Campervan Meals You’ll Actually Want to Cook in Iceland

Cooking on the road in Iceland sounds dreamy until you’re parked by a waterfall, freezing, and staring at a bag of plain pasta. You think, ‘Is this all I’ve got?’ It doesn’t have to be. Campervan meals here can be hearty, warm, and way better than overpriced gas station food. The challenge? 

Iceland’s grocery stores can be pricey, and rural areas don’t have many options. The fix is simple. This guide shows you where to shop, how to cook with local ingredients, and recipes that keep you full while chasing volcanoes and fjords. Your tiny camper kitchen is about to deliver big.

Tips for Getting Your Camper Kitchen Ready

Ever tried cooking in a storm with a stove that keeps dying? Yeah, not fun. Iceland will test you, so here’s how to avoid hangry meltdowns and keep those van life meals rolling.

• First thing, check what’s already in the camper. Stove, pots, fridge… or nothing. Saves you lugging stuff you don’t need.

• Weather is a drama queen here. Get a portable stove with a windscreen, or you’ll be eating cold noodles.

• Load up on pasta, canned beans, and skyr. They last, they work, they’ll keep you alive when shops are miles away.

• Shop at Bonus or Krónan before disappearing into the middle of nowhere. The prices out there? Ugly.

• Toss in a few spices, some oil, and a couple of containers. Small stuff, but your food will taste way less boring.

• Pack dish soap and a scrubber. Otherwise, you’ll end up scraping pans with whatever’s lying around.

Finding Fresh Food Across Iceland

Finding fresh food in Iceland isn’t the survival mission you think it is. You’re not stuck with instant noodles (unless that’s your thing). Thanks to farms and greenhouses, you’ll find tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, and greens even when it’s snowing sideways. Reykjavík’s Kolaportið Flea Market? 

It smells like the ocean and sells seafood so fresh it could wink at you. Farmers’ markets in Ísafjörður or Stykkishólmur stack dairy and fish that taste (like they skipped the middleman). For shopping, Bónus saves cash, Krónan and Hagkaup offer more choices, and Netto is, well, there. 

Breakfast Ideas That Actually Work on the Road

Breakfast on the road doesn’t have to be sad toast and instant coffee. These campervan recipes wake you up better than the Icelandic wind ever could.

1. Icelandic Skyr Parfait

Icelandic skyr parfait is the breakfast that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, even when you’re living out of a van. It’s creamy, filling, and takes two minutes to throw together. Perfect for easy camper meals that don’t need cooking or a pile of dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240 g) Icelandic skyr, any flavor

• 1/2 cup (120 g) muesli or granola

• 1/2 cup (120 g) fresh or dried berries

• 1 tbsp honey, optional

Method:

• Spoon half the skyr into a bowl or jar.

• Add muesli and berries.

• Repeat, drizzle honey, done.

2. Campervan Breakfast Skillet

Meet the campervan breakfast skillet, the hero of cold mornings when you need real fuel fast. It’s hearty, messy, and smells like something worth getting out of your sleeping bag for. This is camper food at its best, using simple ingredients you can grab anywhere in Iceland.

Ingredients:

• 2 breakfast sausages, sliced

• 1 cup (240 g) diced potatoes, pre-cooked or frozen

• 1 red pepper, diced

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 2 eggs

• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Cook sausages in a skillet on medium heat.

• Toss in potatoes, peppers, and onion; sauté till soft.

• Push aside, scramble eggs, mix, season, and eat.

3. Simple Breakfast Sandwich

The simple breakfast sandwich is the fix when you wake up thinking, I can’t face another bowl of cereal. You want something hot, fast, and filling without turning the camper into a disaster zone. Five minutes, no fuss, done. You take a bite and think, Why don’t I make this every morning? One of those easy campervan meals you’ll actually look forward to.

Ingredients:

• 2 English muffins or rolls

• 2 eggs

• 2 slices ham or local deli meat like Hangikjöt

• 2 slices cheese

Method:

• Fry eggs and toast muffins.

• Stack egg, ham, cheese.

• Wrap, eat, move on.

4. Porridge with a Local Twist

Porridge doesn’t sound exciting until you’re freezing in Iceland and need something warm to keep you moving. Stir it up in minutes, and suddenly it feels like comfort in a bowl. Add a few local touches, and it stops being boring. While cooking in a campervan, this one’s foolproof and leaves almost nothing to clean up.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (40 g) instant oats

• 1 cup (240 ml) hot water or milk

• 1 tbsp dried fruit

• 1 tsp brown sugar or honey

• Pinch cinnamon

Method:

• Mix oats, fruit, and cinnamon in a bowl.

• Pour hot water or milk, let stand 2–3 minutes.

• Top with sugar or honey, eat while it’s hot.

5. Breakfast Burritos

You wake up hungry, cold, and not in the mood to think. Burrito time. Crack eggs, toss in some veggies, melt cheese, roll it all in a tortilla. Done. First bite and you’re thinking, yeah, this works. No effort, no mess, just fuel. Exactly what camper food ideas should be.

Ingredients:

• 2 flour tortillas

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp milk

• 1/4 cup (30 g) grated cheese

• 1/4 cup (40 g) diced tomato or bell pepper

• Pre-cooked bacon or sausage, optional

Method:

• Beat eggs with milk, scramble with veggies.

• Fill tortillas, top with cheese and meats.

• Roll, heat in pan, or wrap in foil and go.

Easy Lunches to Keep You Going

Lunchtime on the road doesn’t have to mean sad snacks and gas station regrets. These van life food ideas keep you full without slowing you down.

1. Classic Icelandic Hot Dog Lunch (Pylsur)

The Icelandic hot dog, or pylsur, is street food royalty and perfect for a quick camper lunch. Locals eat it loaded with toppings, so don’t hold back. You’ll find these dogs everywhere, and they taste way better than the sad ones back home. When you need something fast, this is one of those camper recipes that hits the spot without effort.

Ingredients:

• 1 Icelandic hot dog (pylsur)

• 1 fresh bun

• Fried onions

• Finely chopped raw onions

• Icelandic mustard (pylsusinnep)

• Ketchup 

• Remoulade sauce

Method:

• Simmer dog in hot water or a water-beer mix.

• Place in bun, pile on onions.

• Add mustard, ketchup, remoulade.

• Serve with carrot sticks or cucumber slices.

2. Open-Face Smoked Salmon & Rye

Open-face smoked salmon on rye pretty much screams Iceland. The bread is heavy, the salmon just melts, and that hit of lemon wakes everything up. Takes minutes to throw together, yet somehow feels fancy (without the fancy price tag). Perfect for vanlife meals when you want real food.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices Icelandic rye bread (rúgbrauð)

• 4 slices smoked salmon or Arctic char

• Few sprigs fresh dill

• Lemon wedge

• Skyr cream or cream cheese

Method:

• Spread skyr cream on rye bread.

• Layer salmon, squeeze lemon, sprinkle dill.

• Eat open-faced with cherry tomatoes on the side.

4. Deli Meat & Cheese Sandwich

The deli meat and cheese sandwich is the no-nonsense lunch you throw together in minutes. Crusty bread, rich Icelandic butter, and slices of local cheese do all the work. Add ham or lamb, toss in some crunchy veg, and it actually feels like a meal. This is the kind of camper van meals that travel well and taste better than overpriced snacks.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices crusty bread or a roll

• Icelandic deli ham or lamb

• Local cheese (Ísbúi, Gullostur)

• Icelandic butter

• Sliced bell peppers or pickles

Method:

• Butter bread generously.

• Layer meat, cheese, and veggies.

• Wrap it up or eat it right away.

• 5. Harðfiskur & Rye Bread Picnic

5. Harðfiskur & Rye Bread Picnic

Harðfiskur with rye bread is straight-up local food. No cooking. No fuss. Just dried fish, dense bread, and a ridiculous amount of butter. You either love it or wonder what you just ate. Add a squeeze of lemon if you want to tone it down. This snack travels anywhere and fills you up without effort. Exactly what van life food ideas should be.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 pieces harðfiskur (dried haddock or cod)

• Slices Icelandic rye bread

• Icelandic butter

• Lemon wedge, optional

• Cherry tomatoes or apple slices, optional

Method:

• Butter the bread.

• Throw on fish, add lemon if you care.

• Eat it open or separate. Done.

Dinner Recipes Worth Firing Up the Stove For

Long day on the road? These camper dinners bring the heat and taste way better than another cup of noodles. Real food, minimal effort.

1. Plokkfiskur (Icelandic Fish Stew)

Plokkfiskur is the Icelandic version of comfort food and works great after a cold day outside. Creamy, hearty, and loaded with fish, it’s exactly what you need when you’re hungry and the weather’s not playing nice. The best part? It’s simple enough for camper van cooking without needing fancy gear.

Ingredients:

• 800 g cod or haddock, cooked and flaked

• 5 boiled potatoes, diced

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp butter

• 50 g flour

• 1 L milk

• Salt, pepper, pinch curry powder (optional)

Method:

• Cook onion in butter, stir in flour.

• Add milk slowly, whisk until thick.

• Mix fish, potatoes, season.

• Simmer, top with cheese if you like, serve with rye bread.

2. Kjötsúpa (Icelandic Lamb Soup)

Kjötsúpa is as basic as it gets, yet it fills up that belly quickly after a cold day. Lamb, root veggies, and a pot of boiling water. That’s it, and somehow it ends up tasting like you put in hours. You’ll wonder why you ever bothered with instant noodles. This is one of those camper dinner ideas that keeps you full and happy without much fuss.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (2.2 lbs) lamb shoulder or neck, bone-in, cut up

• 1 rutabaga, chopped

• 4 carrots, chopped

• 6 potatoes, chopped

• 1 onion, chopped

• Salt and pepper

Method:

• Boil lamb in water, simmer 1 hour, skim.

• Add vegetables, simmer 20 minutes.

• Season well, serve hot.

3. Icelandic Fish Soup (Fiskisúpa)

Fiskisúpa is just fish soup. Halibut, cod, whatever’s around. Throw it in a pot with some stock and cream. Done. It shouldn’t taste this good, but it does. Simple, hot, and perfect when the weather is trash. Out of all camper cooking recipes, this one takes almost no work.

Ingredients:

• 700 g halibut or cod, cubed

• 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 leek, 2 celery stalks, 1 onion, all diced

• 1/2 tsp curry powder, 2 tbsp tomato paste

• 1 L chicken stock

• 400 g potatoes, cubed

• 250 ml heavy cream

• Salt, pepper, chives

Method:

• Cook veggies in butter and oil.

• Add curry, paste, cook 2 minutes.

• Stock, potatoes, simmer till soft.

• Fish in, 4 minutes. Cream, chives, done.

4. Pan-Seared Icelandic Lamb Chops with New Potatoes

For this, you basically just need some Icelandic lamb chops and a hot pan. That smell hits before they’re even done. The meat cooks in minutes, without any fancy tricks. Potatoes get tossed in the same pan, soaking up all the flavor. 

You plate it and think, yeah, this works. It’s quick, filling, and feels far better than it should for camper food. Out of all the camper dinners, this one leaves nothing on the plate.

Ingredients:

• 4 Lamb chops

• New potatoes, halved

• 2 tbsp Icelandic butter or oil

• Salt, pepper, fresh thyme

Method:

• Boil potatoes till soft.

• Season lamb, sear 3-4 minutes per side, rest.

• Sauté potatoes in same pan.

• Serve lamb over potatoes with pan juices.

5. Salmon and Potatoes Camper Skillet

Salmon and potatoes. One pan, that’s all. Cook the potatoes till they’re soft, toss in onions, then slide the salmon on top. Season it, cover it, and wait a few minutes. The fish flakes, smells great, and you’re done. Squeeze lemon, sprinkle herbs, and eat. Camper cooking without overthinking it.

Ingredients:

• Salmon fillet, skin-on or off

• 3-4 small potatoes, cubed

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 lemon

• Salt, pepper, dill or parsley

Method:

• Cook potatoes until nearly done.

• Add onion, soften.

• Push aside, cook salmon, season, cover.

• Finish with dill and lemon, serve hot.

Quick Snacks When Hunger Hits

Hunger hits fast on the road, so you need snacks that don’t slow you down. These quick bites double as mini campervan meals without the hassle.

1. Skyr Bowl with Wild Crowberries & Birch Syrup

A skyr bowl with wild crowberries couldn’t be easier, yet it somehow feels like a treat. The skyr is creamy, the berries hit you with a tart kick, and a drizzle of birch syrup ties it all together. No stove, no cleanup, just a quick bite that actually tastes like Iceland. Great for easy motorhome meals when you want fresh food without lifting a finger.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Icelandic skyr

• Handful wild crowberries or blueberries

• 1 tsp birch syrup

Method:

• Layer skyr and berries in a cup.

• Drizzle birch syrup over the top.

• Eat chilled, enjoy the local flavors.

2. Rúgbráuð Flatkaka Roll-Ups

Rúgbráuð flatkaka roll-ups are the no-fuss snack that’s finger licking good. Soft Icelandic flatbread, a swipe of butter, and smoky lamb or fish. Roll it, slice it, done. No cooking, no cleanup, and it tastes like something you’d buy at a local deli. These bites are perfect when you need quick energy and want something more interesting than crackers. Among camper meal ideas, this one is as easy as it gets.

Ingredients:

• Icelandic flatbread (flatkaka)

• Fresh butter

• Slices of hangikjöt or smoked Arctic char

Method:

• Butter the flatbread.

• Layer meat or fish.

• Roll tight, cut into bite-sized pieces.

3. Seaweed Crisps & Creamy Fish Dip

Seaweed crisps with creamy fish dip bring Iceland’s coastline straight to your snack time. The smoky trout mixed into skyr gives a rich, tangy base, while the dried seaweed adds crunch and that salty hit you didn’t know you needed. No stove, no effort, just bold flavors in minutes. Great for when you want something different from the usual chips. This fits perfectly into van life cooking with zero to little mess.

Ingredients:

• Pack of dried seaweed snacks (þari)

• 2 tbsp skyr

• Flaked smoked trout

• Lemon zest

Method:

• Mix trout with skyr, add lemon zest.

• Scoop with seaweed crisps, snack away.

4. Rye Bread Energy Bites with Molasses & Nuts

Rye bread energy bites are tiny but pack a punch. You crumble rúgbrauð, stir in molasses, throw in some nuts, and that’s it. Sweet, dense, chewy, and way more filling than they look. Perfect to grab on long drives or when you need quick fuel on a hike. The best part is you don’t even need an oven. Just mix, roll, and eat. One of those easy van life meals you’ll end up making over and over again.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices rúgbrauð, crumbled

• 1 tbsp Icelandic molasses (síróp)

• Handful chopped nuts or seeds

Method:

• Combine crumbled bread, molasses, and nuts.

• Roll into bite-sized balls.

• Ready to eat, no mess.

5. Blue Cheese & Pear Crispbread

Blue cheese and pear on crispbread sounds fancy, but it’s dead simple. The sharp Icelandic blue cheese melts into the crunchy base, and the sweet pear balances it perfectly. No cooking, no cleanup, just a quick snack that tastes way better than it should. You’ll see combos like this in local cafés, so why not make it yourself on the road? This one proves campervan cooking doesn’t have to be boring.

Ingredients:

• 2–3 rye crispbreads

• Small wedge Icelandic blue cheese (blámyrkur or Dala)

• Pear or apple slices

Method:

• Spread cheese on crispbread.

• Add fruit slices, eat immediately.

Cooking in Iceland Without Losing Your Cool

Iceland’s weather loves chaos—one minute sunny, next minute it’s trying to blow your stove into the fjord. Be ready to switch between cooking outside and huddling inside your camper. Keep meals simple and stick to one-pot wonders because scrubbing pans in a tiny sink is nobody’s idea of fun.

If you cook inside, crack a window unless you enjoy steamed-up walls and fumes. Campsites? Total lottery. Some have kitchens, others barely have a table. Plan smart, adapt fast, and use van life recipes that work anywhere, rain or shine. Dinner saved, sanity intact.

Eco-Friendly Ways to Cook on the Road

Cooking green on the road is not rocket science. Use a refillable gas canister instead of tossing metal into the bin every few days. Shop local because Iceland grows amazing produce in greenhouses. 

Choose camper meals that avoid piles of packaging and keep it simple. Carry a reusable water bottle and fill it with Iceland’s tap water, which is cleaner than most bottled options. And here’s the big one: follow the Leave No Trace principle. 

Pack out every bit of waste, keep campsites spotless, and leave Iceland looking exactly like you found it.

Why Campervan Meals Beat Restaurant Food Any Day

Why settle for overpriced restaurants when campervan meals give you better views and full control of what’s on your plate? You cook what you like, eat where you want, and skip the tourist crowds. Fresh local ingredients, a tiny stove, and Iceland’s wild backdrop beat any indoor table. 

Plus, you save money for the fun stuff. Go rent a campervan in Iceland, stock up smart, and turn every stop into your own dining spot. Good food, no rules, just the road and you. That’s the real win-win.