Looking for a hassle-free BBQ side dish bursting with flavor? These Southwest Potato Foil Packets are perfect for a quick and easy summer side that you can enjoy on the grill, in the oven, or in the air fryer. It’s a tasty combination of colorful vegetables and hearty potatoes, all seasoned with bold southwest spices. Plus, you get to customize with toppings of your choice like cheese, cilantro, and avocado!

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Why you’ll love it

These Southwest Potato Foil Packets are delicious and convenient. I tend to make them every summer for Father’s Day, outdoor dinners, or weekend BBQs. Here’s why you’ll find yourself making them again and again:

• Flavorful and Versatile: The mixture of baby potatoes, bell peppers, onions, corn, and black beans seasoned with garlic, chili powder, and cumin offers a burst of flavors. You can easily tweak  the spices to suit your taste.
• Easy Cleanup: Cooking everything in foil packets means there’s minimal cleanup. It’s perfect for those nights when you want a delicious meal without the hassle of dishes. 
• Customizable Toppings: Add your favorite toppings like sprinkle of cheese, fresh cilantro, creamy avocado, and a squeeze of lime for a fresh zesty finish. Adjust the amount of toppings to make it truly your own.

Why is it healthy?

These foil packets are packed with nutritious ingredients:

• Potatoes are a nutrient-dense vegetable. They contain vitamin C, potassium, 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per medium potato. 
• Bell Peppers are loaded with vitamins A and C, which can help support your immune system and skin health.
• Black Beans are a great source of plant-based protein and fiber, which support muscle repair and a healthy digestive system. You may end up with some extra black beans which are perfect for add over quinoa taco bowls or meal prep breakfast burritos.
• Corn adds natural sweetness and antioxidants like lutein.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Baby Potatoes – These small potatoes cook quickly and have a creamy texture. You can also use fingerling potatoes.
• Bell Pepper – Choose your favorite color. Bell peppers add sweetness and crunch, and you can find them fresh year-round. These are also a great one to pick up at your local farmers market!
• Onion – Onion adds depth and a slight sweetness. Slice it thinly for even cooking.
• Corn Kernels – Fresh, frozen, or canned are all welcome here! 
• Black Beans – Be sure to drain and rinse the beans before adding to the potatoes.

How to make southwest potato foil packets

1. Prep the Vegetables: In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, bell peppers, onion, corn, and black beans. Make sure the potatoes are cut to be all about the same size for even cooking.
2. Season: Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Toss everything to coat the vegetables evenly.
3. Assemble Packets: Tear off 4 large sheets of aluminum foil or you can buy pre-cut squares of foil. Divide the seasoned vegetable mixture among the sheets, placing it in the center of each foil.
4. Seal Packets: Fold the foil over the vegetables, sealing the edges to form packets. If you accidentally tear the foil, no worries! Just wrap another piece of foil over it. 
5. Cook: There’s three different ways you can cook these potato packets.
   • Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the foil packets on the grill, cover, and cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
   • Oven: Alternatively, bake the assembled foil packets at 425°F (220°C) for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven.
   • Air Fryer: Air fry at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.
6. Serve: Carefully open the packets, being mindful of the hot steam. Sprinkle with cheese, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. 

Tips and tricks

• Serving Tips: Elevate your grilled potatoes in foil by pairing them with a protein like juicy burgers or grilled chicken. They are also delicious served alongside grilled broccolini! 
• Troubleshooting Tips: If your potatoes aren’t tender after the recommended cooking time, simply reseal the packets and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
• Scaling Tips: Hosting a crowd? This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Just make sure you can plenty of room to grill them all!.

Customize it your way

Like all of my other recipes, these Southwest Potato Foil Packets are completely customizable. You get to choose what ingredients you want to use:

• Bell Pepper of your choice: Use any sweet bell pepper like red, yellow, or orange. You could even use green bell pepper, they just won’t be as sweet. When slicing them, I tend to slice them lengthwise, then cut that slice in half so it creates a half slice.
• Shredded cheese of your choice: You can use any cheese you like such as shredded cheddar or a Mexican cheese blend. 
• Toppings of your choice: Feel free to add all toppings or none at all. You know I’m all about customizing your recipes too, so feel free to add other toppings like sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, chopped chives/green onions, pickled red onions, or jalapeños for your own flare.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can prepare the potato mixture and seal them in the foil packets up to a day ahead. Store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. This makes it perfect for meal prepping or a busy weeknight dinner.

How do I store leftovers?

If you have leftover cooked foil packets, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, you can place the packets back on the grill or microwave (out of the foil)  until warmed through. 

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Southwest Potato Foil Packets

Mackenzie Burgess, RDN

These Southwest Potato Foil Packets are perfect for a quick and easy summer side that you can enjoy on the grill, in the oven, or in the air fryer. It's a tasty combination of colorful vegetables and hearty potatoes, all seasoned with bold southwest spices. Customize with toppings of your choices like cheese, cilantro, and avocado!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 141 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound baby potatoes quartered
• 1 bell pepper of your choice, sliced into small strips (red, orange, or yellow bell pepper)
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced into small strips
• 1/2 cup fresh or canned corn
• 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Toppings of your choice:

• Shredded cheese of your choice (mexican blend, cheddar, parmesan, pepper jack, monterey jack, vegan cheese, etc.)
• Finely chopped cilantro
• Diced avocado
• Lime wedges, for juicing

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, mix together potatoes, bell peppers, onion, corn, and black beans. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
• Tear off 6 large sheets of aluminum foil. Divide the potato mixture among the sheets, placing it in the center. Fold the foil over the vegetables, sealing the edges to form packets.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high. Place the foil packets on the grill, cover, and cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Remove from the grill, then open the packets carefully and sprinkle over your desired amount of cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado, and fresh lime juice.

Notes

Pepper Slicing Note: When slicing peppers for this recipe, slice them lengthwise like normal. Then, cut that slice in half so it creates a smaller half slice.

Toppings Note: You know I’m all about customizing your recipes, so feel free to add other toppings like sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, chopped chives/green onions, pickled red onions, or jalapeños for your own flare.

Oven Cooking Instructions: Alternatively, you can bake the assembled foil packets in an oven at 425°F for 25-30 minutes.

Air Fryer Cooking Instructions: Alternatively, you can air fry the assembled foil packets at 400°F for 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition Note: This is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Nutrition may vary depending on ingredients used. This calculation is for ingredients. This calculation does not include toppings. For more nutrition information, seek a professional registered dietitian’s advice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 133mgPotassium: 590mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gCalcium: 34mgIron: 2mg

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Want more? Try these other grilling recipes:

• Grilled Broccolini
• Grilled Lemon Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Feta Sauce
• Grilled Steak & Pineapple Skewers