Here’s a classic, hearty Hobo Dinner Foil Packets recipe — simple, customizable, and perfect for the oven, grill, or campfire. 🔥🥔🍖
🥩 Hobo Dinner Foil Packets
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (or 4 small patties)
- 3–4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 cup green beans or corn (optional)
- 3 tbsp butter
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- Optional: Worcestershire sauce, shredded cheese, fresh parsley
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat
- Oven: 375°F (190°C)
- Grill: Medium heat
- Campfire: Hot coals, not open flames
2️⃣ Assemble Packets
- Tear 4 large sheets of heavy-duty foil.
- Divide potatoes, carrots, and onions evenly onto each sheet.
- Form ground beef into patties (or crumble evenly) and place on top.
- Season generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Add 1/2–1 tbsp butter on top of each portion.
- Optional: splash of Worcestershire sauce.
3️⃣ Seal
Fold foil over food and crimp edges tightly to seal. Leave a little space inside for steam.
4️⃣ Cook
- Oven: 40–50 minutes
- Grill: 30–40 minutes
- Campfire: 30–45 minutes
Potatoes should be tender and beef cooked to 160°F (71°C).
5️⃣ Optional Finish
Open carefully (steam is hot!).
Sprinkle cheese on top and reseal for 2–3 minutes to melt.
🍴 Flavor Variations
- 🧀 Cheeseburger style: Add cheddar + pickles after cooking
- 🌶 Tex-Mex: Add taco seasoning + bell peppers
- 🍄 Mushroom & Swiss version
- 🐔 Swap beef for chicken thighs (increase cook time slightly)
💡 Tips
- Slice potatoes thinly so they cook evenly.
- Use heavy-duty foil to prevent tearing.
- Double-wrap if cooking over a fire.
- You can prep packets ahead and refrigerate until ready to cook.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- A make-ahead freezer version
- A low-carb version (no potatoes)
- Or a breakfast-style hobo packet 🍳🥓
