Name: Tinfoil Packet Taco Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey or beef (fully cooked); 1 cup salsa; 2 Tbsp taco seasoning; 1 cup Tex Mex shredded cheese; 1/4 medium yellow onion (diced); 2 cups lettuce (shredded (optional)); 1 bell pepper (diced (optional)); 3 Tbsp sour cream (optional)

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This tinfoil packet taco salad is a cheesy, flavor-packed camping dinner made in one foil pan — easy prep, easy cleanup, zero complaints!

With all of the time that we spend in the great outdoors, we’re always looking for ways to make our experience more enjoyable. Creating delicious one-pot-style meals saves us time and energy in the whole preparation and cleanup process.

Today we are sharing this amazing tinfoil packet taco salad recipe that combines all of these things.

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Table of Contents

Not only is this recipe absolutely yummy, it is also a family favorite with our crew. Whether it be served as a salad or tossed into a taco bowl, this one-pot-style recipe is perfect for camping!

After heating the tinfoil packet (shown here on a pie plate) on the campfire or barbecue, you simply add your favorite taco toppings to create a yummy, easy camping recipe!

Over the years, we have experimented and tried out pretty much every camping tool known to woman. We love to cook and make delicious food while we are camping in the wilderness. Here are some of our favorite products to use while camping.

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Camp Cooking Essentials

Menu planning for camping is something that I always do to stay organized. Grab this free Meal Planner Printable to get started on your next trip.
A Pie Iron Camp Cooker makes cooking over the open fire super easy. Check out these 20+ Pie Iron Recipe Ideas for tons of camp cooker inspiration!
Foil Pie Plates make tinfoil packet meals even easier with the sturdy base that they provide.
These Grilling Bags that I recently found are amazing! Simply add all of your ingredients to the bag at home, then throw it on the campfire or grill when camping in the great outdoors. Avoid the grill bags with plastic windows, though, because they melt (yikes!).

Ingredients

Ground turkey or beef, fully cooked – The hearty, protein-packed base that makes this camping taco salad super satisfying and filling.
Homemade salsa – Adds fresh, zesty flavor. We love our homemade salsa, but you can use whatever your family likes best.
Taco seasoning – Brings all the bold, classic taco flavor we crave.
Tex Mex shredded cheese – Melts beautifully over the hot meat for gooey, cheesy perfection in every bite.
Yellow onion, diced – Adds a little crunch and balances the richness of the meat and cheese.
Lettuce, shredded – Keeps it fresh and crisp, turning this from a taco filling into a true taco salad.
Bell pepper, diced – Brings color, crunch, and a slightly sweet flavor.
Sour cream – Adds creamy coolness.

Instructions

1. Fully cook the ground meat, add taco seasoning, and place in a tinfoil packet or foil pie plate. Layer the meat with salsa and diced onions.

2. Top with Tex Mex cheese before wrapping into a tinfoil packet.

3. Place over the campfire or on the BBQ for 15 mins or until heated through.

4. Serve with lettuce, diced bell pepper, and sour cream (optional).

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Tips for Camping Meal Preparation

Prepare meals in advance at home whenever possible. Leave most of the mess at home where running water is more accessible and cleanup is easier. Trust me on this one!
Create “one pot” family-style meals for quick dinners that don’t require a lot of thought.
Use tinfoil packets, foil pie pans, or camp cookers. These tools help to make cleanup a breeze!
Pack ingredients in 1-gallon size Ziploc bags for flexible storage in small fridges and coolers.
Plan meals that use similar ingredients to help make packing and planning easy. These Cheesy Campfire Dip, Loaded Campfire Potatoes, and Tinfoil Packet Nacho Dip recipes are some of my favorites.

To make this camping recipe super easy to prepare, we cook the ground beef at home and store it in a Ziploc bag until we are ready to use it.

We eat this straight out of the pie plate! No need for individual servings.

You can also pack along tortillas or taco shells and use this tinfoil packet taco salad recipe as a filling. We love how easy and versatile this camping meal is!

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