Foil Packet Burger and Root Vegetables
A beef patty buried in sliced vegetables, sealed in foil, and cooked in coals.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 16 oz
- cal / oz
- 39
- protein
- 34 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 15 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 30 ml cold
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Frozen sirloin patty | 1 | frozen is fine, it thaws in the coals |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 small | sliced thin |
| Potato | 1 medium | sliced thin or it will not cook through |
| Carrot | 1 | sliced into coins |
| Bell pepper | 1 | sliced |
| Salt and pepper | to taste | |
| Water | 2 tbsp | |
| Heavy duty aluminum foil | 1 large sheet |
Method
- Slice the onion, potato, carrot, and pepper. Thin. The potato decides the cook time, so cut it thinnest.
- Lay out a large sheet of heavy duty foil. Build half the vegetables in a flat bed in the middle, set the patty on top, then pile the rest of the vegetables over it. Salt and pepper as you go.
- Fold and crimp three edges tightly, leaving one end open.
- Pour in 2 tablespoons of water through the open end, then crimp it shut. The packet needs to hold steam.
- Set the packet on hot coals, not flame, for about 10 minutes. Flip it and give it 5 more.
- Open a corner and check the potato with a knife. If it still resists, close it up and put it back for a few minutes.
- Eat out of the foil.
Everything in the packet cooks in the steam the vegetables give up, which is why the 2 tablespoons of water matter more than they look like they should. Without a sealed edge the moisture leaves, the potato scorches on the foil side, and the patty dries out. Crimp hard.
This is a car camping meal and stays one. Fresh vegetables and a frozen patty need a cooler, and the patty should be cooked through the same day it thaws. Coals do the work here, not flame — a fire still throwing flame will burn the outside layer of onion before the potato is anywhere near done.
Packing
Slice the vegetables at home and bag them; the packet then takes two minutes to build in camp. Patty stays frozen in the cooler and doubles as an ice block on day one. Bring heavy duty foil, not the thin kind, or use two layers.
Variations
- Add a spoonful of oil or a pat of butter before sealing if the meat is lean.
- Sweet potato in place of the potato cooks faster and needs less time.
- On a grill grate instead of coals, give it 20 minutes and flip halfway.
https://camprecipes.com/classic-recipes/hamburger-surprise