Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Buffalo Chicken Wraps loaded with juicy buffalo chicken and veggies are a vibrant, fresh, crunchy, healthy lunch or dinner everyone will want on repeat!

These Buffalo Chicken Wraps are a flavor bomb of fresh, spicy, tangy, crunchy, cool and creamy – your whole family will fall in love! They’re endlessly customizable, healthy, and easy to make, for the ultimate make-ahead friendly lunch/dinner or grab and go meal. And don’t let the word “spicy” scare you – the heat is customizable so everyone wins. The chicken wraps are made with juicy buffalo chicken, laced with hints of honey and lime, layered with your choice of lettuce, tomatoes, matchstick carrots, celery, red onions, and blue cheese or ranch dressing all cocooned in a crispy tortilla. Pair them with chips, fruit salad and corn salad for the perfect plate!

Chicken wrap recipes are so easy to make at home with practically anything you have on hand! Some of my other favorite wrap recipes include Chinese Chicken Wraps and Caprese Chicken Wraps.

HOW TO MAKE Buffalo Chicken Wraps VIDEO

up close of Buffalo chicken wraps showing how juicy the chicken is


 
showing how to make buffalo chicken wraps by adding lining tortillas with lettuce, buffalo chicken, tomatoes, celery, carrots, red onions, bacon and blue cheese dressing

about the buffalo chicken

You can use marinated buffalo chicken (HIGHLY RECOMMEND), or I’ve also included a shortcut for rotisserie chicken. If making the marinated chicken, you will need:

  • Chicken: Either boneless chicken breasts or thighs will work in this recipe – totally personal preference!  If using chicken breasts, make sure to pound them to an even thickness to tenderize the chicken and ensure even cooking.
  • Buffalo Wings Sauce: This is a spicy hot sauce with the addition of melted butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. It is spicier, smoother, richer, rounder and less of a pure cayenne punch than original hot sauce – it is just plain more delicious in my opinion. I use Frank’ BUFFALO WINGS Sauce – NOT Frank’s original sauce (although you can if you already have it on hand).  You’ll want to look for “Wings” on the label.  Frank’s Buffalo Wings sauce is usually located with the other condiments, such as barbecue sauces. 
  • Honey:  Regular clover honey is needed to balance the heat – but will NOT make your chicken sweet at all like in honey buffalo chicken or honey buffalo meatballs.  
  • Seasonings:  The variety of seasonings elevate this recipe from boring to extraordinary! You’ll use chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper.
  • Lime Juice: The lime juice adds the needed acidity to tenderize the chicken and balances the honey and hot sauce.

Chicken Wrap Filling Ingredients

The filling ingredients for these Buffalo Chicken Wraps are completely flexible! However, we find the below combination absolutely intoxicating:

  • Lettuce:  Choose a crunchy, neutral lettuce like iceberg or Romaine for a satisfying, fresh bite.
  • Tomatoes: Use slices of fresh Roma tomatoes or your favorite variety.
  • Carrots: Chop 1-2 carrots into matchsticks, or to cut down on prep time, purchase pre-packaged matchstick carrots. You can even shred a carrot yourself, but it won’t be as crunchy.
  • Celery: Slice the celery into thin slices and enjoy TONS of fresh crunch.
  • Bacon: Don’t underestimate the bacon in this chicken wrap recipe! Salty, crispy savoriness + spicy buffalo chicken + cooling blue cheese is unforgettable. You can use any bacon, including turkey bacon, but go thick-cut if you can for maximum crunch!
  • Red onion: Thinly slice the red onions and use as many or as little as you like for a zippy sweetness.
  • Blue cheese dressing: This marries all of the flavors together with its tangy, rich, cool creaminess. I highly recommend my Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing – it blows store-bought versions out of the water! Plus, YOU customize the tanginess, consistency and how aggressive you want to be with the blue cheese. If you don’t like blue cheese, try my ranch dressing instead.
showing how to make buffalo chicken by slicing the chicken into thin slices

HOW TO MAKE buffalo chicken wraps

This Buffalo Chicken Wraps recipe has a few components, but it’s very easy to make. Let’s take a closer look with step-by-step photos (full recipe with measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken 

  • Whisk together all of the Buffalo Marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.
  • Measure out ¼ cup and add to a shallow dish or freezer bag, along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and toss evenly to coat.
  • Marinate in the refrigerator 2 hours up to overnight.
  • To the remaining marinade, make your Buffalo Glaze by whisking in 1 tablespoon honey and 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
showing how to make buffalo chicken wraps by marinating chicken thighs in buffalo hot sauce

Step 2: Prep the Filling ingredients

  • While the chicken marinates, chop the celery, carrots, tomatoes, red onions and cook up the bacon. If using homemade blue cheese, whisk it together and refrigerate. The veggie toppings can all be chopped to 24 hours in advance, so prep them at whatever point during the marinating process is best for you! 

Step 3: Cook the chicken

  • You can either grill the chicken on an indoor or outdoor grill or pan sear. I highly suggest grilling, however, because the honey in the marinade can make the chicken more prone to charring:
showing how to make buffalo chicken wraps by cooking the chicken in a skillet

Step 4: Slice the Chicken

  • Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute. This will make for juicier chicken!  
  • Brush the chicken with the buffalo glaze.
  • Thinly slice the chicken.
showing how to make buffalo chicken wraps by brushing the buffalo chicken with a buffalo glaze before slicing

Step 5: Assemble the chicken wraps

  • Line the tortillas with lettuce followed by chicken, tomatoes, red onions, carrots, celery, bacon and a generous drizzle of blue cheese dressing or ranch if you prefer. Top with extra buffalo sauce if you like it spicy!
showing how to make buffalo chicken wraps by layering a tortilla with lettuce, buffalo chicken, red onions, carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing

Step 6: wrap them up!

  • Wrap the chicken wraps up burrito style. At this point you can either dig in, or I LOVE to toast mine in a skillet. Instructions to follow.

How to wrap a chicken wrap perfectly

Chicken wraps are a beautiful vehicle to deliver all of your favorite fillings in one sensational bite – if they’re wrapped correctly! Here are 5 tips to perfectly wrapped chicken wraps to prevent the filling from spilling out the sides or the tortilla tearing mid bite:

Warm the tortillas:  Cold tortillas are more likely to break and tear.  It’s best to wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds or so until warm or you can toss each tortilla in a hot skillet for about 15 seconds each.

Wrap them one at a time: After you warm the tortillas, assemble the chicken wraps one at a time so you can keep the rest of the tortillas covered and warm.  You may assemble the wraps all at once only if all the fillings are prepped and you work quickly.

Add filling down the center of the tortillas:  Layer the ingredients stacked on top of each other and not side by side, leaving a couple inches on the sides clear.  We need the surrounding real estate as a buffer for enclosing and wrapping.

Fold tightly:  Fold each end of the tortilla bookending the ingredients in towards the center as if you were wrapping a present.  Fold as tightly as possible without overlapping.  Keep your fingers on the top of the secured fold, while using your thumbs to fold the bottom over the ingredients and folded in tortilla edges.
   
Roll it all up:  Now that tortilla has been rolled over the ingredients, take a minute to readjust as needed to make sure the filling is tightly encased, pushing any stray ingredients under the fold. Now, tightly roll the wrap towards you.  The tighter you roll, the less flimsy the chicken wrap and less likely it is to fall apart.  Place the chicken wrap seam side down on a flat surface, then proceed to make the next wrap.

a collage showing how to wrap chicken wraps up burrito style by folding in the sides then rightly rolling
  • Shortcut Buffalo Chicken Wraps: Combine the marinade ingredients with 3 cups shredded chicken and the desired amount of buffalo glaze and you’re all set!
  • Don’t skip pounding chicken breasts before marinating. This makes a world of difference in producing crazy tender chicken without a long marinating time.
  • Don’t cook the chicken cold. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. This is the perfect time to get your filling ingredients ready.  You should never cook chicken straight out of the refrigerator as room temperature protein is juicier and cooks more evenly. 
  • Use an instant read thermometer. The no-fail way to tell if chicken is perfectly cooked (the juiciest!) is to test the internal temperature using an instant read thermometer. Once the chicken reaches a temperature of 160 degrees F, it’s ready to be removed from the skillet and rested 5 minutes before slicing.
  • Use a digital probe thermometer.  If you’ve been following me for any time at all, you know I’m obsessed with my digital meat probe thermometer, instead of a regular instant read thermometer. You leave the probe in the chicken (or any protein, I use it for steak, turkey, pork, etc.) while it cooks, and an alert sounds when it reaches your set temperature. This guarantees perfectly cooked protein every time. 
  • Use quality tortillas.  As noted, use thin, light and tender tortillas, so they roll easily and crisp up beautifully.
  • Use large tortillas. The large tortillas will ensure your filling stays in one place! Anything smaller than 10 inches is very difficult to wrap, so you may need to make tacos instead.
  • Add any ingredients you like. This Buffalo Chicken Wrap recipe is just a guide! Use more or less of any ingredients, or swap in any of your favorites.
  • Make a chicken wrap bar. Line up the filling ingredients and let everyone make their own Buffalo Chicken Wraps.
  • Freeze bacon. This chicken wrap recipe doesn’t use a full package of bacon, so just freeze whatever bacon you don’t use – bacon freezes great!
  • Don’t use wet ingredients for meal prep. If you are making the chicken wraps to meal prep or freeze, avoid wet ingredients like tomatoes and blue cheese dressing. You can, however, use cabbage instead. When ready to enjoy, dip the Buffalo Chicken wraps in the dressing instead.
buffalo chicken wraps with buffalo chicken, lettuce and blue cheese dressing
  • Make them spicier: Add addition hot sauce or jalapenos to the filling.
  • Ranch: This Homemade Ranch Dressing recipe is cool and luxuriously creamy loaded with fresh and zingy herbs with splashes of lemon and Dijon. It’s so simple, quick and easy to make.
  • Avocado Ranch: This sensational dressing is spiked with tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime and smoked paprika to create a creamy ranch with a Mexican flair.  It’s positively crave worthy!
  • Cilantro Lime Dressing:  Similar to the Avocado Ranch, made with tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime and smoked paprika to create a luscious dressing packed with irresistible tangy, punchy flavor.
  • Cheese: If you skip the blue cheese dressing and use ranch instead, you may wish to add some sharp cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese to the chicken wrap. You can also add additional blue cheese crumbles.
  • Avocado: Add freshly sliced avocado or even guacamole for a creamy, earthy addition.
  • Greens: I love how crunchy Romaine lettuce is, but you’re welcome to use your favorite greens or salad blend. Cabbage is great if making the Buffalo Chicken Wraps for meal prep.
  • Corn: Use sweet drained canned corn or corn straight off of the cob.  You can also grill or char the corn like I do in my corn salsa for a tantalizing charred smokiness.
  • Bell peppers: Red, orange or yellow bell peppers for their sweet crunch or green for their earthy crunch.
  • Green onions: I love the zesty fresh pop of red onion, but you may also use green onions. 
  • Pickle onions:  These are tangy, punchy fantastic and so easy to make at home. Use my super simple pickled red onions recipe and they’ll be ready in 30 minutes!
  • Black olives:  A salty bite for the olive lovers!
  • Fresh cilantro: Adds a bright, fresh, citrusy pop of flavor.
Top view of Creamy Pasta Salad with Peas and Bacon with a wood serving spoon
showing how to make pea salad recipe by tossing peas, bacon, cheese, onions, and creamy dressing together in a bowl
creamy grape salad in a silver bowl with brown sugar and pecans with cream cheese dressing
top view of best fruit salad in bowl with pineapple, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, kiwis, grapes and oranges
  • Marinade: This can be whisked together and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days without the chicken.  
  • Marinate the chicken: The chicken can be marinated for up to 12 hours.
  • Cook the chicken. Cooked buffalo chicken will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Toppings:  Prep all of the toppings up to 2 days ahead of time and store in an airtight container.
  • Blue cheese dressing: The dressing will keep in an airtight container for up to one week if using fresh herbs and up to two weeks if using all dried herbs.
picking up buffalo chicken wraps showing the filling ingredients

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picking up buffalo chicken wraps showing the filling ingredients

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

These Buffalo Chicken Wraps are a flavor bomb of fresh, spicy, tangy, crunchy, cool and creamy – your whole family will fall in love! They're endlessly customizable, healthy, and easy to make, for the ultimate make-ahead friendly lunch/dinner or grab and go meal. And don’t let the word “spicy” scare you – the heat is customizable so everyone wins. The chicken wraps are made with juicy buffalo chicken, laced with hints of honey and lime, layered with your choice of lettuce, tomatoes, matchstick carrots, celery, red onions, and blue cheese or ranch dressing all cocooned in a crispy tortilla. Pair them with chips, fruit salad and corn salad for the perfect plate!
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Prep Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

For the Chicken (See notes for rotisserie)

  • 2-3 chicken breasts pounded thin (approx. 1 pound)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon honey (for Glaze)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice (for Glaze)

FOR THE BUFFALO MARINADE

  • 1/4 cup Frank’s Hot Wings Sauce (may sub traditional)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tsp EACH garlic powder, chili powder, salt
  • 1/2 tsp EACH ground cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the Wraps (use more or less of what you like!)

  • 4 burrito size flour tortillas (10-12 inches)
  • 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
  • 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
  • 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces bacon, cooked cand crumbled
  • 1 recipe Blue Cheese Dressing (or store-bought), may sub ranch

Instructions

Marinate Chicken (See notes for rotisserie)

  • Whisk together all of the Buffalo Marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Measure out ¼ cup and add to a shallow dish or freezer bag, along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add chicken and toss evenly to coat. Marinate while you prep the rest of the ingredients at room temperature, or preferable in the refrigerator for 2 hours, up to overnight.
  • To the remaining marinade, whisk in 1 tablespoon honey and 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice to make the "Glaze." Reserve for later.

Cook Chicken

  • Stovetop: Let chicken sit at roomtemperature for 20-30 minutes if it has been refrigerated. Heat a large grill pan (preferred) or non-stick skillet over medium high-heat. Add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely seared on the bottom (watch closely because the honey can char, turn heat down if needed). Flip chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes, to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
  • Grill: Let chicken sit at roomtemperature for 20-30 minutes if it has been refrigerated. Grease and preheat the grill to 400°F. Grill chicken undisturbed with the lid closed for 5-7 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked to 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

Glaze and Slice

  • Transfer chicken to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes to carryover to 165 degrees F. Meanwhile, brush the chicken with desired amount of glaze – for more heat, more glaze; for less heat, less glaze. Thinly slice the chicken.

TO MAKE WRAPS

  • Place tortillas on a flat surface and evenly line the filling down the center in this order: lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, bacon and desired amount of dressing. Add additional blue cheese crumbles, leftover buffalo glaze and/or additional hot wings sauce if desired.
  • Roll up tortillas burrito style by folding in the edges of the tortilla next to the filling, folding up the bottom over the filling, then tightly rolling from the bottom, squeezing in any escaping filling as you roll. Place seam side down.
  • To toast (optional, recommended): Heat a cast iron skillet or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add wraps and toast, rotating as each side turns golden.

Video

Notes

  • Shortcut rotisserie chicken:  The buffalo chicken recipe is spectacular with tons of rave reviews, so I suggest making it if possible. When you need a shortcut, however, simply combine 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken with all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add the desired amount of “glaze.”
  • Tortillas:  The best tortillas for chicken wraps are wonderfully thin, light and tender, but not so thin that they easily tear when rolled.  These thinner, almost translucent tortillas are ready to crisp up when toasted while still retaining a pleasant chewiness.  Often these tortillas are found in the bakery section at Sprouts, Whole Foods or Costco. I used the brand La Fe Tortilleria.
  • Tortilla alternatives:  You have several options for wrapping chicken wraps to meet your dietary needs, just keep in mind, you’ll need to scale the filling so it fits the size of the “tortillas” you use.  Brands such as Flatout® Flatbread comes in various flavors such as spinach, flax, multi-grain and even gluten free. There are also sever low carb keto options as well such as La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Flour Tortillas, Olé Xtreme Wellness® High Fiber Tortillas, and Maria & Ricardo’s KETO Tortillas (lots of flavor options).
  • Meal Prep: For the freshest Buffalo Chicken Wraps, prepare all of the elements ahead of time, then assemble when ready to enjoy. Otherwise, completely assemble the chicken wraps but don’t toast.  I suggest omitting the lettuce, tomatoes and blue cheese dressing because they can make the wraps soggy. You can use cabbage instead of lettuce and blue cheese crumbles instead of the dressing, or serve the dressing as a dip on the side.  Roll the wraps tightly with plastic wrap or foil so the tortillas don’t dry out; refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to enjoy, follow the toasting instructions in the recipe, or enjoy as-is on the go with dressing on the side.
  • Storage: The Buffalo Chicken Wraps with all the filling ingredients are best enjoyed right away, but they will keep for up to 3 days. I suggest omitting the lettuce, tomatoes and dressing if storing, otherwise, store all of the wrap components separately for easy, fresh, as-good-as-new tasting assembly.
  • To freeze: Again, you’ll want to omit the tomatoes, lettuce and dressing otherwise they will make the wraps soggy. Wrap the un-toasted chicken wraps a couple times tightly in plastic wrap for an extra tight seal, then double wrap in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.  Thaw the wraps overnight in the freezer and toast per recipe instructions.

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6 Comments

  1. Toni says

    Looks delicious Jen! Could you do some whole fish recipes also?

  2. Cheer says

    I love that you toast the wraps in a skillet to finish, it makes them so much better, no matter what the contents are, thx!

    • Jen says

      Agreed, its the little things ;)!

  3. Kathryn says

    I love your recipes! You should put your name on them, so when they are printed off, it can be credited to you!

    • Jen says

      Thank you Kathryn, I will do that!