The Best Buffalo Chicken Wrap (Life Changing Fancy Recipe!)

I love this recipe because it has it all: kick from the buffalo sauce, crunch from the veggies and crispy onions, creamy sauce, and tender chicken, all tied together in a flour tortilla. You get a little bit of every ingredient in every delicious bite!  Now I know it has few more ingredients and steps than some of the classic, easy and fast buffalo chicken wrap recipes, like this 15-minutes buffalo chicken wraps recipe, but I guarantee it is worth it and why this one is the best.

The Best Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Wraps are a great option for a quick and easy meal.  They are also a great way to incorporate a bunch of veggies or even a “salad” into your meal.  This recipe combines fresh romaine, cucumber, ranch dressing, avocado, shredded cheddar, crispy fried onions, and buffalo chicken, all wrapped in a warm flour tortilla.  You can also make this recipe without a wrap, and it is a great Buffalo Chicken Salad.

Upgraded Ingredients for a Gourmet Wrap Recipe

I could put buffalo sauce on everything!  The reason I am such a big fan of buffalo sauce is that it is a great balance of spice, acidity, and sauciness and also pairs so well with other flavors.  It is great on chicken and veggies and pairs well with cheese and starches.  This flexibility that buffalo sauce lends itself to also makes this recipe so adaptable.  You can always switch out romaine for iceberg lettuce, cucumber for celery, or cheddar for jack cheese. The wrap will still be great, no matter what combinations you decide on.

Ranch vs. Blue Cheese: There is a lot of debate and personal preferences about which should be paired with buffalo chicken.  I typically make mine with ranch because our kids prefer it over blue cheese.  That being said, the recipe works great with either, and the two can be swapped out 1:1 in the recipe. For an amazing homemade buttermilk ranch dressing, try this recipe.

Chicken Tenders: I prefer chicken tenders for this recipe because they tend to stay juicier and require less cutting than chicken breast.  I cut each tender in half lengthwise, and they work perfectly in the wrap.

Buffalo Sauce: You can buy premade “wing” sauce, but I prefer to take Frank’s Red Hot Original and jazz it up a little by mixing it with Tabasco brand Sriracha, some garlic and onion powder and melted butter (olive oil also works great).  You can use straight Frank’s, but the sriracha adds a little more depth of flavor and a thicker sauce.  If Tabasco Sriracha is not available, Huy Fong or other brands work.  I like the Tabasco version for this recipe because it is a milder sriracha and has that vinegary Tabasco hot sauce zip and a touch of garlic.  This buffalo sauce also works great as a buffalo wing sauce or for crispy chicken tenders, so feel free to make a double batch so you have some extra in your fridge.

Ranch or Blue Cheese Dressing: This one is totally a personal preference.  The dressing is important in helping to balance out some of the heat, dress the romaine, and add a rich and creaminess to the buffalo chicken wrap, but which you use it up to you.

Romaine Lettuce: The romaine helps add some texture and crunch to the wrap and really becomes a vehicle for the ranch or blue cheese dressing.  I cut the romaine pretty small and toss it in the dressing so you get really even distribution of crunch and dressing in the wrap.

Cucumber: It just goes so well with buffalo and ranch.  These ingredients were all made to go together, and the cucumber helps balance out some of the heat in the buffalo sauce.  I prefer Persian cucumbers because they have smaller seeds and less water content.  If using English cucumbers, I remove the seeds.

Avocado: Just keep the good things coming.  I love avocado, and I think this helps make the wrap have a very cravable “salad” vibe.  

Shredded Cheddar: I started adding cheddar to the wrap when I switched from blue cheese dressing to ranch.  When I first made the wrap with ranch, I felt like it just needed a little something something which is why I added a sprinkling of shredded cheddar.  It still works with blue cheese dressing but is not 100% necessary.

Crispy Fried Onions: This is a little extra touch that helps add a little extra onion flavor more importantly, replicate the crunch texture and flavor of fried chicken without having to go through all the work of breading and frying the chicken tenders.  You can make your own fried onions/shallots if you have time, but French’s Crispy Fried Onions or Maesri Fried Shallots (buy here on Amazon if you can’t find at your local grocery store) work really well.

How to Make The Best Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Wraps are great because they are super quick and easy to assemble.  Cutting, marinating, and cooking the chicken is what takes the longest, but you can always do this in advance.  Having some cooked buffalo chicken in your fridge just means you are ready when you want to enjoy this wrap, add chicken to a salad or reheat it to enjoy with sides for dinner. No matter what I promise it is worth making extra buffalo chicken to have on hand for meals later in the week.

Steps:

1.  Cut: Slice your chicken tenders in half so that you have two nice long strips from each one 
2.  Make Marinade: In a small bowl, whisk together the Franks RedHot, melted butter (or olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt until incorporated.
3.  Marinade: Place your sliced chicken in a medium bowl, and add the marinade, reserving ½ cup in case you want to have some for drizzling on top or dipping.  Let the chicken sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.  
4.  Cook: In a large skillet (non-stick works best) add a little butter and saute the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through.  About 5 minutes.  Then remove from heat.
5.  Cut: a) Take your head of romaine and slice it in half length-wise and then in half again.  Chop the sliced romaine into about ½” slices.  b) take your cucumber and cut it lengthwise down the middle.  If using an English cucumber take a small spoon and scrape out the seeds.  Now take your cucumber and slice it into thin strips that are about 3-4” long.  c) take your avocado, cut it in half and remove the pit and skin,  Then cut it into thin slices.
6.  Dress: toss your chopped romaine in the ranch or blue cheese dressing
7.  Warm: place your flour tortillas on a large plate and quickly warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  You can also warm them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 2-3 minutes or if you have a large enough non-stick or cast iron skillet on the stove top for about 30 seconds per side.
8.  Assemble: now take your warm tortilla and lay it flat on a large plate or cutting board.  Place your dressed romaine on the wrap first, then add the sliced cucumber, avocado and shredded cheddar on top of the romaine.  Add your buffalo chicken to the center of the wrap in a nice line.  (This way, when you roll it, the chicken will be in the center and surrounded by all the veggies, making every bite a perfect bite.)  For the final touch, sprinkle the fried onions or shallots on top of the chicken.  At this point, you can drizzle a little of the extra buffalo sauce on top if you like.  Then fold in the two sides and roll up your wrap like a burrito.
9.  Enjoy as is or with a side of ranch, blue cheese, or buffalo sauce for dipping.

How to Convert Your Buffalo Chicken Wrap to a Salad

Sometimes, I want to have a little bit of a lighter dinner during these hot and humid Atlanta summers or at lunch time when I am not as hungry. During these times I lose the wrap and make a buffalo chicken salad instead. This recipe makes an amazing salad. Simply chop the chicken and veggies into chunks instead of strips or slices, add some extra romaine and leave out the tortilla.

The Best Buffalo Chicken Wrap

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Ingredients

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1 pound chicken tenders

1/3 cup melted butter or olive oil

1/2 cup Franks RedHot Original

1/2 cup Tabasco Brand Sriracha

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 pinch of salt

1 romaine heart (about 2 cups chopped)

2 Persian cucumber or 1/2 English cucumber

2 avocados

1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing

4 flour tortillas

1/2 cup shredded cheddar

1/2 cup crispy fried onions or shallots

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Instructions

1. Slice your chicken tenders in half so that you have two nice long strips from each one
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the Franks RedHot, Tabasco Sriracha, melted butter (or olive oil), garlic powder, onion powder, and salt until fully incorporated.
3. Place your sliced chicken in a medium bowl, and add ½ of the marinade, reserving ½ cup in case you want to have some for drizzling on top or dipping.  Let the chicken sit for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours.
4. In a large skillet (non-stick works best), saute the chicken in marinade over medium-high heat until cooked through.  About 5 minutes.  Then remove from heat.
5. Take your head of romaine and slice it in half length-wise and then in half again.  Chop the sliced romaine into about ½” slices.  b) take your cucumber and cut it lengthwise down the middle.  If using an English cucumber, take a small spoon and scrape out the seeds.  Now take you cucumber and slice it into thin strips that are about 3-4” long.  c) take your avocado, cut it in half and remove the pit and skin,  Then cut it into thin slices.
6. Toss your chopped romaine in the ranch or blue cheese dressing so it is well-dressed
7. Place your flour tortillas on a large plate and quickly warm them in the microwave for about 20 seconds.  You can also warm them in the over at 350 degrees for about 2-3 minutes or if you have a large enough non-stick or cast iron skillet on the stovetop for about 30 seconds per side.
8. Take your warm tortilla and lay it flat on a large plate or cutting board.  Place your dressed romaine on the wrap first, then add the sliced cucumber, avocado, and shredded cheddar on top of the romaine.  Add your buffalo chicken to the center of the wrap in a nice line.  (This way, when you roll it, the chicken will be in the center and surrounded by all the veggies making every bite a perfect bite.)  For the final touch, sprinkle the fried onions or shallots on top of the chicken.  At this point, you can drizzle a little of the extra buffalo sauce on top if you like.  Then fold in the two sides and roll up your wrap like a burrito.
9. Enjoy as is or with a side of ranch, blue cheese, or buffalo sauce for dipping.

• Author: Anthony

Beverage Pairing

Nothing pairs with buffalo sauce like ice cold lager beer (think wings and beer!). In this case, I enjoyed some Sapporo, Japanese Lager with the absolutely delicious buffalo chicken wrap.