I’m leaving today on a four-day church camping trip with 30 teenage girls. We’re headed to the Capitol Reef National Park area to hike some slot canyons, canoe, kayak and just escape the city life. Some people might approach such an event with dread and trepidation. Not me! I can’t wait. Literally counting down the minutes. First of all, these girls are awesome. I’ve worked closely with them for a few years, and they have become some of my best friends. And second of all, we’re headed to one of my favorite places on earth, and I can’t wait to show them the amazing scenery. There’s nothing in the world quite like the combo of blue skies, ponderosa pines and red rock country! It’s gorgeous.
When’s the last time you went camping? Does the memory conjure up thoughts of dirt, no sleep, mosquitoes and sore muscles? Or mountain streams, crackling fires, clean air and peace and quiet? Honestly, it’s probably a mixture of both, right? And then there’s the food. You’ve probably noticed that we’re a bit obsessed with food, no matter where we are in the world. Camping is no different! There are certain foods that just BEG to be eaten when camping: s’mores, hot chocolate and tin foil dinners are my top three. Truly, there’s nothing happier than being wrapped up in a warm blanket by a fire in the woods roasting a marshmallow to a golden brown. (If you haven’t ever done this, go right now and put it on your summer bucket list. Seriously!)
So, Mexican Tin Foil Dinners is our second pick of the week for foodie camping ideas. Think “Fire-roasted Beef and Veggie Burrito Bowl”… would you order that in your favorite Mexcian restaurant? I definitely would. “Fire-roasted” is the key. And here’s the simple beauty of it: just plunk down your fave Mexican ingredients in some foil, wrap it up and set it on hot coals. Fifteen minutes later, you’ve got a piping hot, melty bowl bursting with south-of-the-border flavors. Add a little extra guac and cheese on top….mouth-watering goodness for sure.
Chipotle’s got nothin’ on the woods.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Onions
- Cumin
- Coriander
- Garlic
- Black beans
- Corn
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Grated sharp Cheddar
- Favorite fresh salsa, tomatillo salsa, mango salsa, etc.
- Corn chips or tortilla chips
- Lettuce
- Cilantro
- Avocados
- Plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Brown ground beef with onions and spices for about 5 minutes. (It's fine if it isn't completely cooked through. This just helps everything cook evenly in the fire. If you want to skip this step, that's ok too, it will just take much longer to cook on the fire and may result in slightly uneven cooking of meat.)
- Place one serving of beef mixture in center of double layer of tin foil.
- Add any other ingredients listed: beans, corn, tomatoes, olives, cheese, etc. Be sure to add liquids, like tomatoes and salsa, as they will help keep everything moist.
- Wrap up the tin foil and seal edges to make sure no liquids can run out.
- Place on hot coals, on medium-hot grill or in 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
- Check to make sure everything is cooked through and piping hot!
- Serve right out of foil with lettuce, cilantro, extra salsa, avocado slices, Greek yogurt, etc.
Notes
*Notice we didn't include amounts. You can be creative, depending on how many people you are serving and how many ingredients you have.
*This is super easy to prep. If you're taking this meal to the hills, you can prep the ingredients beforehand, put in small containers, and pull them out when you reach your destination. Then it just takes a few minutes to assemble.
*If you cook these over a fire, make sure the wood burns down first. The perfect foil dinner fire is when it burns down to just hot coals without any actual flames still burning.
17 Comments
These are just perfect for the Summer time. I like nothing more than dinners I can ‘dump’ into the oven/onto the grill/into the crockpot. I’m so elegant 😀
Haha you and me both. So elegant. 😉 But really, these kinds of meals are the best because they require no cleanup and are so simple to put together. Hope you enjoy!
Ah! I seem to forget about these at the beginning of the summer (and that we can do them in the back yard as well)- thank you so much for the reminder and inspiration to switch it up from the “go to” meat and potatoes:)
Right? We always tend to remember them at the very end of summer too and wish we’d done more of them. And backyard is the way to go! Easy, simple and a fun dinner for everyone. Hope you enjoy 🙂
I really like the option on hot coals! I probably will try, need to find a suitable foil.
Klauss, yes the hot coals are a fun way to do it. We like to just use any foil but double or triple layer it so the food doesn’t leak through.
This looks so goos. I love dishes that mix a lot of different flavors. Each bite is like a surprise.
Dia, then this is the meal for you! Lots of different flavors all mixed together. Hope you enjoy!
Yummy. I’m a Hobo dinner lover no matter what’s in it.
Valerie…we’re right there with ya. Hobo dinners for LIFE!
Foil wrapped meals are the bomb.
We think so too! So easy, simple and yummy. And you can get so creative as to what you put in it 🙂
Yum! Everything looks so delicious!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Thanks Kari! Hope you enjoy!
OMG this looks so delicious. I have to try this on the grill.
Thanks Roxy! Yes, the grill makes it a super low-key meal and you don’t have to stress over building a fire (not my strongest skill set in life 😉 ) If you do try them, let us know how they turned out!
I love camping and I love eating GOOD food when I camp. I am always looking for new ideas, especially those that utilize the camping experience like throwing things into the fire 🙂 These are such a great idea, I love it!