Hobo dinner: the culinary chameleons of the cooking world! Whether you’re roughing it in the great outdoors, having a backyard grill party, or just feeling too lazy to fire up the oven, these foil-wrapped delights have got your back. It’s like food that’s always up for an adventure. Just mix your fave ingredients, wrap ’em up, and let the cooking method of your choice work its magic.
Want even more delicious dinner ideas? Try my slow cooker beef tips, baked beef taquitos, and chicken burrito bowls!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Dinner
- Quick and Easy: These tin foil packets are so quick to whip up, can be made in advance, and are de-licious!
- Nearly Unlimited Options: You can switch up the ingredients with any of your favorite vegetables or starches! You can even change from ground beef to chicken or steak!
- Family Favorite: We absolutely love these campfire favorites and don’t limit them to just one season!
We have a deal that whenever we go camping my husband is in charge of set up and take down. I am in charge of the meals. We always pack easy and tasty dinners that fill you up after your day of fun, like this five ingredient chili, but these hobo dinners are looked forward to the most.
Picture this: tender, seasoned meat mingling with the earthy flavors of veggies, all infused with a smoky, charred goodness. It’s like Mother Nature herself whipped up a delicious, rustic feast just for you. The flavors are hearty and comforting, with a hint of nostalgia for those long summer nights under the stars.
Ingredients For Hobo Packets
Creating the perfect camping menu can be a bit of a challenge. Luckily, this easy recipe is an all around winner. It tastes amazing, is easily adaptable, and clean up is a breeze. All very important things to consider when planning for your camping adventure. Here is what you need for this recipe:
- Ground Beef: For the classic version you’ll want ground beef. I use a lower fat meat for this recipe.
- Onion Soup: I like to add a little extra flavor to the meat with a dry onion soup mix. You can substitute this with any of your favorite seasonings.
- Cheese: Optional, but a sprinkle of cheese is such a great flavor boost.
- Seasonings: I use Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. However, you can easily adjust or add these to any of your favorites.
- Vegetables: Pick your favorites! We love sliced potatoes and use others like green beans, carrots, and onion.
- Cream Soup: This soup works like a gravy that soaks the flavor into every piece of the puzzle.
Hobo Dinner Recipe
Can these be prepped in advance? Absolutely! Try making the packets before you leave and you’ll have dinner ready in a snap.
- PREP: Create 6 large rectangles of heavy duty foil. Mist with cooking spray.
- PATTIES: Combine the ground beef, onion soup packet, cheddar cheese, Worcestershire, and egg into a large mixing bowl. Gently mix to combine and divide into six equal portions. Form into patties that are roughly 1/2 inch thickness.
- TOPPIGS: Spoon 1/3 cup mushroom soup onto each rectangle. Divide potatoes between packets along with the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Â
- CLOSE: Top with a hamburger patty and onion slices. Add additional mushroom soup if desired. Seal each packet securely.Â
- COOK: Follow the directions in the recipe card to cook with your preferred method.
Hobo Dinners In The Oven
What if I told you that you can actually make these any time of the year and right in the comfort of your own home? We do not limit tin foil dinners to camping. We have made them in the oven, on the grill, and in hot coals. Do not limit yourself to just one way of cooking!
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the prepared tin foil dinners onto a baking tray. Cook for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees and the vegetables are soft.
- Let the packets sit for five minutes, cut open and enjoy!
Helpful Tools
Recipe Notes:
Use heavy duty foil. The last thing you want to happen when you are handling a tin foil dinner is to have the foil give out or rip. Heavy duty foil ensures that your dinner will stay safe and sound during the cooking process.
Know how to fold a tin foil packet. You want to fold your packet in a way that allows the cooking to be even. Follow this super simple tutorial. As a result, you will have perfect recipes every time!
Prep before you leave. Chop your veggies, slice the chicken, or even put the packets together before you head out. This makes for a more enjoyable camping experience. Less stress while you cook means more time to enjoy your vacation!
Don’t skip the non-stick spray!
Absolutely! Feel free to add your favorite veggies, swap out the protein, or experiment with different seasonings and sauces to suit your taste. It’s all about making it your own.
Cooking times vary depending on your method. Campfire cooking can take around 20-30 minutes, grilling may take 25-35 minutes, and oven baking can take 35-45 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Be sure to check for doneness.
Absolutely! You can assemble the packets in advance and refrigerate them. This is a great time-saver for camping trips or busy weeknight dinners.
Make sure to double-fold the edges of the foil tightly to create a good seal. Also, place the packet seam-side up on the grill or campfire to minimize the chance of any juices escaping.
Still Hungry? Follow One Sweet Appetite on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Easy Tin Foil Dinner Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs hamburger meat divided into 6 patties
- 1 1oz onion soup packet
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large egg
- 5 small potatoes peeled and sliced thin
- 2 cups carrots sliced
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- salt and pepper to taste
- heavy duty foil
Instructions
For the hamburger patties
- Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Gently mix until combined. Divide meat into six equal portions. Form patties.
- Create 6 large rectangles of heavy duty foil. Mist with cooking spray.
- Spoon 1/3 cup mushroom soup onto each rectangle.Â
- Divide potatoes between packets along with the carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Â
- Top with a hamburger patty and onion slices. Add additional mushroom soup if desired.
- Seal each packet securely.Â
Oven Cooking:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cook your foil dinners for 35 minutes or until the meat reaches a temperature of 160 degrees.
Campfire Cooking:
- Cook over hot campfire coals for 45-50 minutes or until the meat reaches a temperature of 160 degrees and the vegetables are soft.
- Be sure to check periodically and turn and rotate until done.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @1sweetappetite and follow pinterest for more!
More Tin Foil Dinner Ideas:
- Hawaiian Chicken Stack Tin Foil Dinner
- Tin Foil Chicken Fajitas
- Spicy Coconut Shrimp Foil Pack
- Southwestern Chicken Tin Foil Dinner
Reader Interactions
Find even more recipes!
Be sure to share it in the comments below and follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram for even more delicious recipes.
Comments & Reviews
Mary Pearce says
How do you tell the individual dinners apart? I want to do this for my sons birthday, but all the boys will make individual dinners and will need to tell them apart… Any ideas?
Jesseca says
Use a permanent marker to write their names or initials on the outside.
Victoria says
A group of my friends are going camping in two weeks my boyfriend and I are in charge of most of the meals. Freezing them until were ready to eat is genius. But how long does it usually take to cook hobo dinners on the coals are there signs where I will know when they’re done?
Viki O says
I have tried thinly sliced chicken (be sure it gets cooked all the way thru), sweet potato slices, pineapple, onions, frozen peas, with soy sauce.. We love foil dinners. They are a must on campouts. I saw on pinterest a s’mores post where they put the chocolate, marshmallows and whatever else you felt like adding into a sugar cone and wrapped it in foil, then cooked it on the coals like a foil dinner. Yum!
Jane Morris Coons says
We did these in Girl Scouts – I actually took a Gourmet Outdoor Cooking class and they taught us the trick with the cabbage leaf on the top & bottom. Really works to add moisture and prevent scorching. My favorite meat to put in them is kielbasa – it’s already fully cooked so you don’t have to worry about undercooking meat or poultry. Also, partially cook chicken in your microwave and then put it in a heavy duty plastic back with a bottle of Italian dressing. Flavors it and again, no worries about undercooked poultry. You can freeze the chicken at that point and put them in the cooler to thaw.
I learned from the BOY Scouts how to make a proper foil packet – take a large piece of Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, and fold it in half. Fold again the opposite way (first, top to bottom; next side to side). Make three narrow, crisp folds on each of three open sides. Fill the packets with meats and/or veggies (they are great with just potatoes and onions for a side). Add some butter, some fresh herbs, salt & pepper, and a tablespoon of water. Seal top by folding over three times. Cook on grate or in coals – flip with tongs. The packets will “puff up” like Jiffy Pop from the steam. This manner of folding packets makes all the difference!
Craig Riecke says
Wow! I’ve eaten a lot of tin foil dinners in my time … half-eaten is more accurate. I have never had one come out well. It’s absolutely impossible to judge how long to put one on the fire. And once you’ve opened it … it’s game over. If it’s underdone, you’ll never be able to close it back up without getting ash in it. If it’s overdone, you’ll need power tools to get it off the tin foil. And there is no in between.
Actually … statistically, there will always be someone who gets a good tin foil dinner – they got the perfect part of the fire. You never know who that person will be … except, it won’t be you!
Brandy says
We’re going on an overnight camping trip tomorrow and I was trying desperately to think of something I could do for dinner and breakfast and then viola! Stumbled on this idea! Thank you. I think instead of hamburger I’ll use a sliced up veggie patty (my honey is a vegetarian), some frozen peas, corn, onion, garlic, carrots, broccoli, rice and black beans. We’ll see how they turn out! I’m thinking I might want to prepare them tonight but am not sure if I should just refrigerate or freeze the packets…hmm…don’t have a whole lot of time to prepare them in the morning before I leave for work and our trip. Has anyone just prepared them the night before and stuck them in the fridge until you left? I’m assuming it would be fine after all, when I make meatloaf I wrap the rest in tin foil and stick it in the fridge and it seems to stay pretty fresh. Anyways, happy camping and thank you so much for the tips!
B. Dean says
My mother use to fix the hobo dinners in a large coffee can.. she would layer the food of choice such as onions, ground beef (season to taste) tomatoes, potatoes etc. Yummy. Note to reader–this was 50 + years ago.
Kari says
I am not a healthfood nut but I can,t help but be concerned about health issues with some of the things suggested. Manifold meals: toxic fumes; coffeecan meals: 50 yrs ago probably lead poisoning from the sealing of the can; and today I worry about aluminum in things since aluminum is known to be an issue for causing alzheimers(which my dad died from). I even use aluminum free deodorant.
Craig says
Well then, you better stay locked up inside that bubble of yours…
K Hunt says
On one of our camping trips last year we decided to use frozen steak fries and/or tater tots in place of the potatoes. It was WAY easier than peeling and slicing potatoes at the campground and was delicious! We do a hamburger patty, vegies (potatoes/fries/tots along with carrots, onion, and sweet peppers). Then we top it with a dollop of Cream of Mushroom Soup. So yummy! We’ve also made tin foil dinners with a slice of ham, sweet potatoes, and pineapple or marshmallows on top. I haven’t tried chicken fajitas in a foil pack yet but that’s on my “to try” list.
Christina Scott says
I am going to use this one….My husband and I are taking 9 kids camping in little over a month and this is a God send. Yes, it’s early….with 9 kids I need to be prepared
Valerie says
My son is has been in Cub Scouts and now Boy Scouts and foil dinners are a favorite! They especially like to add Ramen Noodles instead of potatoes.
Jaime says
This is a fabulouse idea! Im from australia and discovered your blog on pinterest {someone pinned a pic of yours} we are going caravaning in the next week and im searching for simple meal ideas…thanks for this. Its kinda like mini caseroles, lol.
paul says
While we made these type meals camping. My father also took the idea further and would cook food on the exhaust manifold of our family car during long trips. I don’t remember exactly what we used to cook or how long (many miles) it took, but I can remember eating manifold dinners at rest areas more than once as a child.
https://www./ says
I believe engineering just causes it to be even worse. Now there’s a channel to under no circumstances care, now there will not likely become a likelihood for them to find out.
https://www./ says
So that’s the case? Quite a revelation that is.
is toyota corolla a good car says
HI IM AN ARTIST AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF VIDEOS ON ART ID LIKE TO SEE THERE IS A HUGE MOVMENT TO GET AN ART CHANNEL WHO MAKES THAT DECISION WE ALL NEED AND WANT IT SO PLEASE EEND OUR PLEA TO GET US AN ARTISTS CHANNEL .IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE FROM THE START LET ME KNOW IF THIS GETS ANY WHERE PLEASE THANKL YOU GINA
Monica Mooney says
When making these ahead of time, how do they not leak everywhere?
Jesseca says
Monica,
I’m not really sure how you could do these ahead of time. The only thing I can think of is getting the meet chopped/divided in the foil and freezing it before you go. You can also chop some of the ingredients and keep them in ziplocks. I hope that helps!
KS says
A little late but I always make them ahead of time t home.
I love convenience of the full kitchen. Prepare meal double wrapped and sealed well . Lay flat in zip lock and freeze. I am headed camping memorial day week year for 6 nights. Four nights we are doing foiil dinners. Three mornings we are doing foil breakfast.
I cook them in a little smokey weber grill with charcoal versus fire coals. I can control temp much better.
Jodi says
Originally the recipe called for a hamburger party, frozen tater tots, frozen peas & carrots, and a teaspoon of dry onion soup mix. You can keep these in the freezer until it’s time to go camping, and they help to keep items chilled, and there isn’t anything to leak, especially if you have double wrapped in heavy duty foil. Just pack the dinners all together in a zip lock bag. The burger will get “fried”, while some of the tots get crispy too, but peas & carrots will steam. This is the original Boy Scouts of America recipe.
K Hunt says
We’ve made them ahead of time as well. We use the heavy duty aluminum foil and double wrap it them. So far we haven’t had leaks. But when we make them ahead of time, we eat them the first day of our camping trip.
KS, I would love to hear the variety of tin foil dinners and breakfasts you are doing. I assume you aren’t eating the same dinner 4 nights and the same breakfast 3 mornings….although maybe you are.
Ani H. says
HI there! When I make mine ahead of time, I place each packet into a Ziploc bag. I’ve never had one leak before but I’m always worried they might. The bag also allows me to write whose dinner it is and what dinner is it. Also, if you’re still worried about leaking, I recommend taking all the “liquid” items (i.e. – soup, ketchup, etc.) and freezing them into individual ice cube trays. This way they “melt” slowly while in the fridge/cooler and won’t leak before they cook. 🙂
kreditrechner mit restschuld online says
I have to say that this poll warmed my spirit. Main reason I am not around much is that I decided to do, all on my own, a one [anonymous] citizen sort of grassroots thing in Iowa…….and have clocked between 3 and 4 thousand miles so far the past few weeks…… a few days at a time when I can schedule time off. It just feels really good to take some action, and yet I have no idea and never will have any idea of whether what I am doing will make a difference.
Kathy says
Lovely blog.
We make foil dinners with my Girl Guide unit all the time. One trick I learnt, when I was a young Guide, is to dip your foil packet in water before adding the second layer of tinfoil. This helps steam the food and prevents the contents from burning. Happy camping!
Kathy says
We make these with our Girl Guide unit all the time. One trick is to actually dip the foil packet in water before added your second layer of foil. The trapped water helps steam the food and prevents the food from burning. Happy camping!
Bev says
Our favorite tin foil meal:
Roasted Potatoes, with Onion and Garlic…add butter inside, season it. Cook on the grill, (we place ours inside our castiron pan to be able to grab it easy)…serve with sourcream…yummy.
Rita Boyle says
We make these meals often when camping. We use the small 6 X 8 foil pans found at the Dollar Tree and cover the whole pan with heavy duty foil. No need for turning, everything steams. Our favorite is ground beef with all the veggies….and dont forget the zucchini! Our favorite seasoning is Italian Dressing (from the bottle)sprinkled all over the top, and maybe a shot or two of soy sauce. We also like smoked sausage with cabbage, onion and potatoes! Sometimes our eyes are bigger than our stomach!
Michelle says
Hi, when cooking the tin foil campfire dinners, do you pre-cook the meat first (so it is basically just getting warmed up/simmered with the other stuff? I’m preparing for a first-time family camp trip and I have no idea how to do this campfire cooking. Thanks! The tips are really helpful.
Jesseca says
We don’t precook the meat. Just fold it up and put it on the hot coals with all of your preferred add ins!
Maria says
I couldn’t figure out the meat part either – so thanks for the response to that question. With respect to the soup, do you just add a few spoon fulls on top of the food once you have it assembled? I’m a bit confused about that part – and I don’t cook, which isn’t a good combination!
Your blog is so helpful – thank you for the work that you do!
Maria says
Never mind : K Hunt answered my question below.
I’m excited to make these!
Lori says
For our tin foil dinners we put in a hamburger pattie, top with cut up potatoes, carrots, and onions then season. Then add a couple of spoonfuls of canned corn and cream of chicken soup. Then all you need is ketchup to go along with it.
Susan says
We’re taking our kiddos on their first camping trip with my sister and her family. We were talking about making hobo dinners…what a great reference! And I love the idea of themed dinners from Stacie.
Stacie says
What a laugh, “STOP EATING, I have to take a picture first! ” Can we all relate to that?
I love this idea and would love to go with a theme, Italian (pizza sauce and mozarella cheese), Mexican (cumin spiced chicken, monterey jack cheese, salsa, pinto or black bean), Hawaiian (pineapple, pulled pork, onions, cooked rice).
I also found a great deal on foil products at the dollar stores…great for camp meals.
thanks for the great ideas.
Kimber Ryan says
Another tip is to lay out a big leaf of cabbage on top of your foil piece prior to layering your yummies on it – and once you have all the goods stacked up add another cabbage layer on the top. This prevents any burning of the food. The cabbage is dense and moist enough to create the perfect non-stick barrier.
Some of our favorite fillings are ground beef with onions, sliced sweet potatoes, green beans and a variety of bell peppers. YUM!
Sherron says
I like to use disposable aluminum pie plates and wrap with tin foil (cover the entire pie plate, not just the top). This eliminates the need for a plate, and keeps the juices from spilling out. They take up more space, but we will often times place a handful of coals on top of one and stack them.
Jesseca says
SO smart. My husbands entire family was trying to think of a better way to wrap them! I’ll have to tell them about pie plates!
Rita Boyle says
We use the 6 X 8 tin pans from Dollar Tree…..there is 3/1.00 in a pkg. Cover whole pan with heavy duty foil. (They come with a lid…but ours is usually too full to use the lids! LOL)
Andrea says
Brilliant! Absolutely Brilliant Jesseca. That was an aha moment for me. I don’t turn my tinfoil dinners in the fire so that would work perfectly. Thanks for sharing that tidbit.
Rita, Good tip, The dollar store is great for things like that.
Andrea Urban says
These are also a favorite at our house. I must admit that for a while there I got lazy when Reynolds company were still making their “Hot Bags” It was a large family size heavy duty foil bag that was sealed on 3 sides. We’d dump the fixin’s for the whole family in that bag, fold down the unsealed side and cook away. I was so sad when they discontinued the product. I would love it if they would make some smaller single serving sized ones, that would solve the leaky bundle problem that I always seem to have when making tin-foil dinners.
melody says
I like to cut potatoes, onions, green beans, and a couple sliced links of sausage into mine. I season it, put a spoon full of garlic and a dab of butter on top, and go to town! Its delish! So delish, in fact, that sometimes I make this at home on a regular, non-camping night. I mean, who doesn’t likeeasyclean-up even at home, right?!
Heather Lynn says
Thanks for the marvelous tip to make them before leaving home! What a huge time and space saver.
Kellen Hallows says
A quick note, sometimes these Tin-Foil Dinners are called Hobo Dinners. You basically throw whatever you can find into the mix. Obviously certain foods go better together (such as the list provided) but you can add anything that your heart or stomach desires (pinneapple works great with these too!). Great post Jesseca!
nick ******** says
thanks i kept seeing hobo dinners and was wondering what they were