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The Ultimate Buttery Clambake Foil Packets (Easy Grilling!)

A person dipping crusty bread into the broth of a Clambake Foil Packet.

A classic clambake made easy by cooking everything in individual foil packets on the grill. Each packet is loaded with par-cooked baby red potatoes, chunks of kielbasa sausage, littleneck clams, large shrimp, and rounds of corn on the cob. The ingredients are seasoned with Old Bay, fresh thyme, and garlic, then steamed on the grill in a buttery white wine sauce. The finished packets are served with crusty bread to soak up the flavorful broth.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
  • Kosher salt
  • 8 ounces kielbasa or other smoked sausage, cut into 16 chunks
  • 12 to 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
  • 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
  • 2 ears corn, shucked and cut into 4 rounds each
  • 8 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Seafood seasoning (e.g., Old Bay), for sprinkling
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • Crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, cover the halved potatoes with salted water by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until they just begin to get tender. Drain well.
  2. Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.
  3. To make one packet, lay two 24-inch pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil on top of each other to create a double-thick layer.
  4. Arrange a quarter of the par-cooked potatoes, 4 kielbasa chunks, 3 or 4 clams, 3 shrimp, 2 rounds of corn, 2 sprigs of thyme, and a quarter of the sliced garlic in the center of the foil.
  5. Season lightly with seafood seasoning and a pinch of salt. Pour 3 tablespoons of the white wine over the ingredients and dot the top with 2 tablespoons of the butter pieces.
  6. Bring the long ends of the foil together to create a tent over the food. Fold the edges to seal tightly, then fold in the sides to create a sealed rectangular packet.
  7. Repeat the process to make a total of 4 packets.
  8. Place the packets on the hot grill and cover the grill. Listen for a gentle sizzling sound to ensure the heat is correct (increase heat if necessary).
  9. Cook the covered packets for a total of 12 minutes. Add an extra minute or two if your clams are very large.
  10. Carefully open the packets. Discard any clams that have not opened.
  11. Serve immediately with crusty bread on the side.

Notes

  • Par-cooking the potatoes before adding them to the packets ensures they will be fully tender at the same time as the other ingredients.
  • Using a double layer of heavy-duty foil helps prevent the packets from tearing on the grill.
  • For food safety, it is important to discard any clams that do not open during the cooking process.
  • Ingredient substitutions are noted as being available on the source website.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/clambake-foil-packets/