Guest post by Meredith Kimelblatt.
We interrupt my usual Friday crock pot recipes to bring you another quick and easy dish from Meredith Kimelblatt of Ready Set Eat.
If you think of spring the prime season for fresh produce and salads, you’re completely right. But the warmer weather indicates something else too; the beginning of grilling season! As soon as it gets nice outside, cookout foods come right back into season, making spring the perfect time to whip out the grill and cook outside.
Grills are great for a few reasons: not only do they add amazing flavor to whatever you throw on them, but grilling is also one of the healthiest cooking methods out there. As opposed to pan frying, sautéing or deep frying, you don’t need loads of oil or butter to cook most meals on the grill. Many grilled recipes call for marinades, too, meaning you won’t have to add as many extras to chicken or steak since your meat will already be packed with flavor!
While hot dogs and hamburgers are usually everyone’s go-to grill foods, don’t be afraid to branch out and experiment with different dinner ideas and methods of grilling. These barbecue chicken dinner packets are a great example of just how versatile grilling recipes can be. Instead of tossing the chicken and vegetables onto the grill separately, everything cooks up together in individual foil packets so the flavors really meld beautifully.
Individual packets also allow everyone in your family to customize their chicken packets to their personal tastes—if someone isn’t a fan of onions, just leave them out! You can also feel free to add in whatever other veggies you’d like; red peppers, carrots and zucchini would all work nicely.
And the best part about this dish (aside from how delicious it is, of course)? Since everything cooks up in the foil packets, cleanup is an absolute breeze. Make them ahead of time and grill them later for a dinner that’s easy, yummy and perfect for spring. It’s one of those easy chicken recipes you’ll want to make again and again. Enjoy!
Note from Stacy: We don’t use aluminum foil for our food. So I would opt to make this dish in the oven using parchment paper packets. 🙂
Barbecue Chicken Dinner Packets
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 40 min
Serves: 4
- Olive oil spray or butter
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 2 cups thinly sliced small red-skinned potatoes (4 to 6 potatoes)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 oz each)
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- Preheat outdoor grill to medium-high heat according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Place four 18×12-inch pieces of heavy foil on counter. Spray each with cooking spray.
- For each packet, spread a generous teaspoon barbecue sauce in center.
- Place 1/2 cup potatoes in single layer over sauce. Spoon another teaspoon sauce over potatoes.
- Top potatoes with chicken.
- Spoon 1 teaspoon sauce over each breast.
- Top each with 1/4th bell pepper, onion and black pepper.
- Bring up short sides of each foil packet and double fold top. Double fold both ends to seal each packet, leaving space for steam to gather.
- Place packets on grate of covered grill.
- Grill 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in centers (165°F) and potatoes are tender.
- Carefully open packets; sprinkle 1/4th cheese on top of each breast. Close foil and let stand 2 minutes or until cheese melts.
Tip: If it’s not quite warm enough to grill where you are, you can also bake the packets in a shallow pan in a 425°F oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and potatoes are tender.
This is a guest post by Meredith K. on behalf of ReadySetEat. For more quick and easy recipes for dinner that are perfect for spring, visit www.readyseteat.com.
So did the parchment paper inside foil on the grill work out? I’m thinking about trying this soon?
I have not tried it on the grill but have had great success in the oven.
Thank you. So how did you do it in the oven?
I lay a larger piece of foil down and then put a smaller piece of parchment inside. I put the food on the parchment and then roll it up to make sure the parchment is fully enclosed.
Have to comment on this recipe – IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!!!!! Notice I said “was”. Yup, had it for dinner tonight. We loved it. This is such a versatile recipe too, b/c you can change the main ingredient (chicken) to pork chops, steak or fish (you may have to adjust the cook time accordingly) and even the veggies (squash, corn, zucchini, cabbage, apples) yummm 🙂
As someone else said, this is why we like reading blogs. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It will definitely become one of those go-to recipes for all year around. THANK YOU 🙂
Hooray!!!
Vanessa,
Why didn’t I think of that??????????? This is what I love about reading blogs AND the comments, I get the benefit of other people’s smarts!!
I know, right?!
Well it’s nice to know the kids haven’t totally wrecked my brain and I have some good ideas left 🙂 And I agree Theresa, I LOVE reading the comments, so much good knowledge when a bunch of like-minded mamas start throwing things out!!
Also – I use that trick when freezing individual pieces of lasagna or enchilada casserole for the hubs. Freeze on a cookie tray then wrap in parchment, then foil, then ziploc.
Mind blowing. Just mind blowing. I always just use parchment paper and a Ziploc. I think I might have to buy some foil. LOL
Stacy,
Just a comment on not using foil. I had also stopped, and it really was a pain. Parchment paper is a great replacement, but as you said you can’t use it to grill. We love doing those packets when we camp, they are great over the fire. Martha Stewart came out with foil that has parchment paper on one side so your food doesn’t touch the aluminum. It’s more pricey than foil, but I figure if I only use it when I absolutely have to and use the parchment paper the rest of the time it shouldn’t be so bad, and then I don’t have to go without certain dishes.
This had never occurred to me before a reader mentioned making my own, but now that you’ve told me this exists, I HAVE to look for it! Thank you!!!
Could you line the foil with parchment paper? It would have the foil barrier so it’s not close to the flame but keeps the ickiness of foil from your food. Or am I missing something here and this is a terrible idea.
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you!!! That’s a GREAT IDEA!
I’m weird about foil touching my food. 🙂
Why don’t you use tin foil?
I’m just really weird about foil touching my food. 🙂