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Hobo Dinner Foil Packets

Hobo dinner foil packets are an all-in-one campfire meal with thin ground beef patties, sliced potatoes, carrots, and onions cooked until tender in sealed foil. Open the packets to release steaming layers—savory, juicy beef and soft vegetables in one easy cook.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
resting/cooling 5 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef
Potatoes
  • 4 potatoes medium; sliced
Carrots
  • 4 carrots sliced
Onion
  • 1 onion sliced
Seasoning and butter
  • 0.5 tsp salt and pepper to taste; season in packets
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp butter 1 tbsp per packet
Foil
  • 4 heavy-duty aluminum foil 4 sheets

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the patties
  1. Divide the ground beef into 4 portions and shape each into a thin patty for even cooking.
  2. Preheat your campfire setup for medium heat so the packets can cook steadily.
Assemble the foil packets
  1. Layer sliced potatoes, carrots, and onions on each foil sheet, then place a beef patty on top.
  2. Season each packet with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then dot the top with 1 tablespoon butter.
  3. Fold foil into sealed packets and crimp the edges tightly to keep steam inside.
Cook over the campfire
  1. Place packets on a campfire grate over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through for balanced browning.
Finish and serve
  1. Carefully open packets (watch for steam) and check that the beef is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
  2. Let packets cool for 5 minutes before serving directly from the foil.

Notes

For best texture, keep beef patties thin and spread vegetables in an even layer so everything finishes around the same time. Store leftover packets in the refrigerator up to 3 days, reheating until hot through; freezing is not recommended because the potatoes may turn softer. For a lower-fat swap, use 90% lean ground beef or substitute ground turkey.