This Charcoal Grilled Foil Pack Santa Fe Chicken recipe is packed with Tex-Mex flair. A 30-minute meal perfect for cookouts, weeknight dinner, or tailgating, and cleanup is a snap!
Do you prefer gas or charcoal grilled food?
I’ve been really into my grill this summer. The gas grill I have had for many years finally gave out and it was time to get a new one. This time, I decided to get a charcoal grill and I’m loving it. There is just something about cooking my food over charcoal that can’t be duplicated any other way.
What Is a Foil Pack Recipe?
I’ve been making a lot of Foil pack recipes on my charcoal grill and I’ve come up with this tasty Santa Fe Chicken. So what is Foil Pack Santa Fe Chicken? In fact, what is a foil pack? Good questions! It’s pretty simple. You just put all of your ingredients onto a square sheet of aluminum foil, wrap it up, and then throw it on your grill.
I love these recipes for a couple of reasons. First, they are simple, even for someone with little or no grilling experience. Second, I love how everyone can make their own foil pack. I kind of think of it like a Shish Kebab. In my family, we always got to make our own personal Shish Kebabs before they went on the grill. That was half the fun. If you really like mushrooms, put some extras on. Don’t like mushrooms? Don’t put any on! It’s sort the same thing with foil packs. You can let everyone make their own according to their tastes.
If I happen to be entertaining a larger number of people at my home, these foil packs are great to make ahead of time. Then, when I’m ready to grill, I literally just thrown them on! This is why they are also a great tailgating recipe. Make them ahead of time at home, put them in a cooler, and then grill them out in the parking lot before the game!
Foil Pack Santa Fe Chicken
We love Mexican inspired dishes in our house. It seems like when we have tacos, that is the only time everyone in our family seems genuinely excited about dinner (except for Friday Pizza Nights!). So, I’m always looking for new and fun ways to introduce those Tex-Mex flavors into our routines. This foil pack Santa Fe Chicken was just the thing!
The ingredients are super simple and you probably already have most of them in your kitchen right now!
Notes, Tips, and Variations
We love serving this with rice and a nice side salad. Some other variations of this recipe could include using some canned diced tomatoes with green chilis in them. Or you could top the chicken with some salsa before you put it on the grill. If you have some nice, fresh, ripe avocado, this would taste wonderful on top after the cooking is complete!
One last tip! Don’t use tongs on the grill for this recipe. Use a spatula. The tongs can poke holes in the foil and all the tasty juices start spilling out onto the coals. I learned this the hard way…just use a spatula to scoop the foil packs up gently. You could also double wrap the foil packs to make them a little more durable!
If you’re looking to add some flair from south of the border to your next meal, try out this Foil Pack Santa Fe Chicken!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cooking Spray or Oil (I use corn oil because of its high smoke point)
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 red bell pepper (Sliced)
- 4 tbsp taco seasoning
- 1 cup Colby Jack Cheese
- 1 cup Cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Tear a 10 inch X 10 inch square of foil.
- Brush or spray foil with cooking oil.
- Put Chicken Breast on foil and sprinkle with taco seasoning.
- Top with red peppers, corn, and Black Beans. About 1/4 cup of each on each breast.
- Wrap foil tightly around food.
- Cook on a hot grill for 20-25 minutes. Check to make sure internal temperature of chicken in 165ºF.
- Take off the grill and carefully open the foil. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese on each breast. Wrap foil back up and let sit until cheese is melted.
- Top with cilantro if desired.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Don't use tongs on the grill for this recipe. Use a spatula! The tongs can poke holes in the foil. Just use a spatula to scoop the foil packs up gently. You could also double wrap the foil packs to make them a little more durable!
We hope you enjoy this Charcoal Grilled Foil Pack Santa Fe Chicken recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Joe from Father and Us. If you love this recipe, be sure to visit our Outdoor Grilling Section for more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
