Southwestern Chicken Foil Packets

Like I mentioned on an earlier post, we got WAY into making foil packet dinners this spring. We had a great time coming up with a bunch of different foil packet meals - AKA “hobo packets”.

I’ve already shared a few of the foil packet recipes we dined on, and today’s recipe - Basically Tex-Mex style chicken packets - was a CLEAR winner among those foil pack dinners.

This is an easy, hearty, all-in-one meal with a bit of everything - juicy seasoned chicken, black beans, corn, Mexican rice, peppers... delicious!

The best? Not only is it an easy camping meal, there’s minimal cleanup after the fact!

Throw your individual foil packets together, toss them on the fire... enjoy your juicy chicken dinner, then just throw the foil away. Easy!

Anyway, a great recipe all around - so let’s look at what you’ll need to have on hand, to make these foil packs:

Ingredients

This recipe uses fairly basic ingredients that shouldn’t be difficult to find in any larger grocery store.

As always, I have some ingredient notes for you:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Because this recipe has a LOT going on - including a serving of beans - I go a bit lighter on the chicken breast than I do for my other foil pouch recipes.

Usually I’ll use 1 large chicken breast per foil packet. In this case, I’ll split one large breast in half, for 2 servings. Alternately, you can just use small chicken breasts.

If you prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs, use one per foil pouch - trimmed before marinating.

Mexican Rice

As a time saver, I use a pouch of prepared Mexican rice. You know the kind, normally you microwave it, then kind of massage or shake the bag to break up clumps of rice?

I use the President’s Choice Mexican Style rice, as it tends to be the most readily available.

You can use whatever brand you like, though... or leftover Mexican rice from a restaurant. Homemade works, but then we’re into *effort*!

The big thing here is that you want *cooked* Mexican rice. If you have a dry mix pouch, you’re going to want to add the water and whatnot, using the finished rice in the pouches.

If you’ve got a bit more or less than the 250 grams, it’s not a big deal. This isn’t an exact science!

Peppers

I use both Poblano Peppers and Jalapeno Peppers in this recipe, as I love the flavour they bring to any kind of “Southwest” type recipe.

That said, I do have a hard time getting my hands on fresh poblanos sometimes.

When that happens, bell peppers are a good substitute. Red Bell Peppers, Green Bell Peppers - whatever you like.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Canned or Frozen Corn
Canned Black Beans
Cooking Spray
1 Fresh Lime
Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder
Dried Oregano
Ground Cumin
Onion Powder
Smoked Paprika
Salt
Optional Garnishes - Lime Slices, Cilantro, Sour Cream, etc

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

How to Make Southwestern Chicken Foil Packets

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

Marinated Chicken

Trim the chicken breasts, if needed. Cut each into 2 equal pieces and place in a medium freezer baggie.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the remaining marinated chicken ingredients (Oil, Lime Juice, 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.

Get all of your ingredients prepped - peppers sliced, prepared rice fluffed / separated, beans drained and rinsed, and corn drained.

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 one marinated chicken breast, and about one quarter of the rice, black beans, corn, and in the center of the foil. Season the veggies with a little salt and pepper.

Place jalapeno slices on top of each chicken breast, if desired.

Place foil packets over your fire or grill 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 20-30 minutes.

Open the packets, garnish with a lime slices, cilantro, and/or sour cream 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 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!