and even heat. A saucepan with a lid does the slow, leave-it-alone stews. A frying pan covers most of the rest. And a few things need no heat at all.

These are the recipes that have actually been cooked in the van — not adapted for the idea of van cooking, but tested for real, on the road, usually somewhere in Spain with Issy asleep under the table and whatever view happened to be outside that day. A good chunk of the wider Casa Adora back catalogue would adapt just as easily to two rings and a bit of patience — this is simply the collection that's actually made that journey so far.

RidgeMonkey for Campervan Cooking Recipes

The RidgeMonkey is the not-so-secret weapon behind most of these campervan cooking recipes — a lidded, non-stick press that turns a two-ring gas hob into something closer to a proper kitchen. These recipes lean on it entirely.

RidgeMonkey Garlic & Herb Chicken with Warm Potatoes
Garlic, herbs and chicken thighs pressed and seared in the RidgeMonkey, with potatoes cooked alongside for a proper sit-down meal without a single extra pan to wash.

RidgeMonkey • Chicken thighs • One pan, minimal washing up

Easy Ridge Monkey Spicy Chicken Wings for Van Life Cooking
Wings with real heat, cooked fast in the RidgeMonkey over a gas hob — proof that van cooking doesn't mean compromising on flavour.

RidgeMonkey • Chicken wings • Fast & fiery

RidgeMonkey Chicken Drumsticks — BBQ Style on a Gas Hob
Sticky, smoky drumsticks that taste like they've come off a barbecue, achieved entirely on a two-ring gas hob with the RidgeMonkey doing the heavy lifting.

RidgeMonkey • Chicken drumsticks • BBQ flavour, no BBQ

Easy Ridge Monkey Chicken Thighs Recipe
The simplest of the four — thighs, seasoning, and the RidgeMonkey — for when van life calls for minimum fuss and maximum flavour.

RidgeMonkey • Chicken thighs • Minimum fuss

Confit de Canard with Sautéed Potatoes – A Campervan Feast
An indulgent Friday night in the van — vacuum-packed duck leg rendered in its own fat in the RidgeMonkey, finished with sautéed potatoes and green beans. Not strictly one-pan, since the veg gets parboiled first, but nobody's checking.

RidgeMonkey • Duck leg • Friday night indulgence

Making the Most of Your Supplies: A Simple Ridge Monkey Fish Bake
Tinned mackerel, leftover veg and a tin of baked beans, layered and cooked low and slow in the RidgeMonkey — using it as a makeshift oven when supplies are running low and a restock is a way off yet.

RidgeMonkey • Tinned mackerel • Using up what's left

Ridge Monkey Meatballs in Sauce: A Perfect Van Life Recipe
Meatballs made ahead at home and frozen for van trips, browned then simmered in a from-scratch wine and stock sauce, thickened with crushed cashews, all in the RidgeMonkey's hinged, magnet-locked lid.

RidgeMonkey • Pre-made meatballs • Make-ahead convenience

One-Pan Mediterranean Chicken & Veg
Chicken and Mediterranean veg, pressed and cooked together in the RidgeMonkey — a full plateful from a single pan.

RidgeMonkey • Chicken & veg • Mediterranean, one pan

Easy RidgeMonkey Rabbit with Green Peppers and Chillies
Rabbit pieces browned and simmered low and slow with green peppers, chillies, tomatoes and garlic — a proper one-pot van dinner cooked entirely on a two-ring gas hob.
RidgeMonkey • Rabbit • One pot, low and slow

Van Life Confit Chicken Wings
Drumettes and flats slow-confited in olive oil with fermented hot sauce, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme, then blistered hard on the RidgeMonkey until explosive-crisp. Cooked in the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Andújar. Silky inside, crispy outside.

RidgeMonkey • Chicken wings • Two-stage, van technique

Chicken Meatballs Kiev — Stuffed with Garlic Butter, Cooked in the RidgeMonkey
Chicken mince meatballs stuffed with frozen garlic butter, seared in the RidgeMonkey until golden, finished in a tomato, Dijon and paprika pan sauce. Cooked at Complejo Rural Los Cortijos de Noalejo with the Sierra Nevada in the background.

RidgeMonkey • Stuffed chicken meatballs • Garlic butter inside

Saucepan with a Lid — One-Pot Campervan Cooking Recipes

One of the quieter corners of these campervan cooking recipes — dishes that want to be left alone. Put the lid on, turn the heat down, and let the two-ring hob do the patient work while you get on with something else.

Souris d'Agneau — Lamb Shank with Grapes, Rosemary and a Bit of Luck
Lamb shank, grapes and rosemary, simmered low under a lid until the meat gives way on its own terms.

Saucepan with a lid • Lamb shank • Slow braise

Osso Buco in a Pan — Simmered with Stock, Bay & White Beans
Osso buco simmered with stock, bay and white beans — proof a two-ring hob can still produce something worth slowing down for.

Saucepan with a lid • Osso buco • Italian classic, van-adapted

Campervan Dublin Coddle with Carrot & Italian Pepper
Sausages, bacon and potatoes with carrot and Italian pepper, left to coddle together under the lid.

Saucepan with a lid • Sausage & bacon • Irish comfort, van-adapted

Vanlife Cooking: Ternera Ribs Stew with Tomato, Pimentón & Celery
Beef ribs stewed low and slow with tomato, pimentón and celery — the smell alone makes the wait worth it.

Saucepan with a lid • Beef ribs • Smoky, slow-stewed

Garlic Mushroom Spaghetti
Simple, fast, and genuinely satisfying — garlic and mushrooms through spaghetti, made entirely in one pan with a lid to keep things moving.

Saucepan with a lid • Mushroom & garlic • Quick weeknight pasta

Garbanzos a la Riojana — A Traditional Spanish Stew from La Rioja
A chickpea and chorizo stew from La Rioja, simmered low and slow in one pan on a rainy afternoon in Llanes — the kind of dish that improves overnight, if it lasts that long.

Saucepan with a lid • Chickpea & chorizo • One pot, store-cupboard

Coq au Chardonnay — Van Life Version
Chicken legs braised in a 2.50€ supermarket Chardonnay with lardons, pearl onions, mushrooms, Dijon, and a spoonful of Greek yoghurt to finish. Cooked in a 20cm Le Creuset in the Parque Natural Sierra de Cardeña y Montoro, Córdoba province.

Saucepan with a lid • Chicken legs • French braise, van-adapted

One-Pan Chickpea Rice Bowl
A tin of chickpeas, some rice, half an onion, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and a tub of hummus stirred in at the end — cooked at Magacela with views of the castle above the town. Twenty minutes, one pan, considerably better than it had any right to be.

Saucepan with a lid • Chickpeas & rice • Van store-cupboard, one pan

Arroz con Leche — A Creamy Spanish Rice Pudding from the Road
A creamy Spanish rice pudding made with pudding rice, orange blossom honey and cassia bark, cooked on a single gas ring at the Embalse de Colomera, where the Colomera and Las Juntas rivers meet in Granada province. Simple, unhurried, and one of the most travelled desserts in the world.

Saucepan with a lid • Pudding rice & honey • Spanish classic, van-adapted

Chicken in a Pan — Easy Campervan Chicken Recipes

The everyday chicken side of these campervan cooking recipes — nothing fancy, just good ingredients and a frying pan doing what it does best.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken — Cooked Campervan Style in Cantabria
A whole head of garlic's worth of cloves, gone soft and sweet alongside the chicken — one of the two book-donated recipes that's proved it belongs in the van as much as the kitchen.

Frying pan • Chicken • Garlic, garlic, garlic

Sticky Glazed Chicken Wings – Alitas Van Style
Sticky, glazed wings cooked the van way — proof that a frying pan and a two-ring hob can still deliver proper finger food.

Frying pan • Chicken wings • Sticky & glazed

Easy Campervan Chicken and Potato Hash (One-Pan Recipe)
Chicken and potatoes, hashed together in one pan — the kind of no-fuss dinner that comes together from whatever's left in the van.

Frying pan • Chicken & potato • Everyday one-pan

Spicy Beer-Braised Garlic Chicken – Van Version
Chicken thighs braised in lager and Mango Ember fermented hot sauce, finished with butter and lime — a spicy, glossy glaze built entirely from what was already in the van, cooked at 1,000 metres near Noalejo with the Sierra Nevada still holding its snow.

Frying pan • Chicken thighs • Beer, chilli & lime

No Cook & Quick Assembly — Easy Van Life Meals

Not everything needs the hob — these come together from what's fresh, fast, and require no heat at all, or barely any.

Cooking for One in My Campervan: A Nordic-Style Three-Course Supper
A Nordic-inspired tasting plate built for solo van dining — proof that eating well on the road doesn't need three separate cooking stages.

No cook • Nordic-style • Solo dining, done properly

Warm Tinned Mackerel, Feta and Herb Salad with Lemon–EVOO Dressing
Tinned mackerel, warmed through, tossed with feta, fresh herbs and a lemon-EVOO dressing — store-cupboard ingredients turned into something that tastes like effort without actually being any.

No cook • Tinned mackerel • Fast, fresh, store-cupboard

A Chickpea Salad in the Sun
A meat-free chickpea salad built for eating outside, in the sun, with minimal fuss and maximum freshness.

No cook • Chickpea • Meat-free & fresh

Lemon Quinoa Van Lunch
Cooked quinoa dressed with lemon and garlic, topped with feta, cherry tomatoes, red onion and pepino — no hob required if the quinoa's pre-cooked, and it travels well to a picnic spot or a walk.

No cook • Quinoa & feta • Make-ahead, no hob needed

Bonito Pâté with Pickled Guindilla Peppers — Conservas Ortiz bonito in EVOO, butter, pickled guindilla peppers and lemon, blitzed in the van. A Basque classic in a ramekin — pot it the night before and take a baguette.

No cook • Bonito & guindilla • Make-ahead, no hob needed

Sardine Rillettes Recipe — Recreating Le Bistrot de Halles in Limoges on the Asturian coast. Real Conservera Española sardines, fork-mashed with fresh cheese, shallot, parsley and cayenne.

No cook • Sardines & cornichons • Make-ahead, no hob needed

Pâté de Pimientos del Piquillo y Almendras — D.O.P. Lodosa piquillo peppers and pre-toasted Marcona almonds, blitzed in the van in Navarra. Bright, slightly sweet, and ready in five minutes.

No cook • Meat-free • Fresh

Meat, Fish & Veg in a Pan — Campervan Dinner Recipes

The everyday workhorses among these campervan cooking recipes — meat, fish or veg, straight into a frying pan, done properly without overcomplicating things.

Lamb Chops in the Campervan – Vineyard Views, Thunderous Flavours
Born in the vineyards of Extremadura — lamb chops cooked on a single burner with whatever was already in the van, eaten with a view that made the whole thing feel far grander than it had any right to be.

Frying pan • Lamb chops • Vineyard views, van cooking

Steak, Shade and Sanity in the Sierra de Gredos
Steak cooked in whatever shade could be found in the Sierra de Gredos — proof that a good piece of meat and a hot pan don't need much else to earn their keep.

Frying pan • Steak • Mountain views, minimal fuss

Smoked Salmon & Crispy Potatoes
Smoked salmon alongside crispy pan-fried potatoes — a van dinner that punches well above its ingredient list.

Frying pan • Salmon & potatoes • Simple, smoky, satisfying

Stuffed Sweet Peppers with Prawns & Couscous
Sweet peppers stuffed with prawns and couscous, all in one pan — a proper plateful for not much washing up.

Frying pan • Prawns & couscous • One-pan stuffed peppers

Juicy Shawarma Patties – Van Cooking with Big Flavour
Shawarma-spiced patties, seared in the pan for a big hit of flavour without needing a spit or a grill in sight.

Frying pan • Spiced patties • Big flavour, small kitchen

Campervan Cooking: Smoky Pork Ribs with Mustard Pan Sauce
Pork ribs finished in a smoky mustard pan sauce — comfort food built entirely on a two-ring hob.

Frying pan • Pork ribs • Smoky, mustardy, comforting

One-Pan Beer-Braised Pork Ribs
A second life for pork ribs, braised in beer until they give way — simple ingredients doing all the work.

Frying pan • Pork ribs • Beer-braised, low effort

Chickpea Flatbread
A gluten-free flatbread made from chickpea flour, whisked into a simple batter and cooked in a frying pan — high in protein, endlessly adaptable, and ready in 15 minutes flat.

Frying pan • Chickpea flour • Gluten-free, protein-packed

Quail Four Ways – Easy Campervan Cooking
Quail, prepared four different ways from the same pan and the same herbs — proof that van cooking doesn't mean one-note meals.

Frying pan • Quail • Four ways, one pan

Chelo Kabab
A Persian-style feast cooked entirely on the road — spiced kababs and rice, built from store-cupboard basics and a hot pan.

Frying pan • Spiced kababs • Persian-style, van-adapted

Smoky Mince and Pea Pasta Skillet – A Campervan Recipe for One
Mince, peas and pasta, all smoked through in one skillet — a proper solo dinner that doesn't dirty a second pan.

Frying pan • Mince & pasta • Solo dinner, one skillet

Spicy Pork Lettuce Wraps – A Van Kitchen Recipe
Sticky pork mince with chilli, cherry tomatoes and homemade Mango Ember hot sauce, spooned into organic lettuce leaves handed over by the farmer whose land Florie was parked on.

Frying pan • Pork mince • Spicy, fresh, one pan

Easy Egg Fried Rice Recipe
Day-old jasmine rice tossed in a high-sided frying pan with beaten eggs, spring onion, peas, carrot, soy sauce and sesame oil — cooked on a single gas ring at 980 metres above sea level in Abrucena, a mountain town in Almería province where the town hall provides the parking and asks nothing in return.

Frying pan • Jasmine rice & egg • Van store-cupboard, one pan

That's the campervan cooking recipes collection so far — every way Florie's been fed on two rings and a bit of patience. It grows every time she goes somewhere new: a fresh view, whatever's left in the fridge, and the RidgeMonkey doing more than its fair share of the work. If you've got a favourite piece of van kit that deserves its own section, or you've made one of these on the road yourself, I'd genuinely like to hear about it.

Related Reading

My Van Kitchen — Equipment, Setup and How I Actually Cook on the Road
The kit behind the cooking — the two-ring gas hob, RidgeMonkey, flame gun, power setup and everything else that lives in Florie, plus what stays at home and what's still on the list.

Wonky park-ups, proper adventures, genuine freedom — The Flexible Chef