If you want to truly impress your fellow campers, why not cook something they’ve probably never experienced on a camping trip. Here are campfire cooking recipes for a whole chicken and a whole turkey. You can bring these birds to your campsite in a cooler, partially thawed as long as you cook them within two days.

Campfire Chicken

Ingredients:
11Whole chicken
12Minced garlic
13Onion sliced in half
14Seasonings
15Spices
16Spray butter
17Cheesecloth (optional)
18Heavy duty aluminum foil

Preparation and Cooking:
Take the whole chicken out of the cooler and unwrap it from its packaging. Rinse the chicken off with water and wipe it dry. Separate the chicken skin from the meat by sliding your hand beneath the skin. Place the minced garlic beneath the chicken skin in an even pattern, and then place your two onion halves inside the chicken cavity. Spray butter all over the chicken and sprinkle it with your favorite seasonings. Next, wrap your chicken in cheesecloth, then wrap three layers of aluminum foil around the cheesecloth-wrapped chicken.

Cooking time will vary based on the cooking fire. It’s best to cook the chicken in a campfire that has a bed of hot coals. Dig a small area out of the coals, put the chicken in the hole, and pull hot coals up and around the chicken. Cook the chicken approximately two hours. Serve with a cold pasta salad and bread.

Campfire Turkey

Ingredients and Needed Items:
1915 pound turkey
20Heavy duty aluminum Foil
21Bag of charcoal – 15 to 20 pounds
222 X 2 fire pit
23Minced garlic
24Lemon cut in half
25Orange cut in half
26Onion cut in half
27Spray Butter
28Spices and Seasonings
29Cheesecloth (optional)

Preparation and Cooking:
Place half of your charcoal into the two foot deep fire pit and light it. Take the turkey out of the cooler. Unwrap it from its packaging and rinse with cold water. Pat the bird dry. Separate the turkey skin from the meat by sliding your hand beneath the skin. Place the minced garlic beneath the chicken skin in an even pattern, and then place your onion, lemon and orange halves, inside the turkey cavity. Spray butter all over the turkey and sprinkle it with your favorite seasonings and spices. Next, wrap your turkey in cheesecloth, then wrap three layers of heavy duty aluminum foil around the turkey.

Place your turkey over the hot coals in the fire pit and cover with your remaining charcoal. Cook your turkey for three hours. Continually pull the hot coals up and over the turkey. After three hours use a temperature thermometer to ensure the turkey has reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve with cold salad, boxed stuffing, and corn on the cob. Leftovers can be stored away for sandwiches.