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    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Foil Dinner on the Grill

    Published: Jul 23, 2020 · Modified: Aug 13, 2023 by In Fine Taste · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Try this foil dinner on the grill for an easy summer meal! A delicious savory marinade envelops ground beef, potatoes, onions, peppers, carrots and green beans, it’s a slow cooked dream for the grill, oven, or campfire.

    white plate with fully cooked foil dinner and piece of scrunched aluminum foil.
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love this Recipe
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • Expert Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
    • Serving and Storage Tips
    • Try these recipes next!
    • Foil Dinner on the Grill

    Why You'll Love this Recipe

    Top Reasons You'll Love this Dinner

    • Delicious. Bright flavors combine for a dinner bursting with good taste.
    • Moist. The meat stays moist and juicy in foil packet dinners.
    • One packet meal. You get the whole dinner in one foil packet—meat, potatoes and veggies too!
    • Fun activity. Everyone can join in to make tin foil dinners. Kids love to help put them together then watch the magic when it comes off the grill or out of the fire.
    • Travels well. You can prep these foil packet dinners ahead and take them along in a cooler to cook at your destination.

    Want to keep your house cool on a summer evening? You can’t beat tin foil dinners for an easy meal or backyard camping. These dinners go by names like: foil packet dinners, hobo packets, tin foil dinners, hobo dinner on the grill, and foil packet meals. You can cook our foil dinner on the grill, over a campfire, or in the oven.

    A simple summer dinner idea, making a foil dinner on the grill is both fun and tasty. Try putting beef, chicken, or fish along with veggies in your aluminum foil packet dinners. Make sure to season the contents and add a little extra moisture in the form of a marinade or other liquid. Folding down the foil packet dinners seals in the juices and flavors. You'll get a delicious, tender meal.  

    Our foil dinner on the grill is a healthy summer dinner recipe that features In Fine Taste Best Hamburger Marinade, which has delightful flavors!

    Ingredient Notes

    all ingredients needed for foil dinner on grill recipe.
    • Salt. Enhances the flavor of the meat and vegetables.
    • Olive oil. Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat.
    • Brown sugar. Helps the meat brown and gives a touch of sweetness to the marinade.
    • Garlic salt. Adds garlic taste and depth of flavor to the meat.
    • Garlic. Adds delicious flavor to the hamburger marinade.
    • Worcestershire sauce. Adds brilliant sweet and savory flavors to the marinade and thus the entire tin foil dinner.
    • Red wine vinegar. Brightens the flavor of the marinade.
    • Liquid smoke (mesquite flavor). Gives a delicious smokey flavor to the marinade.
    • Black pepper. Adds heat to the hamburger marinade.
    • Onion powder. Gives added zing to the marinade.
    • Ground beef. A ground beef (aka hamburger) patty is the base of this tin foil dinner.
    • Carrots. Carrots add nutrients to the foil dinner. Especially vitamins A and C.
    • Potatoes. Potatoes give dimension to the foil dinner by adding a starch. It makes the meal more hearty and tasty.
    • Bell peppers. Add color and nutrition to the foil packet dinner.
    • Green beans. Including this vegetable in the foil packet dinners adds nutrition, color and taste.

    How to Make this Recipe

    ingredients to make a foil dinner on the grill.
    1. To make marinade, mix Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, oil, onion powder, black pepper, salt and liquid smoke in a bowl and blend until smooth.
    2. Cut vegetables: dice potatoes; slice onions; slice bell peppers; trim green beans; slice carrots.
    3. Dip carrots in marinade and lightly shake off excess, then set aside.
    steps to prepare ingredients for foil dinner.
    1. Place potatoes in marinade.
    2. Dip onions and remainder of vegetables in marinade.
    3. Mix ground beef with remaining marinade and use your hands to gently blend marinade into meat. Be careful not to handle too much or meat will become tough.
    4. Form ground beef into four equal sized (¼ pound) round patties. Place a dent in the center to help prevent shrinkage.
    layering onions, peppers and potatoes for tin foil dinner.
    1. Cut 8 pieces of foil (18 x 12 inches). Spray interior side of 4 pieces of foil with Pam spray.
    2. Place two foil sheets together, sprayed side up, and lay peppers, carrots and potatoes in middle of foil.
    3. Place onions atop potatoes.
    placing foil dinner ingredients on aluminum foil and wrapping them.
    1. Lay ground beef patty on top of vegetables and lightly sprinkle meat with garlic salt.
    2. For each foil packet dinner, bring two of the sides together, keeping the food inside. Fold foil sides like a tent and turn down edges. Continue folding down top of triangle-shaped tent until it is snug against the food.
    3. Fold end pieces together and up. Make sure edges are sealed. Continue with additional tin foil dinners. Place foil packet dinners on outdoor grill. (Flip over half way through.) Cook on high for 10 minutes. Turn down heat and cook on low-medium 20 more minutes. (You could also do this in the coals of a campfire, or in your home oven.)
    4. Remove tin foil dinners from grill and be careful as the foil will be hot! Cool to warm before serving. Serve meal on plate or in foil with barbecue sauce (optional).

    Expert Tips

    • Use cooking spray. Spray cooking spray on side of foil where you’ll place meat and vegetables. This will help prevent sticking.
    • Cut thin slices. Cut hard vegetables into thin slices for foil packets. Also, use thinner slices of meat or form medium-thin ground beef patties. This will allow them to cook more quickly.
    • Use heavy duty foil. Stronger foil prevents rips and leaks. It also protects your tin foil dinners from getting ashes in them. Use two layers of foil for your foil dinner on the grill; make sure to seal the foil packet well.
    • Use both sides of foil. Unless you're using non-stick foil, it doesn’t matter which side of the foil you use. According to Reynolds, it's fine to place food on both the dull and shiny side of aluminum foil. The difference in appearance is a result of the milling process where  one side comes in contact with the mill's highly polished steel rollers.
    • Reuse aluminum foil. Don't toss aluminum foil after one use. Foil can be reused. If it's not too crumpled or dirty, you can wash the foil by hand or on the top rack of the dishwasher. That way you’ll get some additional use from it.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    What is Worcestershire sauce made of?


    Worcestershire is made of a combination of vinegar, molasses, anchovies, garlic, tamarind extract, chili pepper extract, sugar, and salt. There are a few other ingredients which may include soy, lemon, pickles and cloves.

    Should you use heavy-duty aluminum foil for tin foil dinners?


    Yes! Cooking hamburger patties in heavy-duty aluminum foil helps to keep the meat nice and juicy. Cooking directly on the grill can dry meat out.

    What temperature should you cook foil packet dinners?

    On your grill, cook them at high, then lower the temperature. Inside, heat your oven to 375°F.

    What else can you cook in aluminum foil?


    You can create lots of delicious meals in foil. Try sandwiches, potatoes, meats like hamburger, steak, chicken salmon, fajitas and shrimp.

    How long does it take to cook tin foil dinners in fire?


    It takes about 20 minutes to cook foil packet dinners over a campfire. When the fire turns to coals, make a flat surface and place tin foil dinners in the fire. Cook about 20 minutes and turn it over at least once while cooking so it cooks evenly.

    finished tin foil dinner with ground beef patty and vegetabes.

    Serving and Storage Tips

    • Be careful opening the packet. There’s a lot of steam inside foil packet dinners, so be careful opening them. To serve, tear or cut a small hole in the packet to let steam escape before fully opening.
    • Make foil dinners ahead. To make foil dinners ahead, you can prep then refrigerate. You can store prepared foil dinner in a fridge up to three days before cooking, just put them in an airtight container.
    • Freeze foil dinners. To freeze foil packet dinners for later, put packets together according to the recipe, then place the packets in a large freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze. Before cooking, thaw the packets, then follow directions for cooking.
    • Don't store leftovers in aluminum foil. Leftover foil packets and other leftovers, will keep in the fridge 3-4 days. Don’t store them in aluminum foil. It’s not airtight, so even if tightly wrapped, air can get in which allows bacteria to grow faster. Instead, store leftovers in airtight storage containers or food storage bags.
    signature: "enjoy! Dianna".

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    P.S. If you tried this recipe or any other In Fine Taste recipe take a second and rate it below! We love hearing what you think.  Let’s stay in touch! Sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest for more recipe ideas.

    opened foil dinner on white plate.

    Foil Dinner on the Grill

    Tin foil dinner of vegetables and ground beef with a delicious marinade cooked on the grill.
    3.84 from 6 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Entrees
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 550kcal
    Author: Dianna--In Fine Taste

    Ingredients

    For Foil Dinner

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • 2 large baking potatoes or 4 medium; diced
    • 1 large onion; sliced
    • 1 green bell pepper or colorful peppers; sliced
    • ½ pound green beans; trimmed
    • 4 large carrots; sliced
    • 1 teaspoon garlic salt

    For Hamburger Marinade*

    • ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
    • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
    • ¼ cup brown sugar
    • 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
    • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoons liquid smoke mesquite flavor
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • To make marinade, mix Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, oil, onion powder, black pepper, salt and liquid smoke in a bowl and blend until smooth.
    • Cut vegetables: dice potatoes; slice onions; slice bell peppers; trim green beans; slice carrots.
    • Dip carrots in marinade and lightly shake off excess, then set aside.
    • Dip potatoes in marinade.
    • Dip onions and remainder of vegetables in marinade.
    • Mix ground beef with remaining marinade and use your hands to gently blend marinade into meat. Be careful not to handle too much or meat will become tough.
    • Form ground beef into four equal sized (¼ pound) round patties. Place a dent in the center to help prevent shrinkage.
    • Cut 8 pieces of foil (18 x 12 inches). Spray interior side of 4 pieces of foil withPam spray.
    • Place two foil sheets together, sprayed side up and lay peppers, carrots and potatoes in middle of foil.
    • Lay ground beef patty on top of vegetables and lightly sprinkle meat with garlic salt.
    • For each packet, bring two of the sides together, keeping the food inside. Fold foil sides like a tent and turn down edges. Continue folding down top of triangle-shaped tent until it is snug against the food.
    • Fold end pieces together and up. Make sure edges are sealed. Continue with additional foil meal packets. Place foil packets on outdoor grill. (Flip over half way through.) Cook on high for 10 minutes. Turn down heat and cook on low-medium 20 more minutes. (You could also do this in the coals of a campfire, or in your home oven.)
    • Remove from grill and be careful as the foil will be hot! Cool to warm before serving. Serve on plate or in foil. Serve with barbecue sauce (optional).

    Notes

    • To cook your foil dinner over a campfire: Start the campfire, then wait until you have some coals. When the fire turns to coals, make a flat surface and place tin foil dinners in the fire. Cook about 20 minutes and turn it over at least once while cooking so it cooks evenly.
    • Use cooking spray. Spray cooking spray on side of foil where you’ll place meat and vegetables. This will help prevent sticking.
    • Cut thin slices. Cut hard vegetables into thin slices for foil packets. Also, use thinner slices of meat or form medium-thin ground beef patties. This will allow them to cook more quickly.
    • Use heavy duty foil. Stronger foil prevents rips and leaks. It also protects your tin foil dinners from getting ashes in them. Use two layers of foil for your foil dinner on the grill; make sure to seal the foil packet well.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 550kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1637mg | Potassium: 1480mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 10726IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 6mg
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