Foil Pack Recipes for Grilling Season

We love foil packs for their wrap-it and cook-it ease (not to mention the fast cleanup—even faster than one-pan recipes because zero pans are required). We also appreciate the way cooking foil packs on the grill keeps what's inside moist and flavorful. Just about anything you can cook on a grill can be grilled in a foil pack, including meat, fish, vegetables, and seafood. Make these grilled foil pack meals to enjoy throughout grilling season.

Related: These recipes require no chopping!

How to Make Foil Packs

Use these three steps as your master plan for making all kinds of foil packs for dinner. Entrées, side dishes, and even desserts all follow these basic guidelines.

1. Precook if Needed

Cooking hobo packs on the grill is easiest when you choose ingredients that require the same amount of cooking time. That way you can wrap all ingredients together and toss them on the grill. However, some ingredients in foil pack grilling recipes will take longer to cook than others. This is often true with potatoes, which you may have to precook if you're wrapping them up with other quicker-cooking ingredients such as fish.

2. Divide Food Among Foil Sheets

Place one portion of the recipe in the center of a foil sheet that's been cut to the size directed in your recipe. Often, recipes will call for at least a 12-inch square sheet of foil to make foil packs.

3. Wrap and Grill

To wrap and seal your hobo foil pack, bring up two opposite edges of foil; seal with a double fold. Fold remaining edges together to enclose, leaving space for steam to build. Grill as directed in your recipe.

Buy It: Kenmore 4-Burner Stainless Gas Grill, $489.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

Grilled Foil Pack Recipes

Grilled Foil-Pack Philly Cheesesteak Hash

We'll start with our current favorite, grilled steak and potato foil packs. It's our favorite because your entire meal is inside. No need to worry about cooking up veggie kabobs or other grilled side dishes. Plus, cheese. You can never go wrong when you add a slice of cheese.

Get the recipe: Grilled Foil-Pack Philly Cheesesteak Hash

Luau BBQ Chicken Foil Packs

Sure, grilled chicken is great, but pineapple chicken foil packs add an enticing tropical twist to your grilled dinner. With plenty of veggies packed inside, simply add a side of grilled bread or another starch to round out the meal.

Get the recipe: Luau BBQ Chicken Foil Packs

Red Snapper and Vegetables

Here's one of those foil pack dinner ideas we mentioned earlier where a bit of precooking comes in handy. Even though you're cutting tiny new potatoes into quarters, the snapper still cooks much faster. Use the recipe directions for cooking potatoes in the microwave before adding to the foil packs.

Get the recipe: Red Snapper and Vegetables

Lemon-Veggie Foil Pack

These seasoned veggies prove sometimes simple is best. Just a bit of salt and lemon-pepper season the vegetable medley. A burst of sour from a few slices of lemon tucked inside ensure no one has to suffer through bland side-dish veggies, this recipe will have everyone asking for seconds.

Get the recipe: Lemon-Veggie Foil Pack

Green Bean Hobo Pack

We know there's no stopping you when you've got a craving for grilled burgers, grilled steaks, or even grilled salmon. So instead of making dinner in a foil pack, toss this veggie foil pack on the grill next to your entrée for an easy side dish. And we mean easy. It only takes four ingredients, plus some salt and pepper, to make this veggie hobo pack recipe.

Get the recipe: Green Bean Hobo Pack

Balsamic-Glazed Onion Hobo Pack

Don't let the pound of onions called for in this recipe scare you! Tangy balsamic and the chemistry of grilling veggies creates a sweet caramelized vegetable side dish to serve up with grilled pork or beef.

Get the recipe: Balsamic-Glazed Onion Hobo Pack

Pineapple Berry Hobo Pack

This five-ingredient dessert recipe will convince you that grilled fruit can indeed constitute dessert. For those with an even bigger sweet tooth, serve the fruit mixture over slices of pound cake or with a scoop of ice cream.

Get the recipe: Pineapple Berry Hobo Pack

Spiced Apple Hobo Pack

Try this recipe on a late summer or early fall day when apple desserts are all you crave and the grill hasn't been put away for the season. Fresh apples paired with autumn's best spices—apple pie spice, cinnamon, and cloves—creates a fruit-forward dessert that we like to top with whipped cream.

Get the recipe: Spiced Apple Hobo Pack

• By Wini Moranville
• By Sheena Chihak