Best Fire Pit Cooking Accessories: Grates, Grills, Skewers & More
Your fire pit is already the gathering spot — why not make it the kitchen too? With the right accessories, you can grill steaks, roast marshmallows, bake cobblers in a Dutch oven, and slow-roast a whole chicken over an open fire. Here's everything you need to turn your backyard fire pit into a serious outdoor cooking station.
Essential Accessories
Adjustable Swivel Grill Grate
A swivel-mount grate that clamps to the side of your fire pit and swings over the flames. You can raise, lower, and rotate it to control heat. This is the single most useful fire pit cooking accessory — it turns any pit into a grill in seconds.
Tripod with Hanging Grill
A classic campfire tripod lets you hang a grill grate or Dutch oven at any height over the fire. The chain-and-hook system gives you precise heat control. Perfect for slow-cooking stews, soups, and chili over an open fire.
Cast Iron Skillet (Lodge 12-Inch)
A Lodge 12-inch cast iron skillet is the workhorse of fire pit cooking. Sear steaks, fry eggs, bake cornbread, make nachos — it handles everything and actually gets better with use. Pre-seasoned and nearly indestructible.
Telescoping Roasting Sticks
Telescoping forks extend to keep your hands away from the heat and collapse down for easy storage. Stainless steel tines hold marshmallows, hot dogs, and sausages securely. Get a set with wooden handles — they stay cool and are easier to grip.
Pie Irons (Pudgy Pie Makers)
Two hinged cast iron plates on a long handle — fill with bread, cheese, pie filling, or pizza toppings, clamp shut, and hold over the coals. Pudgy pies are a campfire tradition and kids love making them. Season them like any cast iron.
Dutch Oven
A cast iron Dutch oven with legs and a flanged lid is designed for campfire cooking. Stack coals on top of the lid for even heat distribution. Makes incredible stews, cobblers, bread, and chili. The 6-quart size is the sweet spot for most groups.
Fire Pit Rotisserie
A battery-powered or hand-crank rotisserie kit mounts across your fire pit for slow-roasting chicken, roasts, or kebabs. The constant rotation self-bastes the meat for incredibly juicy results. Look for kits with adjustable height.
Heat-Resistant Gloves
Long-cuff, heat-resistant gloves protect your hands and forearms when reaching over flames, moving grates, or handling hot cast iron. Look for gloves rated to at least 900°F with a flexible grip — stiff gloves are dangerous because you can't hold things securely.
Easy Fire Pit Recipes
Campfire Nachos
Layer tortilla chips, shredded cheese, black beans, and jalapeños in a cast iron skillet. Set it on the grill grate over medium coals until the cheese melts — about 5 to 8 minutes. Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Feeds a crowd and takes almost no effort.
Foil Packet Dinners
Place diced potatoes, sliced sausage, corn, and seasoning on a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Fold into a sealed packet and set directly on the coals for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once. Everyone can customize their own packet — it's the fire pit version of a build-your-own meal.
S'mores Board
Skip the basic s'mores and build a board. Graham crackers, chocolate bars (dark, milk, and white), peanut butter cups, Nutella, sliced strawberries, and caramel sauce. Set it all out on a cutting board and let everyone build their own creation. It's a dessert charcuterie board for the fire pit.
Grilled Peaches
Halve ripe peaches, brush with melted butter, and place cut-side down on the grill grate over medium heat. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes until caramelized. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey. Embarrassingly easy and absurdly good.
Fire Pit Cooking Tips
Cook over coals, not flames. Direct flames are too hot and unpredictable for cooking. Let your fire burn down to glowing coals first — you'll get even, controllable heat and much better results. This usually takes 30 to 45 minutes after lighting.
Keep a spray bottle handy. Flare-ups happen when grease drips onto coals. A spray bottle of water lets you tame them instantly without killing the fire. A few targeted sprays beats pouring water over everything.
Season your cast iron. Cast iron that's properly seasoned is naturally nonstick and only improves over time. After each use, scrub with coarse salt (no soap), dry completely over the fire, and rub with a thin layer of cooking oil. That's it.
Use long-handled tools. Fire pit cooking means reaching over serious heat. Use tongs, spatulas, and forks with handles at least 18 inches long. Your forearm hair will thank you. Pair with heat-resistant gloves for handling cast iron and moving grates.