Campfire Foil Packets: 8 Recipes That Never Fail

There is something honest about foil packet cooking. You place raw ingredients on a sheet of aluminum. You fold. You set it in the coals. You wait. And then you open it and the food is done.

No technique required. No fussing. Just patience and heat.

I have been cooking this way for three years from my 19-foot Airstream. These are the eight packets I make most often.

1. Lemon Herb Salmon

A salmon fillet. Lemon slices. Fresh dill if I have it, dried if I don't. Butter. Salt. Fifteen minutes over medium coals. The fish steams inside the foil and comes out flaky and bright. I eat this at least once a week when I'm parked near a coast.

2. Italian Sausage and Peppers

Sliced Johnsonville Italian sausage. Bell peppers, any color. Onion rings. Olive oil. Italian seasoning. Twenty minutes. The peppers get soft. The sausage gets charred on the edges. Simple.

3. Garlic Butter Shrimp

Raw shrimp. Minced garlic. A generous amount of butter. Old Bay seasoning. Eight minutes. That's all. Overcook shrimp and they become rubber. Watch the time.

4. Southwest Chicken

Thin-sliced chicken breast. Black beans from a can, drained. Corn. Cumin. Chili powder. A spoonful of salsa on top. Twenty-five minutes because chicken must be cooked through. I check with a thermometer. 165 degrees. No guessing.

5. Mushroom and Potato

This is the one I make when the day has been long and I want something grounding. Baby potatoes, halved. Cremini mushrooms, quartered. Thyme. Garlic. Butter. Thirty minutes because potatoes are stubborn. The mushrooms release their liquid and everything braises together in the foil. Earthy. Warm. Quiet food.

6. Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Chicken thighs, cubed. Pineapple chunks from a can. Kikkoman teriyaki sauce. A little brown sugar. Green onion on top after opening. Twenty-five minutes. Sweet and salty. Good on rice if you have a pot going.

7. Breakfast Packet

Frozen hash browns. A cracked egg on top. Crumbled bacon. Cheese. I make this in the morning coals from last night's fire. Fifteen minutes. The egg sets. The cheese melts. Coffee in one hand, foil packet in the other. A good morning.

8. Apple Cinnamon Dessert

Sliced Granny Smith apples. Brown sugar. Cinnamon. A small amount of butter. Ten minutes. The apples soften. The sugar caramelizes. I eat this straight from the foil, sometimes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if I have it in the freezer.

A few things I have learned. Use heavy-duty Reynolds Wrap, not the thin stuff. Double-layer the foil. Leave space inside for steam. And fold the seams tightly or you lose all the liquid into the fire.

That hissing sound when the juices hit hot coals means you folded wrong.

I keep a roll of foil in my Airstream at all times. It weighs nothing. It takes no space. And on nights when I am tired and the sunset is fading and I don't want to think about cooking, I can still eat well.

That is enough.