Foil Packet Tex Mex Chicken

One of the first meals I “learned” to make was called Tex Mex chicken.

It was chicken breasts sauted with salsa, over rice, and covered with cheese. These were great for many reasons, one of which was they were so easy to make. Over time I added ingredients to the mix and made them look a little more like an adult was cooking, instead of the kid I was when I started. Then, one day, I wondered if they would work in foil packets for camping. We tried and modified and came up with these tex mex chicken foil packets.

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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 Foil Packet Tex Mex Chicken:

• These are prepped ahead of time
• You can season them as hot or as mild as you like
• They can be cooked over wood, charcoal, or gas
• Recipe doesn’t require lots of fancy ingredients
• You are eating a one dish meal

The Ingredients:

• Olive Oil (the basis of so many tasty meals)
• Salt & Pepper (as you wish)
• Taco/Cumin/Ranch Seasonings (for a little extra flavor)
• Chicken (breasts or thighs, cut up small for quicker cooking)
• Bell Peppers (go for colorful)
• Onions (white, yellow, red-your preference)
• Corn (fresh or frozen)
• Beans (black, pinto, your choice)
• Minute Rice (optional)
• Salsa (need the liquid for the rice)
• Toppings (shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.)

The Process Part One:

1. Cut your chicken into small pieces so they will cook quickly.
2. Dice your bell peppers and onions, jalapenos if you want. Mix together your corn and beans.
3. 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.
4. If you are using the minute rice, place 1/4 cup of the rice in the center of the packet first. Drizzle with some olive oil if you wish.
5. Next, layer your corn and beans, peppers and onions over your rice.
6. Then, using your tongs, place 1/4 of your chicken on top of the pile. Add a dollup of salsa as the liquid from that helps the rice cook. Sprinkle any additional seasonings you wish over your chicken.
7. Now fold the long sides together and form a seam. Then roll the short sides up to form additional seams.
8. Refrigerate up to three days or freeze until time to go camping.

The Process Part Two:

1. 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.
2. Place your foil packets over heat for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
3. Carefully pull the packets off and let them cool for a minute or two.
4. Either open up the seams and crush the foil into a bowl shape or empty the food into another bowl or plate for eating.
5. Add any garnishments you might want such as shredded cheese, more salsa, green onions, cilantro, etc.

FAQ and How to Customize:

Q. What can I put in my Tex Mex packets?

A. Anything you want! The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and your taste buds. We have found that we prefer to keep ours simple but you can certainly use a different protein. If you don’t like beans, don’t add them. And while the rice is optional, if you are using it you need it to be the minute variety or it won’t cook in time.

Q. I am camping with a family that has different food preferences, what can I do?

A. Have each family member make their own packet, either at home in advance or if you want to bring along the ingredients, they can prepare them at the campsite.

Q. What if I want to cook these in my kitchen oven?

A. That is not a problem. We recommend baking them at 350 degrees F. for roughly 30 minutes. The grill is also always an option for cooking a foil packet.

General Tips for Foil Packets:

• Use heavy-duty foil for best results as it doesn’t easily rip or tear.
• Fully seal your foil packets, leaving room for steam to circulate.
• Either use a layer of parchment paper inside the foil, or generously spray your foil, to keep everything from sticking.
• Have extra seasoning available for after the cooking; some packets will want some more salt and pepper to make the flavors come to life.

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 Foil Packet Recipes to Enjoy:

• Lemon Shrimp and Broccoli Foil Packets
• Sausage with Potatoes, Onions, and Peppers Foil Packets
• Steak Fajita Foil Packets

Foil packets are great for camping or cooking on the grill at home.

They’re inexpensive, easy to make and can be customized in many ways. Do you cook foil packets while camping or at home? We hope this has given you some inspiration for your next camping trip and you will let us know which ones are your favorites. Just tag us on instagram @campinganswer and share your photos.