Wraps Recipe UK: Easy Chicken Wraps

These easy chicken wraps pair warmly spiced chicken with crisp salad, grated cheese and a quick yoghurt sauce, all tucked into soft flour tortillas. They make a flexible UK-style lunch or weeknight dinner: use familiar supermarket ingredients, then adjust the fillings to suit whoever is eating.

Ingredients

1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
½ tsp (1 g) ground cumin
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic granules
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground black pepper
4 large flour tortillas, about 8 inches (20 cm) across
2 cups (80 g) shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, about ¾ cup (120 g) diced
½ medium cucumber, about 1 cup (100 g) diced
¼ small red onion, about ¼ cup (30 g) finely sliced
½ cup (50 g) grated mature Cheddar
½ cup (120 g) plain Greek-style yoghurt
1 tbsp (15 g) mayonnaise
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp (5 g) Dijon mustard, optional

Instructions

Prepare the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and cut it across the grain into strips about ½ inch (1–1.5 cm) wide. Put the strips in a bowl with the olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic granules, salt and black pepper. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated. Keep raw chicken and its utensils separate from the salad ingredients, and wash your hands and the work surface after handling it.
Make the sauce and prepare the salad. In a small bowl, stir together the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and Dijon mustard, if using. Taste and add a little more lemon or pepper if you like. Shred the lettuce, dice the tomato and cucumber, and slice the red onion. Keep the vegetables, grated cheese and sauce in separate bowls so everyone can build a wrap without the fillings getting wet too early.
Cook the chicken. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer; cook in batches if the pan is crowded, because tightly packed strips will steam rather than brown. Cook for about 4–5 minutes, turn, then cook for another 4–5 minutes, stirring as needed so the strips colour on more than one side. Cooking time depends on thickness. Check the thickest pieces with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. If any piece is below that, continue cooking and check again. Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean plate and let it rest for 3 minutes.
Warm the tortillas. While the chicken rests, warm the tortillas in a clean, dry frying pan over medium heat for about 20–30 seconds on each side, just until soft and flexible. Stack them in a clean tea towel to keep them warm. You can also microwave the stack, covered with a slightly damp paper towel, for about 20–30 seconds; add a few seconds at a time if they are still stiff. Avoid overheating, which can make tortillas dry and brittle.
Fill and fold. Lay a tortilla on a board and spread a spoonful of yoghurt sauce down the centre, leaving a border around the edges. Add lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion and cheese, then place a quarter of the chicken on top. Keep the filling in a compact line rather than spreading it to the edges. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll away from you to make a snug parcel. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fillings. Serve straight away, with extra sauce on the side.

Tips

Cut the chicken evenly. Strips of similar thickness cook at roughly the same rate, so you are less likely to end up with dry thin pieces and undercooked thick ones. If you have very large breasts, slice them horizontally first, then cut into strips.
Give the pan room. If the chicken does not fit in one uncrowded layer, cook it in two batches. Let the pan heat back up before adding the second batch. Crowding releases moisture and makes browning harder; it does not make the chicken unsafe, but the texture will be less appealing.
Keep the sauce modest inside the wrap. A thin layer adds flavour without soaking the tortilla. Serve extra separately, and drain particularly juicy tomato or cucumber before adding it. If the sauce seems too thick to spread, stir in water a teaspoon (5 ml) at a time.
Use a thermometer rather than colour alone. Chicken can look done before the centre reaches a safe temperature. Check a thick strip in its centre, avoiding contact between the thermometer tip and the pan, and return under-temperature pieces to the heat.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the wraps warm as a complete lunch, or cut each one in half on a diagonal for a casual shared meal. A small bowl of extra yoghurt sauce makes a useful dip, especially if the wraps are packed for a picnic or served to children who prefer to add sauce themselves. For a more substantial dinner, add oven-baked potato wedges, a simple green salad, corn on the cob or a bowl of soup. These sides can be prepared while the chicken cooks, but keep the wrap fillings separate until you are ready to eat.

For a packed lunch, wrap each assembled tortilla tightly in baking paper or foil and include a piece of fruit or crunchy vegetable sticks. If you have time, pack the sauce in a small leakproof container and add it just before eating; the tortilla stays firmer that way. To make serving easy for a group, put the chicken, salad, cheese and sauce in separate dishes and let people assemble their own. Keep hot chicken hot until serving and do not leave perishable fillings at room temperature for more than two hours.

Variations

Make it mild or spicier: The paprika and cumin give the chicken warmth without making it hot. For a gentle version, omit the black pepper or use sweet paprika instead of smoked. For more heat, add ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) chilli powder to the seasoning or offer sliced fresh chilli at the table, so each person can choose.

Swap the protein: Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into strips; they are usually juicier, but check the thickest piece with a thermometer and cook to 165°F (74°C) as for other poultry. For a meat-free filling, use a 15-ounce (425 g) drained tin of chickpeas, pat them dry, toss with the same seasonings and oil, then roast or pan-fry until hot and lightly crisp. Chickpeas do not need a meat temperature check, but heat them thoroughly.

Change the sauce or cheese: Replace the Greek-style yoghurt with plain natural yoghurt for a looser, tangier dressing, or use a dairy-free plain yoghurt and omit the Cheddar. A little grated mozzarella gives a milder, stretchier filling; mature Cheddar has a sharper flavour. If you do not have Dijon mustard, leave it out rather than substituting a large amount of another mustard, which may overpower the sauce.

Use other vegetables: Grated carrot, sliced peppers, sweetcorn or finely shredded red cabbage all work well. Keep additions thinly cut and avoid overfilling: a little crunch is welcome, but too much bulky filling makes the tortilla split when rolled. If using ingredients with a lot of moisture, such as roasted peppers from a jar, drain and pat them dry first.

Storage and Reheating

For the best texture, store leftover chicken, sauce and salad separately rather than keeping fully assembled wraps. Refrigerate cooked chicken and the yoghurt sauce within two hours of cooking or serving, in covered containers; keep the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Cooked chicken keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. The sauce is best used within 3 days, while chopped salad is usually at its crispest within 1–2 days. Discard anything that has been left out longer than two hours, or one hour in temperatures above 90°F (32°C).

Reheat chicken only in the amount you plan to eat. Warm it in a covered pan over medium-low heat with a teaspoon or two of water, stirring until hot throughout, or microwave it in a covered microwave-safe dish, stirring halfway through. USDA FSIS advises reheating leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the centre with a food thermometer. Do not reheat the yoghurt sauce, since it can separate. Warm fresh tortillas, then add the reheated chicken, chilled sauce and salad just before serving. You can freeze cooked chicken in a well-sealed container for up to 2–3 months for best quality; thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C). Salad and assembled wraps do not freeze well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make chicken wraps ahead of time?

Yes, but prepare the components rather than assembling them far in advance. Cook and chill the chicken promptly, keep it covered in the refrigerator, and store the sauce and chopped vegetables separately. Assemble shortly before serving so the tortilla does not become damp. If you need to pack a finished wrap, keep it chilled and eat it within a day for the best texture.

How do I stop a wrap from falling apart?

Use a tortilla that is soft and flexible, warm it briefly if it feels stiff, and avoid filling it right to the edges. Place the ingredients in a short line in the centre, fold the bottom up first, tuck in the sides, then roll tightly. If a tortilla tears, use a second tortilla as an outer layer or serve the filling as a bowl instead.

Can I use leftover cooked chicken?

Yes. Use plain or lightly seasoned cooked chicken, shred or slice it, and heat it in a pan with the paprika, cumin and a splash of water or oil so the seasoning coats it. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C), measured with a food thermometer, before putting them in the wraps. If the chicken has already been strongly seasoned, reduce or skip the added salt.

What can I use instead of flour tortillas?

Large wholemeal tortillas work in the same way and add a nuttier flavour. You can also use gluten-free wraps, but check the packet because some need warming to become pliable and may split more easily. A large lettuce leaf can hold a small amount of filling, though it will not fold or feel like a flour tortilla; serve extra filling on the side.

Can I make these wraps without dairy?

Yes. Choose a plain dairy-free yoghurt for the sauce and leave out the cheese, or use a suitable dairy-free grated alternative. Check labels on tortillas, mayonnaise and any substitute products if you are avoiding dairy strictly, as ingredients vary. The chicken seasoning is dairy-free as written, so no other change is needed.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).