Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Foil Packets
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Chicken, broccoli, cheddar cheese, and bacon are served over brown rice in these chicken foil packets. Grill, bake, or cook over the campfire! You can even make them ahead and freeze for later with our instructions. Everyone loves these individual foil packets!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Versatility – Cook them over the campfire, on the grill, or in the oven.
- Nutritious & Tasty – With simple, whole food ingredients, these foil packs are filled with nutrients AND big flavor.
- One Dish Wonder – Dishes that include veggies, protein, and things like rice or pasta all in one are such a time saver! We have several others that are easy to put together like Chicken Penne Pasta, Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole, and Easy Chicken Fried Rice.
- Freezer-Friendly – You can prep these ahead and freeze for later. (Perfect freezer meal to take on vacation!)
Ingredients In Chicken Foil Packets
These packets only require 5 main ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need…
- Cooked brown rice – Shortcut: Buy Uncle Ben’s or another brand of pre-cooked rice. If you have extras, did you know you can freeze rice?
- Chicken breasts – Chicken thighs work well, too. We get all our chicken from ButcherBox.
- Broccoli florets – Shortcut: Buy the bagged broccoli florets in the produce section.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Or experiment with other kinds of melty cheeses like shredded Swiss, Gruyere, or Monterey Jack.
- Cooked bacon – Shortcut: Buy bacon bits or pre-cooked bacon from the refrigerated section.
Other than that, you just need a few ingredients from the fridge and pantry: butter, salt, and pepper. Sounds delicious, right?!
How to Make Chicken Foil Packs
Find the full, printable recipe at the very bottom of this post.
Prep
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat or the oven to 400°F. (See campfire cooking directions below.) Tear off 6 pieces of heavy-duty foil that measure roughly 12×12 inches and set aside.
On a cutting board, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
Assemble
Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray. To each piece of foil, add a scoop of cooked rice and top it with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add some diced chicken, broccoli florets, shredded cheese, and chopped cooked bacon. Fold up the sides of the foil and seal.
Cook
Place the foil packs directly on the grill (do not close the lid) or in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. (The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 165°F or no longer is pink in the middle. The broccoli should be tender, as well.) Remove the foil packs from the heat (using tongs) and let stand for about 5 minutes. Carefully open each pack to release the steam and enjoy!
How to Make These Over a Campfire
- Keep the prepared foil packets cold in a cooler on ice until you’re ready to cook them.
- Set them out to warm slightly while you build a campfire in a fire pit.
- Place a grate over the fire. Once the fire has burned down a little and is nice and hot (needs to be hot enough that you can only hold your hand over the grate for a second or so), you can cook your foil packets on the grate for about 20-30 minutes.
- Make sure the chicken is completely cooked through (no more pink).
- Open the packets carefully (steam will release) and let cool slightly before eating.
Can You Freeze This Foil Packet Dinner?
Definitely! This works as a make-ahead and freeze meal. So, be sure to double your batch so you can have one for dinner tonight and freeze one for later. Here’s how:
Freeze For Later: Put your packets together according to the recipe instructions. Then, before cooking them, place the foil packets in a large freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw completely in the refrigerator. Either grill, bake, or cook over a campfire until done.
Want More Grilling Recipes?
We’ve rounded up our best grilling recipes just for you! Steak, burgers, peaches, side dishes, and more.
FAQs
Unfortunately, no. There isn’t enough liquid to cook the rice in these packets. You could take a shortcut and buy packages of cooked rice at the store. Or this is a great time to use up frozen cooked rice.
Sure. Just remember that broccoli cooks pretty quickly compared to other veggies so you may need to microwave or saute veggies depending on your desired texture. Other ideas include cauliflower or onions and bell peppers.
Yes! Just sub olive oil for the butter and leave out the cheese or use dairy-free “cheese”. If I was omitting the cheese, I’d personally add a lot more bacon. 🙂
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Foil Packets
Chicken, broccoli, cheddar cheese, and bacon are served over brown rice in these ooey, gooey chicken foil packets. Grill, bake, or cook over the campfire! You can even make them ahead and freeze for later with our instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups cooked brown rice (Shortcut: Two Uncle Ben’s Ready Brown Rice 8.8-ounce packs)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces (Shortcut: One 12-ounce package of pre-cut Hy-Vee Broccoli Florets)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 12 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces (Shortcut: Hy-Vee Fully-Cooked Bacon)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat or the oven to 400°F.
- Tear off 6 pieces of heavy-duty foil that measure roughly 12×12 inches and set aside.
- On a cutting board, dice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with the salt and pepper on all sides. (If you want, you could add a little onion powder and garlic powder too, but totally optional.)
- Assemble the Foil Packets: To each piece of foil, scoop 1/2 cup of the cooked rice and top it with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add about 1/2 cup of chicken, 2/3 cup broccoli, 1/3 cup cheese, and about 2-3 tablespoons of the chopped bacon. Fold up the sides of the foil and seal. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Cook the Foil Packets: You have two options for cooking the foil packs. Either place the foil packs directly on the grill (do not close the lid) or in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. (The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 165°F or no longer is pink in the middle. The broccoli should be tender, as well.)
- Remove the foil packs from the heat (using tongs) and let stand for about 5 minutes. Carefully open each pack to release the steam and enjoy!
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 2-4. Place the foil packets in a large freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw completely in the refrigerator. Follow Step 1 and then Steps 5-6.
Notes/Tips
- How to Make Over a Campfire: When camping, keep them cold in a cooler with ice until you’re ready to cook them. Set them out to warm slightly while you build a campfire in a fire pit. Place a grate over the fire. Once the fire has burned down a little and is nice and hot, you can cook your foil packets on the grate for about 20-30 minutes. Make sure the chicken is completely cooked through.
- Dairy-Free Option: Sub olive oil for the butter and leave out the cheese.
- Other ideas you could use in place of broccoli include cauliflower, onions, and/or bell peppers.
Could you put these packets in a slow cooker?
Interesting question. I haven’t tested it, so I’m not sure how long it would take to get the chicken done (165°F internally) and the broccoli cooked through. I’d guess 3-4 hours on low? (It only takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours for whole chicken breasts to cook on low in the crock pot. Otherwise, you can dry them out. And my research says that raw broccoli florets take 2.5-4 hours on low.) Please let me know if you try this and how it goes!
I would also guess it takes longer the more packets you have in there. You may have to rotate them around once or twice for even cooking.
I made this and it is very good, however the cook time isn’t working for me. After 25 minutes and even 45 minutes the chicken is not cooked. What am I doing wrong?
Did you bake it in the oven? Did you cut the chicken up into small pieces?
Hi – I have 1 of these in the oven cooking and popped the other 2 in the freezer. Im lactose intolerant and it was nice to find a recipe I can leave off the cheese. I also didnt have bacon. Ill have to get some. Have you tried bacon bits or just regular bacon? I rarely eat bacon.
Do you have other foil meal recipes? (I found you on pinterest)
Hi Tina. You can certainly use bacon bits or pre-cooked bacon (in the bacon section) from the store as a short cut. We have one other foil recipe for the grill here: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/grilled-vegetables-in-a-foil-pack/
Or if you’re looking for individual meals to prep ahead, you might like this round up recipes: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/easy-freezer-meals-for-1-or-2-people/
Except for camping, please STOP USING ALUMINUM FOIL!! It is not recyclable or biodegradable. It takes 80 to 400 years to break down. We have to start protecting this planet
If not for ourselves, then for future generations. It doesn’t take that much elbow grease to clean a pan .
Can I place the ingredients in a foil packet and freeze then take out of the freezer and cook in the oven. I’m trying to think of my elderly parents who can just take the frozen packet out of the freezer the night before and cook in the oven the next day.
Yes, this works great! As long as you fully thaw, you can grill or bake according to the instructions after the packet has been frozen. What a wonderful gift to your parents!
Can you cook these in an oven instead of grill? If so what temp and how long?
Hi Julia! Step 5 in the recipe card gives those instructions: Cook the Foil Packets: You have two options for cooking the foil packs. Either place the foil packs directly on the grill (do not close the lid) or in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. (The chicken is done when a thermometer inserted in the chicken registers 165°F or no longer is pink in the middle. The broccoli should be tender, as well.)
I made this tonight and the whole family loved it! Very filling!!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Tammy! Glad you found a winner.
Cooked these over our campfire this weekend and they were delicious! Yummy meal & easy clean up!
So glad you found these for your campfire Brittany. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I was just wondering if it would work on the fire. Any tips for cooking it on a fire?
Hi Julie. Campfire directions: Keep them cold in a cooler with ice until you’re ready to cook them. Set them out to warm slightly while you build a campfire in a fire pit. Place a grate over the fire. Once the fire has burned down a little and is nice and hot, you can cook your foil packets on the grate for about 20-30 minutes. Make sure the chicken is completely cooked through.
How long do you think these will take to thaw in the freezer from frozen? I am trying to make them to give to someone and want my directions to be as complete and thorough as possible.
Do you mean thaw in the fridge (not freezer)? They would probably need 24 hours in the refrigerator to be completely thawed (probably less but just tell them 24 to be sure). Let me know if that doesn’t answer your question.
I really liked the taste (especially when you add the recommended garlic and onion powder) but the cheese got stuck to the top of the foil so I think next time I would mix it all up instead of layering it. I cooked it in the oven but would definitely take these in a cooler to go camping!
Oh that’s a good idea to mix it up. Thanks for sharing, Shannon!
This was delicious! I prepared it in the oven, and it turned out great. My whole family enjoyed it.
Awesome! Glad to know it worked well in the oven for you, too.
The whole family loved
this recipe, it was delicious! I’m glad I doubled it and froze a batch for another time!
Wonderful! Thanks for leaving a review, Amy.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice. I intend to put it into our summer meal rotation.
Thanks for the review, Holly. So happy you’re enjoying it!
This was very tasty! Trying to think of other variations I could make. If I substituted the chicken with shrimp, how long do you think it would take to cook
Glad you liked it! I think it’s worth trying with shrimp, however I do think it could get overcooked at this timing. What if you pre-cooked the broccoli (to assure it doesn’t come out hard and crunchy) and then cooked the raw shrimp in the packet for more like 10-15 minutes (check it at the earliest time)?
These were delicious! I can tell you they BARELY fed my family of 4, because 2 people are 2 packets, they were so good! (My children are young hungry adults)
Do you think they can be cooked straight from frozen or do they have to be thawed?
I’m so happy to hear these were a hit! I haven’t tested straight from frozen, so I’m not sure. I’m worried they would cook unevenly and end up with some overcooked areas perhaps. But, please let me know if you ever test it that way.
Is there any way to cook these packets in the crockpot prepared as you directed?
Hi Ashley. I haven’t tested that but it’s an interesting idea. Boneless chicken like this only takes about 3 hours on low in the slow cooker. The broccoli wouldn’t get done in that time, so you would need to steam it first. But I think this method would work if you did that!