We have been eating a lot of sweets and snacks over the last few months and I was looking for a healthy lunch that we could have on hand to eat. These Baja Chicken Wraps fit the bill perfectly!
These quick wraps are something that Betsy and I have been eating recently. I love them because they work great for a lunch dish, but are also good to have if you want a lighter dinner option. They are pretty healthy actually and jam-packed with flavor.
Making the Baja Chicken
This chicken is marinated in a really wonderful mix of lime juice and spices. The finished chicken is spiced nicely and is so tender and juicy!
I just whisked together some spices with some lime and olive oil and then tossed in my chicken breasts.
You don’t need to marinate these guys very long to give them some flavor. Even 10 minutes in this mixture will do the trick, but you could marinate them up to a few hours.
So, like I said, you have two options for cooking the chicken in my mind.
1) Grill them. Pretty straightforward, just toss them on a hot grill for about 8-10 minutes per side until they are cooked through.
2) Sear them in a sturdy pan. Cast iron would work well, but any pan should do the trick. After you sear them for a few minutes over medium-high heat, stick them in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking them. If the pan you sear in isn’t oven-safe, just transfer the breasts to a baking dish for the oven cooking.
The reason you will probably want to finish the chicken breasts in the oven is because they might burn if you keep them over high heat for too long. Finishing them in the oven solves that problem and still gives you a nice sear on the outside.
Once the chicken breasts cool a bit, slice them up!
Keep in mind that we’re going to be adding these slices to a wrap so when it comes time to slice the chicken, slice it thin.
If you have leftover chicken, you could use this same chicken method for this Crunchy Chicken Salad recipe!
The Lettuce Filling
I love lettuce in wraps, but I wanted to use the lettuce as a flavor vehicle also.
So I ripped up some lettuce (a few cups) and then tossed it with a few tablespoons of ranch dressing (homemade is nice if you can) and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Mix this all up really well and you’re ready to make a wrap!
Finishing the Baja Chicken Wraps
You should be able to get about 4 wraps out of one pound of grilled chicken. Of course, that largely depends on how big you make your wraps…
I use the biggest tortillas I could find just so I could really stuff them.
Start by laying down a nice layer of the lettuce. Then add about 1/4 of an avocado that’s sliced up.
Top that with some of the grilled chicken and maybe give it an extra drizzle of ranch or hot sauce.
Then you’re ready to roll.
Fold the ends toward the center and just roll the wrap up tightly.
While you don’t have to slice this in half, I think it’s a little easier to eat in two pieces. Plus it looks good.
- Need a hearty and fast chicken dinner? Try this Chicken and Couscous Dinner!
There’s a lot of good flavors here. The lime marinade goes perfectly with the rich avocado. The lettuce gives it lots of good crunch and flavor because of the dressing and hot sauce.
If you didn’t want to use chicken, I actually think you could sub tofu for this without too much trouble. I would still marinate it and cook it either in a hot skillet or on the grill.
If you’re looking for really tasty wraps, give these Baja Chicken Wraps a shot. I thought they were absolutely delicious!
Baja Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 limes, juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Wrap Ingredients:
- 4 cups shredded lettuce
- ¼ cup ranch dressing
- Avocado
- Hot Sauce
- Large tortillas
Instructions
- Mix together marinade ingredients. Add chicken breasts and let marinate for a few minutes.
- Grill chicken over high heat for about 8-10 minutes per side until they are cooked through. You can also cook them in a skillet over medium-high heat until they are cooked through and reach 165˚F.
- Slice chicken thinly.
- In a bowl, mix together chopped lettuce, ranch dressing, and a dash of hot sauce.
- On a large tortilla, put down a layer of the lettuce mixture.
- Top with about 1/4 of an avocado and a layer of chicken. I recommend about 4 ounces of chicken per wrap.
- Top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and an extra dash of hot sauce and roll the wrap up.
- Slice and serve!
neal
Not that I don’t love cookie week, but I’m also super happy to see you return to the world of lunches-I-want-to-eat-because-they’re-so-damn-simple!
I like to braise or crock-pot cook a smattering of chicken thighs/legs and shred them to make multiple lunch dishes I can freeze and heat up. This flavor combo will definitely go into the rotation. Thanks, Nick!
Jessica @ Stylish Stealthy and Healthy
Looks awesome I will definitely have to work this into my weekly lunch menu.
Zoe’s Mom
Great looking recipe and I can’t wait to try it out!
Becca
Yum!
I don’t really like cookies :(
Emily
That looks like the perfect lunch to have before one of the multiple obligatory Christmas parties I have to go to where there is far too much naughty food and booze.
The only thing I am going to add is a little of my black bean, roasted corn and poblano salsa to it because I always have it on hand because my one year old loves it so much. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks Nick!
Nick
That salsa would be a great addition. Good idea Emily!
Melissa
Mmmmmm. This looks like a wonderful and light meal to make, especially this time of year. Gonna have to add this to the list of Macheesmo recipes to make… Thank you for all your wonderful recipes (and giveaways)!
Melissa
I didn’t wait long and made this tonight-delicious!
Chris
I stumbled and pinned this one, Nick. I like how you put this together and grilling always gets a +1 from me.
Deborah sparrow
add some crumbled crispy bacon for sheer heaven!
Stephen
Looks delicious, something a bit light for lunch as the weather starts to warm up. Thanks!
Sam McArthur
I’ve been making something similar, just with a different marinade for the chicken (garlic & lemon based). Will try this one next for a flavor change. Love the addition of avocado too.