Corned beef hash is the breakfast of champions, and it is exactly the kind of thing a campsite was made for. Crispy beef, grated potato, one cast iron pan and an egg on top. No fresh corned beef in the cooler? No problem — the canned version is a genuinely great substitute here.
This is a fifteen-minute breakfast that will get an entire family out of their sleeping bags, and it needs almost nothing from you: a modest fire, a pan, and a potato you grate straight into it.
🥫 Corned Beef in a Can?
It is entirely possible that the mere idea of canned meat disgusts you. I make my own corned beef once or twice a year, and it is wonderful. But the fact remains that canned salted beef is a fabulous option outdoors — it keeps forever, it takes no cooler space, and it crisps beautifully.
Especially when you grill it with grated potatoes, hash brown or rösti style, and finish it with an egg. That is a breakfast that fills you up and gets things done.
🥔 What Goes Into Corned Beef Hash
- Corned beef — make your own or buy it in a tin. The tin is a very good option when you’re cooking outdoors.
- Hash — a raw potato, grated on a cheese grater directly over the meat. I have used boxed grated potatoes, the ones you rehydrate, and I have had it with cubed potatoes too.
- Toppings — the classic is an egg, sunny side up. A few drops of Tabasco and you are set.
🔥 Making Corned Beef Hash Over the Fire
First things first: get a fire going. For this one you do not need to start three hours ahead — you are working with a grate and a cast iron pan, not a bed of embers, so a modest fire is plenty.
I am not going to explain how to cure your own corned beef. If you have some you made at home, more power to you. We will go with store-bought or canned. I have made this recipe many times with the tinned stuff and it is delicious.
Now the potatoes. Fresh is the best option. I always have some in the trailer — and just so you know, I do not tent camp anymore. Been there, done that.
🧀 Grated or Cubed Potatoes?
The main reason I grate is speed. The corned beef is already cooked, so cubed potatoes take far longer than the meat needs — and rather than burn my beef waiting for potato cubes to soften, I grate. It also mixes together far better.
So go ahead and grate those spuds. And do it directly over the pan, so the potato falls into the meat and the two integrate as you go.
Fresh potatoes are best, but I have used dehydrated boxed potatoes from Costco — though Costco being Costco, there is never any certainty they will have them next time.
Get the two cooking together in the cast iron pan and let them get properly crispy. Do not be shy with a wooden spatula: bring the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom, then let it sit and crust again. Once the potatoes are cooked — which does not take long — it is time for the eggs.
🍳 The Egg on Top
You do not have to put a fried egg on top. But I think you would be missing out. And it does not have to be sunny side up either — over easy is excellent, and even scrambled works if that is your household.
Last but not least, hot sauce. My go-to for most breakfasts is Tabasco. I was lucky enough to get hold of a bottle of the 150th anniversary batch, which I bring out for occasions exactly like this one. Enjoy!
🍽️ How to Serve
Straight from the pan, with the eggs laid on top and the hot sauce on the table. Bread toasted on the grate alongside, coffee made in the same fire. If you are feeding a crowd, keep the hash in the pan at the edge of the fire and fry the eggs to order.
❄️ Storage
Leftover hash keeps two days in the refrigerator and reheats better than most things — back into a hot cast iron pan, pressed flat, until the bottom crisps again. Do not store it with the egg on top; fry those fresh.
Campfire Corned Beef Hash and Eggs
Equipment
- 1 cast iron pan
- 1 box grater
- 1 wooden spatula
Ingredients
The hash
- 1 tin (340 g) corned beef or the equivalent in homemade or store-bought
- 4 potatoes peeled
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus a little more if the pan dries out
- salt and pepper to taste
On top
- 4-8 eggs one or two per person
- hot sauce to serve — Tabasco, for me
Instructions
At the fire
- Get a fire going. You do not need to start hours ahead for this one — a modest fire under a grate is plenty. Preheat a cast iron pan with the olive oil.
The hash
- Chop the corned beef with a knife and transfer it to the pan. Let it heat slowly and start to catch, so the edges go crispy.
- Grate the potatoes on a cheese grater directly over the pan, letting them fall into the beef and integrating the two as you go.
- Let it grill. Use a spatula to flatten the beef and hash against the pan, and if things get too dry add a little more oil. Turn it one section at a time and let each part crust for a few minutes, keeping an eye on it.
- When the potato and beef are evenly browned and crisp, set the hash aside, scrape the pan with a wooden spoon and pour in the rest of the olive oil.
The eggs
- Fry the eggs the way you like them — sunny side up or over easy. Plate the hash and lay the eggs on top.
- For those who like it hot, a few dabs of hot sauce. Personally, Tabasco.
Notes
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use canned corned beef?
Yes, and for camping it is the better choice. It keeps without refrigeration, takes no cooler space, and crisps up beautifully in a hot pan. One 340 g tin feeds four with potatoes.
Should I grate or cube the potatoes?
Grate them. Canned corned beef is already cooked, so cubed potatoes take much longer than the meat needs and you end up burning the beef while you wait. Grated potato cooks in minutes and binds the hash together.
Do I need to peel the potatoes?
Not really. Peeled gives a cleaner hash, skin-on gives more texture and saves you the job. Either works — just scrub them well if you leave the skin on.
Why is my hash mushy instead of crispy?
Too much moisture and too much stirring. Squeeze the grated potato in a cloth before it goes in, spread the hash flat, and then leave it alone long enough to form a crust before you turn it.
Can I make this at home?
Yes, exactly the same way on a stovetop or barbecue. The cast iron pan does the work; the fire only adds smoke.
What can I use instead of corned beef?
Leftover roast beef, smoked ham, or good sausage taken out of its casing. The method does not change at all.
How many eggs per person?
One if breakfast is a stop on the way somewhere, two if the day involves a canoe. The recipe allows for both.