Campfire Chili-Lime Sweet Potato Wedge Foil Packets
Toss sweet potato wedges with oil, chili powder and salt, seal them in two double-layer foil packets, and cook over medium coals for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes. Open them when a fork slides in easily, then finish with lime juice, crumbled cheese and cilantro. Plan on about 40 minutes from start to snack.
These are salty, a little smoky, and tender in the middle with crisp-ish edges where the wedges touch the foil. They make a good snack while dinner is still on the fire. Everything cooks in the packet, so there is no pan to scrub.
The trick is cutting the wedges the same size and keeping the coals at medium. Too hot and the bottoms scorch before the middles soften. Squeeze the lime on after cooking so the flavor stays bright.
Campfire Chili-Lime Sweet Potato Wedge Foil Packets
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium coals
- Pack weight
- 3 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler optional
- No stove
- Low water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
Gear you'll need
- heavy-duty aluminum foil
- grill grate (optional)
- long tongs
- fork
- cutting board and knife
- large bowl or zip bag
- heat-resistant gloves
Steps
-
Build medium coals
Let the fire burn down until the coals are mostly gray with a little glow. You want steady heat you can hold your hand over for about 5 seconds.
-
Season the wedges
Toss the sweet potatoes in a big bowl or zip bag with the oil, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Coat every wedge.
-
Fill the foil
Tear off four sheets of heavy-duty foil, about 18 inches each. Stack them in pairs and put half the wedges in a single layer on each. Fold the foil over and crimp all the edges tight, leaving a little air space.
-
Cook over coals
Set the packets on a grill grate over the coals, or nestle them right on the coals. Cook 10 minutes.
-
Flip and rotate
Use tongs to flip each packet and move it to a fresh hot spot. Repeat after 10 more minutes.
-
Check for doneness
After 25 to 30 minutes total, carefully open one corner and poke a wedge with a fork. It should slide in easily. If not, reseal and cook 5 more minutes.
-
Open with care
Let the packets rest 2 minutes. Open them away from your face, because the steam is hot enough to burn.
-
Finish and serve
Squeeze the lime juice over the wedges. Top with cheese and cilantro and serve straight from the foil with lime wedges on the side.
Trail Notes
Cut and season the wedges at home, then pack them in a zip bag in the cooler for up to 24 hours. At camp, fill the foil and cook as written.
Gold potatoes work in place of sweet potatoes. Cut them a little smaller and add about 10 minutes of cooking time.
Keep the cheese in the cooler until you serve and don't leave it out more than 2 hours. Wash your hands and the knife before cutting limes if you've handled raw meat for dinner.
Let the foil cool, then pack it out. Foil does not burn away in a campfire. Use an established fire ring and drown your coals fully before you leave.
Campers ask
How long do sweet potato wedges take in foil on a campfire?
About 25 to 30 minutes over medium coals with a flip every 10 minutes. Wedges ½ inch thick are done when a fork slides in with no resistance.
Can I cook foil packet sweet potatoes on a camp stove?
It's tricky, because direct burner heat scorches the bottoms. A grill grate over a fire or coals gives much more even heat.
Why are my foil packet potatoes still hard in the middle?
The coals were probably too cool, or the wedges were cut too thick. Reseal the packet and cook 5 to 10 more minutes over hotter coals.
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