Are you looking for the best recipes for survival food? If the answer is yes, you’re in luck.
Below, you’ll find the 29 best recipes for survival food to keep you nourished and satisfied in any disaster scenario.
If you’re worried that survival food recipes only include freeze-dried eggs and foraged greens, think again!
In this comprehensive guide to survival food recipes, you’ll find delicious offerings ranging from pot roast to spaghetti and meatballs.
With this handy list in your back pocket, you can turn your bunker, safe house, or survival shelter into a Michelin-star restaurant.
1. Fry Bread
Humans need carbs to live an active existence, and luckily for your palate, fry bread is a tasty way to obtain your daily dose.
This easy 4-ingredient recipe shows you how to make delicious, mouthwatering fry bread that’s flakey on the outside and soft on the inside.
Best of all, you don’t need any yeast to make this crispy bread, so you can spend your time working on your shelter instead of waiting for your dough to rise.
After one nibble of the fried, flakey crust, you’ll understand why fry bread snags top spot on this list of recipes for survival food.
2. Old-Fashioned Stack Cake
Back in pioneer times, large cakes were an unnecessary luxury. Why steal away precious time from mending clothes or toiling in the fields?
In this day and age, it’s tempting to pick up a box of ready-made mix or stop by your local bakery for a pre-made cake. In a survival scenario, you’ll need to find another option to satisfy your sweet tooth.
That’s why this survival food recipe for stack cakes is the way to go. You’ll notice that they look similar to pancakes stacked up in a pile.
But you’ll find that the taste is much sweeter, and they’re far easier to make than your average cake.
3. Biscuits and Gravy
This is one of those stick-to-your-bones meals, which is perfect when you’re trying to sustain calories during the frigid winter months.
Best of all, you only need simple ingredients to make this delectable meal. Here’s a recipe that shows you how to make 5-ingredient biscuits and gravy, perfect for a hearty breakfast.
No matter the method, biscuits and gravy is one of the best survival food recipes.
4. Breakfast Hash
Here’s a recipe that lets you put your powdered eggs to good use.
All you have to do is sauté some peppers, onions, and potatoes in a skillet, prepare the eggs as per the instructions on the box, mix them together, et voila!
You now have a sustainable, hearty meal to fuel you through your day.
5. Hardtack
If you haven’t discovered the wonderful world of hardtack, allow me to introduce you to one of your new favorite survival food recipes.
Hardtack tastes like an ordinary cracker, but it can last for a really long time. Some people speculate that hardtack carries a shelf life of 10 years, possibly even longer.
Because it’s so lightweight, easy to make, and high in carbs, it’s a popular option for anyone in a survival scenario.
This 3-ingredient recipe shows you how to make your very own hardtack for your bunker.
6. Jerky
Not only is jerky a popular grab-and-go item at gas stations, but it’s also one of the best recipes for survival food.
If you need a tasty way to amp up the protein in your diet, jerky is the way to go.
It’s also very easy to prepare; all you need is meat, a couple of seasonings, and a smoker to make your own batch of jerky.
Here’s a comprehensive guide that instructs you on how to make your own jerky from old meat.
7. Cured Bacon
If you think everything’s better with bacon, you’re in luck.
Not only is bacon incredibly tasty, but you’ll appreciate how easy it is to make. If you’ve never thought about curing your own bacon, let this recipe change your mind.
After you learn how attainable it is to make your own bacon, you’ll understand why we included it on this list of survival food recipes.
8. Johnny Cakes
Johnny Cakes are an old-fashioned recipe that sustained the diets of many pioneers, making it one of the best recipes for survival food.
The taste and appearance will remind you of your favorite pancake recipe, but instead of flour, you use cornmeal.
Not only is cornmeal a cheap, accessible alternative to flour, but it adds an unforgettable texture and sweetness to each hot cake.
Plus, you only need 5 ingredients to make delectable Johnny Cakes.
9. Nachos
Not only are nachos the perfect game-day snack, they’re one of the top survival food recipes too!
If you’re looking for a tasty method to use your freeze-dried ground beef, this is the recipe for you.
Just sauté some peppers and onions, prepare the ground beef, then toss everything over some tortilla chips.
If you think that tortilla chips are an unattainable item during a survival situation, think again! You can easily make your own corn tortillas using nothing but corn flour and water.
10. Chili
If you’ve got a stockpile of freeze-dried foods to get through, this chili will serve you well.
Who knew you could make tasty, nourishing chili using not 1, but 9 freeze-dried ingredients?
Make yourself this recipe next time you’re craving a hearty meal to warm your bones. You’ll love how this chili doubles as a tasty meal and one of the easiest survival food recipes.
11. Beans and Rice
You can’t beat the classic beans and rice recipe.
You can get your daily dose of carbs, protein, fiber, and iron all in one simple meal. Plus beans and rice are both staple pantry items, so you can keep them in your shelter for years to come.
The best part about this simple recipe is that you can customize it to your liking. If you have some cured bacon kicking around, add it to the mix. Got some tomatoes and peppers? Toss those in too.
No matter what the combination, these two staples make one of the best recipes for survival food.
12. Pemmican
Pemmican is the ultimate survival food recipe that allows you to preserve various cuts of meat for a long time.
You can use whatever meat you have on hand, but this pemmican recipe recommends deer, moose, bison, or elk.
It’s a high-energy food loaded with calories and fat, so you can stay fuelled for whatever life brings your way.
13. Biltong
Biltong is a version of cured meat that was popularized in South Africa. You’ll appreciate biltong for its 5-year shelf life and savory, smoky flavors.
This survival food recipe is super easy to preserve and the results are oh-so-worth it.
14. Bannock
If you’re a fan of fry bread but don’t have any oil on hand, then try making yourself a batch of bannock.
You can easily make it on a skillet using just 4 ingredients. I mean, how can it get any easier than that?
Best of all, you can customize bannock to your liking. Foraged some wild blueberries? Toss a handful into the dough before cooking.
15. Dried Fruit
Wanna enjoy a sweet, healthy snack all year long? Try making a batch of homemade dried fruit.
You’ll be blown away by how easy it is to make, and the results are definitely worthwhile. You can use dried fruit in a medley of ways like giving life to a box of stuffing, or adding to your morning flapjacks.
Or if you’re a purist at heart, you can just consume by the handful. The options are limitless for this amazing survival food recipe.
16. Apricot Oat Bars
This 5-minute snack is tasty, nutritious, and perfect for a survival scenario.
You’ll appreciate that oats come packed with fiber, carbs, and protein. If that’s not good enough, oats can last up to 2 years when stored in an air-tight container.
These apricot oat bars allow you to stay well nourished and prepared for what’s to come.
17. Spaghetti and Meatballs
That’s right, you can enjoy a delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs even from your bunker!
You probably know by now that pasta and tomato sauce is the ultimate pantry item. If you have some freeze-dried beef kicking around, then put this trio to good use.
To prepare the meatballs, simply rehydrate the beef then combine in a bowl with eggs, bread crumbs, and a handful of your favorite spices.
Refrigerate your meatballs for a few hours then warm them up with some spaghetti and tomato sauce. It’s as easy as that!
18. Pancakes
Pancake mix has to be one of the best survival food recipes out there. All you have to do is add water to achieve the perfect batter for fluffy flapjacks.
You can one-up your pancake game by adding some freeze-dried fruit to the batch for a berry-packed hotcake.
Or simmer the freeze-dried fruit in a pan with some sugar and water to make a rich compote to drizzle over your pancakes.
19. Potato Soup
If you find yourself yearning for a cozy soup during the winter months, you’ll appreciate this potato soup.
You use a combination of powdered milk, instant mashed potatoes, and chicken bouillon to create this savory, comforting soup.
If you have some cheese or bacon on hand, feel free to toss those into the mix for a hearty meal in a bowl.
20. Cornmeal Mush
Using just 3 simple ingredients, you can create this velvety cornmeal mush that doubles as a nourishing breakfast and tasty side dish.
If you think there’s nothing like waking up in the morning to a piping hot bowl of grits, you’ll love this recipe. Every spoonful comforts your palate with sweet, salty flavors.
21. Potato Cakes
Got an excess potato crop this year? Put those spuds to good use with this recipe for potato cakes.
You’ll appreciate how easy they are to make, using just 6 simple ingredients that you’re bound to have in your cellar.
You can serve these potato cakes hot or cold for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
22. Venison Stew
Keep this venison stew recipe in mind next time you score big while hunting.
It’s so easy to make and after just one taste, you’ll be craving it all the time.
You’re guaranteed to have a lot of these ingredients in your stockpile, making it the perfect gourmet survival recipe for any shelter.
23. Fish on a Stick
You can’t beat the primitive fish-on-a-stick method. Grilling fish on a stick is the best tried-and-true survival recipe for any occasion.
All you need is a campfire, sticks, and freshly caught fish to roast. This method is a lot easier than you think.
24. Dumplings
Dumplings are such a comfort food and you couldn’t agree more, you’ll love this 4-ingredient recipe.
All you have to do is combine flour, salt, milk, and an egg to achieve perfectly soft, melt-in-your-mouth dumplings.
Boil your pillows of dough into a soup stock and you’ve got a wholesome soup ready to be gobbled down.
25. Cornbread
Cornbread has to be one of the tastiest additions to this list of survival food recipes.
Not only does cornbread taste absolutely scrumptious, but you’ll love how easy it is to make. You can either start with a boxed mix or make your own cornbread using a handful of pantry ingredients.
No matter the disaster scenario, you’ll always appreciate the home-cooked goodness of cornbread.
26. Ration Bars
Ration bars are calorie-dense energy bars designed to keep you alive in an emergency situation.
This recipe takes that concept and transforms it into a healthy, tasty protein bar that you’ll actually enjoy eating.
Every time you sink your teeth into one of these bad boys, you’ll enjoy the sweet flavors of peanut butter, fruit, and honey.
Your future self will thank you for keeping a batch of these tucked away in your cellar.
27. Peasant Bread
If you can’t guess from the name, peasant bread originated from poor farmers looking for a simple, cheap carb fix.
Peasant bread comes with no frills attached and is hard to mess up. You don’t have to knead the dough and the results will be similar every time.
Expect a crusty white loaf of bread that soaks up condiments to perfection. If you’re a believer that simpler is better, you’re going to love peasant bread.
Wrapping Up Recipes for Survival Food
We hope you found your new go-to meal on this list of survival food recipes.
No matter what life throws your way, you can rest easy knowing you’ll still be eating like a king.
Now that you have 27 recipes for survival food in your back pocket, learn the invaluable skill of cooking without electricity.