Cooking & Crafting Guide for RDR2 Story Mode & Red Dead Online

Gather around the campfire and step into the rugged world of Red Dead Redemption 2, where survival is as much about hearty meals as it is about sharp shooting. Discover how to transform your hunting spoils into energizing feasts, master the art of seasoning for boosted stats, and keep Arthur Morgan fueled for his outlaw adventures. Whether you’re crafting plain venison or spiced delicacies, these cooking tips will ensure you’re ready for every challenge in the untamed frontier.

How to set a bonfire?

To set a bonfire in Red Dead Redemption 2, you need to establish a camp. Open the radial menu (L1/LB), navigate to the “Items” tab, and select the “set camp” option. This allows you to create a temporary base in the wilderness where you can light a bonfire. The bonfire is essential for cooking meals, crafting items like ammunition and tonics, and preparing other useful supplies such as lures and horse-care products. This setup is particularly useful when you’re far from towns or your gang’s main camp, ensuring you stay prepared during your adventures.

In order to cook, you have to set a bonfire. To do this, you have to set up a camp – enter the hero’s items and select the “set camp” option.

You can not only cook by the bonfire, but also produce ammunition, weapons, medicines, lures and horse-care products.

Recipes

Cooking in Red Dead Redemption 2 is an essential survival mechanic that allows players to restore health, stamina, and Dead Eye cores. Recipes can be crafted using meat obtained from hunting, combined with herbs like oregano, thyme, or mint to enhance their effects. To cook, Arthur Morgan must set up a campfire through the “Set Camp” option in his inventory. Meals can be prepared and consumed immediately or stored for later use. Additionally, unlocking the grill during Chapter 2’s mission “Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego” enables advanced recipes with added bonuses. Experimenting with different ingredients and herbs ensures optimal stat recovery while exploring the vast game world.

For the recipes listed below, it is sufficient to use only the obtained meat. In some cases, you can use oregano or thyme to create the food. Mint strengthens the level of stamina; oregano and thyme – of health.

Plain Game Bird

1. Ingredients: 1 meat of a bird of prey (e.g. heron, condor, crow, eagle, owl, raven, sparrow).
2. Effects: Restores a small amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Herptile

1. Ingredients: 1 amphibian or reptile meat (e.g. frog or iguana).
2. Effects: Restores a small amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Exotic Bird

1. Ingredients: 1 meat of an exotic bird (pelican or parrot).
2. Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Flaky Fish

1. Ingredients: 1 fish (e.g. perch or pike)
2. Effects: Restores a medium amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Big Game

1. Ingredients: 1 big game meat (e.g. alligator, bear, wolf)
2. Effects: Fully restores cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Pork

1. Ingredients: 1 meat (boar or swine).
2. Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Plump Bird

1. Ingredients: 1 meat (chicken, turkey or geese).
2. Effects: Restores a medium amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Gritty Fish

1. Ingredients: 1 fish.
2. Effects: Restores a small amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Prime Beef

1. Ingredients: 1 meat (cow, bull or steer).
2. Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Crystacean

1. Ingredients: 1 crab.
2. Effects: Restores a medium amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Succulent Fish

1. Ingredients: 1 herring.
2. Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Mutton

1. Ingredients: 1 goat or sheep.
2. Effects: Restores a medium amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Stringy Meat

1. Ingredients: 1 stringy meat (e.g. snake, rat, skunk, fox)
2. Effects: Restores a small amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Game

1. Ingredients: 1 meat (duck, pheasant, rabbit)
2. Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

Plain Venison

1. Ingredients: 1 roe deer.
2. Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all hero’s attributes.

What are the best recipes to cook by the bonfire in Red Dead Redemption 2

In Red Dead Redemption 2, cooking by the bonfire is essential for replenishing Arthur Morgan’s health and stamina. Here are some of the best recipes to cook by the bonfire:

Top Recipes for Bonfire Cooking

1. Plain Big Game

   • Ingredients: 1 big game meat (e.g., alligator, bear, wolf)

   • Effects: Fully restores cores of all attributes.

2. Plain Prime Beef

   • Ingredients: 1 meat (cow, bull, or steer)

   • Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all attributes.

3. Plain Venison

   • Ingredients: 1 roe deer meat

   • Effects: Restores a large amount of cores of all attributes.

4. Minty Big Game

   • Ingredients: Big game meat x1, Wild Mint x1

   • Effects: Fully restores all cores and yields a Gold Health Core for a day.

5. Minty Exotic Bird

   • Ingredients: Exotic bird meat x1, Wild Mint x1

   • Effects: Fully restores Health Core, greatly restores Stamina Core and Dead Eye Core.

Tips for Cooking:

• Use herbs like oregano and thyme to enhance health, and mint for stamina boosts.

• Cooking at a bonfire allows you to craft other items like ammunition and medicines.

These recipes will help keep Arthur Morgan well-fed and ready for his adventures in the Wild West.

What are the most efficient recipes to cook by the bonfire

When cooking by the bonfire, efficiency often means simplicity and quick preparation. Here are some of the most efficient recipes to cook over a campfire, inspired by real-world camping recipes:

Efficient Campfire Recipes

1. Grilled Sausages

   • Ingredients: Sausages, Cooking oil

   • Instructions: Simply grill sausages over the campfire until cooked through.

   • Efficiency: Quick and easy, perfect for a fast meal.

2. Campfire Baked Potatoes

   • Ingredients: Potatoes, Butter, Salt, Pepper

   • Instructions: Wrap potatoes in foil and place them in the coals. Cook until tender.

   • Efficiency: Hands-off cooking, allowing you to focus on other tasks.

3. One Pot Chili

   • Ingredients: Canned beans, Ground beef or alternative, Tomato sauce, Spices

   • Instructions: Cook all ingredients in a single pot over the campfire.

   • Efficiency: Combines multiple meals into one pot, reducing cleanup.

4. Tinfoil Dinners

   • Ingredients: Fish or chicken, Vegetables (e.g., bell peppers, onions), Seasonings

   • Instructions: Place ingredients in a foil packet and cook over the campfire.

   • Efficiency: Easy cleanup and minimal equipment needed.

5. Campfire Nachos

   • Ingredients: Tortilla chips, Cheese, Jalapeños, Optional toppings (e.g., beans, salsa)

   • Instructions: Place tortilla chips in a cast-iron skillet or foil pan, top with cheese and jalapeños, and heat over the campfire until the cheese melts.

   • Efficiency: Quick to prepare and always a crowd-pleaser.

These recipes are efficient because they require minimal preparation, use readily available ingredients, and can be cooked with basic campfire equipment.