Cooking things in foil packets makes me think of camping. In particular, I remember one camping trip where we made foil packets with chicken, potatoes, and carrots. It would have been great, if the chicken hadn’t been frozen. Those cooked FOREVER, at least in my recollections of being 14.
Cooking fish in packets is especially helpful. It can help prevent the dreaded scenario of dry fish. And dealing with foil packets on the grill is sometimes easier than flaky fish fillets. Packets are also a great way to mingle a lot of flavors. Throw your veggies in to cook as well and save yourself a pot. I put a little extra sauce on these, so they easily dumped on to some cooked pasta for a complete dinner. Enjoy!
Foil Packet Tilapia (Serves 4)
4 tilapia fillets
2 cups green beans, trimmed and chopped into bite size pieces
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
1. Spread 4 large squares of foil on a counter. Preheat grill.
2. Place 1 piece of fish on each piece of foil. Add ¼ cup beans, ¼ of the onion, ½ of a tomato, and ¼ of the garlic to each packet.
3. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Pour evenly over each piece of fish. Seal packets well.
4. Grill 5-10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and has a minimum internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Serve over rice or pasta.
Nutritional Information (Amount per serving):
Calories: 279
Protein: 25 g
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 58 mg
Carbohydrates: 11 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 364 mg
Recipe Notes: You could also cook these in the oven. I’ve seen oven temps on recipes online everywhere from 350-425, with cooking times from 10-30 minutes. As a general rule, the higher the temp, the less it will need to cook. You can always mix up the veggies to your taste preference or what you have on hand. Zucchini or summer squash would be especially good, I think. Tomatoes are good to include if you have them, since they provide a little more liquid for the sauce.
Source: Adapted from many sources online.