Wrap Session

• Heavy duty foil is the best choice for campfire cooking because it withstands the handling that’s likely to occur. The easiest packet begins with a flat sheet of foil. Give the foil a shot of cooking spray to prevent sticking, then arrange washed, trimmed chicken pieces on one half of the sheet. Add seasonings, marinade, hot sauce or barbecue sauce. Fold the foil over the chicken, then roll and crimp the edges to seal it. Another type of foil packet is a tent wrap. Using double sheets of foil for the bottom, turn up about 1 inch around the edges of the sheets to create a “dish” and place the chicken in it. Tear another sheet of foil 4 to 6 inches longer and place it loosely over the chicken. Match the edges and crimp them together, creating a sealed tent over the chicken. Steam develops in a tent packet and helps keep the chicken moist.

Safe Transport and Storage

• You'll need an ice chest or AC/DC cooler to keep the food properly refrigerated at your campsite until cooking time. Foil dinner components can be raw or precooked to suit your camping style. Cutting raw chicken into evenly sized pieces helps all the meat in the pouch cook thoroughly. By opting to precook the chicken at home, you can check for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recommended safe temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit with an instant-read thermometer. Precooked chicken should be reheated in the coals to pick up some campfire flavor.

Raking Over the Coals

• Light the campfire well before you plan to start cooking. Foil pouches need to cook in the even heat from a bed of hot coals rather than over licking flames. Rake up a bed of coals and place the foil pouches of chicken directly in the coals, or set up a low grate just above the coals and place the pouches on it. With long-handled tongs, gently rotate the foil pouches every five minutes or so to help prevent scorching from hot spots. Turn the pouches over only once, if possible, to avoid juices leaking out.

Come and Get It

• If you’re hungry after an active day, waiting for foil pouches to cook can seem an eternity. Fill the time with stories or music around the campfire, sticking close so you can check the food regularly. You have to remove the foil packets from the coals and open each to check for doneness. Chicken juices should be clear and the interior of the meat should have no pink. Refold the foil and return the pouch to the coals if the chicken isn’t fully cooked. Small pieces of chicken cook faster than large, depending on the intensity of the heat from the coals and the pouch placement. Cooking raw chicken pieces may take 30 minutes on medium-hot coals, while reheating precooked pieces may require about 10 minutes.