This BBQ foil packet dinner is the equivalent of a one-pot meal. You make a packet per person using aluminum foil with all the dinner ingredients inside. No mess, no fuss.
I love one-pot meals and this BBQ foil packet dinner is the perfect choice when it comes to a BBQ version. The best part about these foil packets is that they’re made to suit each individual making them very kid friendly.
I have actually made these when hosting guests before and it was quite fun for everyone to make their own. The one tip I have is to let your guests add the ingredients but you do the wrapping. This way as the chef you can make sure they’re easy to maneuver on the grill.
Preparing BBQ Foil Packets
Ingredients
Protein
Smoked sausage: I use a Polish smoked sausage which is already cooked so I don’t have to worry about raw meat. The flavour of the smoked sausage really comes out when you brown it so make sure to look for this at the store. Here is a good equivalent in my local grocery store of which you would need about 2 sausages.
Chicken breasts: Chicken breasts are considered the white meat of a chicken. They are thick and tender when cooked just right. When overcooked, however, they become dry and tough to eat.
Shrimp: Shrimp are shellfish that have long bodies, skinny legs and a shell all around their bodies. They are swimmers and can be found in both fresh and salt water. We use small shrimp for this recipe.
Produce
Potatoes: I use yellow flesh potatoes in this recipe. Yellow potatoes are a bit more sweet and softer so overcooking them will make them mushy quickly. White flesh potatoes are a bit more starchy and will hold their shape better so feel free to use white flesh potatoes instead.
Onion: Onions add some sweetness to this recipe. I like to use red onion which has a nice mild flavour both in its raw form and cooked.
Red Bell pepper: Bell peppers are the fruit of a plant of which there are many varieties. The most common are red, green, yellow, and orange. The sweetness of red bell pepper is unbeatable in this recipe. Red bell peppers are high in vitamins C and A.
Button mushrooms: Button mushrooms are the most common mushroom found in most grocery stores in North America. They are usually white in colour with a cap and stem and naturally appear in Europe and North America.
Flavour Enhancements
Old bay seasoning: Old Bay Seasoning is an American spice mix made from various spices and herbs. Some of these include celery salt, black pepper, paprika, cinnamon, ginger and 13 others. It’s most commonly used for fish and seafood but is really great on everything.
Butter: Butter is churned milk or cream and is high in fat. It is solidified when refrigerated, holds a semi-soft, spreadable consistency at room temperature, or can be liquefied when heated.
Fresh Thyme: This herb has an amazing flavour that goes so well with most meats and veggies. It is part of the mint family and is a small bush, with branches that are covered in small leaves. We use a whole sprig or branch per packet so no need to pick off the leaves.
How to Make BBQ Foil Packet Dinner
Prep the Ingredients
First, you need to prep all of the ingredients. You can do this in any order you’d like. You want to make sure the pieces are appropriate for the cooking time.
- Slice the sausage, into ¼-inch thick pieces.
- Dice the chicken and onions into a ½-inch cube
- Dice the pepper into ½-inch squares.
- Cut the mushrooms into quarters.
- Cut the potatoes into ½-inch pieces
I like to put each of the ready ingredients in their own bowl and then let everyone make their own packet. Or at least instruct me on what to put in.
Next, preheat the BBQ to 450°F.
Make the Packets
Once all the ingredients are ready, it’s time to make the pouches or packets, as I like to call them. Roll out about 15 inches of aluminum foil per packet.
Split the ingredients between the two pieces of foil. I made two adult-size packets and a small one for my toddler. My picky eater is strictly against one-pot meals.
The best order of ingredients is the ingredients that take the longest to cook on the bottom and the ones that cook the fastest on top. So, start with the potatoes, then add the chicken and sausage then the rest of the veggies. Finally add the thyme, butter, and spices on top.
Place the ingredients in a pile roughly in the middle of one-half of the foil. For ease of reference. Create a gentle crease in the middle of the foil folding lengthwise. Then add all of the ingredients either to the left or the right of that crease. Fold the foil in half along the crease and seal the edges enclosing the ingredients.
Using a fork, poke a few holes in each packet, I only poke two or three times on the outer edges.
BBQ
Place the packets on the grill using a metal spatula then turn off the burners directly below the packets. You will cook these using indirect heat. Leave them on, under a closed lid for about 20-25 minutes, or until everything is cooked.
After 20 minutes, open one of the larger packets and use a fork to check the potatoes for doneness. When opening the packet gently unfold the edges making sure to let the steam out before opening it up.
Serve in the foil but on a plate in case the foil tears or leaks. I recommend you open the packets once plated, and let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Be careful when opening these as they are full of hot steam that can easily burn.
Substitutions
None of the ingredients listed are really necessary they are just the best combination with the old bay seasoning.
The real value of this meal though is that you can cater to multiple tastes. With that said I would not prep ingredients separately for everyone. Use a bunch of ingredients that most of your family members or guests love and leave the unnecessary one-offs out. This meal should be versatile but simple.
Serving BBQ Foil Packets for Dinner
The beauty of this ‘one-pot’ meal is that you serve it in its cooking vessel. Simply place the packet on a dinner plate, open it up and fold the excess foil in toward the plate to keep it out of the way. You can also remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
Be sure to open the packet on the plate before serving so that no one gets burned by the steam.
You can definitely move the contents of the packet onto a plate or into a bowl but why dirty dishes if you don’t have to?
Lastly, if your family likes dips, tzatziki is my favourite with this bbq foil packet dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you fold foil packets?
Once you’ve placed the ingredients in a pile roughly in the middle of one-half of the foil, fold the foil in half, with the seam right against the ingredients. Seal the edges enclosing the ingredients by folding them. Fold all three sides once, then go back and fold them a second time. It’s important to fold the edges neatly so that you can easily access the inside while it’s on the bbq to make sure everything is cooked.
The best way to explain this is by showing you. Check out the video below to see how we did it.
Can you make foil packets ahead of time?
Yes! The packets that you see in the video below were made in the morning, then I cooked them at dinner time. If you are making these ahead of time, bring them back to room temperature before cooking by removing them from the fridge about 20-30 minutes before grilling.
Do you poke holes in the foil when grilling bbq foil packets?
Yes. I recommend doing this to make sure that you release the build-up of steam inside the pouch. Using a fork, poke a few holes in each packet, I only poke two or three times on the outer edges.
Do you flip the foil packets on the bbq?
No. There is no need to flip the packets as we are using indirect heat to cook them. With the indirect heat, there is less likelihood of burning.
Let us know in the comments if you have any questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
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BBQ Foil Packet Dinner Recipe
Equipment
- Knife
- Small bowls
Ingredients
- 1 smoked sausage
- 6-8 raw shrimp
- 1 lb potatoes
- 4 oz onion
- ½ red bell pepper
- 6 button mushrooms
- 1 chicken breast
- 1 tsp old bay seasoning
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 4-6 fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- First, you need to prep all of the ingredients. You can do this in any order you’d like. You want to make sure the pieces are appropriate for the cooking time. Slice the sausage, into ¼-inch thick pieces. Dice the chicken and onions into a ½-inch cube. Dice the pepper into ½-inch squares. Cut the mushrooms into quarters.1 smoked sausage, 6-8 raw shrimp, 1 lb potatoes, 4 oz onion, ½ red bell pepper, 6 button mushrooms, 1 chicken breast
- I like to put each of the ready ingredients in their own bowl then everyone can pick what they like.
- Preheat the BBQ to 450°F.
- Once all the ingredients are ready, it’s time to make the pouches or packets as I like to call them. Roll out about 15 inches of aluminum foil per packet.
- Split the ingredients between the two pieces of foil. Including the thyme, butter, and spices.
- Place the ingredients in a pile roughly in the middle of one-half of the foil. The best order is the ingredients that take the longest to cook on the bottom and the ones that cook the fastest on top. Top with the spices, thyme and butter. Fold the foil in half and seal the edges enclosing the ingredients. Using a fork, poke a few holes in each packet, I only poke two or three times on the outer edges.1 smoked sausage, 6-8 raw shrimp, 1 lb potatoes, 4 oz onion, ½ red bell pepper, 6 button mushrooms, 1 chicken breast, 1 tsp old bay seasoning, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, Pinch of salt and pepper, 4-6 fresh thyme sprigs
- Place on the grill, turning off the heat directly below the packets. You will cook these using indirect heat. Leave them on, under a closed lid for about 20-25 minutes. After 20 minutes, open one of the larger packets and use a fork to check the potatoes for doneness. When opening the packet gently unfold the edges making sure to let the steam out before opening it up.
- Serve in the foil but on a plate in case the foil tears or leaks. I recommend opening the packets once plated, and letting them cool for a few minutes before serving.
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