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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!
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Marinate 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

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.