Pesto Chicken Foil Packet
Pouch chicken, jarred pesto, and a square of foil on the coals.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 70
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 17 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
- Lunch
- Campfire coals
- Grill grate
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Foil-pouch chicken breast | 2 pouches, 7 oz each | shelf-stable, no cooler needed |
|---|---|---|
| Prepared pesto | 1/4 cup | single-serve packets or a small squeeze tube |
| Kosher salt | 1/4 tsp | |
| Black pepper | 1/4 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tsp | for the foil |
Method
- Burn the fire down to coals, or set a grate over medium heat. Flames will scorch the pesto.
- Tear off two sheets of heavy foil, about a foot each. Wipe the center of each with oil.
- Split the chicken between the sheets, break it up with a fork, and season with the salt and pepper.
- Spoon the pesto over the top and fold the foil into a sealed packet, seam up.
- Set the packets on the coals or grate for 10 to 12 minutes, until the pesto smells like basil and the chicken is steaming.
- Open the packets away from your face and eat straight out of the foil.
The original bakes raw chicken breasts for 35 minutes in an oven, which no camp has. Foil-pouch chicken is already cooked and shelf-stable, so the fire is only reheating and driving the pesto oil into the meat. Twelve minutes on coals does that. Longer just dries it out.
Pesto is mostly oil, which is what makes it work here: it does not need refrigeration for the hour it spends out of the packet, and it carries the seasoning without any liquid to boil off. Salt and pepper still matter. Pouch chicken is bland on its own, and the pesto alone will not cover it.
Note on tags: most jarred pesto contains pine nuts and parmesan, so this is neither dairy-free nor vegetarian. Check your label if pine nuts are a problem for you, since some brands use cashews or walnuts instead.
Packing
Pesto packets and the spice pinch go in a small bag with the foil sheets, pre-cut and folded. Chicken pouches ride anywhere in the bin.
Variations
- Add a handful of instant couscous and 1/2 cup hot water to the packet to make it a full dinner. That drops the gluten-free tag.
- Dried tomato halves rehydrate in the packet steam and cut the fat.
- No fire: dump everything cold into a tortilla and skip the cooking entirely.
https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/two-ingredient-pesto-baked-chicken-breasts