Hamburger Foil Packet meals (or hobo dinners) are a delicious combination of hamburger patty meat, baby potatoes, carrots, and onion in a mixture of Italian seasoning and other flavorful aromatics.
The ingredients are folded in an aluminum foil packet and then cooked in the oven or on the grill or over coals of an open fire. These foil packs are perfect for a camping trip with the family or a delicious summer dinner.
For more easy oven dinners, check out this Vegan Sheet Pan Dinner, and these ultra juicy Mediterranean Chicken Thighs.
There are so many of you, different readers, here at the Yummy Bowl - some of you like to get straight to the recipe ingredients and instructions, and some of you love reading the full information with tips and tricks that I provide for the recipe.
There is a skip to recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Lean ground beef - You could also use a meat mixture of pork and beef mince. For a lighter meal, consider ground turkey or chicken. You could also make sausage foil packets with sausage or cook chicken breasts as another type of foil packet recipe.
- Baby potatoes - Diced regular potatoes or even sweet potatoes will work here just fine. However sweet potatoes need to be cut thicker to avoid becoming mushy.
- Carrots - Large carrots sliced into one-inch cubes are ideal. Feel free to use baby carrots or rainbow carrots.
- Onion - You’ll only need half of a medium onion, but it makes a big impact on the flavor of these delicious foil packet dinners.
- Seasoning - I’ve used garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning in this recipe. Other aromatics and favorite seasonings can be used, such as Cajun seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, Montreal steak seasoning, cayenne pepper, or paprika.
- Olive oil - This is used to mix the seasoning and coat the fresh vegetables. Vegetable oil, cannoli oil, or coconut oil can also be used.
- Shredded cheese - I’ve used Colby Jack cheese, but another melting cheese such as Gouda, Cheddar would also be good. Ensure that you grate the cheese yourself for the best taste and extra melty texture.
Instructions
Prep. Cut the heavy-duty aluminum foil into two sheets. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and black pepper.
Shape into two beef patties (2 patties make a good size for 2-3 people). Set aside. You can make three patties but these will cook faster and may taste dry.
In a medium bowl toss potatoes, carrots, onion with olive oil, and dried Italian herb seasoning. Divide between two packets and top with the beef patties.
Fold the dinner packets into small sealed bags leaving enough space on top for air circulation.
Oven Instructions. Place the hobo dinner packets onto baking sheets or sheets and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celcius for 35-45 minutes.
Grill/hot coals of fire Instructions. Simply place the packets on the grill or over coals and cook for 45-60 minutes.
I recommend checking the beef and veggies for doneness at about the 40-minute mark.
Towards the end of cooking, open the packets and top with shredded cheese.
Close the packets and wait until the cheese is melted, just a couple of minutes.
Potatoes and carrots should be tender, this will mean that your dinner is ready.
If you want your meat well done, cook it for longer. Serve hot with favorite dipping sauces.
Recommended Equipment
- Heavy duty aluminum foil - for the lasting duration of baking time
- Baking sheets or baking dish
- Cheese Grater - grate a block of cheese yourself, it will melt way better than pre-packed shredded cheese.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons - measure all your salad ingredients and seasonings with those superb tools without stress! Easy to wash!
Tips
- Spraying the aluminum foil with cooking spray will help prevent the patties and vegetables from sticking to the foil pouch while cooking. You could also use a low-smoking point oil such as avocado oil, sunflower oil, and canola oil.
- Make sure to position the ingredients in the center of the foil and fold the foil over tightly to avoid food falling out. And don't overload the packets.
- Some recipes for foil packets suggest flipping the packets over mid-cook to prevent the ingredients from burning, but this can be tricky. Instead, simply turn and shake the packets which have the same result. But I personally didn't flip anything and worked just fine.
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil is preferable for making the packets. The last thing you want is any tearing of the packets while cooking. If you only have regular foil, I suggest doubling the foil on itself to create a sturdy square of aluminum foil.
- If you decide to make these hamburger foil packets in the oven, only add the cheese in the last 5 minutes of baking.
- For best-tasting hamburger hobo packets, avoid overcooking the beef, which should be juicy inside.
- Serve your foil pack dinners with your favorite condiments.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
Store. Remove the ingredients from the foil and transfer them to an airtight container. Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. I like to reheat it in the oven at about 350 F until warmed through.
Don't overheat it as the meat will become dry. The best way to use the leftovers is to make a mixed vegetable and meat omelet or fried eggs the next morning.
Or you can use ground beef instead of ham in this breakfast casserole. Delicious easy meal!
You can freeze it too but the best way is to freeze unbaked ingredients. Keep the veggies and beef separately and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and follow the recipe instructions for baking or grilling.
FAQ
These hamburger foil packet dinners can be cooked in the oven on a baking sheet instead of on the grill (or over the coals of an open flame fire). Follow the same steps of this hamburger foil packets recipe and then add the foil packets to a preheated oven to cook at 375 degrees F for 35-45 minutes.
Yes, it can. Aluminum foil can withstand very high temperatures, so you don’t need to worry about it burning in the oven or causing damage to your oven.
The general recommendation is to avoid cooking food in or on aluminum foil when temperatures reach 400 F and above. It’s also advisable to avoid wrapping acidic foods in aluminum foil for an extended period of time.
Yes! Cooking hamburger patties in heavy-duty aluminum foil helps to keep the meat nice and juicy while cooking them directly on the grill can dry the meat out.
Easy Ground Beef Recipes
ALL DINNER recipes.
I hope you'll enjoy this hamburger foil packets recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
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Recipe
Hamburger Foil Packets - Easy Hobo Dinner (Oven or Grill)
INGREDIENTS
- 11 oz (300g) lean ground beef or a mix of pork and beef mince ((or sub with ground turkey/chicken for a lighter meal))
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper
- ½ pound of baby potatoes cut in half
- 2 large carrots sliced into one-inch cubes
- ½ onion sliced
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup Colby jack cheese shredded (or ½ cups)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prep. Cut the heavy duty aluminium foil into two sheets. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine ground beef, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and black pepper. Shape into two or three beef patties (2 patties make a good size for 2-3 people). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl toss potatoes, carrots, onion with olive oil, and dried Italian herb seasoning. Divide between two packets and top with the beef patties. Fold the dinner packets into small sealed bags leaving enough space on top for the air circulation.
- Oven Instructions. Place the hobo dinner packets onto baking sheet or sheets and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit or 190 degrees Celcius for 35-45 minutes.
- Grill/hot coals of fire Instructions. Simply place the packets on the grill or over coals and cook or 45-60 minutes. I recommend checking the beef and veggies for doneness at about 40 minute mark.
- Towards end of cooking, open the packets and top with shredded cheese. Close the packets and wait until cheese is melted, just a couple of minutes.
- Potatoes and carrots should be tender, this will mean that your dinner is ready. If you want your meat well done, cook it for longer. Serve hot with favorite dipping sauces.
Video
NOTES
- Store. Remove the ingredients from the foil and transfer them to an airtight container. Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. I like to reheat it in the oven at about 350 F until warmed through. Don't overheat it as the meat will become dry. The best way to use the leftovers is to make a mixed vegetable and meat omelet or fried eggs the next morning.
- Or you can use ground beef instead of ham in this breakfast casserole. Delicious easy meal! You can freeze it too but the best way is to freeze unbaked ingredients. Keep the veggies and beef separately and freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and follow the recipe instructions for baking or grilling.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
This hamburger foil packet dinner is inspired from The Recipe Critic recipe here.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
easy ground beef recipe baked in the oven or grill. Easy to prep and minimal clean up!
Shonna
Is the temperature and time correct? We had to raise to 400 and put back in for 20 mins. Nothing was done when we first took it out.
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
hi Shonna, sorry to hear that. The timing should be correct about 45 minutes. Did you slice the veggies too thick perhaps? And the meat patty too big? This might be the reason and of course, every oven is different. I will try to test it with 400 F next time too.