Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap
jump toRECIPE
The crunch from the lettuce contrasts with strips of grilled chicken breast, crispy bits of bacon and crushed croutons in classic Caesar dressing and Parmesan cheese. Chicken Caesar wraps have recently taken TikTok by storm. New Yorkers have been split on where to find the best chicken Caesar salad wraps so I’m sharing my own recipe. These are a favorite of corporate American because it piles the favorite salad into a wrap for an easy desk lunch or dinner fit for a hot summer day. If you’re looking for a family friendly recipe – this is it!
Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Chicken – Lightly pounding out the chicken breasts to ½” thickness allows the chicken to cook evenly and quickly on the grill without drying out. I season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder then cook them on the grill or a grill pan. I cut them into thin strips so they are easily distributed among the wrap. Cooking the chicken in advance makes for easy assembly.
- Bacon – Crumbled bits of bacon really amp up the savory and salty flavor in these wraps. The bacon can be cooked ahead of time and reheated in a pan or the microwave for easy wrap assembly.
- Lettuce – I prefer to almost shred the hearts of romaine lettuce before tossing it in the dressing and adding it to the wrap. I find this evenly distributes the ingredients and makes it easier to eat if the pieces are smaller.
- Dressing – Rather than using store-bought dressings I prefer to make my own using my recipe here. This umami-packed dressing is made with anchovies (a staple in Caesar salad dressing), garlic, lemon juice and more. If you’d rather use store-bought my favorite is Marzetti’s “Supreme Caesar” dressing.
- Cheese – Grated Parmesan cheese is essential to a good Caesar salad. I always freshly grate my cheese because it has the best Parmesan flavor!
- Croutons – While croutons can be omitted for a lighter wrap, I love the texture crushed croutons add. Make your own using my recipe here or swap in store bought croutons.
- Tortilla – I recommend using an extra-large tortilla to make your wrap. I like to warm the tortilla in the microwave or over a gas flame just a bit before distributing the ingredients over the top and wrapping it up. Doing this makes the tortilla much more flexible.
How to Make This Chicken Caesar Wrap
Step 1: Season chicken.
Using a mallet or rolling pin, gently pound out the chicken to ½” thickness. Toss the chicken in garlic powder, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
Step 2: Grill chicken.
Heat grill to 450ºF (230ºC) or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with vegetable oil then add the chicken breasts and grill until grill marks appear on the under-side and the chicken is about halfway cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 3: Continue to grill chicken.
Flip and continue to grill the chicken until it’s cooked through, about an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes, then slice into 1” strips and set aside.
Step 4: Toss caesar salad.
Add the romaine to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the Caesar dressing and toss to combine. Top with the Parmesan, bacon and crushed croutons and toss once more.
Step 5: Assemble wrap.
Working one at a time, place the warmed tortillas on a clean workspace. Top with half of the Caesar salad mixture and arrange some of the chicken strips on top.
Step 6: Fold the wrap.
To fold the wrap, fold the sides up and inward around the filling. While holding the sides in, use your thumbs to bring up the bottom of the tortilla and pull it tightly.
Step 7: Cut in half and serve.
Roll the tortilla, squeezing the roll back as your go to hold the fillings in. Cut in half and serve or wrap in aluminum foil to save for later. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and tortilla.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Crucial wrap commandments:
I think there are several important rules to create a delicious (not sad) wrap that can both satiate your appetite and make for a quick and easy lunch.
- All about the ratio. It is important to have a good lettuce to chicken ratio! There should be enough lettuce to give the wrap a good crunch but enough protein to make it a filling lunch.
- Keep it fresh. Wilted lettuce grosses me out, there’s no way around it. While there are ways to prep this, I recommend assembling the wrap no longer than the night before eating it. To make it ahead of time and save it for later, wrap in aluminum foil then refrigerate it.
- Evenly distribute. I place the grilled chicken strips down first, then toss the salad together and arrange it over the wrap to evenly distribute all the ingredients before closing it. You should get a little of every ingredient in each bite.
- Don’t overfill! A big heaping wrap sounds good in theory but it can cause the wrap to break or fall apart easily.
Swaps and substitutions
- Try swapping the grilled chicken for chopped pieces of fried chicken.
- The grilled chicken can also be substituted with store bought rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded cooked chicken for easy assembly.
- Add diced avocado to the salad before assembling the wrap for a creamy addition.
- Try adding slices of Roma tomato or halved cherry tomatoes to the wrap.
- If you’re like me, serve with an extra serving of dressing on the side for dipping!
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this chicken Caesar wrap recipe, give these a try and follow me on Instagram:
- Tableside Caesar salad with Chili Oil Croutons
- Grilled BBQ Salmon and Veggie Collard Green Wraps
- Tuscan Turkey Sandwich
Chicken Caesar Wrap
Ingredients:
- ¾ pound chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup Caesar dressing, homemade or store-bought
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled into pieces
- ½ cup croutons, Homemade or store-bought, gently crushed
- 2 extra-large flour tortillas warmed
Instructions:
- Using a mallet or rolling pin, gently pound out the chicken to ½” thickness. Toss the chicken in garlic powder, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- Heat grill to 450ºF (230ºC) or grill pan to medium-high heat. Brush the grates with vegetable oil then add the chicken breasts and grill until grill marks appear on the under-side and the chicken is about halfway cooked, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Flip and continue to grill the chicken until it’s cooked through, about an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes, then slice into 1” strips and set aside.
- Add the romaine to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with the Caesar dressing and toss to combine. Top with the Parmesan, bacon and crushed croutons and toss once more.
- Working one at a time, place the warmed tortillas on a clean workspace. Arrange half the chicken strips in the middle and top with half of the Caesar salad mixture.
- To fold the wrap, fold the sides up and inward around the filling. While holding the sides in, use your thumbs to bring up the bottom of the tortilla and pull it tightly.
- Roll the tortilla, squeezing the roll back as your go to hold the fillings in. Cut in half and serve or wrap in aluminum foil to save for later. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and tortilla.
DID YOU MAKE THIS?
TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM TO BE FEATURED ON MY STORIES! @cookingwithcocktailrings
)
)
)
Made this tonight for a quick meal with sweet potato fries Delicious
So happy to hear it Marie! Thanks for sharing!