These delicious steak and potatoes foils are made with juicy sirloin steak bites and tender potatoes seasoned with garlic and herbs. It’s an easy foil packet recipe that you can cook on the grill (or in the oven!) for a flavorful family dinner.
What can I say? When it comes to foil packet dinners, I’m a fan. Just in time for grilling season, my garlicky skillet steak bites and potatoes inspired this foil packet version. These garlic steak and potatoes foil packets are an easy dinner to make on the grill, over a campfire, or even in the oven on a rainy day. It’s a flavorful, hearty meal with juicy hunks of sirloin steak and tender seasoned potatoes, cooked all at once, ready to pair with your favorite summer sides.
Using foil to cook steak in the oven helps to create a seal around the meat, trapping the juices and flavors. This results in a more tender and flavorful steak. It also helps to prevent the steak from drying out during the cooking process.
Why I Love This Steak and Potatoes Foil Pack Recipe
- Quick. Cooking your meat and potatoes together in foil is fast and easy. Have dinner ready in a flash with next to no cleanup (my favorite part!).
- Flavor-packed. The garlic and herb marinade in this recipe is next-level delicious and brings out the savory flavors of the steak.
- Customizable. There are endless ways to turn your steak bites and potatoes into a well-balanced meal. Change up the marinade, add some veggies, or serve your foil packs with your favorite sides. See later on for ideas.
- Cook anywhere. Make your steak and potato foil packets ahead and take them to go. You can cook them over a grill in the Great Outdoors, or in the oven. This “hobo dinner” is convenient and packed with flavor!
You don’t need a ton of ingredients to make these tasty steak and potato foil packs. Just a few essential fridge and pantry items that I outline below.
- Steak: I tested this steak and potato foil pack recipe with flank steak, ribeye, and top sirloin. While this recipe worked with all of them, top sirloin is my first choice for foil packets. It’s lean, flavorful, and stays tender when cooked using this method.
- Potatoes: Baby Yukon gold potatoes are my favorite because you don’t need to peel them. Another waxy potato, like red potatoes or fingerling potatoes, will also work.
- Garlic and Herbs: We season the meat and potatoes with freshly minced garlic and a combination of dried thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Feel free to substitute fresh versions of the herbs instead.
Should I Parboil the Potatoes?
Potatoes take longer to cook than steak. This leaves two options: the first is to cut your potatoes up small enough to cook through in the suggested cooking time. The second option is to precook or parboil your potatoes. If you’re not pressed for time, parboiling is the recommended option.
Parboiling is easy to do by boiling your whole potatoes in water for about 5 minutes, then draining them and cutting them up as directed. See the recipe card notes for details.
- Rare or medium-rare. The larger the pieces, the rarer your meat will be. This way, the steak is also less likely to be cooked before the potatoes. If you prefer your steak well-done, cut it into 1-inch cubes.
- Use sturdy foil. We’ve found that heavy-duty foil holds up best when cooking foil packet dinners on the grill or over an open fire. You can also use a double layer of regular foil if needed.
- Browning. Once the steak and potatoes are cooked, open up the foil and place the packets under the broiler to char the steak a bit. Make sure that you don’t leave them unattended, as the tops can burn easily!
- If your steak cooks before the potatoes are done, do not worry. This can sometimes happen depending on the type/size of potatoes or whether you parboil them or not. To fix this, carefully open the packets and transfer the steak to a plate to rest (you can cover the steak with a new sheet of foil to keep it warm). Close the foil packets and return the potatoes to the grill until they’re done.
- Be careful when opening the foil packets. A lot of steam builds up inside the foil in the heat, which we love, because it keeps things juicy. But this also means there are a lot of hot liquids in there. For this reason, never open or eat a foil packet in your lap. Make sure it’s on a level surface.
- Make ahead. Marinate the potatoes and steak bites in advance, or assemble the foil packs up to 6 hours before cooking. Keep the packets refrigerated or chilled in the cooler until you’re ready to cook.
- Marinade. Change things up and borrow the soy and citrus marinade from my steak and potatoes skillet with vegetables.
- Add-Ins. Crumbled bacon is an easy way to add flavor to steak and potatoes. Or, grate on some fresh cheddar, Pepper Jack, or parmesan cheese to melt inside the packets.
- Seasonings. You can season your foil packets however you’d like. Try Cajun spice or Jamaican jerk seasoning for a spicy kick, or another herb blend. Homemade fajita seasoning would also be delicious.
- Vegetables. Choose veggies with similar cooking times to cook inside your steak and potatoes foil packets. Chopped bell peppers, onions, green beans, or broccoli are all great options.
Foil Baked Garlic Butter Steak and Potatoes
FAQ
Can you cook steak in aluminum foil in the oven?
Can you cook steak in tin foil on the grill?
Can you cook meat in aluminum foil?
How do you cook steak in aluminum foil?
Placing the meat in enough aluminum foil to fully cover the meat and vegetables. Adding toppings and other ingredients, such as potatoes and carrots. Sealing the foil. Baking for one to one and a half hours or until vegetables are soft. Once the steak and vegetables are cooked, you can remove the foil packets from the oven and serve hot.
How to cook steak in the oven with foil?
All you have to do is prepare the foil packet and leave it in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the desired doneness you aim for. The next step in our how to cook steak in the oven with foil guide is to pick the best cuts of meat. You’ll want a tender piece of meat for getting that juicy steak right out of your oven.
Should you cook steak in a foil pack?
Secondly, by cooking the steak in a foil pack it is going to retain so much more moisture and flavor. Since the steak will be cooking in its own juices trapped in the foil pack, it will reabsorb them once you take the steak out of the oven. That’s why it’s important to let the steak rest for about 5 minutes.
How do you wrap a steak in foil?
Tear off a sheet of foil large enough to wrap the steak completely. Place the steak in the center of the foil and add a pat of butter on top. The butter will melt and baste the steak, adding richness and moisture. Wrap the steak tightly in the foil, creating a packet to seal in the flavors.