Shrimp is one of the things that our picky eater child loves to eat so we started experimenting with ways to safely eat shrimp at the campsite. This lemon shrimp and broccoli foil packet was a hit and so easy to prep before we headed off to the campsite.
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The key to a great foil packet meal is to choose ingredients that all take about the same time to cook. An easy way to make that happen is to cut up ingredients that take longer into smaller pieces. And, if they are in bite sized pieces, they are that much easier to eat sitting around a campfire without needing a knife. In fact, if you open your packet carefully enough, you won’t need to dirty any dishes at all. Just a fork or a spoon which sure makes cleanup a lot faster.
Who doesn’t love food cooked over a campfire? Actually, we know a lot of people who don’t and we just have to feel sorry for them. Because we love to cook over a campfire, especially in foil packets. These are easy to use, easy to customize, and easy to cleanup. Since there are hundreds of recipes out there for things to cook inside a foil pack, you are sure to find something that will be extremely delicious when cooked over the campfire.
What we love about Lemon Shrimp and Broccoli in a Foil Packet:
- They are prepped ahead of time
- Season them any way you like
- They can be cooked over wood, charcoal, or gas
- You are eating a one dish meal
The Ingredients:
- Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
- Broccoli florets (boil first if you prefer softer broccoli bites)
- Instant rice
- Salt & Pepper (as you wish)
- Butter
- Honey
- Minced garlic
- Dried Basil, Oregano, and Thyme
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- Lemons
The Process Part One:
- Combine your shrimp and broccoli in a large bowl. (See note about broccoli.) Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl whisk together your melted butter, honey, garlic, and dried herbs. Include the red pepper flakes if using.
- Cut four large pieces of foil (about 18 inches) and four slightly smaller pieces of parchment paper (about 16 inches). Place one piece of parchment paper on top of each piece of foil.
- Place 1/4 cup of dry minute rice in the center of the packet first. Then layer 1/4 of your shrimp and broccoli mixture, with sauce, over the rice. Add 2-3 lemon slices to each packet.
- Fold the long sides together and form a seam. Then roll the short sides up to form additional seams.
- Refrigerate up to three days or freeze until time to go camping.
NOTE: We prefer a firmer broccoli so we add ours in the packets as is. For those who prefer a softer bite, we recommend boiling it for 2-3 minutes before adding it to the packets. We would not suggest freezing these packets prior to cooking them though.
The Process Part Two:
- Start your campfire or heat up your grill so that your heat source is ready. If using wood or charcoal, let the flames die out prior to cooking your food.
- Place your foil packets over heat for 25 minutes or until the rice is ready.
- Carefully pull the packets off and let them cool for a minute or two.
- Either open up the seams and crush the foil into a bowl shape or empty the food into another bowl or plate for eating.
- Don’t forget to squeeze fresh lemon juice over your cooked food for added enjoyment.
Equipment needed:
- Aluminum Foil: We use heavy duty aluminum foil for all of our foil packet recipes. It only takes one time for your foil to fall apart during the process of cooking to realize the importance of quality foil.
- Parchment Paper: Some people don’t like to cook over high heat with aluminum. Parchment paper is the way to go here. Line the inside of the foil with the paper and everything cooks the same, just without touching the foil. Bonus-the foil stays clean and can be recycled.
- Heat resistant gloves: If you are going to be working around a fire, at some point you will probably get burned. These gloves can help prevent that.
More Recipes to Enjoy:
- Sausage, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes Foil Packets
- Steak Fajita Foil Packets
- Tex Mex Chicken Foil Packets
Foil Packet Food: Lemon Shrimp with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs shrimp peeled and deveined
- 4 cups broccoli florets see note
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup minute rice
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
Instructions
At home
- Combine shrimp and broccoli in a large bowl. See note about broccoli. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter with honey, garlic, herbs, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour mixture over shrimp and broccoli, then toss to coat.
- Cut four large pieces of foil (about 18 inches) and four slightly smaller pieces of parchment paper (about 16 inches). Place one piece of parchment paper on top of each piece of foil.
- Place 1/4 cup of the rice in the center of the packet first. Drizzle with some olive oil if you wish.
- Divide your shrimp and broccoli between the four foil packets. Top with lemon slices.
- Now fold the long sides together and form a seam. Then roll the short sides up to form additional seams.
- Refrigerate up to three days or freeze until time to go camping.
At the Campsite
- Start your campfire or heat up your grill so that your heat source is ready. If using wood or charcoal, let the flames die out prior to cooking your food.
- Place your foil packets over heat for 15 minutes or until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Carefully pull the packets off and let them cool for a minute or two.
- Either open up the seams and crush the foil into a bowl shape or empty the food into another bowl or plate for eating.
- If you brought any lemons with you, squeeze fresh juice over your food prior to eating.