Buffalo Chicken Wrap is a large flour tortilla spread with ranch or blue cheese dressing and filled with crisp romaine, shredded carrot, avocado, cheddar and strips of chicken breast cooked in a spicy hot sauce marinade, then rolled up tight like a burrito. It makes 4 wraps in about 35 minutes, including a short marinade.
How to make it: Slice the chicken into long thin strips and marinate them in olive oil, hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder and salt for at least 10 minutes. Cook them in a hot skillet until they reach 165°F. While they cook, spread the tortillas with dressing and layer on the lettuce, carrot, avocado and cheese. Lay the chicken down the middle and roll each wrap tightly.
Why You’ll Love It
- Big buffalo flavor: the chicken cooks right in its hot sauce marinade.
- Cool and crunchy: romaine, carrot, avocado and ranch balance the heat.
- Quick: 15 minutes of cooking and a 10-minute marinade.
- Easy to change: swap the dressing, the cheese or the vegetables to suit you.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into several long, thin strips so they cook fast and lie flat in the wrap.
Marinade: 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 cup of hot sauce (or buffalo wing sauce), 1/2 teaspoon each of paprika and garlic powder, and a pinch of salt. Smoked paprika works too.
Tortillas: 4 large flour tortillas, big enough to fold in the sides.
Dressing: 1/2 cup of ranch or blue cheese dressing, spread in a thin layer.
Fillings: 2 cups of chopped romaine (or iceberg), 1/2 cup of shredded carrot, half an avocado, sliced, and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into long, thin strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup hot sauce (or buffalo wing sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1/2 cup carrot, shredded
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Wraps
1. Slice the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts into several long, thin strips.
2. Marinate. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Add the chicken and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Keep the chicken in the refrigerator until you cook it.
3. Cook the chicken. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken strips. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and a food thermometer reads 165°F.
4. Fill the tortillas. While the chicken cooks, place the tortillas on a plate and spread them with a thin layer of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Layer with the lettuce, carrots, avocado and cheese.
5. Roll and serve. Arrange a few chicken strips down the center of each tortilla. Wrap tightly, like a burrito. Serve with a side of hot sauce or extra dressing, if desired.
What to Put Inside a Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Buffalo chicken plus something cool and crunchy is the whole idea. Pick from each row:
| Part | In this recipe | Other good choices |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | Hot sauce-marinated breast strips, cooked in a skillet | Shredded rotisserie or grilled chicken tossed in buffalo sauce |
| Dressing | Ranch or blue cheese, a thin layer | A swirl of buffalo sauce mixed with the dressing |
| Greens | Chopped romaine | Shredded iceberg, sliced green onions |
| Crunch | Shredded carrot | Thin red onion half-moons, sliced tomato |
| Creamy | Sliced avocado | Crumbled blue cheese |
| Cheese | Shredded cheddar | Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella |
| Extras | None | Crumbled cooked bacon, more vegetables |
How to Roll a Wrap That Holds
- Spread the dressing thin across the tortilla, leaving about 1/2 inch bare at the edges.
- Layer the cold fillings over the middle: lettuce, carrot, avocado, cheese.
- Lay the chicken down the center in a line.
- Fold in the sides over the ends of the filling.
- Roll from the bottom, tucking the filling in with your fingers as you go, and keep it tight.
- Cut in half on the diagonal to serve.
If your fillings keep spilling out, try building everything toward the edge nearest you instead of the middle and rolling from that side.
Want it hotter? The cool fillings tame the heat, so the wraps end up fairly mild. Drizzle extra hot sauce over the chicken before rolling, or serve more on the side.
Variations
- Cooked chicken shortcut: toss 2 cups of shredded rotisserie or grilled chicken with 1/2 cup buffalo sauce (or 1/3 cup hot sauce mixed with 2 tablespoons melted butter) and skip the marinade and skillet.
- Loaded: add crumbled cooked bacon, tomato and red onion with the avocado.
- Lettuce wraps: skip the tortillas and tuck the warm chicken into large romaine or iceberg leaves with a little blue cheese dressing.
- Different cheese: Mexican cheese blend, mozzarella or crumbled blue cheese.
For more rolled and folded dinners, see our homemade crunch wrap supreme, crack chicken pinwheels and cheese steak tacos with buffalo fries.
Storage & Food Safety
Marinating: Always marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, and don’t leave raw chicken out at room temperature.
Leftover chicken: Refrigerate cooked chicken strips within 2 hours in a shallow covered container and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F. You can freeze the cooked strips for 3 to 4 months.
Assembled wraps: Eat them right away, warm or cold. Lettuce and dressing don’t freeze well, so freeze only the chicken, never the finished wraps.
What to Serve With It
Serve the wraps with baked garlic Parmesan potato wedges, baked zucchini fries or a scoop of pasta salad, or a simple side salad, with extra hot sauce and dressing for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What to put inside a buffalo chicken wrap?
Buffalo chicken, a thin layer of ranch or blue cheese dressing, chopped romaine, shredded carrot, sliced avocado and shredded cheddar. Red onion, tomato, bacon and green onions are good extras.
How do you keep a wrap from falling apart?
Leave a bare edge around the tortilla, keep the fillings in a line down the center, fold in the sides first and roll tightly from the bottom. Cut it in half to serve.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Yes. Toss 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken with 1/2 cup buffalo sauce and skip the marinade and cooking.
How can I make it spicier?
Drizzle extra hot sauce over the chicken before rolling, or serve more on the side for dipping.
Final Notes
Get the chicken marinating first, then chop the fillings while it sits. Cook it, lay it down the middle and roll tight. If you make them, tell me in the comments which dressing you picked.
Buffalo Chicken Wrap
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into several long, thin strips
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup hot sauce buffalo wing sauce also works
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika smoked paprika also works
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing spread as a thin layer
- 2 cups romaine lettuce chopped; iceberg lettuce also works
- 1/2 cup carrot shredded
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts into several long, thin strips.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder and salt. Add the chicken and let it marinate for at least 10 minutes, or up to 24 hours. Keep the chicken in the refrigerator until you cook it.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken strips. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink and a food thermometer reads 165°F.
- While the chicken cooks, place the tortillas on a plate and spread them with a thin layer of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Layer with the lettuce, carrots, avocado and cheese.
- Arrange a few chicken strips down the center of each tortilla. Wrap tightly, like a burrito. Serve with a side of hot sauce or extra dressing, if desired.
