How to Fold a Foil Pack

Before jumping into what to pack, wrap and grill, here’s a quick walkthrough on how to fold a foil packet:

1.  Cut a large piece of aluminum foil—roughly an 18x12-inch sheet will do. We recommend using heavy-duty aluminum foil to avoid tearing on the grill. If you’re using standard aluminum foil, double the layers to be extra safe. Wondering which side of the aluminum foil is better than the other? While one side is shiny and the other dull, unless you have non-stick aluminum foil, either side will do. If using non-stick, it’s good to note that the non-stick coating is the dull side.

2.  Spray the aluminum foil sheet with cooking spray. Just like a skillet on the stovetop or a pan in the oven, oiling is crucial to avoid your food sticking to the foil.

3.  If you’re dealing with very wet ingredients or anything with a sauce, pull up each side of the foil to keep anything from escaping. Then portion your ingredients out on the foil, right in the middle.

4.  Next, you’ll want to seal up your foil packet. The idea isn’t to wrap the food as tightly as possible—you actually want to leave a little room for heat and steam to move around. You do, however, want to seal it up to keep any moisture from escaping. Fold two opposite sides of the foil in towards the middle so the edges meet. Roll these edges down to create a seal.

On the two remaining sides, roll down each edge, sealing the packet. Some recipes recommend creating more air-flow by puncturing the foil with a fork. If you’re making your foil packs ahead of time and storing them in the refrigerator, we recommend waiting until just before you grill them to create these air-flow puncture marks. This will ensure you don’t lose any moisture or flavor!

5.  With your foil packs wrapped and ready, all that’s left to do is grill. Follow the directions for time and temperature according to your recipe. Some recipes will require rotation during cook time, and others will not. If you’re cooking meat, the most important thing to watch out for is that you’re bringing them to a safe temperature.

You’ve cooked your foil packs and removed them from the grill – now, how do you get back inside them to enjoy the tasty dish you’ve created? You can undo the folds you created, but if you’re feeling fancy, we recommend getting a knife out for this step.

1.  Handling the hot foil pack carefully, flip it over and cut an “X” shape into the foil packet with a small knife.

2.  Carefully fold back the foil—a lot of steam will build up in the cooking process, so use caution.

3.  Garnish as desired. Everyone looks good with a little extra on top.

Ready to jump in? Here are some grill-approved recipes to get you started. Go ahead and buy the jumbo pack of foil this summer. You’re going to need it!