Chicken Wrap Recipe with BBQ Chicken (Easy One-Pan Meal)

This chicken wrap recipe is made with a fresh chicken salad mixture and finished with a thick BBQ sauce for an easy, flexible meal. A thick, sweet and smoky BBQ sauce ties everything together in this wrap. Fresh parsley, sweet onions, smokey corn, and white kidney beans pack a nutritious and delicious flavor punch with this easy taco-style wrap. 

I dreamed of warmer weather and summer sunshine when I came up with this BBQ chicken salad recipe. However, something needed to be added to the carbohydrate to make it a complete meal. With the help of my daughter, we decided to make the BBQ chicken salad into a sandwich-style wrap. I wanted it also to be an easy recipe that anyone can whip up in the heat of the summer with minimal effort. I often use naan bread for this recipe, but a softer wrap like roti or a flour tortilla can make it easier to fold and a bit lighter to eat. The naan is thick and soft, making it an easily foldable exterior to hold all those tasty ingredients. Wrap choice also affects cost, with naan slightly higher per piece compared to roti or tortillas, which tend to stretch further for family meals.

This recipe works well with any thick BBQ sauce. Using a homemade BBQ sauce is what really takes it to the next level without adding extra complexity.

Why you will love this chicken wrap recipe

It’s different. This is a great way to change up your usual chicken wrap recipe without adding extra work.

This tasty meal idea is easily customizable. If you’re not a fan of kidney beans, swap them out for chickpeas or another tasty ingredient. If you don’t like fresh parsley, that’s okay; cilantro will work, too. This delicious meal idea has a vast amount of wiggle room, so go ahead and play around with it. 

Affordable. This tasty meal idea isn’t overly expensive and has simple ingredients, so your grocery budget can be at ease. Shredding the chicken breast instead of cutting it up will stretch the meat further. 

If you like chicken wraps be sure to try our chicken Caesar wrap it’s out of this world delicious.

Let’s set to making these easy barbecue chicken wraps.

The first thing to do is choose your chicken. I went with boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this BBQ chicken salad. Walmart has the best pricing on that in Canada right now. You can buy two for a great price and freeze them for later. If you want to use a cheaper meat cut, you can. It may take more effort to cook bone-in with skin on, as you will want to remove the meat from the bones and take the skin off before eating. 

Fresh parsley is easy to grow in the summer. If you can make a small herb garden, I recommend planting a couple of bunches of flat-leaf parsley, aka Italian parsley. The curled leaf parsley is rarely eaten in salads as it has a sharper flavor and rough texture. 

If it’s not in season, find a nice bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley at the store. Be careful to double-check that it isn’t cilantro you’ve got there. I have made that mistake before, as they look similar and often sit right next to each other in the vegetable section.

Once you rinse the parsley off, chop it up. Some may prefer to remove the stem pieces. Put the parsley in a large bowl with the drained canned white kidney beans and corn kernels.

Now, you can rinse, cut, and halve the cherry tomatoes and add those.

Next, slice the fresh avocado and squeeze lime juice to prevent browning and add a great citrus flavor to the salad. Once the avocado is covered in juice, you can add it to the salad bowl.

IIt’s time to peel the sweet onion. I love these onions in a salad because they offer great crunch and don’t have that often strong onion flavor. So you can enjoy the wrap knowing that you won’t have dreaded onion breath later. Slice the sweet onion in half and then thinly before adding the bowl. 

Next, we will add two large jalapeno peppers, finely diced, and seeds removed. The seeds hold most of the pepper’s heat, so it’s essential to eliminate them. I generally cut the stem end off and then slice the pepper lengthwise. A paring knife makes it easy to remove the interior ribs of the pepper and knock the seeds out. Rinse the two halves of the pepper under cold running water and wash the remaining seeds.

Once you have removed the pepper seeds, you can slice the jalapeno peppers. And then cut them into small bits. It’s important to note that when you cut hot peppers, their juice will get on the skin, and if you have any cuts or dry skin, it can burn.

Further, even after washing with soap and water, the juice may remain on your hands for quite some time. So don’t rub your eyes. Wearing kitchen gloves is one trick to keeping the juice from your skin. If you don’t have kitchen gloves, grab an extra produce bag at the store and wrap your hand that holds the pepper. 

Now that the jalapeno is cut up, you can add it to the salad bowl. 

Add a small amount of cooking oil to a heated pan on medium-high heat. Cook the chicken breast pieces, seasoning with salt and pepper. This helps keep the chicken juicy without drying it out. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F or is no longer pink inside.

For summer, you can also turn this into a grilled chicken wrap by cooking the chicken outdoors for added flavor.

The BBQ flavor in this chicken wrap recipe comes from a thick, sweet and smoky sauce that ties everything together. Instead of including it here, I’ve broken it out into its own recipe so you can make it ahead of time or use it across multiple meals. You can find the full homemade BBQ sauce recipe here, which is the exact sauce used in this wrap. If you’re using naan or tortillas, warming them slightly makes them easier to fold and less likely to tear.

The homemade BBQ chicken wraps can now be assembled. Stir the contents of the salad bowl and gather the grated old cheddar cheese. Lay your naan bread down in front of you and spoon a generous amount of chicken salad into the center of the naan. Now spoon over your BBQ sauce, using either your favorite store-bought version or the homemade BBQ sauce linked above.

Ingredients:

 These chicken breast wraps come together quickly and work well for both lunch and dinner.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: Using boneless skinless chicken breasts helps keep these as healthier chicken wraps while still giving you enough protein to make it a complete meal.

Cherry Tomatoes: Known for their sweet, tangy flavor, which goes wonderfully in salads, cherry tomatoes are also visually appealing, adding a bright red pop of color to the dish. 

Sweet Onion: These add an aromatic twist to the salad while providing crunch to each bite. The onions’ milder, sweeter flavor subtly contrasts the savory.

Canned Corn: This is quick to use and keeps the texture consistent in this chicken wrap recipe. It adds a natural sweetness and pairs well with the BBQ flavors without requiring extra prep.

Avocado: The creaminess of the avocado brings a pleasant mouthfeel to the salad with the other crunchy ingredients. Its mild buttery flavor complements the other salad components. 

Flat Leaf Parsley: Flat-leaf parsley contributes a fresh, herbaceous flavor to the salad and enhances its overall taste and aroma. Its vibrant green color adds visual appeal to the salad, making it more attractive and tasty. 

Lime Juice: The citrus fruits acid prevents the avocado from browning. Its fresh citrus flavors add a tangy kick to the salad, balancing the BBQ sauce’s richness and the avocado’s creaminess.

Canned White Kidney Beans: Beans boost the protein in the salad, while white kidney beans add a visual appeal. They are creamy in texture, adding to the overall taste and mouthfeel of the salad. 

Old White Cheddar: This sharp cheddar cheese has a bold flavor that pairs well with the BBQ sauce. 

Naan or Roti: Used as a wrap for the chicken breast wrap.

Substitutions and Add-Ins for this chicken wrap on naan bread

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: As stated earlier, you can use other cheaper cuts of chicken for the salad, but you will want to remove skin and bones. For more convenience, you can purchase pre-cooked chicken breast sliced in the grocery store’s deli section. Leftover rotisserie chicken works especially well here and makes this even faster to prepare. Again, the salad’s flavor will be subtly different as rotisserie chicken meat generally has its spices or brine before it is cooked. Infusing the meat with a distinct taste. 

Cherry Tomatoes: If you want regular tomatoes in this salad, dice them into small pieces. Avoid overly juicy tomatoes, as the extra moisture will make the salad soggy. 

Sweet Onion: These can be replaced with any onion variety. Yellow cooking may be intense, so I dice it finely and add half an onion to the salad instead of a whole one. Alternatively, you can use green or red onion, which would also make an excellent addition. 

Canned Corn: You can swap this for fresh corn when it’s in season, or use frozen corn if needed. Just be sure it’s fully thawed and drained so it doesn’t add extra moisture to the wrap.

Avocado: It can be omitted if you’re not a fan of avocado. 

Flat Leaf Parsley: This fresh herb adds a subtle flavor to the salad. You can replace it with baby spinach, microgreens, or cilantro. If using cilantro, I would add significantly less—say half a cup instead of the two cups of chopped parsley. 

Lime Juice: This spritely juice keeps the avocado fresh and adds a bit of acid to the salad. You can use lemon juice if you prefer. 

Canned White Kidney Beans: These beans can easily replace other bean choices. Red kidney, fava, Cannelli, black, pinto, navy, or garbanzo beans would all be good choices. Remember to drain them well before adding the salad. If you watch your salt content, rinse the beans under cold water to remove extra preservatives. 

Old White Cheddar: This cheese is inexpensive and has a sound bite. However, you can use any cheese that would pair well with the rich taste of the BBQ sauce. 

Naan or Roti: If you’re using burrito size tortillas or roti, they make it easier to turn this into a more filling, complete meal. 

BBQ Sauce: If you wish to avoid making homemade BBQ sauce with this recipe, use your favorite thick BBQ sauce for the wraps. 

Additionally, you can sprinkle with your favorite hot sauce to give the BBQ chicken wrap more kick. If you use a wrap other than the naan, roti is another great option. 

Expert Tips, Serving, and Storing Suggestions:

Tip #1: Put lime juice directly on avocado. Before adding it to the salad, toss the avocado in the lime juice to prevent it from oxidizing. 

Tip #2: Don’t overfill the wrap. It’s tempting to load it up, but too much filling makes it harder to fold and more likely to fall apart. Keeping the center portion balanced makes the wrap easier to handle and eat.

Tip #3: Add BBQ Sauce before serving only. To prevent overdressing the salad, add according to your preference before serving. 

This chicken wrap recipe works well for a quick dinner, packed lunch, or meal prep option during busy weeknights. Still, you can also enjoy it as a salad at your summer backyard BBQs or served over a bed of seasoned rice. If you prefer using a more flexible wrap, add the salad to warm tortillas for another great way to this easy dinner. Or, if you would like to make this meal a lower-carb meal, try serving the salad in lettuce wraps. This chicken wrap recipe is easy to adjust based on what you have on hand, making it a reliable option for quick meals. This makes it an ideal meal for warm weather when you want something filling without spending too much time in the kitchen.

As this recipe makes a rather large salad, you can store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The leftover salad makes a great quick lunch the next day. Remember, though, that the avocado will likely spoil first and oxidize. So, if you plan on making this ahead, add the avocado later. 

I don’t recommend freezing this salad, as the avocado and fresh parsley wouldn’t hold up well. It’s best enjoyed fresh.