Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes, Foil Packet
Sheet pan dinner rebuilt for coals: chicken, spuds, lemon, and rosemary in a sealed foil brick.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 14 oz
- cal / oz
- 51
- protein
- 40 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 35 min
- total time
- 50 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
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs | 4 | keep cold until the fire is ready |
|---|---|---|
| Red potatoes | 1 lb | cut into 3/4-inch dice at home |
| Olive oil | 3 tbsp | |
| Garlic | 4 cloves, minced | jarred minced garlic works |
| Fresh rosemary | 1 tbsp chopped | or 1 tsp dried |
| Lemon | 1 | zest and juice; a whole lemon travels better than juice |
| Salt and pepper | more than feels right | |
| Heavy-duty foil | 2 large sheets |
Method
- Burn a fire down to coals, or set a grate over medium heat. You want steady heat, not flames.
- In a bowl or a gallon bag, toss the potatoes with oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper.
- Add the thighs and turn them until they are coated.
- Build two packets: double a sheet of heavy foil, spread half the potatoes flat, lay two thighs skin up on top, and fold the edges into a sealed seam with a little air inside.
- Set the packets on the grate or directly on raked coals. Cook 30 to 35 minutes, rotating once.
- Open a packet and check a thigh at the bone. The juices should run clear and the potatoes should give to a fork.
- For crisp skin, peel the foil back and hold the open packet over the coals for the last five minutes.
A sheet pan dinner is really just a single hot surface and two things that finish at the same time. Foil over coals does the same job with less gear. The potatoes sit underneath and take on the fat and juice coming off the thighs, which is the whole point of the original and the part worth protecting.
This one stays a cooler recipe. Raw chicken has no shelf-stable substitute worth eating, so it belongs on a car-camping or short paddle trip, cooked the first night out. Seal the packets with a little slack inside: the steam trapped there cooks the potatoes through before the skin burns. If you want that skin browned, open the packet at the end and let the fire finish it.
Packing
Dice the potatoes, mince the garlic, chop the rosemary, and combine them with the oil and seasoning in a zip bag at home. Chicken rides in its own bag at the bottom of the cooler. Lemon and foil go in the dry box.
Variations
- Boneless skinless thighs cut the cook time to about 20 minutes and drop roughly 150 calories per serving.
- A dutch oven works if you would rather not deal with foil: same mix, lid on, coals on top, 40 minutes.
- Swap half the potatoes for carrots or onion wedges; both take the same heat.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/easy-roast-chicken-and-potatoes-sheet-pan-dinner