Grilled Chicken Caesar Wraps
with Mexican Caesar dressing!!
These are an absolute favorite of mine and a craving that cannot be satisfied any other way. You can make this a classic chicken caesar wrap or give it a smokey spicy twist with Mexican Caesar Dressing and diced jalapeno. Either way, I insist that you add the tortilla chips because the extra crunch is just too good.
Before we get started - these measurements are for 2 wraps!
Chicken Marinade Option 1: Mexican Caesar
2 large chicken thighs
1-2 tbsps avocado oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp chile powder
a bit of hot sauce like Cholula (optional)
salt + pepper
Chicken Marinade Option 2: Classic
2 large chicken thighs
1 tbsp avocado oil
½ tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
½ tbsp lemon juice, just a squeeze (or a splash of pickle juice!)
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp bbq sauce (optional!) it won’t taste like bbq chicken, just adds flavor
salt + pepper
Other ingredients
a head of romaine lettuce
2 large flour burrito wraps (at my Whole Foods I buy the Vista Hermosa brand)
1 jalapeno pepper (optional, but by the end of grilling it was not spicy)
2/3 cup of tortilla chip crumbs (panko also works here, goal is to add crunch)
parmesan cheese (measure with your heart!)
¼ cup caesar dressing
A note on the dressing: I have a bottle of Chopt’s Mexican Caesar dressing in my fridge right now. I know not everyone lives near a Chopt. You have several great options - use your favorite store bought caesar dressing! Or you can make your own at home! I love making caesar from scratch because I can adjust it to my preferences (extra lemon, extra pepper). If you want a chipotle twist on the caesar dressing, you can either add a smokey hot such as Cholula’s chipotle hot sauce, into your dressing or you can use my Mexican Caesar Copycat recipe.
Instructions
Marinate your chicken breasts for at least 15 minutes - this can be while you are heating up your grill! Also rub the jalapeno pepper with a drop of avocado oil.
Heat your grill up and let it get to about 450° F or up to 500° F. Once the chicken is on the grill you’ll want to keep it around 400-450.
Add the chicken thighs and jalapeno pepper to the grill. Shut the hood and let them cook for 7 minutes unbothered. The chicken should release from the grates easily at this point. Flip and cook for another 7 minutes on the second side. Turn the jalapeno on to a different side. If it’s getting burnt instead of just charred, move it to a cooler part of the grill. You can flip the chicken thighs again for another 2 minutes if they look like they need it. I cooked mine for 15 minutes total.
Remove chicken thighs and jalapeno from the grill, let them rest for 10 minutes.
Rinse and chop your romaine. The key to this recipe is chopping the romaine really small - like each piece should be less than an inch. So keep chopping!!! Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the tortilla chips and parmesan into the bowl.
Cut the chicken thighs also into really small pieces - aim for less than an inch. Finely dice the jalapeno (toss out the stem). Add both into the mixing bowl. Add caesar dressing and mix really well!
Right before wrapping, it helps to throw your tortillas on the grill for 10 seconds on each side (keep the grill open for this). If you’ve moved inside at this point, just give them a quick 15 seconds in the microwave.
Add half of the salad mix into your tortilla and then wrap! You can cut it in half and eat it immediately or roll it up with foil / parchment paper and let it sit for 10 minutes. This helps the structure hold together a bit more!
Notes:
Wrapping a burrito is kind of like an envelope. Place your filling in the middle, slightly below the center. Fold up the bottom third over the filling, then fold in the sides, then roll it forward, tucking the filling under the tortilla and making sure the sides stay folded in. Roll forward until it’s fully sealed!
You can sequence this however you’re comfortable doing so. If you have a table outside by your grill where you can prep the salad and cut your chicken and roll the wraps, then do it all outside! If you need to go inside for the salad/ cutting/ wrapping parts, that’s a great time to let the chicken thighs rest!
Don’t have a grill? Cook your thighs in a skillet! Sear them over medium heat and let them cook on each side for 7 minutes without being disturbed. This helps build color.
But Anna! You grilled four chicken thighs!! Yes - and saved two of them for another meal because it was easier to just cook them all at the same time. Four chicken thighs would be great if you were doubling this recipe but is too much for just two wraps.
I hope you make these wraps! Kris has brought them up several times so we’ll be making them again soon I’m sure.
xoxo
Anna