Sausage, Peppers, Onions, & Potatoes Foil Packets

The first time we made foil packets I wanted to make sure we weren’t disappointed by cutting into raw meat which meant my best option was precooked sausage.

The second time we made foil packets we chose to make these again because they are just that good. The third time, well that is a story for another day.

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.

Please note that this article contains affiliate links, and we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through links in this post. You can read our full disclosure on our disclosure page.

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 Sausage in a Foil Packet:

• They are prepped ahead of time
• You can season them any way you like
• They can be cooked over wood, charcoal, or gas
• This 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)
• Onion and Garlic Seasonings (for a little extra oomph)
• Kielbasa Sausage (our preferred but any precooked sausage is fine)
• Bell Peppers (go for colorful)
• Onions (white, yellow, red-your preference)
• Red Potatoes (we like small potatoes, cut down even smaller, for this recipe)

The Process Part One:

1. Dice your peppers, slice your onions, chunk your potatoes, and chop your sausage. Place all of this into a nice large bowl.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and add your seasonings. Toss thoroughly to coat.
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. Add 1/4 of your ingredients to each packet and fold the long sides together and form a seam. Then roll the short sides up to form additional seams.
5. 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 potatoes are 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.

FAQ and How to Customize:

Q. What can I put in my sausage packets?

A. Anything you want! The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and your taste buds. We love the taste of peppers and onions with our sausage, but some people are allergic. Our kid only wants the meat and potatoes, so we put less peppers and onions in his. By making each package individually, we can accommodate each person.

Q. What other vegetables could I put in my sausage packets?

A. Depending on the season, other fresh vegetables that might be tasty additions are green beans, yellow or green squash, carrots, and/or corn. Cabbage is another tasty addition, but I avoid cabbage when we are camping. I’m sure you can guess why…

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 Recipes to Enjoy:

• Lemon Shrimp and Broccoli Foil Packets
• Steak Fajita Foil Packets
• Tex Mex Chicken 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.