Southwestern Chicken Foil Packets

This easy yet delicious, no fuss dinner from Twin Cities food blogger greens & chocolate is bound to be a family favorite. Who doesn’t love less dishes?!


With two little boys that keep me beyond busy, I’m drawn to recipes that give me the most bang for my time. As in the ones that take me the least amount of time and get the most praise at the dinner table. When it comes to ease of cooking, foil packet dinners are always winners — the whole meal goes in the packets. The trick is getting everything to cook evenly and taste delicious. I have to say, these Southwestern Chicken Foil Packets do not disappoint.


Best of all, even the prep work happens in the foil packets — I didn’t dirty a single dish making them! Seriously, I didn’t even mix together the spices in a bowl. I just sprinkled them on individually. This chicken is just THAT easy and fool-proof.


Basically, you’re going to lay out a chicken breast, sliced bell peppers, red onion, black beans, and corn in a large piece of aluminum foil. Then you’ll sprinkle it with a bunch of tasty Southwestern-ish spices, some salt, and a drizzle of olive oil. Wrap ‘em up and they’re ready for the grill or campfire.


These foil packets take about 25 to 30 minutes to cook, depending on the internal temperature of your grill. As always, I used a meat thermometer to keep track of the temperature of the chicken, ensuring they were cooked through before I removed them from the grill. Using a meat thermometer also keeps you from having to slice into the chicken to check on the doneness. I always thought that using a meat thermometer was a hassle until I realized that actually it makes cooking meat much simpler. No guessing or estimating.


Southwestern Chicken Foil Packets are great for when you want an entire meal cooked on the grill, or when you need a meal idea for camping. They’ll be a crowd pleaser, for sure.


Tip: If you’re heading up to the cabin or a campground, and you want to keep it simple, you can use L&B Southwest Trail Dust Seasoning instead of bringing individual spices. One bottle instead of five!

SERVINGS

4

PREP TIME

10 min

COOK TIME

40 min

Ingredients

  • 4
    boneless skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1
    red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1
    small red onion, sliced
  • 1
    14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2
    cups frozen corn
  • 2
    teaspoons chili powder
  • 1
    teaspoon cumin
  • 2
    teaspoon garlic powder
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 4
    tablespoons olive oil
  • 1
    cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
  • Chopped fresh cilantro, for topping

Directions

  1. 1

    Heat your grill to medium-high heat.

  2. 2

    Cut four large pieces of aluminum foil. They should be large enough to wrap up the chicken and vegetables.

  3. 3

    Place each chicken breast in the middle of each of the foil pieces, and surround with ¼ of the sliced bell pepper, ¼ of the onion, ¼ cup of black beans, and ½ cup of frozen corn.

  4. 4

    Sprinkle each packet the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and then drizzle them with olive oil.

  5. 5

    Place the packets on the hot grill and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165º F. During the last approximately 5 minutes of cooking time, open each packet and sprinkle with ¼ cup of cheese. Cover for the remainder of the cooking time.

  6. 6

    Serve topped with chopped cilantro and enjoy!