Camping dinner recipes that use advanced meal prep means less time cooking at camp. The whole family will love the delicious flavors in this Beef And Broccoli Freezer Meal that cooks in just 10 minutes.
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Prepare In Advance
To prepare as one of our make ahead camping meals, do this:
- At home: Label gallon-sized freezer bag, prepare ingredients and combine into bag. Seal and freeze flat.
- It is easiest to use freezer bag holders to load the bag.
- At camp: Defrost, dump into heated pan, cook and serve.
Cooking Methods & Equipment
You can make this as one of our easy campfire recipes, but it cooks so quickly you may want to use another form of fuel if you don’t want to have a campfire for other reasons.
This is great prepared as one of our camp stove recipes because of the short cooking time. Get your stove ready for cooking on a level surface.
Recipe Steps
At Home
Step 1. Prepare your ingredients. Slice the beef into thin strips against the grain. Wash broccoli florets and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2. Label a gallon-sized freezer bag. Write the recipe name, date and cooking instructions on the bag.
Step 3. Combine ingredients in bag and freeze. Place the beef strips, broccoli, minced garlic, brown sugar, beef broth, soy sauce and red pepper flakes (if using) in the bag. Remove excess air from bag, seal tightly, “mix” by squeezing bag, and lay flat in the freezer for up to three months.
At Camp
Step 4. Defrost. Place the bag in a refrigerator or cooler overnight to thaw.
Step 5. Cook. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then, dump the contents of the freezer bag into the hot pot, cover and cook. Stir occasionally, continue cooking until the beef is cooked through and the broccoli is slightly tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Cook or reheat rice, if using.
Hand Test For Cooking Temperatures
You don’t need a thermometer to determine the temperature of your heat source for cooking. Here’s steps for the “hand test”.
- Hold the palm of your hand about 5 inches above the heat source (campfire coals, charcoal briquettes, propane grill etc.) you’re using for cooking. (Make sure nothing is flammable, like clothing or jewelry.)
- Pull your hand away from the heat before it hurts and note how many seconds have passed. Example: 5-6 seconds = medium heat.
| Heat Level | Temperature Range | Time |
| High Heat | 450-550°F | 2-3 seconds |
| Medium Heat | 350-450°F | 5-6 seconds |
| Low Heat | 250-350°F | 8-10 seconds |
Step 6. Serve. We recommend serving the beef and broccoli recipe over a bed of white, brown or cauliflower rice and topping with green onions, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, if desired.
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What To Serve With This Recipe
We like serving this meal over rice, udon noodles or soba noodles. It’s also yummy with a slaw side salad tossed in an Asian dressing.
Leftovers
Place leftovers in an air-tight container in a refrigerator or cooler. Reheat for a quick lunch on a lazy day or serve as a cold sandwich on naan bread.
Similar Recipes
If you want similar easy camping meals, here’s one you should try. The ginger and garlic make a bold, rich flavor statement in this dinner. It’s another great freezer meal but instead of freezing the broccoli you add 3 cups broccoli florets at the end of the cooking process for this Dutch Oven Beef And Broccoli.
Many of my boondocking recipes are freezer meals; I love them because I can fit enough frozen bags into our RV freezer to provide dinners to last 2 weeks. The secret ingredients in this dish are the coconut milk and peanut butter. They make this Dutch Oven Thai Campfire Chicken almost-gourmet!
If you don’t like the texture of frozen broccoli, try this Beef, Carrot & Broccoli Stir Fry. It’s a little more work at the campsite, but, it’s really worth the effort!
I have tons of Dutch oven camping recipes because I love cooking with that awesome cast iron pot! I use red curry paste and curry powder to create tasty flavors with very little effort in this Camp Oven Chicken Curry dish.
Try this Dutch Oven American Chinese Chop Suey when you want a veggie-heavy meal. It includes carrots, water chestnuts, celery and mushrooms.
Print This Recipe
Beef And Broccoli Freezer Meal
Camping For Foodies Dinner Camping Recipes: This Beef And Broccoli dish makes a quick and satisfying meal when you do all the prep work at home using simple ingredients.
- 1 pound beef flank steak sliced into thin strips against the grain (see * Note)
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 cup beef broth
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce (see ** Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
At Camp For Serving
- 4 servings cooked brown rice, white rice or cauliflower rice recommended serving suggestion
- 3 green onions chopped, optional for serving
- Sesame seeds and red pepper flakes optional
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Prep At Home
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Prepare the beef by slicing it into thin strips against the grain. For a tough cut to become tender beef, it’s important to cut the strips against the grain.
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Wash the fresh broccoli florets and chop them into bite-sized pieces.
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Label a gallon-sized freezer bag with the name of the recipe, date and cooking instructions.
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Place the beef strips, broccoli, minced garlic, brown sugar, beef broth, soy sauce and red pepper flakes (if using) in bag.
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Remove as much air from the bag as possible, seal tightly, “mix” by squeezing bag, then, place it flat in the freezer for up to three months.
Defrost & Cook At Camp
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Remove the bag from the freezer and thaw in the fridge or cooler overnight.
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Cook or reheat rice, if using.
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Set bag on counter to bring to room temperature while heating a large skillet over medium-high heat. (see *** Note)
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Pour the contents of the freezer bag into the skillet and cook covered for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through and the broccoli is slightly tender.
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Serve the beef and broccoli over a bed of rice and garnish with green onions, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes, if desired.
Serving: 1gCalories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 32gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 727mgPotassium: 899mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 712IUVitamin C: 81mgCalcium: 100mgIron: 4mg
