My family spent a lot of time camping when I was a kid and these Hamburger Foil Packets were one of our favorite things to make for dinner! They are a one-pan meal with tender carrots, potatoes, onions, and a lean ground beef patty, all grilled (or baked) to perfection!
They go by many names, including foil meal packets, tin foil meals, foil packet meal for camping, and foil packet dinners. And I recently found out they are also known as Hobo Dinners or Hobo meals. But whatever you choose to call them, they are an easy and delicious meal and little packet of comfort food goodness. You can make these at home on the grill or even in the oven! They are simple to put together and perfect for camping, cookouts, or when you simply need an easy comforting meal. They are also easy cleanup, which is probably the best part!
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🥘 Ingredients
For these hobo foil packets, you'll need:
- lean ground beef * make sure you use lean ground beef or a) you will get too much fat cooking off into your foil dinner and b) the patty will not hold together
- potatoes- any potatoes will do! You could even use sweet potatoes!
- carrots- make sure you slice these very thin or they won't cook through in time
- onion * I use white onion
- butter- I use unsalted, but if you opt to use salted butter, make sure you use less (or no) salt *you can always add more salt after
- salt
- pepper
- ketchup and/or gravy (optional)
💭 Top tip
I use an aluminum foil container for these hamburger foil packs, instead of fussing with making my own foil packs. It takes less time and it's much easier to check on doneness. You don't have to take the packet apart - you simply open the cover. They are also easier to balance on a campfire or eat on a picnic table. * I use container size: 6 9⁄16 inches x 4 5⁄8 inches x 1 11⁄16 inches OR/ 16.7 cm x 11.8 cm x 4.3 (affiliate link).
🍽Equipment
Speaking of doneness, did you know that temperature is the BEST way to check for doneness? No more cutting into your meat mid-grilling, guessing or hoping it's done.
This meat thermometer is a game changer!
- I use my instant read thermometer (Thermapen) for everything from baking pie and bread to eggs, casseroles, candy making and more!
- This amazing little tool instantly and accurately measures temperature with a quick poke. And it's not just for the grill, it's the go-to kitchen instrument trusted by the world's most acclaimed chefs and BBQ champions (it's one of Alton Brown's 'favorite things')!
- And it comes with a handy little chart that gives you chef-recommended temperatures, as well as the minimum done temps for food safety.
If you love cooking, baking or grilling, this tool is a must-have!
🔪 Instructions
How to make Hobo Foil Packets
*See detailed instructions in the recipe card to make these foil dinners for camping:
- Add potatoes, butter, onions, carrot, salt, pepper, and hamburger patties to each foil container
- Seal (shiny side in)
- Place packets on the grill (with lid down) or in the oven at 350 degrees F/175 degrees C (medium heat) and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour (check for doneness at 35 minutes) *You can also cook them over a campfire/open fire
- Eat right out of the foil container (just be careful because the container will be very hot at first). Enjoy these juicy burgers, potatoes, carrots, and onions with gravy or ketchup.
⏲️ Cooking time
The cooking time and temperature for these hobo dinner foil packets is the same whether you make them on the grill, on a camping stove, or in the oven. It's a little harder to regulate temperature when you're cooking over a campfire, but these foil containers are much easier to check for doneness (than messing with foil packets). Cook on 350 degrees F/175 degrees C for about 45 minutes (check for doneness at 35 minutes), covered on a grill, camp stove, fire, or in your oven.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Ketchup: We always just ate our tin foil dinners with ketchup, but gravy is also a great addition.
- Gravy: You can easily make it over the campfire or grill with a packaged gravy, some water, and a whisk (tastes similar to Salisbury steak)
- Mushrooms: If you want it to taste even more like Salisbury steak, add mushrooms!
- Margarine: use margarine instead of butter
- Dairy-free: Make them dairy-free by using vegan margarine, instead of butter
👪 Serving Size
This hobo dinners recipe makes 6 foil packet meals. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. You'll just need additional aluminum foil containers.
🔢WW Points
You can reduce the ww points in these foil packets for camping, by using ground turkey patties instead of ground beef!
If you are looking for yummy, easy recipes these are a great "one-pot" comfort meal for camping, grilling, or in the oven at home. You'll love these Hamburger Foil Packs!
And be sure to check out my Camping Pizza (with grilled pizza toppings) too!
📋 Hamburger Foil Packet Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground beef *formed into 6 patties
- 3 carrots
- 1 medium onion
- 6 medium potatoes
- ⅓ cup butter, approximately * about 3 teaspoon butter per packet
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon per packet
- 1 ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon per packet
Garnish
- gravy
- ketchup
- additional salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat grill or oven to 350 degrees F/173 degrees C and spray the inside of 6 foil containers with non stick cooking spray. * If you are using foil packets, spray the foil.
- Slice potatoes thin, as shown.
- Divide potatoes evenly between 6 foil containers/packets.
- Cut onion in circles, then in half.
- Add onions (dividing evenly amongst all 6 containers), 3 teaspoon of butter and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper to each foil container.
- Slice carrots very thin. (or they will not cook through)
- Add carrots to the foil containers.
- Divide beef into 6 even sections and form into 6 beef patties.
- Add patties to foil containers, on top of veggies.
- Seal lid on top (shiny side in)
- Cook on 350 degrees F/175 degrees C for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, covered/lid down on BBQ or in oven. *Check at 35 minutes.
- It will be ready when fork easy goes through potatoes and carrots and meat is not longer pink. * The best way to check for doneness (for the meat) is with a an instant read thermometer (https://www.thermoworks.com/Thermapen-Mk4?tw=FoodMe)
- *Be careful because they are very hot on the bottom when they come off the grill, camp stove, out of the fire or out of the oven. You'll want to place on a heatproof surface.
Garnish
- Garnish with gravy or ketchup and additional salt and pepper, as desired. Everyone gets their own dinner in a little packet!
Sydney
Wonderful idea, and not just for camping!
Terri Gilson
Thanks! Yes, I agree- they are great done in the oven too! 😊
Terri Gilson
I agree! 🙂
Virginia
I would bake these in the oven because I don't go camping. Is that a cardboard lid covering those individual pans? Can that really go into a hot oven?
Terri Gilson
Hi Virginia: Yes, my directions in the recipe are for the grill OR oven: "Place packets on the grill (with lid down) or in the oven at 350 degrees F/175 degrees C (medium heat) and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour (check for doneness at 35 minutes)" And no, the lids are foil (that side goes facing down) and they are oven safe. I link to the containers I use under "Equipment" in the post.
Enjoy!
Terri
Sabrina
We tried these at the cabin and loved them! Really easy and family friendly, thanks, we’ll make them again soon 🙂
nancy
great camping or meal prep idea!! i'll be making this when we go camping!
Vanessa
So delicious and satisfying! Love the idea of using the foil containers since I always struggle making the packets.
Bernice
Yesss! Bring on the camping. I love making these for camping trips...and I passed on the tradition to my Girl Guides at camp one year. They are so tasty and love having the mess contained.
Shelby
This is absolutely perfect for camping!
AmyG
I love this idea of a one pan meal on the grill. Win win situation, less dishes to wash and no kitchen mess!