Chicken Caesar Wraps – Quick & Savory Wraps To Make Ahead Of Time For Anytime Snacking
Do you ever feel like cooking a meal is easy… but reheating said meal is such a hassle? This is why I go back to these chicken Caesar wraps again and again! Crispy, creamy, fresh – they literally are the easiest grab-and-go meals to make ahead of time!
I started making these wraps after a particularly monotonous week of boring meal prep with chicken and rice bowls. My cravings were for something I could just open, unwrap, and enjoy! This dish came to save me… and will continue saving me whenever the need arises.
In today’s wraps, you’ll find juicy seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, fresh crunchy romaine, and creamy Caesar dressing inside a delicious soft tortilla. All in all, very simple – and incredibly yummy! Here is how I make them stay fresh for days!
What You’ll Need
Chicken
- Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts – 4 pcs. (about 900 g / 2 lb in total)
- Good source of protein that takes seasoning very well.
- Dry onion powder – 1 tsp (2 g)
- Dry garlic powder – 1 tsp (3 g)
- Sweet paprika – 1 tsp (2 g)
Makes it mildly smoky and gives beautiful color after searing.
- Salt – 1 tsp (6 g), or according to taste
- Fresh black pepper – 20 grinds (about ½ tsp / 1 g)
- Olive oil – 2 tsp (10 ml)
Only needed for the final touch of flavor – omit for a lower-fat variation.
Bacon
- Streaky bacon slices – 300 g (10.5 oz)
- Optional ingredient that makes this wrap extremely yummy!
Caesar DressinLow-fat mayonnaise
- at – 180 g (¾ cup / 6.3 oz)
- Garlic cloves – 1 pc. (3 g), minced
- Parmesan cheese – 20 g (2 tbsp / 0.7 oz), shredded finely
- Anchovy fillets – 6 pcs. (about 12-15 g), mashed to a paste
This is what will bring Caesar dressing its trademark flavor – you won’t taste fish itself at all!
- Dijon mustard – 1 tsp (5 g)
- Worcestershire sauce – 1 tsp (5 ml)
- Fresh lemon juice – 1 tbsp (15 ml)
To taste
- Salt – to taste
- Fresh black pepper – 10 grinds (about ¼ tsp / 0.5 g)
Wrapping ingredients
- Romaine (cos) lettuce – 1 whole head (200-250 g)
- Tortillas – 5 pcs. (larger wraps for a higher fat/protein content)
- A great way to hold everything together, while keeping it light!
Making the Chicken
Stab by placing your chicken breasts into a big bowl. Once the chicken meets seasonings, you get a mixture of smells that hint towards something tasty!
Make sure to rub it all in evenly with your hands, resulting in an even coating of red/brown seasonings on the chicken surface with no dry places left. In one of my first attempts at this recipe, I didn’t mix it well and got inconsistent seasoning – too much of everything in some places and not enough in others.
Now, in a medium-large pan heated to medium heat, place the chicken. Add olive oil. As soon as you see it starting to shimmer and lightly ripple, you’ll know the pan is hot enough – place the chicken breasts onto it.
Sear them for 3–3½ min each side, developing a nice golden crust.
Pro Tip: Be patient while flipping them; they should have developed a crust, so they don’t fall apart. Try to avoid excessive flipping.
Then, cook them in the preheated oven to 200ºC (390ºF) for 14 min.
Cooking bacon
Next, take the streaky bacon and lay it on a parchment-lined sheet. You can leave a bit of room between pieces or have them overlapping a little; it will allow the bacon pieces to develop some interesting crispy textures.
After the chicken has finished cooking, bake bacon slices for 13–14 min.
You get quite a strong smell in the kitchen at this point. It’s a mixture of salty smoke, and then as it approaches done, a very strong caramelized bacon smell.
Once, I took it out a little too early, thinking it was going to firm up once cooled… But nope, it turned into a mess of chewy, soft bacon. From now on, I always cook it till the edges start curling a little.
Preparing the Caesar dressing
It’s time to assemble the flavors!
Take a bowl and put in mayo, grated garlic, parmesan cheese, anchovy paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Whisk it all together vigorously – it will be somewhat messy in the beginning, but then it will turn into a creamy and glossy dressing. I always end up tasting this while preparing… Just can’t help it!
Let the dressing sit for about 10-15 min before using, to let flavors blend in and garlic tone down.
Preparing the lettuce
Cut the lettuce into shreds, as thin as you can. Wash them thoroughly – you’ll notice little bits of dirt inside, so please don’t forget to do it.
It comes out crisp, cold and fresh, and almost snaps under pressure.
Putting it all together
Let the chicken cool down for 5 min after cooking before cutting into bite-sized chunks – this will help retain more moisture in it.
I usually rip it rather than cut it, since it helps get more texture and moisture in it.
Chop or tear the bacon into small pieces and put it in a bowl.
Add the chicken, chopped romaine lettuce, and about 2/3 of Caesar dressing to that bowl and mix everything in.
Pro Tip: Add as little dressing as you can right now – it might become too mushy otherwise. You can always add more dressing later, when you serve.
Then, spread the remaining Caesar dressing on tortillas and place the filling in equal amounts on top of them.
Wrap the wraps up carefully, folding up the sides to prevent any spillages.
Mistakes to avoid
Overcooking chicken breasts → This happens either because of cooking too long in the oven or because of too high a pan temperature. Results in dry chicken. Cook for 14 min in the oven after searing.
Adding too much dressing → It results in too mushy and wet wraps after a couple of hours of storage. Start with less and add more on serving.
Drying lettuce improperly → If there is water in lettuce, everything will get soggy after a couple of hours. Make sure it is dried completely.
Not letting the chicken rest for 5 min before cutting → It results in dry chicken due to juices being drained.
Loose wrapping → This causes leakage during wrapping, so make sure to wrap it tightly.
Ways to modify this recipe
If you need a different version of this recipe, you can use turkey instead of the chicken for the same effect.
For a spicier variation, add hot sauce or red chili flakes to the dressing – it adds that little kick!
If you want to increase protein content, add extra chicken and decrease the tortilla count.
How to store
This wrap will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Wrap the tortillas individually in parchment paper or store them in airtight containers.
Don’t freeze them – they’ll become mushy after being defrosted.
Eat them cold, straight out of the fridge. Tortillas are still soft, filling is moist, and lettuce retains crunch!
Personally, I think they are the best on day two; flavors get better with time!
Conclusion
It feels wonderful to just grab one out of the fridge anytime you want – without having to heat anything!
Hope you’ll love these chicken Caesar wraps and won’t be able to stop eating them!
