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American Cookout Campfire BBQ Chicken Foil Packets with Corn and Red Potatoes

Be the first to rate itBy TrailFed Camp KitchenReviewed by Blake | TrailFed
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Quick answer

Toss chicken thigh pieces in BBQ sauce, mix with small-diced potatoes, fresh corn, pepper and onion, and seal four double-layer foil packets. Cook them on a grate over medium coals for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until the chicken hits 165°F and the potatoes are tender. Top with scallions and a little extra sauce and eat from the foil.

American Cookout Campfire BBQ Chicken Foil Packets with Corn and Red Potatoes Illustrative Photo
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This is the plate you'd get at a Fourth of July cookout, packed into foil. Sweet, smoky chicken, buttery corn and tender potatoes all steam together in one packet. You get dinner and a built-in plate.

The trick is cutting everything small so it cooks at the same pace. Dice the potatoes small, keep the chicken in bite-size pieces and seal the foil tight. After that you just tend the coals.

Recipe card

American Cookout Campfire BBQ Chicken Foil Packets with Corn and Red Potatoes

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Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Heat
Medium coals
Pack weight
4 lb
TrailFit
  • Campfire
  • Camp stove
  • Backpacking
  • Cooler required
  • No stove
  • Low water
  • One-pan cleanup
  • Prep ahead

Ingredients

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Gear you'll need

  • Grill grate for the fire ring
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • 2 mixing bowls
  • Cutting board and knife
  • Long tongs
  • Heat-resistant gloves

Steps

  1. Build the coals

    Burn the fire down to medium coals with a few flames left. Set a grill grate over the coals about 4 inches up. You want a steady heat you can hold your hand over for 4 to 5 seconds.

  2. Sauce the chicken

    In a large bowl, toss the chicken with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, the paprika, garlic powder and half the salt. Keep the bowl in the cooler until you're ready to pack, and wash your hands after touching the raw chicken.

  3. Season the vegetables

    In a second bowl, toss the potatoes, corn, bell pepper and onion with the olive oil, the remaining salt and a few grinds of pepper. Use a clean spoon, not the one that touched the chicken.

  4. Fill the packets

    Lay two 18-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil on top of each other, four times over. Divide the vegetables among them, top each pile with chicken and add a pat of butter.

  5. Seal them tight

    Fold the long edges together twice, then fold and crimp the short ends. Leave a little air space inside so steam can circulate.

  6. Cook and flip

    Set the packets on the grate. Cook 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point and moving any that cook faster to the cooler edge.

  7. Check for doneness

    Carefully open one packet, pulling back the foil away from your face to avoid steam. The chicken must read 165°F on an instant-read thermometer and the potatoes should be soft. If not, reseal and cook 5 to 8 minutes more.

  8. Finish and serve

    Drizzle each packet with a spoonful of the extra sauce and scatter on the scallions. Let them rest 3 minutes, then eat straight from the foil.

Trail Notes

Make ahead

Cut the potatoes, pepper and onion at home and pack them in a zip bag. Coat the chicken in sauce and spices, freeze it flat, and use it as an ice block that thaws in the cooler within 24 hours. Assemble the packets at camp.

Food safety

Keep raw chicken at 40°F or below until it goes into the foil. Don't set cooked packets near the raw chicken bowl, and wash your hands and tongs after handling it. Cook to 165°F, no exceptions.

Swap

Use smoked sausage coins instead of chicken. They're already cooked, so just heat them for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Sweet potato cubes also work in place of red potatoes.

Leave no trace

Let the foil cool completely, then pack it out with the rest of your trash. Don't bury it or leave it in the fire ring. Scatter cooled ash only where fires are allowed and pack out any food scraps.

Round out your camp day

Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.

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Campers ask

How long do chicken foil packets take on a campfire?

About 30 to 35 minutes over medium coals, flipped once. The chicken needs to reach 165°F inside, and small-diced potatoes need that long to soften.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?

Yes, but cut it into 3/4-inch pieces and check it a few minutes early, since breast dries out faster. Thighs stay juicier if your coals run hot.

Why are my foil packet potatoes still hard?

The pieces were probably too big or the coals too weak. Dice potatoes to 1/2 inch, use double-layer foil and seal it tight so steam builds. Reseal and cook another 5 to 10 minutes.

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