Juicy and savory seasoned Garlic Steak and Potato Foil Packs are simply the most perfect baked or grilled hearty, healthy meal, and done in just 30 minutes!
If foil packs are on your mind, you’ll have to try these other delicious foil packs like Steak Fajita Foil Packs, Herb Butter Salmon and Asparagus Foil Packs, and Lemon Herb Shrimp and Broccoli Foil Packs.
In my mind there are some foods that just go together. For example: French fries and ketchup. Oreos and peanut butter. Chips and salsa. Diet coke and cherry syrup. And of course, who could ever forget the best one of all: steak and potatoes.
While I’ve always been a fan of potatoes, whether mashed, or split open and piled with sour cream, cheese, and bacon, or deep fried and salted, I’m on board.
Steak was always a different story though. For years and years I believed that I didn’t like steak; I thought it was tough and flavorless. That all changed when, in my late teenage years, I ate at a Japanese restaurant and devoured a fillet mignon in about 2.7 seconds. All it took was one amazing steak, cooked the right way, to convince me that steak was actually pretty fantastic after all.
I had no idea steak could be so juicy, so tender, so melt-in-your-mouth perfect with such incredible flavor! But it was and it can be and ever since that day, I became a steak superfan, especially if we are talking about garlic steak. I’ll take garlic on pretty much anything (seriously, garlic is LIFE), but garlic steak is just out-of-this-world delicious.
So, it would make sense then, that since I’ve become somewhat obsessed with foil packs that I would also try a twist on steak and potatoes with lots of garlic and seasonings. Turns out this recipe was just waiting to happen because it is perfection.
That all goes to show you that steak and potatoes are a fantastic combination all the time and especially in this easy and insanely flavorful foil pack meal! Savory herbs, olive oil, and garlic bring these ingredients to life in just 30 minutes with pretty much zero cleanup.
Ingredients for Steak and Potato Foil Packets
- Top sirloin steak
- Baby yellow potatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Minced garlic
- Onion powder
- Dried oregano
- Dried parsley
- Dried thyme
- Fresh thyme or parsley (optional)
Here’s How you Make it
To make these amazing foil packs, you’ll want to start by seasoning the steak. To do this, combine the pieces of steak with potatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and the rest of the seasonings and give it a toss to combine.
Next, tear off four 12 x 12 sheets of foil (no need to get out a ruler, but try to make them ample enough to put in the steak and potatoes, about that size). And divide the steak and potatoes between the sheets of foil.
Wrap the corners up around the ingredients to form the foil packs. Put the packs right on the grill grates and grill over high heat for about 10 minutes on both sides or until steak and potatoes are cooked through.
If you prefer to bake rather than grill the steak foil packs, then pop them in the oven at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked through to desired doneness. I like to garnish my packs with fresh thyme or parsley and serve immediately while they are nice and hot.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to cut your steak into pieces that are at least 2 x 2 inches, and potatoes into pieces smaller than one inch. This ensures even cooking.
- I like my steak with just a teeny tiny hint of pink right in the middle, just to the point it’s about to disappear completely. If you like it that way too, I suggest cutting the steak into larger 2-inch chunks because the potatoes need enough time to cook all the way through.
- If you like more doneness to your steak, just cut it into 1-inch pieces and it should come out just right.
- For medium doneness on the steak, boil the potatoes first for five minutes before adding to the bowl and proceeding with the rest of the recipe. This will help them to cook faster once in the foil pack.
- If you prefer a bit of char on your steak, you can open up the packets at the end and cook for a couple minutes directly on the grill, or for baking you can switch the oven to broil for a few minutes, again with the packets opened.
Garlic Steak and Potato Foil Packs
Ingredients
- 2-2 ½ pounds top sirloin steak - trimmed of fat and cut into 2 ½-inch pieces, (see note)
- 1 pound baby yellow potatoes - quartered (or halved if they are already less than 1 inch in size, see note)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste - (I use about 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- fresh thyme or parsley for topping - (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine steak, potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic, and seasonings and toss to combine.
- Divide steak and potatoes between four 12×12 inch sheets of foil, then wrap the foil tightly around the contents to form your foil packs. Grill over high heat for about 10 minutes on each side or until steak and potatoes are cooked through OR bake at 425 degrees for about 20-25 minutes until cooked through to desired doneness (see note).
- Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley and serve immediately.
Ok why aren’t you supposed to go meat in aluminum foil?
My electric fan oven doesn’t cook well in foil I don’t know why so I never use it. Think it’s the same for convection ovens too.
I think they believe the aluminum get’s into the food?
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Apparently there is no good reason to avoid using foil to cook the meat and potatoes in. I have used foil all my life for recipes like this but I like to spray the foil with a nonstick coating, like Pam, to keep the food from sticking. The question was asked multiple times for the reason why you shouldn’t use foil. There wasn’t a reason given to anyone asking, so I’m assuming (shame on me for that) that there isn’t a good reason for not using the foil.
There are many replies. A lot of research leans towards aluminium being linked to dementia
You can prove anything you want in a study. Better safe than sorry. If you believe something to be try, don’t do it. There are other ways to cook than with foil. Each to his/her own.
I totally agree with you, that YOU CAN prove anything you want in a study. Sooner or later someone is going to prove that “living” causes “dying.”
There actually was a reply if you scroll up you’ll see it was posted at five something in the morning on the same day you posted yours the aluminum has been associated with Alzheimer’s and various other diseases it leaches into the food so you can use parchment paper to line the aluminum foil or Parchment paper by itself
A doctor replied – don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
Exactly! DON’T NECESSARILY believe some yahoo claimIng to be a doctor.
According to “Consumer Reports On Health” newsletter, Sept 2017, the link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum has failed to be confirmed by research. This was the thinking a few decades ago but not now.
However, I still don’t let aluminum touch food…old habits die hard, so I lined the foil packets with parchment. The potatoes didn’t cook in 25 min. I’d parboil them first the next time.
So you’re fine with wax getting in your food but not trace amounts of aluminum? That’s strange to me.
I have found that the Reynolds wrap foil that is non stick works really good also. Instead of spraying mine. Started using it for “grilling only” a couple yrs ago. Works great.
As far as not using foil to cook this in. Researchers are trying to say that the use of aluminum foil has been linked to Alzheimer’s among other things. I have heard this for years about aluminum cooking pans but never about foil.
But stop and think about it, if it was really all that “bad” for us wouldn’t they have pulled it from the shelves by now? Also what these days doesn’t cause Cancer or something else??
It has been answered numerous times why. And to google if you want.
I get sheet of foil and place it on the counter. I put the parchment paper on top of it. I put the food on the parchment paper and fold it over and then I fold the foil over. Parchment paper is the best!
Hi,
How do you get your steak to look “grilled”? Every time I cook foil packs, the meat never looks “grilled”, but more like it is boiled!
Hi Monica! When I’m baking foil packs, I like to open up the foil pack toward the end and switch my oven to broil for the last few minutes to get a nice browning. For grilling, my meat gets brown as long as the food in the packet isn’t stacked too deep if that makes sense – I try to spread it all out in an even layer so the packet is kind of flat when it goes on the grill. You can also move the meat over directly onto the grill for the last couple of minutes to get some char on it. 🙂
HiTiffany… I tried this and it is fantastic!! We are having it again for supper… I add some fresh rosemary too. Thanks again….
Thanks…this was going to be my question too. The recipe is quite tasty, but not at all brown. Definitely more of a steamed look. I will try opening toward the end next time. Great tip!
So, if you boil the potatoes first, do you still cook it in the foil pack for the same amount of time?
Hi Pat, if you boil your potatoes first, you can reduce the cooking time for the foil packs a bit depending on the desired doneness for the steak.
Of your cooking these on a grill is it direct heat or indirect heat, I see most recipes leave out these little nuances, it makes a difference??
Direct heat. 🙂
Can you do these in the oven? What temp and time do you think if so?
oops, didn’t read all the way. LOL. Thanks for this recipe!
Can you bake this in a Pyrex dish?
Yes! I recommend switching your oven to broil for a few minutes right at the end to get a good color on the potatoes and steak. 🙂