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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    Foil Stew, the Ultimate Camping Meal

    July 15, 2016 • Updated: June 23, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Foil Stew open by lake, and closed over fire. Pin text reads "Foil Stew; Hobo Dinner, Campfire Stew, Tin Foil Dinner"

    Foil Stew (aka Hobo Dinner, Campfire Stew, Tin Foil Dinner) is easy, fun, and so good that you'll want to make it even when you aren't camping!

    Scenic shot of foil stew, cooked and opened, with Trilliam Lake and Mount Hood int he background.
    Jump to:
    • What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
    • What Goes into this Recipe
    • How to Make this Recipe
    • FAQs & Expert Tips
    • Related Recipes
    • Foil Stew

    What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

    Foil Stew is my ultimate comfort food; each bite bringing to mind countless nights under the stars. Like some culinary scrapbook, just the scent of its exquisite, savory, caramelized deliciousness makes my mind dance through cherished memories of past camping trips - with dad and mom, Campfire Girls, my Girl Scouts, my CITs, Mr B and Em....

    It is extraordinary that such a simple meal can hold so much.

    What Goes into this Recipe

    There really isn't much to making a great foil stew: just mix, wrap, and cook. Let me break it down for you.

    Basic foil stew ingredients: canned "Cream of" soup, carrots, potatoes, onions, fire.

    What follows is a basic list of ingredients; however, there are more variations and combinations for foil stew than we can possibly list. You can add your favorite veggies (lots of people like corn), mix up your proteins, and use any "Cream of" soup your heart desires.

    Basic Foil Stew Ingredients

    Once you get the process down, you can change it up as much as you want to make it your own.

    For each serving/packet of foil stew, you will need:

    ★ 1 medium potato: Use russets or Yukon golds for the best results. Potatoes should be sliced about ⅛-inch thick. Peeling is optional.

    I use a mixture of regular and white-fleshed sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are a relatively recent addition for me, and I love what they bring to the party.

    ★ 1 large carrot: Slice it about ⅛-inch thick. Once again, peeling is optional.

    ★ ½ large onion: Slice it about ⅛-inch thick.

    ★ 3-4 ounces of Protein: Ground beef is our protein of choice; however, ground chicken, boneless chicken pieces, sausage, and vegetarian/ alternative "meats" all work well.

    DO NOT PRECOOK ANYTHING!! Put animal-based proteins into the stew RAW, breaking up any ground meats and distributing them evenly throughout your stew.

    Some people do like to make a pattie with their ground meat and put it on top, but we are not fans.

    ★ ⅓ to ½ cup Cream of Mushroom Soup: Dump it on straight out of the can.

    Any Cream of... soup will work fine. We also enjoy using Cream of Celery.

    ★ Seasoning as desired: Salt, pepper, garlic salt, etc.

    PLEASE keep in mind that these amounts are estimates. Adjust them to your own tastes and appetite.

    How to Make this Recipe

    As you put it together, you may look at your uncooked foil stew and think, "Oh my gosh, I will never be able to eat all of that!" Which might be true - but remember, everything will cook down by at least a third; and when you are camping, you tend to be hungrier than when you are at home. Plus, Foil Stew makes great leftovers!

    Mix the Stew

    If everyone is eating the same thing, you can mix your foil stew up in a big bowl for everyone, and then just wrap them individually.

    However, if there are any vegetarians in our group, we usually mix the basic veggies together in a bowl, and then mix in the protein and soup right on the foil.

    Bowl with mixed carrots, potatoes, and onions.

    Be generous with the soup - that's what provides the moist base for your stew to, well... stew in. Once you have your stew ingredients all together, toss it well with your hands to mix everything together. If it isn't very goopy, you don't have enough soup in it.

    Vegetarian campfire dinner being prepped on foil.
    This Foil Stew is made with vegetarian crumbles. Do not cook proteins before putting them in the stew mix.

    Wrap It Up

    Use Heavy Duty aluminum foil. Try to keep the stew in the middle of the foil as you wrap it.

    A. Put your mixed foil stew ingredients in the middle of a large piece of aluminum foil, and then bring the foil up so that the ingredients are resting inside in a slightly elongated pile.

    B. Fold the top edges down together about one inch and crease. Fold the crease over and then fold it again, and then once again.

    It helps to hold the foil stew up as you do this, because this allows you to keep some extra space in the packet, which helps in the cooking process. In other words, the folds themselves need to be very tight, but the foil stew inside should have a little wiggle room.

    C. Push the two ends down so that your foil stew is safely in the middle of the packet.

    D. Fold or roll the ends tightly.

    E. Get a second piece of foil and repeat steps A-D.

    F. The double-wrapped foil stew is ready to go on the coals.

    Collage illustrating 6 steps for making foil stew.

    Cook Over an Open Fire

    To bake over an open fire, first allow the fire to burn long enough to create some substantial coals.

    Once you have a nice bed of coals burning, place your prepared foil stew on a bed of coals for 25-50 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes or so. 

    The time required to cook a foil stew depends upon many factors: the size of your foil stew, how hot your coals are, how cold it is outside, etc. It will start to sizzle after awhile.

    I usually check my stew after 20-30 minutes or about 5 minutes after I first start smelling it, whichever comes first.

    Wrapped foil dinner cooking on coals.

    The trick is to take it off after the vegetables have started to caramelize, but before they start to burn.

    This is where the double-wrapping helps immensely. When you think your foil stew has cooked enough, carefully use the tongs to lift it out and away from the fire. Set the packet, seam side up, on a solid, heat resistant surface. Carefully open the foil packet at check. Vegetables should be tender and proteins completely cooked. 

    If it needs more time, simply recrimp and seal the foil on the top and pop it back onto the coals, seam-side up.

    Closeup of foil stew after cooking on coals. Opened to reveal finished stew.

    FAQs & Expert Tips

    Can you make Foil Stew without a campfire?

    If you don't have a camping trip planned any time soon (or you are simply not a camper), you can bake foil stew over prepared briquettes, on top of a BBQ, inside a Dutch oven, or in your oven at home 375°F | 190°C.

    What kind of aluminum foil is best for Foil Stew?

    From years and years of experience, I can tell you that you will get much better results if you use Heavy Duty aluminum foil. Regular aluminum foil simply does not stand up to the coals of an open fire like the heavy duty stuff does.

    What goes with Foil Stew?

    A perfect camping dinner for us consists of Foil Stew, followed by my always-amazing, ridiculously easy Dutch Oven Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. 

    What can you do with leftover foil stew?

    If you do end up having leftovers, I strongly encourage you to fry them up for breakfast and top them with a fried egg. (You're gonna thank me for this.)

    Finished stew open, resting on campfire grate, with trees inthe backgorund.

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    Scenic shot of foil stew, cooked and opened, with Trilliam Lake and Mount Hood int he background.

    Foil Stew

    Foil Stew (aka Hobo Dinner, Campfire Stew, Tin Foil Dinner) is easy, fun, and so good that you'll want to make it even when you aren't camping.
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Camping
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Prep Time:10 minutes
    Cook Time:30 minutes
    Total Time:40 minutes
    Servings: 1 serving
    Calories: 398kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil about 3 feet total for each foil dinner
    • 1 Tongs
    • 1 campfire

    Ingredients

    Suggested Amounts for One Serving
    • 1 medium potato sliced ⅛-inch thick (peeling is optional)
    • 1 large carrot sliced ⅛-inch thick (peeling is optional)
    • ½ large onion sliced or chopped
    • 4 ounces protein Ground beef, ground chicken, boneless chicken pieces, sausage, vegetarian alternatives (DO NOT PRECOOK ANYTHING)
    • ½ cup Cream of Mushroom Soup Any Cream of… soup will work fine. (We really like Cream of Celery)
    • salt & pepper Season as desired

    Instructions

    • Put all foil stew ingredients in the middle of a large rectangle of heavy duty aluminum foil.
      Bring the foil up so that the ingredients are resting inside in a slightly elongated pile.
    • Fold the top edges down together about 1 inch and crease.
      Fold over and do it again, and then once again.
      It helps to hold the foil stew up as you do this, because this allows you to keep some extra space in the packet, which helps in the cooking process.
      In other words, the folds themselves need to be very tight, but the foil stew inside should have a little wiggle room.
    • Push the two ends down so that your foil stew is safely in the middle of the packet.
    • Fold or roll the ends tightly.
    • Get a second piece of foil and repeat steps A-D. Ready for the fire.
    • To bake over an open fire, simply place your prepared foil stew on a bed of coals for 25-50 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes.
      Check stew after 30 minutes, or 5 minutes after you begin to smell it cooking.
      See Cooking Time in NOTES below for more information.

    Notes

    Cooking time depends upon the size of your foil stew, how hot your coals are, how cold it is outside, etc. It will start to sizzle after awhile.
    I usually check my stew after about 30 minutes.
    The trick is to take it off when the vegetables have started to caramelize, but before they start to burn. This is where the double wrapping helps immensely – when you think it is done, carefully open the packet at check. If it needs more time, simply wrap it back up and pop it back on the coals.

    If you don’t have a camping trip planned any time soon (or you are simply not a camper), you can also bake your foil stew over prepared briquettes, on top of a BBQ, inside a Dutch oven, or in your oven at home 375°F | 190°C.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 1620mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 12028IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

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    1. Jen says

      July 18, 2016 at 7:10 pm

      Yes!! We love, love, love the (heavy duty) foil stew dinner! It's perfect because as you say, not everyone likes/can eat everything - I can't do potatoes but my partner does, so we each have our perfect meal. (And I'm totally trying your breakfast fried egg trick the next time we camp!)

      Reply
    2. Kim Beaulieu says

      July 16, 2016 at 12:34 pm

      I love this recipe. I grew up camping so I have a serious fondness for campfire recipes. We cooked pretty much everything over open fire when we were young. It's so much fun and you just can't beat the flavour.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 16, 2016 at 3:54 pm

        Thanks, Kim. You're right - a campfire imparts so much to any meal.

        Reply
    3. Citra Kale @Citra's Home Diary says

      July 16, 2016 at 2:43 am

      What a gorgeous background you have for your super yummy foil stew. Thank you for sharing your tips and recipe.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 16, 2016 at 11:22 am

        Thank you for stopping by!

        Reply
    4. Nicole Hood says

      July 15, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      Such a fantastic idea and what a gorgeous backdrop. Pinned this. Can't wait to try next time we go camping.

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 15, 2016 at 1:39 pm

        Thanks, Nicole! I hope you love it as much as we do!

        Reply
    5. Michele says

      July 15, 2016 at 11:20 am

      I too love that shot of your stew with the lake and the mountains in the background! What a fun and easy recipe to make while camping or glamping. I think your suggestion about using the heavy-duty foil is spot on too!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 15, 2016 at 12:12 pm

        Thanks, Michele! The heavy duty foil is wider too, which makes it much easier to wrap your stew.

        Reply
    6. marilee says

      July 15, 2016 at 10:20 am

      Thank you so much for this. I love the directions for the wrapping. That is where your meal is made or goes up in smoke. The best part of this for me was a wonderful memory Of being with the campfire group making foil dinners under the great supervision of your mom and Dad! Thank you for the recipe and the trip down memory lane beautiful pictures

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 15, 2016 at 10:37 am

        When I was writing this up, I thought of you and that overnight trip we made up to Camp Nadaka when we were about 11. (You are in so many of my memories.) Good times, my friend.

        Reply
    7. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

      July 15, 2016 at 9:46 am

      What fun this will be, even if we aren't camping!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 15, 2016 at 10:01 am

        We have them every now and then at home. The vibe isn't quite the same, but the food is still delicious! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says

      July 15, 2016 at 9:17 am

      I love foil packet meals!! Love that last shot with the mountain in the backyard. Beautiful! Do you think this would work well with chicken stock combined with some sort of other thickener besides canned prepared soup?

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 15, 2016 at 10:00 am

        The whole point of the soup is to create a wet environment for stewing so the veggies don't dry out and start to burn, so in theory, that should work just fine.

        Reply
    9. Pech says

      July 15, 2016 at 9:17 am

      Oh my goodness, that shot with the foil stew and the water and the snow capped mountain - perfection. Still won't get me camping (I like toilets...) but I love the idea, and so great to hear there is a vegetarian version by using Morningstar Crumbles! It looks so hearty after a day's hike!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        July 15, 2016 at 10:05 am

        Thanks, Pech. You should try yurt camping at one of the state parks - they have nice bathroom facilities (including showers), a mattress to sleep on, and even electrical plugins and a heater. It's a good compromise for folks who like their luxuries. 😉

        Reply

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