These grilled chicken foil packs are a great dinner to serve all summer long. They’re made with chicken quarters, tasty small red potatoes, and fresh corn all generously seasoned and cooked to mouthwatering perfection on the grill.

A chicken leg quarter with three corn cobs and red potatoes in a foil packet.

Whether you're hosting a cookout or enjoying a cozy backyard camping night, these foil packs are an easy and delicious summer recipe. The best part? You have your main and your side dish all-in-one. With minimal prep and cleanup, you'll have more time to kick back, relax, and spend time with your loved ones.

Dark meat chicken is a wonderful ingredient. It’s cheap, versatile, and pretty hard to mess up. Even if overcooked it’s tender and juicy! If you need more tasty dark meat recipes to get you through the week, then try our cashew chicken, these tempting sticky chicken thighs, and our popular chicken fricassee recipe.

Ingredients

Chicken – I love using leg quarters for foil packs. But separated drums, thighs, or a combo will work just as well.
Seasoning – The foil pack ingredients are seasoned with salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Leave out the crushed red pepper if you don’t like spicy.
Oil – Use oil with a moderate to high smoke point. We use canola oil.
Produce - Fresh corncobs and small red potatoes. You can substitute gold or other small potato varieties. It’s best to use fresh corn. If you are substituting frozen corn defrost it before using.
You will also need - Cooking spray, or oil to grease the foil. Heavy duty aluminum foil – it needs to be heavy duty. Regular foil will not hold up to handling and grilling. And grill spray to minimize sticking.
See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.

Instructions

Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper in a small glass bowl.

Add the salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, black pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using).

Seasoned cut red potatoes and cut corn on the cob in a large, glass bowl.

Add the corn and the potatoes to a large bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the prepared seasoning mix and toss well. Reserve the rest of the seasoning mix for the chicken.

Prep the chicken by removing any excess fat (and any giblets if present). Chicken thighs especially come with a lot of fat. Trim it off but leave the skin intact. Pat dry with paper towels.

Arrange the chicken in a pan and brush (or rub) it lightly with 1 tablespoon of oil. Sprinkle with half the remaining seasoning mix. Use the brush (or your hands) to rub it in. Turn the chicken and repeat on the other side. Refrigerate the chicken until ready to use.

Build the foil packs

Cut 8 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil at least 20-22 inches long.
Lay out one piece of foil horizontally (left to right) on a flat surface, dull side up.
Next, place another piece of aluminum foil vertically over the horizontal piece, making a cross.
Spray the center of the foil lightly with cooking spray.

The chicken, corn cobs, and cut potatoes on aluminum foil.

Add the chicken (one piece if using leg and thigh attached or two pieces if they’re separated). Then, add 3 pieces of corn and 5-6 potato pieces, depending how many you have.

The foil covering the ingredients with only corn cobs and a couple of potatoes visible.

Cover the chicken and vegetables lightly by bringing in the top and the bottom of the top piece (vertical one).

The sealed foil packet on a white table.

Next, bring up the sides (horizontal piece) and have them meet on top. Fold the edges together to seal. Make another one or two thin folds to reinforce. Make sure there’s enough room, so that air can circulate in the packet. Then, crimp each side by making one or two folds to seal the packet.

Repeat the steps above until all 4 packs are done. Place the packs on a large plate or pan to make it easy to carry them out to the grill.

Top Tip

Before sealing the packets identify the one with the largest piece of chicken. Use a permanent marker to make a mark on the (outside) of the foil. That way you can use that packet to take the internal temperature of the chicken and make sure it’s done (at least 165°F).

Grill the Chicken Foil Packs

Preheat the grill to moderate to moderate high heat – keep it around 375°F. Spray the grates lightly with grill spray to minimize sticking.
Grill the foil packs for about 30-35 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces and the grill temperature.
Pull one pack off the grill (the marked one). Open it carefully. Use a meat thermometer to take the internal temperature. Make sure it is at least 165°F, and that potatoes are tender.
If the chicken is not up to temperature rewrap it and continue grilling for another 5-10 minutes and test again.
Be careful when opening the foil pack, there’s a lot of steam accumulated in there! Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, garnish with fresh herbs and serve with butter, sour cream, hot sauce, if desired.

Recipe tips and notes

Try to use chicken pieces that are roughly the same size so that they cook at the same rate.
You can prepare these packets a few hours ahead of time and refrigerate them. They’ll be ready to grill when you are.
If you’re having a party this recipe is easy to double or triple.
Dark meat is recommended for these foil packets. If you prefer drums over thighs, or vice versa then substitute them for the chicken quarters.
It’s important to use heavy duty aluminum foil.

Storing instructions

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To freeze, cool, place it in a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for 2-3 months.

Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafty.gov.

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