How to Use Your RV Outdoor Kitchen Like a Pro

Nothing screams “camping” more than sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows. But you can’t live off marshmallows for the entire weekend.

What’s your plan for tackling meal times? If you have an RV outdoor kitchen, you already have a great space for entertaining guests and enjoying the outdoor cooking environment. But there are a few products and tips to help you use this space like a pro.

Let’s dive in!

What Is an RV Outdoor Kitchen? 

An RV outdoor kitchen looks like another storage bay when the compartment door is closed. Usually, in the rear of the unit, you can configure an outdoor kitchen multiple ways depending on the RV.

Your model might have a small refrigerator and one-burner stove on a pull-out drawer. Another model might have a refrigerator/freezer combo plus an outdoor sink.

RV outdoor kitchens come in different sizes with different amenities, but their purpose is to provide a space where RVers can cook outdoors.

It’s a great amenity to have so you don’t have to use the oven or RV stove to heat up the inside of your camper on a July afternoon. It’s easy to serve your family when eating outside instead of going in and out, tracking in dirt, and letting in the flies.

Can You Add an Outdoor Kitchen to an RV?

You can take a storage compartment and turn it into an outdoor kitchen if your RV doesn’t already come with one. This will reduce your storage space, but it will provide a cooking space for you to entertain guests and enjoy meals outside.

You’ll need to first plan your layout. This space will probably be quite small, so what appliances will fit? You’ll have to decide whether you want a griddle, stove top, refrigerator, ice maker, etc., because you won’t have room for them all.

Once you’ve decided on the layout and positioning of appliances, you can start creating the outdoor kitchen space. You can add countertops, a sliding drawer, a fold-out table, and so much more.

Building your own outdoor kitchen means completely customizing the space to fit your camping needs.

What Should You Include in Your Outdoor Kitchen? 

You’ll want to grab a few items to make your outdoor kitchen space functional.

From griddle accessories to a trash can, these products will help make your outdoor cooking experience enjoyable and efficient!

Portable Folding Table 

Some RVs have a built-in table that folds out near the outdoor kitchen. If yours doesn’t, you want to invest in a portable folding table to provide prep space for cooking.

Not only does it offer more space to lay out dishes and utensils, but it offers great storage for spices, paper towels, and cookware.

Plus, it folds up nicely and stores easily without taking up a lot of extra room.

Camping Dishes 

This set of four dinner plates, salad plates, and bowls is an excellent addition to your RV outdoor kitchen.

They have cute vintage designs and are 100% Melamine. Both are FDA-approved and BPA-free. They can handle hot food, cold food, and everything in between.

Having a set of dishes in the outdoor kitchen makes serving easier and more convenient.

Tabletop Griddle

Another reason you’ll want to add a portable folding table is to have a place to set a tabletop griddle.

Blackstone has a great line-up of products to help make outdoor cooking easy. A tabletop griddle provides space to cook a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes on one cooking surface.

Plus, the smell and heat stay outside rather than filling up the inside of your camper.

Pro Tip: If you’re ready to get cookin’ on your Blackstone griddle, check out the 5 Best Dinner Ideas for Your Blackstone Griddle!

Griddle Accessories

If you have a Blackstone griddle, you must have the right accessories. This 24-piece set includes egg rings, tongs, spatulas, and more.

These products are safe to use on the hot surface of a griddle and everything you need to cook almost any type of meal.

Whether you want a plate of Japanese rice and hibachi chicken or hamburgers and hot dogs, these accessories – plus the griddle – will get the job done.

Cooking Utensil Set

Like the griddle accessories listed above, you’ll also want a separate utensil set.

Having a separate set of cooking accessories in your RV outdoor kitchen makes cooking outside easier than having to run in and out grabbing utensils.

This set has a sturdy holder you can place on your portable folding table for convenient access.

Ice Maker  

Although not necessary, an ice maker sure makes camping life easier.

The Euhomy ice maker makes nine bullet ice cubes in six minutes.

Many RVs don’t come with an ice maker, so adding one to your outdoor kitchen makes sipping a beverage by the fire much more enjoyable.

Mini Refrigerator 

Some RV outdoor kitchens don’t come with a refrigerator. There may be a sink and one-burner stove instead.

You probably want to add a mini-fridge to store your beverages and condiments for easy access.

A 1.6 cubic foot refrigerator is plenty of room to store all of your hamburger toppings and favorite drinks during a weekend camping trip.

Camping Kitchen Towels 

It’s an unwritten rule that you must have a set of camping kitchen towels when you camp.

In addition to being cute and stylish, having a few towels in your outdoor kitchen means you don’t have to run inside to grab clean-up products. Keep a spray bottle or wipes outside and clean your kitchen in a jiffy.

Plus, when spills happen or when you need to wipe your hands, a hanging kitchen towel from your portable folding table is quite convenient.

Pop Up Trash Can 

Finally, disposing of trash properly is one of the most important rules of camping.

Leaving out trash attracts wild animals, which can lead to dangerous consequences. Plus, it’s bad for the environment.

All campers should have a pop-up trash can where they can easily throw away their paper plates and cups. Then take the trash bag up to the campground dumpster after dinner.

Keep in Mind: You need to be prepared for early morning camping adventures with your coffee! Here are our favorite RV coffee makers!

Tips for Using Your Outdoor RV Kitchen

Not only are there great products to make cooking in your RV outdoor kitchen easier and more efficient, but there are also a few tips to getting everything you can out of this space.

Some will completely remove the outdoor kitchen and use the space for additional storage. Others want to figure out the best way to use the space for convenient outdoor cooking.

Plan Your Layout 

Planning your layout won’t happen in a day. You’ll need to take a few camping trips to determine exactly how you want to store everything.

What size storage bins do you need? Where will you put the utensils holder? Do you have space for an ice maker?

It takes time to plan your layout, but it’s important to consider how this space will best serve you. Once you’ve figured it out, outdoor cooking will be a breeze, and you’ll never want to cook inside again.

Don’t Be Afraid to Customize 

Making your outdoor kitchen space readily available for use without having to move things around or set up a lot of accessories will make you use the area more frequently.

Take the work out of outdoor cooking by customizing the space to fit your needs. For example, if you don’t want the one-burner stove that came with your RV, take it out and replace it with a griddle.

If you don’t need an extra outdoor refrigerator, take it out and replace it with storage bins for easy access to cleaning supplies, spices, and griddle accessories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5vlkzjMXec

Clean Up Properly 

A final tip for using your RV outdoor kitchen effectively is to keep it clean.

First, a dirty kitchen space probably means you won’t want to use it the next time. You’ll open the door, see the mess, and just decide it’s better to cook a pizza in the oven.

Plus, a dirty kitchen will invite bugs like ants. You don’t want to deal with this on a weekend camping trip. Clean everything up properly so the space is ready to use the next time and you keep the critters away.

Keep in Mind: If you’re looking for an awesome cooking kit, look no further! Here are the 8 Best Campfire Cooking Kits You’ll Actually Use!

Get Cookin’ With Your RV Outdoor Kitchen 

An RV outdoor kitchen can make your camping experiences so much better. Using a stove or oven can quickly heat the interior space of an RV.

When it’s already 90 degrees outside, and your air conditioning unit is working overtime, you don’t want to add more heat. Plus, cooking inside increases moisture, thus adding to humidity which can lead to damage long-term. Water and RVs don’t go well together.

So get outside and get cooking with your RV outdoor kitchen. Set it up so it fits your needs, and you’ll never want to cook inside again. 

What tips do you have for cooking outside during a camping trip?

Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API