Campfire Beef Pilaf in a Kazan
What could be tastier than a campfire main course? Campfire beef pilaf in a kazan is a wonderfully flavorful Eastern European–style dish with a hint of smoke. Cook it on a picnic and treat your family and friends!
Updated : 12 March, 2026
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
1.5 kilograms
Beef
700 grams
Rice
700 grams
Carrot
400 grams
Onion
to taste
Garlic
1 cup
Vegetable oil
to taste
Cumin
to taste
Salt
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
How do you cook beef pilaf over a campfire? What meat is best? The tastiest pilaf is made with lamb, veal, or beef. This recipe uses young beef (ribeye) meat.
Step 2
Peel the carrots and onions and rinse them in clean water.
Step 3
Split one head of garlic into cloves and peel them. Remove the outer skin from the other two heads and wash them well in water.
Step 4
Light the fire and set the kazan to heat up.
Step 5
Meanwhile, rinse the meat, pat dry with paper towels, and cut into medium-sized pieces.
Step 6
Pour odorless vegetable oil into the kazan and wait until it heats well. Splash the sides with the hot oil using a slotted spoon (be careful not to burn yourself).
Step 7
Put one onion into the oil to fry.
Step 8
When the onion turns golden, remove it from the kazan with a slotted spoon.
Step 9
Add the meat and fry until it develops a golden color. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Keep the fire at maximum the whole time.
Step 10
Pour a little water into the kazan to start braising the meat.
Step 11
Bring to a boil and skim off the foam with a large spoon. Lightly salt the meat, cover the kazan, and simmer over medium heat until the beef is almost done. The time depends on how young the animal was and which cut you used.
Step 12
Prepare the rest for the pilaf. Chop the remaining onion into small pieces. Cut the carrots into batons, and slice the peeled large garlic cloves into 2-4 pieces.
Step 13
This time my meat was ready in 40 minutes, but sometimes it takes longer (1-1.5 hours). If the meat is ready but there’s too much liquid left, remove the lid, add more wood, and evaporate the excess liquid.
Step 14
Add the chopped vegetables to the kazan with the meat.
Step 15
Add cumin. If you like, at this stage you can add dried barberries or a pilaf seasoning blend.
Step 16
Mix well and cook for about 10-15 minutes (almost until the carrots are done).
Step 17
Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear.
Step 18
Add the rice to the kazan and spread it in an even layer. Lightly salt on top.
Step 19
Stick two whole heads of garlic into the center. Pour in water so the liquid covers the rice by about two finger-widths.
Step 20
Cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 10–15 minutes (depending on the rice variety).
Step 21
Gently mix the finished pilaf.
Step 22
Serve!
Author note
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