Sometimes a simple meal idea that doesn’t break the pocketbook is perfect. This budget-friendly bbq chicken wrap is so simple to toss together for your dinner or work lunch. Chicken thighs are always a low-cost purchase at the grocery store, and turning them into a yummy sandwich wrap is a great way to use them. It’s a simple crockpot bbq chicken recipe that we then pull to make a delicious and nutritious meal idea.
I don’t know about you, but I am always on the lookout for how to supplement work lunches that don’t involve more lunch meat. Having a big guy who loves his protein means finding low-cost alternatives that still satisfy. That’s why I love this easy bbq chicken wrap; you make the bbq chicken in the slow cooker, so it’s even easier than cooking, roasting, or grilling. The bbq sauce infuses the meat as it cooks and literally falls off the bone.
The biggest issue in making this wrap is ensuring you’ve gotten all the fat, gristle, and bones from the chicken pieces before adding them.
If you love chicken wraps, try our easy Chicken Caesar wraps!
Please notice that images are taken by us, and we are not professional photographers. We do try to improve over time, so bear with us.
Crockpots make the world easier; let’s dig ours out from winter storage for this!
This really can’t get any easier than it is. Simply plop ye ol’chicken thighs into the crockpot and add two small bottles of cheap bbq sauce. I say cheap because it’s bbq season, so it’s usually on sale. I bought two Kraft bbq sauces for $2! That’s a deal and a half. So both bottles went in on top of the chicken, and it cooked then on high for 3-4 hours.
That’s the easiest chicken ever! And I promise it tastes so good when it’s finished. You will want to turn off the crockpot and let it cool down before taking the meat off the bones. I use two forks for this process. One holds the chicken in place, and the other slips the heart away. You can set aside meat, fat, bone, and gristle in another pile. The trick is to make sure all bones are removed. Those tiny chicken bones can be hard to find in this saucy pile.
Put the chicken in a Rubbermaid and spoon some bbq sauce from the crockpot juices over it. We don’t want it to dry out before we use it.
I generally make this ahead of the day it’s needed. It will have time to cool down and be easier to work with when cold. Also, cold chicken is so delicious!
When you are ready to assemble the wraps, know that three chicken pieces, as seen here, made four very hearty bbq chicken wraps. You could stretch it out even more. I also made large wraps, not small ones. If you make them small for kids’ school lunches, you can get even more bang for your buck out of this recipe.
The toppings for this bbq wrap were ripe avocado sliced, romaine lettuce, red onion, and crockpot bbq chicken. You can add more to it, as canned corn, black beans, and cheese also make great add-ins.
To wrap this, we place all the ingredients in the center of the wrap. Fold the two short sides toward the center and then one side over the edge. Using your hand squeeze the ingredients inside until they are nice and snug. You can then pull the remaining edge over. I like to wrap it immediately in saran wrap. Still, you can also store it in a Rubbermaid or other sealable container for transport. And, of course, you can sink your teeth into one for a delicious, satisfying meal on the go.
Substitutions for these low-cost bbq chicken wraps?
- Cooking is so much fun because recipes can be tweaked. Instead of chicken, use a cheap steak cooked in sauce. Cut it into thin strips before cooking, and cook in the crockpot for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Instead of making wraps try making bbq chicken on buns! Wowsa, super yummy!
- If you can’t find cheap bbq sauce, make your own at home with chopped onion, garlic, soya sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar. It’s easy and tasty; you can make as much or as little as you want.
- If you’ve got extra grocery cash buy some boneless skinless chicken breast and cut it into thin slices. This will save you from sorting through meat/bone later.
Expert Tips:
- The biggest tip to making a wrap is always to put less than what you think you need inside. This will allow you to wrap it without losing half of your toppings.
- My second recommendation is to keep this on ice if you take it to work or on a picnic, as chicken can start growing bacteria in two hours at room temperature. We don’t want to risk it.
- Be sure to pack it in your lunch bag/container so it won’t fall apart.
Low-cost BBQ Chicken Crockpot Wraps
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 3 Whole Chicken Legs
- 2 Bottle of BBQ Sauce Equivalent to 4 cups
- Romaine Lettuce
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Sm Red Onion Sliced thinly
- 4 Lrg Tortilla Wraps
Instructions
- BBQ Crockpot Chicken
- Place the chicken pieces in the crockpot on high.
- Smother chicken with the bbq sauce and let cook for 3-4 hours.
- Remove chicken from heat and let cool.
- When cool enough remove chicken from bone. Discard fat and gristle.
- Put pulled chicken into rubbermaid and cover lightly with bbq sauce from crockpot.
- Chill until ready to make wraps.
Assemble to BBQ Chicken Wraps
- Lay large tortilla wrap down on flat surface.
- Add a washed and dried romaine lettuce leaf in the center of the wrap.
- On top of the lettuce add the red onion.
- Slice avocado and place on the red onion.
- Add add as much cooked bbq chicken as you wish. Be careful too not overfill.
- Fold the short ends of the wrap into the center.
- Using your hand wrap one of the larger sides up and over the ingredients.
- Use your hand to squeeze the chicken mix under the wrap until it forms a tight log.
- Bring the other large edge up and over.
- Cut wrap in center if needed. If one end of wrap opens it's okay just wrap the wrap as whole.
- Wrap tightly in saran wrap or in airtight container.