Hobo Tin-Foil Camping Meals
All-time Favorite Camping Food – Hobo Tin-Foil Meals
These easy meal ideas are true to the spirit of good ol’ campfire cooking, but without all the work. Everyone wants to enjoy good camp food, but you don’t have to get stuck doing all the cooking.
Kids love these because they get to feel like big kids – making their own food. And camp cooks love them because they are a lot less work than traditional camping meals.
The concept:
An assortment of foods is wrapped in foil and cooked in campfire coals – or on a grate over the coals – or even over charcoal briquettes in a grill. One good feature of these meals is the camp cook can get by just prepping and laying out the ingredients – then each camper creates, wraps, and cooks their own meal.
Hobo Tin-Foil Camping Meals
The plus:
With just a little adult help, you can let the kids create their own foil packs. And – they are cooked in an open campfire. Just like all good camp meals should be.
How it’s done:
The original foil meal, was a Boy Scout creation that was just; some hamburger, diced potatoes, corn, peas, and carrots, and a little salt & pepper, wrapped into a pack using a double layer of heavy-duty tin-foil.
Note: See a demonstration and video of one Boy Scout method from: Phoenix Boy Scout Troop 109.
Cooking Tips
- Generally these meals don’t use specific recipes; you just decide what you want to include – and toss it in.
- Be generous with the seasonings.
- Seal foil packs with foil folds – not just “crunched” closed.
- Save the frustration of split packs – use heavy-duty foil
- Set foil packs in mature coals – not flaming coals.
The “Classic Boy Scout” Hamburger Tin-foil Dinner
Hamburger, Potatoes, Veggies, Salt & Pepper, and Butter
Note: This recipe uses Montreal Steak Seasoning instead of Lipton Soup Mix.
Ingredients: – per meal
- 1/3 to 1/2 lb hamburger
- use 85/15 hamburger, (you want the fat juices)
- crumbled works best – but lumps can also be used
- 4 – 5 whole cabbage leaves
- 1 cup diced “HashBrown potatoes, (like Orieda Frozen Hash Browns)
- Frozen hashbrowns do not have to be kept in your camp cooler
- 1/2 cup each; frozen corn and peas
- 1 whole carrot – sliced approx. 1/4″ thick
- Montreal Steak seasoning, Salt & pepper – generous, but to taste
- 1 tbsp. butter or margarine
Note: Other vegetables can be added, (or substituted), ie. onions, sweet peppers, or green beans. Fresh is best, but frozen works fine. Tip: 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce really boosts the meat flavor.
Start with a double layer of cabbage leaves, (as shown in the video), then the frozen and fresh veggies, followed by the hamburger, followed by the Montreal Steak Seasoning, salt & pepper, (seasoned to taste), and butter. Then complete the package by topping it with more cabbage leaves, (as seen in the video)
Place the completed foil pack on mature coals, (not in or over open flames, or still-flaming coals – the food will burn), for 25-30 minutes.
Tip: A good pair of heavy gloves is almost a must-have for campfire and tin-foil cooking.
Here is a guide to some good choices for campfire cooking gloves.
More Delicious Hobo Tin-Foil Pack Meals
Chicken Foil Pack Meals
Sliced and Diced Chicken Foil Packs
From simple and basic diced chicken and veggies to more exotic Bruschetta chicken with bacon, these tin-foil meals are as delicious as they are easy to make.
Beef and Pork Foil Pack Meals
Beef and Pork Hobo Foil Packs
Starting with the traditional Boy Scout Hobo hamburger, see 5 more tasty Hobo dinners – including spicy Italian Sausage and Potatoes.
More Campfire Dinner Recipes for Easy Camping Meals
Hobo Tin-Foil Stew
Dutch Oven Swiss Steak
Creamy Chicken and Noodles
| Easy Campfire Dinner Meals Recipes | |
|---|---|
Mexican Chili and Rice | Hobo Goulash Skillet meal |
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More Campfire Recipes for Easy Camping Meals
| Easy Campfire Breakfast Meals | |
|---|---|
Cheater’s Sausage Gravy | Mountain Man Skillet Scramble |
Cheesy Grits | Hearty Breakfast Burrito |
Hobo Omelet in a baggie | |
Camping Menus – Packages, Foods, and Meals
•Camping Menus – Complete Ready-to-go Packages
From simple no-muss–no-fuss easy camp meals and campfire recipes to the creations of camp chefs, these complete meal packages will give you all you need for your camping trip. Complete lists for cookware and equipment; chuck box supplies; camp food groceries list for one to six campers; recipes and prep instructions
Free camping food, meal, and menu forms to help your menu planning:
•Camp Menu Meal Planning Form•Per-person Food Portions Chart•Food Grocery List
Campfire Cooking – How-to’s, Cookware And Recipes
Campfire cooking basics: how-to’s, equipment you need, best cookware to use,
and delicious easy campfire meal ideas and recipes.
Plus! Free printable recipes and guides.
Camp Cooking Tips and Guides:
Everything tastes better when it’s cooked in the great outdoors, and everyone enjoys kicking back with a delicious and easy camp meal. Especially if it is a campfire recipe.
How to Plan Camping Meals and Menus
Before you can plan your meals and menu you need to decide what type of meals and food you want. These basic steps will get you started.
Camp Meals – How to Pack Smart
Carrying heavy boxes and coolers of food into and out of camp is one of the least fun jobs of the whole trip. These camp cooking tips will show you how to save time, weight, and bulk, and get out of the camp kitchen sooner.
Here are some handy resources and pieces of camp gear you mind be interested in 
A campfire cooking grill is one of the handiest, (and least expensive), pieces of camping gear you can have. And it doesn’t have to be a 30-pound cast iron monster either.
A folding grill grate like the pictured Coleman model works great isn’t too heavy and takes up very little space. Even when your campsite fire-ring has a grill you will still find yourself using this one too!
Campfire Cooking Grills
Check out these examples of camping cookware and camping tools available on Amazon. Once you have one of these camp tools you will wonder how you ever did without it. Especially when you see how inexpensive they are when you buy them online.
Related Topics:
- How to Pick a Campfire Cooking Grill
- Campfire Cooking Checklist
- How to Pick the Best Camping Stove
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