Chicken Foil Packs

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

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, chicken dinner, grilled chicken

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 965kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Salt plus a pinch for serving (optional)
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Pinch Crushed Red Pepper optional, leave it out if you don’t like spicy
4 Leg Quarters skin on (or 8 pieces dark meat chicken – about 3-3½ pounds)
3 tablespoons Oil divided (2 tablespoons for the chicken and 1 tablespoon for the corn and potatoes) Use oil with a moderate to high smoke point - we used canola oil
3 Fresh Corncobs shucked and cut into 4 pieces each
14-16 ounces Small Red Potatoes cut into halves or quarters depending on their size (about 10 small potatoes)

Instructions

You will also need: Cooking spray, heavy duty aluminum foil, grill spray
Make a seasoning mix. Add the salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, black pepper, and crushed red pepper (if using). Reserve 2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix for the corn and potatoes. Use the rest to season the chicken.
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 (see note 1)

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

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.

Notes

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).
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.
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.

Nutrition