Mediterranean Chicken Foil Packets

As I mentioned in a recent post, we got WAY into making foil packet dinners on a spring camping trip this year.

Also called “hobo packets”, foil packet meals are just a really great option as an easy camping meal.

There’s usually very little in the way of food prep, the whole family can usually customize their individual foil packets to some degree, they’re easy to cook, and there’s minimal cleanup.

What more could you want in a camping meal?

This Mediterranean Chicken foil packet recipe is one of the first foil packet recipes I ever designed - WAY back in 2006, as an easy weeknight meal at home.

When we started camping a few years ago, it quickly joined the roster of newer foil pack dinners we’d make.

There’s a reason I’ve been making it for so long, after all!

These chicken packets start out with juicy marinated chicken breasts - almost like a Souvlaki chicken - topped out with lemon slices and olives, then served as an all-in-one meal with foil pack roasted veggies.

It’s naturally gluten free, low carb, easily made nightshade-free, and SUPER tasty.

It also feels pretty bougie. We photographed this post from the back of our waterfront site at Presqu'Ile Provincial Park, a nice breeze blowing in front Lake Ontario... yeah, we were feeling a bit fancy!

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need for this recipe:

Ingredients

While there are a few more ingredients here than in some other chicken foil packet recipes, they’re all pretty simple ingredients. You shouldn’t have any problem finding everything you need in any grocery store.

As always, I have some ingredient notes for you:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

I generally use boneless skinless chicken breast for my chicken foil packet recipes, as it’s quick, easy, readily available... and not as annoying to trim as a chicken thighs are. (IMHO!)

That said, feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. I recommend using 2 per person/foil packet, trimmed before marinating.

Vegetables

I usually make this with fresh asparagus - when in season - or fresh zucchini slices. That said, you can substitute other vegetables in if you prefer - within reason, anyway!

Broccoli is a great option, just trim in at cut into bite-sized florets before adding them to the foil packets.

Green beans would also work well. In general, you’re wanting veggies that just need to be heated through, rather than actually cooked. For instance, potatoes won’t work, as they need to cook a lot longer.

Olives

I use a mix of sliced green olives and sliced Kalamata olives, both for the taste and the aesthetics!

I usually use green olives without pimento, just to limit nightshades. If that’s not an issue for you, go ahead and use the pimento stuffed green olives.

You can also use all green olives, all kalamata olives, or even swap in black olives, if you need to - it’s all good.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Fresh Lemons (For lemon juice AND lemon zest!)
Fresh Parsley (I like Italian / Flat Leaf Parsley)
Cooking Spray
Dried Oregano
Dried Thyme
Dried Rosemary
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil
Salt

... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Pretty basic stuff!

How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Foil Packets

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the visual walk through:

Souvlaki Marinated Chicken

Trim the chicken breasts, if needed, and place in a medium freezer baggie.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining marinated chicken ingredients (Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic, and Spices).

Pour the marinade into the baggie of chicken, push most of the air out of the baggie, and seal. Gently massage the bag to coat the chicken pieces.

Chill for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, you can freeze it until the day before you want to cook it - just thaw it first, in the fridge.

Assembly

About 40 minutes before you plan to serve the meal, get a medium fire going. You can cook this on a charcoal grill, a BBQ, or on a grill plate over a campfire.

I like to prepare all of the ingredients before starting to assemble the foil packets.

For each pouch:

Lay 2 long pieces of foil (Ideally heavy-duty aluminum foil) crosswise to each other on a flat surface, then spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Place a slice or two of lemon, top with one marinated chicken breast.

Place about ¼ of the olives, and another lemon slice (if desired) on top of each chicken breast. Fold the foil ends in, rolling to form a well sealed packet.

Place foil packets over your fire or on the grill, cook for 15 minutes.

Remove the chicken packets from the heat.

Divide the asparagus spears or zucchini slices between the foil packets. For each packet, divide that packet’s portion of vegetables on either side of the chicken.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the veggies, season with a little salt and pepper to taste - you can also use a bit of onion and garlic powder, if you like.

Re-wrap the foil packet and return to the heat.

Continue cooking until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted, and the vegetables are as done as you like.

Actual cooking time will depend on your grill, and the thickness of your chicken, but expect another 5-10 minutes.

Open the packets, garnish with a bit of fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot!

Leftovers

Leftovers can be cooled to room temperature, transferred to an airtight container, and chilled for up to 3 days. Reheat before serving.

More Grilling Recipes for Camping

Looking for some great meals to cook on a campfire or grill? Here's a few of my favourites!

Bison Burgers with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Elk Burgers with Bacon & Sauteed Mushrooms
Fajita Chicken Kebabs
Ginger-Orange Chicken Foil Packets
Greek Chicken Souvlaki
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Lemon-Dill Fresh Salmon Burgers
Easy Grilled Shrimp Tacos
Grilled Tuna Tacos
Kielbasa & Perogies Foil Packets
Lemon & Dill Salmon Foil Packets
Mediterranean Chicken Kebabs
Pie Iron Pizza Pockets
Venison Burgers with Bacon & Whiskey Caramelized Onions

Be sure to check out our other Camping Recipes, including Camping Desserts, Camping Snacks, Make-Ahead Camping Mix Recipes, and a ton of delicious Camping Main Dish Recipes.

Also, we had SO much fun designing gourmet jerky recipes for our camping trips, we started a whole new blog for them! Check out Dried & Tasty for all kinds of fun recipes to make in your food dehydrator!