Campfire Foil Cooking

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Campfire foil cooking is a fun, easy way to enjoy a campfire meal.

Whether you're out enjoying one of the nations beautiful parks or simply relaxing next to a backyard fire, cooking a meal with a foil packet is a popular way to cook almost anything.

One of the best things about foil cooking is the clean up....or lack of it. No messy pots to wash or pans to scrub.  

Simply throw the tinfoil away and you're done!

Plus cooking outside over an open fire is great because any mess you create while preparing or eating your food stays outside and doesn't end up on your kitchen floor.

Cooking with foil is easy as long as you follow a few basic rules.

By following these basic rules, you'll be cooking campfire meals that are only limited by your imagination that your whole family will enjoy.

Campfire Foil Cooking Tips

Rule #1  

Use heavy duty aluminum foil.  I have used regular alumium foil before but you have to double up and use two layers of foil.  

This is important because the thinner foil will tear easily, exposing your food to wood and ashes or even worse, loosing an entire meal inside the campfire.

To make a foil packet, use a piece of foil that's big enough to fold over your food creating a pouch.  

Roll up the excess foil on the ends to create a tight seal.  

This creates an oven effect which allows your food to slowly cook while keeping it safe from the direct flames of your campfire.

This method is one of my favorite ways to make popcorn over a campfire.  

It's the perfect snack for camping, plus it's really easy to make if you just add a little oil, salt and popcorn!


Rule #2

Spray the inside surface of the foil with cooking spray or simply use oil or butter to prevent the food from sticking.

If you use aluminum foil and don't spray it with cooking spray, there's a very good chance the food is going to stick to the tinfoil...especially foods like diced potatoes or certain vegetables.

A quick spray will make campfire foil cooking a lot easier!


Rule #3

Cooking time is not an exact science.  

The type of food you are cooking and its placement over the fire will dictate how long the meal will take. 

Meats that are not pre cooked will take the longest.  

Place raw meats on the bottom of the foil and then layer vegetables on top if you're going to cook them both in the same packet.  

This will place the meat closest to the coals which is the hottest part of the fire.

Basically, the cooking time depends on how hot your fire is and what you're cooking.  

The same general cooking times apply here as in the kitchen. Potatoes take longer than peas, etc.  

Rule #4

Don't place your foil packets directly into the flames.  Let the fire burn down and form a nice even bed of coals.

Once you have a nice coal base in your campfire, place your packet or packets on the hot coals and wait.

Depending on what you're cooking you might want to flip the packets half way through to make sure the food is evenly cooked.

Since the foil packet has been tightly rolled on top, you won't have to worry about any food coming out when you flip it over.

Cooking with tin foil over an open fire is very similar to making your own portable dutch oven for cooking.  

Although the foil won't cook as evenly as cast iron, it a quick way to make a lot of really delicious meals.

That's it!  Once you have determined your food is done go ahead and enjoy!!

Campfire Foil Cooking - Overall

Campfire foil cooking is a great way to enjoy a delicious meal over an open fire.  

Baked or diced potatoes, corn on the cob and even lemon pepper fish tastes great when cooked with foil.

You can also make up your meals ahead of time and place them in a cooler to take along with you on camping trips.  

This is a great time saver and it allows you to quickly cook a meal without having to prepare it on a picnic table at your campsite.

It's so easy when you get back from a long day of hiking or fishing to just grab a pre-made packet from the cooler and place it on the fire.  

Just remember to use heavy duty aluminum foil or if you don't have the heavy duty stuff, just double up the layers to prevent the foil from tearing as you flip the packet or take it off the fire.

That's it.....it's so simple!  

In fact, it works so well that foil packets are my top choice for cooking over an open fire.

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About the Author

Nick Greenway

Obsessed with firewood, Nick is behind over 350+ of Firewood For Life's articles, as well as countless reviews, guides and YouTube videos to help readers like you reduce heating costs and create the perfect fire.