Grill Grate Chicken and Potato Packets
One foil packet per person, cooked over a grate while the fire burns down. No pot, no pan, no washing up.
- calories
- 640
- weight
- 14 oz
- cal / oz
- 46
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 30 min
- total time
- 40 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Boneless chicken thighs | 12 oz | thighs, not breast, they forgive a hot spot |
|---|---|---|
| Small potatoes | 12 oz | halved, or quartered if bigger than a golf ball |
| Onion | 1 medium | cut into thick wedges so it does not fall apart |
| Bell pepper | 1 | cut in wide strips |
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp | |
| Paprika, garlic powder, salt, black pepper | 2 tsp total | premixed at home in one small jar |
| Heavy-duty foil | 4 sheets | about 18 inches each, doubled per packet |
| Lemon | 1/2 | optional, cut into wedges |
Method
- Build the fire early and let it burn to coals. Flames scorch foil packets before the potatoes are done. Set the grate over the coals.
- Cut the chicken into rough two-inch pieces and halve the potatoes. Potatoes take longest, so keep them small and uniform.
- Toss everything with the oil and the spice mix in a bag or directly on the foil. Oil matters here, it is what keeps the food from welding to the packet.
- Divide between two doubled sheets of foil. Fold the long edges together twice, then crimp the ends. Leave a little air inside so steam can move.
- Set the packets on the grate and cook about 15 minutes. Flip with tongs and give them another 15.
- Open one packet carefully, steam comes out fast. Potatoes should give under a fork and the chicken should be opaque through. If not, close it and give it another five.
- Squeeze lemon over the top and eat straight from the foil.
This started as a summer grilling dinner and it moves to a fire ring almost unchanged. The packet does the work of a covered pan: the food steams in its own moisture while the side against the grate browns. That is why the oil and the tight crimp are not optional. Loose foil vents the steam and you end up with raw potatoes and dry chicken.
Coals, not flames. A live fire runs far hotter than a gas grill and will blacken the outside long before a potato half cooks through. Doubling the foil buys you margin against both scorching and tearing, and it means the only thing to clean afterward is your hands.
Packing
Cut the vegetables and mix the spice jar at home. Chicken rides in the bottom of the cooler in a sealed bag, on ice, and gets cooked the first night out. Pre-cut foil sheets and fold them flat so they do not tear in the bin.
Variations
- Swap the chicken for a can of drained chickpeas and add ten minutes less cook time.
- Smoked sausage instead of chicken skips the food-safety clock and needs no cooler beyond day one.
- A spoonful of mustard or hot sauce stirred into the oil before tossing carries further than dry spice alone.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/one-week-grilling-meal-plan