This chicken salad wrap recipe is a firm favorite for big and little lunchboxes alike. Toasted on the outside, either in the air fryer or on the stovetop, to give it a bit of crunch and to hold it together better, these wraps are delicious, filling, and super easy to make. Batch cook a bunch and grab-n-go for an easy lunch the whole family will love.
Before jumping to the recipe please note that the below information contains HOT TIPS for this recipe. We try and answer all your questions to guarantee a perfect lunchbox recipe every time.
🍗 Easy Toasted Chicken Salad Wrap
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I love meal-prepping a big batch of these delicious creamy chicken salad wraps and having them wrapped and ready to grab and pop into the lunchbox on a busy morning.
This wrap recipe is also:
- Budget-friendly: no expensive deli store wraps here, just some chicken breast, chopped veggies, a creamy homemade dressing, and tortillas.
- Made from simple ingredients you are likely to have in the pantry or can easily get from a well-stocked grocery store.
- Easy to double in volume which makes them just perfect for prepping for a crowd or having a couple of days lunch ready to go.
🧂 Ingredients You Need
I like to keep things nice and easy around here, so you aren't going to find any weird and wonderful ingredients in this recipe.
Go ahead and grab some:
- cooked and shredded chicken: I don't care if you are delicately poaching some chicken breasts in a selection of organically grown herbs from your garden, or grabbing a bag of pre-cooked and diced chicken from the frozen aisle of your local supermarket, just get some shredded chicken. If you would like to cook the chicken yourself, but aren't sure how to, I have included some instructions below and in the recipe card;
- mayonnaise: use whatever mayo you want, light or full-fat both work well, just be mindful that full-fat is going to make for a more creamy and rich chicken salad, whereas light tends to have a more tangy flavor in my experience, so choose accordingly;
- cilantro/coriander: if it tastes like soap to you then leave it out and replace it with some fresh basil instead. Splurge on the fresh stuff, the dried version just isn't going to give you enough flavor;
- shredded carrots: as above, buy them pre-shredded from the veggie section if you are feeling lazy or you just can't be bothered, although it is a lot cheaper just to do it yourself so there's that;
- green onions/spring onions: if you don't have any you can replace them with some chopped brown or red onion, although please note that the onion flavor will be a lot stronger, so you may want to cut the amount in half, or if you like dragon breath then leave it as is;
- diced celery: buy it or do it, you choose;
- sour cream: light or full-fat will work. If you don't have any you could use Greek yogurt instead, although it will be a bit tangier than sour cream;
- hot sauce: you choose which one you like, I am partial to sriracha, but that's me. If you don't like spice or you are serving it to kids that don't like spice then use common sense and leave it out;
- shredded cheese: you can buy it pre-shredded or shred it yourself. Personally, I do it myself because I hate the grainy texture of pre-shredded cheese, but you do you. I would use Colby, Monterey Jack, or cheddar cheese.
Obviously, you are going to need tortillas or wraps as well in order to do the wrapping of the chicken salad.
I like to use big flour tortillas for myself, my hubby, and the tween, and smaller versions for the younger kids to avoid waste.
Oh and seasoning...you are going to want to season with salt and pepper so have some of that on hand as well.
TIP: if you have minimal time for prepping you can buy pre-cooked and shredded chicken breast from the deli and use it in the mixture.
📋 How To Make Chicken Wraps
Lucky us, making a delicious chicken salad wrap requires no rocket science or sorcery in the kitchen.
Simply mix all of the chicken salad ingredients together, making sure that everything is coated well in the creamy dressing, and that there are no big clumps of ingredients stuck together.
Season to your liking and let's get wrapping.
Spoon the chicken salad into the center of the tortilla, top with some cheese, fold in the sides and roll to secure.
I like to toast mine in the air fryer or a skillet to hold everything together, and give the outside a nice bit of crunch.
You can totally skip this step if you want to make the whole process quicker though, they will still taste just as good.
If you are toasting then simply spray each side with a little cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray but use whatever you prefer) and cook in the air fryer seam side down for about 4 minutes, or in a skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side.
That's it.
You are good to go.
💭 Important Teaching Tips
The chicken salad mixture can be made ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container for about 3 days if you like to prep and make a fresh wrap in the morning.
Keeping the chicken salad in the fridge actually helps to thicken it up a little as well, which can prevent the wraps from becoming soggy.
If you are packing these wraps for lunch you can eat them cold, or simply reheat them in a microwave or air fryer if you have access to one, for about 5 minutes or until they are heated through.
Once cooked, allow any leftover wraps to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To Cook The Chicken
If you would like to cook the chicken yourself but aren't sure how to then use this simple method.
Start by drizzling a little olive oil into a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
Let this cook for 5 minutes (it should be slightly golden), then use tongs to flip the chicken over.
Once the chicken is flipped over, add ¾ cup of chicken broth to the pan and cover it with a lid.
This will keep the chicken moist while cooking it fast.
Cook the chicken for another 7-10 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, shred it with two forks or a stand mixer, and then continue with the recipe as instructed in the recipe card.
Why not make a double batch of the shredded chicken mixture and store half in the freezer for an easy buffalo chicken meal prep idea? It can be used on pizzas or other wraps in the future.
Storing Tips
Allow wraps to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
You can also wrap the chicken wraps individually in cling wrap (saran wrap) to make them easy to grab and go in the mornings.
🥢 Substitutions
If you do not want to shred your own chicken you could use a rotisserie chicken from the store or leftover homemade rotisserie chicken.
Pre-shredded chicken can also be found in the deli section of most grocery stores.
You can also use thinly sliced crispy chicken tenders or the meat from boneless wings.
Tip: want to make this low carb? Use a low-carb alternative wrap or stuff the chicken salad into a lettuce leaf instead.
If you do not have any tortillas or made a big batch of chicken salad and want to change things up then why not try making a sandwich or a flatbread instead?
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Whether enjoying this as a quick snack wrap while on the go or sitting down to a full meal, there are lots of ways to enjoy these spicy chicken wraps.
If you would like to serve these as part of a whole meal then pair them with:
- Pasta Salad (like this Deli Style Macaroni Pasta Salad With Egg)
- Coleslaw
- Garden Salad or other fresh greens
- Roasted Vegetables
- French fries, potato chips, or tortilla chips
- A side of dill pickles
- Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
If packing as part of a lunchbox I would pair it with some fresh fruit, a handful of nuts or seeds, a muffin (for a sweet treat try these From Scratch Spiced Pumpkin Pie Muffins, and some fresh veggie sticks and hummus.
👪 Frequently Asked Questions
Reheat an assembled wrap in the air fryer for about 5 minutes at 350F (175C).
Yes, they are great served hot or cold.
This is going to differ depending on the brands of tortilla or wrap that you use, and whether you use full-fat or light sour cream and mayonnaise. You can calculate chicken salad wrap calories on something like My Fitness Pal using the specific ingredients you have used.
Toasted Chicken Salad Wrap (In Air Fryer or Stove Top)
Materials
- 3 cups shredded chicken (see notes)
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup diced celery
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce (optiona)
- 2 cups shredded cheese
- 8 medium tortillas
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the chicken, shredded carrots, celery, green onions, mayonnaise, cilantro, sour cream, and hot sauce and mix well until everything is combined.3 cups shredded chicken, ½ cup shredded carrots, ½ cup diced celery, ⅓ cup chopped green onions, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 - 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.salt and pepper
- Spoon the chicken mixture on to the center of the tortilla and sprinkle cheese on top.2 cups shredded cheese, 8 medium tortillas
- To fold the wrap, fold the sides in and roll to secure. Place seam-side down until you are finished rolling all of the tortillas.
To Toast In The Air Fryer
- Add the assembled chicken wraps to the clean basket of an air fryer preheated to 400°F (205C).
- Toast for 3 to 4 minutes or until wraps are golden and toasted.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer you may have to do this in two batches.
To Toast In A Skillet
- Place a large skillet over low heat.
- Spray the bottom of each chicken wrap with cooking spray and place them on the heated skillet
- Cook for about 4 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
- Spray the tops of the wraps and flip to cook the other side. Continue cooking until that side is golden brown.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Oliver James
These toasted chicken salad wraps are a lunchtime favorite! Easy to prep and toast for that perfect crunch. The blend of flavors, especially with hot sauce, adds a kick that's just right. Great for a quick and tasty meal!