These Chicken and Vegetable Foil Packets are perfect for easy, healthy weeknight dinners! Minimal clean up, thanks to tin foil. These packets are loaded with BBQ chicken, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, and so much flavor!
Trevor and I REALLY love to grill in the summer. There was one summer, in particular, we were probably grilling out four times a week. Everything from kebabs, pork, hot dogs, salmon, corn-on-the-cob, tuna, shrimp, burgers, chicken sausage…you name it, we grilled it. So I’m really excited to add these chicken and vegetable foil packets into the rotation!
Ingredients
We’re using a pre-made spice rub to keep things extra simple, but feel free to use your favorite combination of spices!
- Chicken Breast – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs for a more tender cut of meat.
- Red and Yellow Potatoes – I love this combination for the colors, but feel free to use purple potatoes, yukon gold, or sweet potatoes!
- Baby Carrots – add just a little sweetness to the veggie blend. I like using baby carrots, because they’re already the perfect size.
- Zucchini – gives color and texture to the dish. Grilled zucchini is the best kind of zucchini in my opinion. 😉
- BBQ Spice Rub – I used Stubb’s BBQ Spice Rub which is made up of sea salt, paprika, garlic, turmeric, and hickory smoke flavor. So good and a little spicy. Whatever spice rub you use, be sure to taste it before adding it to the dish to make sure you like the flavors!
- Olive Oil – a healthy fat that adds much needed moisture to the dish!
How to make chicken and vegetable foil packets
I love cooking with tin foil, because there are less dishes to clean at the end. If that’s not a win, I’m not sure what is!
- Toss your veggies with olive oil and BBQ spice rub in a small bowl and rub your chicken breasts with more BBQ spice rub.
- Place the veggies on a sheet of greased tin foil then place the chicken on top of the veggies.
- Wrap them up with the foil and pop the packets either on the grill or in the oven. Cook until the veggies are tender and the chicken is perfectly cooked then serve and enjoy!
I love that this recipe can be made on the grill or in the oven, making this the perfect recipe to enjoy all year round!
Chicken and vegetable size guidelines
Since all of these ingredients are cooking at once, you want them all to be done cooking at the same time! Some ingredients, by nature, take longer to cook than others so it’s important you chop them to the right size to make sure everything comes out cooked PERFECTLY!
- Chicken Breasts – two 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, left whole.
- Potatoes – potatoes tend to take longer to cook so I recommend cutting them into 1/4 inch cubes.
- Baby Carrots – life is made easier already by using baby carrots instead of large carrots, BUT I still slice the baby carrots in half lengthwise so they can cook all the way through.
- Zucchini – cut the zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
How to fold foil packets
When folding, you’ll want to make sure it’s pretty well sealed so the inside of the packet can retain the steam.
- Lay a large sheet of tin foil flat on a clean work surface.
- Grease generously with cooking spray.
- Place veggies, then chicken onto the foil.
- Fold the packet lengthwise, then take the ends and roll them up towards the center to create a sealed packet!
- Pinch any open seams together as best you can, then cook to perfection. 🙂
How to cook on the grill
Grilling is my favorite way to make these chicken and vegetable foil packets, although it’s a little more hands-on than baking in the oven!
- Preheat grill for 10 minutes at medium-high.
- Place sealed packets directly on the grate, then grill with the lid closed for 25 minutes, rotating the packets every 5 minutes and flipping halfway through.
The grill adds a nice smokey flavor to the dish, plus it’s an excuse to enjoy the sunshine and warm weather!
How to cook in the oven
Baking these packets in the oven is great if the weather doesn’t permit grilling outside or if you’re looking for a more hands-off approach to cooking these packets.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place the packets on an unlined baking sheet.
- Bake for 35-50 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Tips and tricks for making successful chicken and vegetable foil packets
These chicken and vegetable foil packets are pretty darn simple to make, but here are a few tips and tricks to ensure they turn out perfectly!
- Grease your foil. Make sure you thoroughly grease the foil before placing the chicken and veggies on it so it doesn’t stick when you’re trying to remove the food after cooking.
- Follow chicken and veggie size recommendations. Because all of these things are cooking at once, it’s important to make sure they’re all cut to the proper size so they are all done cooking at the same time.
- Avoid checking them too often. When you open the foil packet, all the steam building up inside helping to cook the food is released. If you do that, the food will end up taking a lot longer to fully cook.
- Check your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF. If it hasn’t, cook longer!
- Use a fork to check your veggies. I like to stick a fork into the veggies to check their consistency after cooking. If they’re tender and the fork can easily stab into the veggies (particularly the potatoes and carrots), then you’re good to go!
Can i make chicken and vegetable foil packets ahead of time?
I find that the best way to make these ahead of time is to prep the chicken and veggies, then store them in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours.
When you’re ready to cook, place them in foil, and cook as directed!
How to store
After these chicken and vegetable foil packets are fully cooked, the meal can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat, pop the food back in greased foil and grill or bake in the oven until the veggies are warm and the chicken has reached a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF.
Easy, hardly any dirty dishes, healthy, and packed with flavor, these Chicken and Vegetable Foil Packets are the perfect weeknight dinner!
– Jennifer
Chicken and Vegetable Foil Packets Recipe
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 small red potatoes cubed*
- 2 small yukon gold potatoes cubed*
- 1 cup baby carrots sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
- 4 tablespoons Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Spice Rub divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Rub each chicken breast with one tablespoon spice rub each. Set aside.
- Prep veggies and toss with olive oil and two tablespoons spice rub.
- Grab two large sheets of tin foil.
- On each sheet, lay down half the veggies.
- Top each with one chicken breast.
- Loosely wrap, making sure that it's sealed completely.
- Grab two more sheets of tin foil.
- Seam side down, place the wrapped packets on another piece of foil and wrap again.
Grilling
- Preheat grill for 10 minutes at medium high.**
- Grill with the lid closed, rotating every five minutes and flipping halfway through, for about 25 minutes, or until chicken breasts are cooked and vegetables are tender.
- Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with BBQ sauce and enjoy!
Oven Baked
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Place packets on an unlined baking sheet and bake for 35-50 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving with BBQ sauce!
- Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!
Notes
Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post has been updated to provide more detailed content.
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