All you need to know for an excellent Icelandic Campervan Trip

James Taylor
23. May 2022 ∼ 11 min. read

Exploring the natural wonders of Iceland while camping is an experience that's both exciting and appetizing. As you immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes, why not indulge in some delicious Iceland camping recipes? From hearty stews to unique seafood dishes, Icelandic cuisine offers a wide array of flavors to tantalize your taste buds. To ensure you have the perfect setup for your culinary adventures, it's worth considering the convenience of camper van rentals in Iceland. Our comprehensive guide on camper van rentals Iceland can help you find the ideal vehicle, allowing you to combine the joys of camping with the freedom of the open road. So, pack your ingredients and embark on a culinary journey through the Icelandic wilderness.

For many campervan travellers in Iceland, the biggest part of planning a trip (after you’re sorted out your itinerary) is to decide what kind of food you’re going to cook in the camper.

Of course, many people survive of a lot of things like packaged ramen, instant pasta, and gas station hot dogs. And while we have nothing against these quick and easy meals (it’s #10 on this list!), we’ve also put together this list of meals you can cook in one of our campervans in Iceland so you can enjoy a little variety in food while travelling Iceland in a camper.

In this article, we’ll look at what to cook on a campervan trip in Iceland with some easy recipes that will leave you full and rearing to go on a day of adventure.

What Cookware is Included in my Icelandic Campervan?

At our campervan rental in Iceland, we’ve prepared our campers to make it as easy as possible to whip up quick meals when you’re out around the countryside. Each campervan comes with a small cooking stove (powered with gas canisters), pots, a pan, as well as all the utensils you’ll need.

You can check out what’s included in your campervan Check what is included in our Iceland camper van selection.

Groceries in Iceland

After picking up your campervan from our office in Hafnarfjörður, it’s a good idea for your first stop to be at one of the nearby supermarkets. There are two supermarkets directly behind our office, Bonus and a Krónan, both of which will have everything you need to prepare the following recipes.

Bonus is well-known as the cheapest supermarket in Iceland and has somewhat of a cult-following amongst campers in the country. The logo of a slightly drunk pig is instantly recognisable, and their yellow reusable shopping bags have become a quirky Icelandic souvenir to take home.

Before you go shopping, have a browse of these easy Iceland camping recipes to get an idea of the ingredients you should be picking up.

Storing Food in a Cooling Box

Our bigger campers (From the Go Lite 3-Pax and up) all come equipped with a cooling box, giving you extra options to store some fresh food during your campervan trip in Iceland. It’s important to note that these are only running while the car is running. After you’ve switched it off, it will stay cool for a time, but you should avoid leaving items in there for days on end.

Other things, like skyr, long-life milk (look for the purple GMjolk in supermarkets), and your fresh vegetables and fruit are all going to be OK for a few days on and off in the cooler.

But without further ado, let’s get into the recipes; here are the best meals for campers on your Icelandic camper road trip.

1.    Icelandic Hot Dogs

Camping recipes in Iceland are all about being quick and easy, leaving you more time to relax, play cards, or recover from a day’s adventuring. Icelandic hot dogs tick all those boxes – and did we mention that these are delicious as well? All you’ll need to do for camping recipe is to buy the makings, throw the hot dogs in some boiling water, and have the buns, sauce, and crispy onions ready after a few minutes.

You can buy hot dogs in every supermarket in Iceland, as it’s one of the most popular foods to have for locals – especially when it comes to camping foods. You’ll of course need the buns, and for a true Icelandic hot dog, fried crispy onions, ketchup, remoulade sauce, and a special hot dug mustard called pylsusinnep.

For the onions and the sauce, make sure to have a browse of our sharing centre before leaving the office, as you’ll often find these things left behind after other travellers have returned home.

Ingredients:

• Hot dogs
• Hot dog buns
• Crispy onions
• Your choice of sauce

After some Icelandic snacks? Find out the best things you can munch on during your campervan trip in best Iceland snacks for a Campervan Road Trip

2.    Pasta With Vegetables

Pasta is another great meal for Icelandic campers while out and about in the country. Quick, easy, and delicious, it’s a hearty meal to enjoy after a long day of adventuring. Throwing in some fresh veggies on top, chickpeas, and leafy greens makes it a healthy option as well.  

This is a fast meal since all you’ll need to do is boil some water to cook the pasta – everything else can be mixed in fresh. If you prefer, you could also quickly fry up the vegetables and chickpeas on the pan after the pasta has cooked. Some of our recommendations for the best veggies to throw in pasta are cherry tomatoes, red pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini.

To finish off this classic Iceland campervan recipe, you’ll need your choice of pasta sauce. Tomato or pesto are of course the most obvious, quickly bringing plenty of flavour to your meal.

Ingredients:

• Your choice of pasta
• Vegetables
• Chickpeas
• Pasta sauce or pesto

3.    Icelandic BBQ

If you’ve got some extra time at your evening campsite one day, we strongly recommend whipping out a barbecue to grill up a feast. This is another fun tradition on Icelandic camping trips – if you’re in a campsite with other Icelanders, you’ll quickly get used to the smell of grilling meats on the barbecue at lunch and dinner.

The go-to meat for grilling in Iceland is lamb – the country is famous for it. If you browse the meat section in the supermarket, you’ll see a wide variety of cuts, some even pre-marinated. Another favourite is of course hamburgers, a more affordable option than lamb.  

Another essential for an Icelandic camping BBQ are things like potato salad or coleslaw, both of which you can find in the cold section of the supermarkets. Finally, if you’re feeling like a true Icelander, you’ll also need to buy a container of Piknik, crispy potato straws that always make their way onto a plate next to some grilled meat.

Our campervan rental in Iceland also has barbecue grills available for rent at the office, so make sure to get one before you head out. You can also buy single-use barbecues at supermarkets.

Ingredients:

• Your choice of meat to grill
• Vegetables
• Charcoal for the barbecue or a single-use grill from the supermarket
• Potato/pasta salad or coleslaw
• Piknik

4.    French Toast

If you’re after a substantial breakfast before continuing your Icelandic Road trip, then some French toast might be the answer. This is an easy choice for brekky and one of the most popular Iceland camping foods, filling you up with energy for a day of hiking, lounging around in hot springs, or simply driving along and admiring the scenery.

To make French toast, it’s as easy as whisking some eggs and milk together in a bowl. Afterwards, you’ll want to soak your pieces of bread in the mixture, getting each piece nice and soggy. Then, it’s onto the pan, frying the bread for a few minutes on each side.

If you’re in the mood to liven things up and have some extra time, you could even throw on top some foraged wild berries. Between the middle of August and middle of September, you’ll find blueberries, crowberries, bilberries, and several more varieties.

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Toast
• Salt and Pepper (check the sharing centre!)

5.    Salmon and Potatoes

Feeling Icelandic? A bit on the fancy side? Then a dinner of some salmon and potatoes is a decadent camping recipe for your Iceland trip.

Salmon is one of the most popular foods in Iceland, with the rivers across the country brimming with them. Picking some up in the supermarket and throwing it onto the frying pan is a great idea for an Iceland camping recipe.

A great side to have with salmon is some salad, as well as some potatoes. Most Icelanders enjoy their potatoes boiled, although you could also finish them off on the frying pan for a bit of extra crispiness.

Ingredients:

• Salmon
• Salad ingredients (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc.)
• Potatoes

6.    Scrambled Eggs and Baked Beans

If you’re stuck for breakfast ideas in your camper, a great choice for an easy morning is to whip up some scrambled eggs and baked beans. This breakfast classic is a popular choice of camping recipes in Iceland thanks to how easy and delicious it is.

Scrambled eggs can be quickly whipped up on the pan, and then baked beans can be heated up in the pot before or after you’re done with the eggs. Then, a bit of bread underneath it all brings it together, making this one of the best recipes when camping in Iceland.

Don’t forget the coffee!

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Butter
• Baked Beans
• Bread

7.    Simple Stir Fry

For a simple dinner while in an Icelandic campervan, a stir fry is an excellent choice. We’re not going for anything fancy here – just some noodles or rice, some fried vegetables, meat, and a bit of soy sauce or something else. It’s easy, filling, and delicious.

To prepare, you should first cook the noodles in the pot (you could also opt for rice instead of noodles). When they’re ready, it’s time to put the meat and vegetables on the pan. Chicken is a great option here, alongside things like broccoli, red pepper, red onion, etc.

For a sauce, make sure to browse the sharing centre before you leave in case there’s some soy or teriyaki sauce (both affordable in the supermarkets). Our Icelandic campervan rental is always brimming with leftover ingredients during the busier months.

Ingredients:

• Stir fry vegetables
• Your choice of meat (or opt for a veggie-only meal!)
• Noodles or rice
• Soy sauce/sweet chilli sauce

8.    Fajitas or Burritos

If you’ve got some more chicken to use, or a bit of ground beef, fajitas or burritos are some of the best meals for campers in Iceland. Both are fantastic, filling, and easy to make – the perfect Icelandic camping recipe.

All you’ll need to buy are some fresh vegetables (tomatoes, red pepper, cucumber, lettuce – whatever you want), some wraps, and a bit of salsa. Then it’s as easy as frying up the meat on the pan and throwing it all together in a wrap once it’s finished cooking. Bon Appetit.

Ingredients:

• Chicken or ground beef
• Wraps
• Your choice of vegetables
• Salsa

9.    Toasted Sandwiches

There’s nothing quite like a hot toasted sandwich after a day of hiking, the Icelandic winds buffeting the campervan around you. It’s a simple camping recipe that can be dressed up a bit with a nice salad on top, and you can always go back for seconds thanks to how quickly you can cook these up.

It’s as easy as throwing some butter in the hot pan and frying the sandwich for around 5 minutes on each side. Packets of cheese and ham are great options to pick up in the supermarket, also letting you throw together a regular sandwich if you’re looking for an easy meal idea for your campervan trip and don’t feel like getting the pan out.

Ingredients:

• Bread
• Butter
• Cheese
• Ham
• Tomatoes

10.   Freeze-dried Meals

Finally, one of the easiest meals for Iceland campervan trips are the ready-to-go freeze-dried meals. We’re talking about ramen noodles, package pasta, soups, rice, and more. It’s not the most exciting of meals, but as always, can be spruced up with some fresh veggies on top or a side salad. 

The appeal of these freeze-dried meals is that all you need to do is boil some water and you’re basically ready to go. It’s perfect for those days that you roll into the campsite quite late and are looking to do nothing else but bunk down for the night after a long day.