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aerial view of a black with a portioned serving of dutch oven potatoes and forks to the side.

Dutch Oven Potatoes

Melissa Griffiths
Dutch oven potatoes are a flavor-packed camping classic! A simple & delicious recipe that your family is going to love and appreciate for years to come.
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 520 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

For the Potatoes

  • 8 medium sized potatoes (red, yukon gold, or russet, sliced thin)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • ½ pound bacon (diced)
  • 1 jalapeno (seeds and membranes removed, diced)
  • 2 ½ cups cheese (cheddar, montery jack, or pepper jack)
  • 1 teaspoon season salt

Dutch Oven

  • 12 inch (shallow dutch oven)
  • 27-30 coals (lit and heated until beginning to turn grey.)

Instructions
 

  • Over about half the coals, cook bacon until chewy. It will get crispy as it cooks with the potatoes.
  • Off of the coals, remove bacon from dutch oven and any excess grease, leaving about 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the bottom of the dutch oven.
  • Layer half of the sliced potatoes in the bottom of the dutch oven and sprinkle with half a teaspoon of season salt.
  • On top of the potatoes, layer half of the onion, half the jalapeno (if desired), half of the bacon, and then half of the cheese.
  • Repeat layers, using remaining ingredients and put the lid on the dutch oven.

For the Baking with Coals

  • With dutch oven on a stand or on a safe ground area, place 9 coals on the bottom and 18 coals on top. This should heat to about 375 degrees for a 12 inch shallow dutch oven.
  • Check periodically and adjust coals as necessary, adding more when the original coals begin to die down. 
  • If the bottom of the potatoes are cooking too quickly even with coal adjustment, add ⅓ cup water to the bottom of the dutch oven.
  • The potatoes are finished when they are soft, this takes about 45 minutes.

For Baking in the Oven

  • Place in an oven that has been preheated to 400ºF.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. You can check this by inserting a fork or butter knife into the center of the potatoes.

Notes

  • To make this recipe for a larger crowd, scale up the ingredients accordingly. A 12-inch Dutch oven can hold 3 layers and still cook well, but use a larger Dutch oven (or two 12-inch Dutch ovens) for more than 12 potatoes.
  • Additionally, this recipe can be scaled down. Use a smaller Dutch oven to avoid burning any of the ingredients while cooking.
  • If using starchy potatoes, soak them in water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch. This helps achieve a better texture.
  • Adding a splash of chicken broth or white wine halfway through cooking can enhance the flavor and help deglaze any bits stuck to the bottom.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 24gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 959mgPotassium: 1320mgFiber: 7gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 510IUVitamin C: 36.5mgCalcium: 431mgIron: 9.7mg
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