Whether you’ve been cooking on your fire pit for years or are preparing to start your first burn, this guide to over-the-fire cooking is guaranteed to give you some new insight into live-fire cooking on your Breeo fire pit.
To aid in your cooking endeavors, we compiled this curated guide to cooking with our second-to-none cooking accessories, complete with the best uses and recipes for each one. Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to take your kitchen creativity outside and over the flames.
Building a Cooking Fire
The key to live-fire cooking is keeping a controlled flame, keep your logs a reasonable size and feed the flames as needed. For a deep dive into building and maintaining your fire, check out The Ultimate Fire Guide.
When you're planning to cook over the fire, allow time for the fire pit to heat up along with any pans and cooking accessories you’ll be using. We recommend lighting the fire 30-60 minutes before you begin cooking to allow the fire to get hot and build up a bed of hot coals.
Keep adding wood to the fire for high direct heat, or let it burn down for low heat, this is dependent on the accessories you’re using and what you’re cooking. Be prepared to char a burger or lose some vegetables to the flames at first. Controlling the heat takes practice, but after some trial and error, you’ll be a pro.
Pro Tip: If your steak falls into the coals, use metal tongs and heat protectant gloves and pull it out ASAP. Some live-fire chefs use this method to give their steaks a finishing, wood-fired touch, so play it off like the firemaster you are!
Cooking on the Outpost Grill
- Use the Outpost Grill with your X and Y series fire pits or use it as a freestanding grill over a traditional campfire.
- Control the temperature with adjustable height and 360° rotation.
The Outpost Grill is an over-the-fire grilling essential. It’s engineered for maximum heat control and portability, so you can easily add it to your fire pit and adjust it to the height needed. Raise and lower the grill to accommodate different cuts of meat, fish, vegetables, and sauces.
The Outpost grill is highly versatile and is a great option for those just getting into live-fire cooking.
Favorite Outpost Grill Recipes
- Grilled Lobster with Hot Honey Butter
- Spice-Rubbed Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
- Bacon Wrapped Grilled Peaches
Cooking with the SearPlate Griddle
- Made with hot-rolled carbon steel to make a high-heat cooking surface
- Provides a large surface area so you can cook for large groups with ease.
The SearPlate Griddle is a high-heat cooktop attachment with a non-stick surface that allows you to add even more cooking surface area to your fire pit. It’s the ideal accessory for all three meals of the day. Whether you’re cooking up bacon & eggs or a steak & shrimp dinner, the SearPlate is your go-to.
Favorite SearPlate Griddle Recipes
Cooking in the Cast Iron Kettle
- Holds up to 1.5 gallons.
- Made with preseasoned cast iron.
Level up your Outpost grilling system with the Kettle and cook everything from soups and bisques to teas and cider. Stack your Kettle with the Outpost Rod by using the Kettle Hook to hang it or place it on the rim of your fire pit. Warm up around the fire with hot cocoa and cider made over the flames of your Breeo fire pit.
Favorite Kettle Recipes
Live-Fire Pro Techniques
Half the fun of live-fire cooking is finding new ways to use the heat to your advantage (the other half is eating the delicious wood-flavored food). A couple of our favorite out-of-the-box tricks of the trade don’t require much more than your own creativity.
- Utilize the Coals
One way you can experiment with the heat is by using coals to cook your food. Cocoon your meat in foil and place it in the fire pit, or rest hot coals on a cast iron lid to bake your dish from top to bottom.
- Slow Cook With Skewers
Another method to try is upgrading from hotdog roasting sticks to skewers. Balance the skewers across the fire pit similar to a rotisserie, and slow cook meat and veggies.
Braise, smoke, roast, bake, grill, simmer, or stew your dish. Cook directly on the coals or sear your steak to lock in the moisture. When it comes to over-the-fire cooking, the opportunity to innovate is endless.
More Live-Fire Recipes to Try
- Use skewers to make Brazilian Inspired Picanha
- Campfire Salmon cooked in the coals
Now you're ready to take on the flames like a live-fire chef. Impress your guests with your ‘fire’ techniques, and showcase your grilling expertise with dishes that’ll have everyone coming back for more. Share your live-fire cooking feats with the Breeo Facebook Group and tag us on Instagram, we love to see it!
