Easy, Cheesy BBQ Chicken Wraps
~ Filled with bold flavors and wonderfully melty-cheesy texture! These super-fast BBQ Chicken Wraps are loaded with the barbecue flavor you crave. And they’re ready in less than 10 minutes – a perfect quick meal to fuel you up and get you back into the action FAST! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Summer means everyone’s craving barbecue, but sometimes there’s not enough time to have a proper barbecue cookout. Too many other fun things on your calendar, right?!?
I hear ya!
No time to run to the store for fresh meats, seasonings, and sauces? No energy to fire up a hot grill … wait around to flip the meat … and baste, baste, and re-baste with thick, zesty barbecue sauce?
No problem! I’ve got the perfect solution for you!
These Easy BBQ Chicken Wraps are your savior for all those times that barbecue sounds so mouthwateringly delicious … but it just ain’t gonna be ready fast enough.
Let’s do BBQ the THK way! Exciting, easy, and just as yummy as grilling out. And so much quicker, too!
Why We Love These BBQ Chicken Wraps So Much
From the moment I first concocted this recipe, my family was hooked. No doubt, we’ve definitely eaten A LOT of these wraps this summer – they’re an absolute family favorite now!
It’s easy to see why! We’re talkin’:
- Tender chicken
- Sweet onion
- Crunchy bell pepper
- Flavorful BBQ sauce
- Melty-ooey-gooey cheddar cheese
- Juicy tomatoes
- Fresh, crisp lettuce
- … All in a perfect grab-and-go container (a tortilla!)
Oh! And it’s ready in under 10 (thanks, rotisserie chicken)! Plus, if that’s not fast enough for ya, we’ve even got make-ahead tips (read on …).
These BBQ Chicken Wraps have everything you need to satisfy your wildest barbecue fantasies!
Bonus: since they’re so quick and easy, you’ll have tons of time on your hands to make more THK recipes! (Or just to enjoy the summer weather – we won’t be offended, because that’s pretty cool, too.)
Wanna see just how quick and easy these are? Let’s make one …
How to Make These Chicken Wraps in a Tortilla
Step 1: Shred the rotisserie chicken. Use the breast meat as much as possible. It’s not only leaner, but I like it best for this recipe. (Plus, I love to save the wings because they’re great to dip in buffalo sauce and eat for a little snack.)
Step 2: Next, dice up the green pepper and onion. If you’ll be serving these right away, you can go ahead and dice your tomato, too (but if you’re prepping ahead, I’d wait to dice the tomato until you’re assembling your wraps).
Step 3: Mix the pepper, onion, cheese, and barbecue sauce with the shredded chicken. Mmmmmm … looks so good already! (Try not to scarf it down just yet, though! It gets even better …)
Step 4: Spread that yummy chicken mixture down the middle of a tortilla. (It’s much easier to roll up later if the chicken is spooned down the middle instead of spread across the whole tortilla.)
Step 5: Microwave your wrap briefly. (Microwaves vary but, for reference, we put each tortilla wrap in for about 45 seconds). Then, top that melty-cheesy-chicken-wonderfulness with chopped tomato and some lettuce.
Step 6: Roll up the whole glorious creation, and serve it while it’s still warm and melty.
So easy, and sooooo seriously delicious!
At this point, you’re pretty much ready to run off and make your own now, but a few handy tips will help you find the best ingredients at your store, so your chicken wraps are just as simple, scrumptious and nutritious as they possibly can be!
Let’s start with a little chat about the chicken.
Why We Use Rotisserie Chicken in These Wraps
Rotisserie chicken recipes are an absolute time-saver, and here at THK, we love to save you time!
If you’re like us, sometimes your busy schedule means that you don’t always have time to cook a chicken breast before you even think about starting the actual recipe … that’s way too much work! For these wraps, you can save the entire step of cooking the chicken by simply grabbing a rotisserie chicken as you dash through the grocery store. The cooking’s already done for you!
Since you’re shredding the meat for this recipe anyway, rotisserie chicken is a perfect shortcut. Trust me – nobody will even notice that you cut corners because it tastes sooo good! Nobody will care that you didn’t fire up the grill for this version of ‘cue. (Shhhhhhh … so why bother to tell them, right?!?)
That being said, if you happen to have some leftover chicken breast or cooked chicken that you want to use up, it’ll work great, too. Just make sure that your chicken isn’t heavily seasoned or marinated with flavors that could fight with the cheesy, BBQ flavors of this recipe.
The Best Tortillas to Make These Wraps
When taste-testing this recipe, we tried out multiple brands of healthy, high-fiber and whole-grain tortillas. Of the various brands we tested, we decided that Mission 100% Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas were our favorites for these BBQ wraps.
If you can’t find the Mission tortillas we liked, or if you’ve got your own fave, that’s fine! Feel free to do your own little science experiment and test which ones you like best!
There’s actually a lot of variation in the flavor and texture of packaged tortillas – and also in the nutrition. To keep this recipe as healthy as possible:
- Pick whole-grain or whole-wheat tortillas if you can. They’ll net you extra fiber, and are much better for you than empty white carbs. At THK, we always recommend choosing whole grains if possible, and tortillas are a great opportunity to swap in some extra nutrition.
- Also check the nutrition label to see how your tortillas stack up in terms of calories and fat, too. You might be surprised how much those numbers can vary from brand to brand!
The Best BBQ Sauce for This Recipe
We also painstakingly tested various BBQ sauces, trying to decide which one we thought suited the recipe best. (Just kidding! Nothing was painstaking about eating this recipe over and over as we tested and retested it to get it just right to share with you!)
Seriously though … we did decide that Stubb’s Original Bar-B-Q Sauce worked best in this recipe, out of the sauces we tried. It had big BBQ flavor (without even firing up the grill) and also an ingredient list that we liked much better than a lot of others we considered at the grocery store.
Again, though – if you want to do a little taste-test investigation of your own, feel free! Use whichever barbecue sauce you and your family prefer.
When picking the very best sauce, though, I have a few suggestions that you should keep in mind:
- Make sure to read the ingredients before you buy — we were shocked to find out that many popular brands use “questionable” ingredients. Some brands even have high-fructose corn syrup as their first ingredient!
- Definitely also consider the amount of sugar and sodium used in the sauce you choose. They can vary notably among different brands and flavors.
- I specifically designed this recipe and its ingredients to work well with a “regular” or “classic” barbecue sauce, as opposed to something like a honey mustard or asian-style sauce. But hey – if you wanna get crazy, you could try a different flavor profile (and let us know down in the comments how it tastes)!
You’re probably getting the idea by now: there are lots of ways to customize these chicken wraps and really make them your own. Here are just a few more ideas to switch things up …
More Simple Substitutions
You may have noticed in other recipes I’ve developed, that I always focus on possible substitutions. I try to leave room for you (the chef in your kitchen) to have some fun and adjust the recipe to exactly what you prefer.
Besides the chicken, tortilla and BBQ sauce ideas we’ve already covered:
- Feel free to play with the amounts of peppers and onions, adjusting them based on the level of crunch you crave.
- If you like spicier, more assertive onion flavor, you can swap yellow onions or red onions in for the sweet.
- You could even try adding some red or yellow peppers for color, too!
- If you happen to have bagged salad or shredded lettuce on hand, you could use a handful of that instead of a lettuce leaf.
- We specify 8-inch tortillas, but if you’re serving kiddos, you could grab smaller tortillas that are easier for little hands to manage. (Of course, in that case, you’ll end up with a yield of more than 4 wraps.)
Make-Ahead Tips and Meal Prep
As you know, here at THK, we love recipes that can be made at least partially ahead. So much easier at the end of a long day, if dinner’s already partway ready, right?
Well, guess what! You can do most of the work for this recipe ahead of time – even a day or two ahead! You can:
- Dice up the onions and peppers.
- Shred the chicken.
- And even mix the chicken, onions and peppers together with the cheese and BBQ sauce.
When it’s time for dinner and your hungry crew straggles in … just heat each wrap and toss on some tomatoes and lettuce. Done!
No doubt – these wraps are terrific for meal prepping, since you can use your pre-mixed BBQ chicken filling to assemble just one tortilla wrap at a time, or the entire family meal (in just minutes)!
Practically the only thing that you can’t do ahead of time with this recipe is eat it!
Serving Suggestions
There are so many ways to serve these chicken wraps!
They’re perfect for either lunch or dinner. And they’re super portable, which is great for eating on the go. Plus, since they’ve got meat, veggies, and grains … all rolled into one … they’re a handy little meal-in-one when you’re short on time.
But, it’s also easy to turn this recipe into a full-on summer meal, by adding in a side dish or two, or even a summer-y dessert. These would be great with:
- No-Cook Fresh Corn Salad with Tomato and Avocado
- A fresh, green salad
- No-Mayo Greek Yogurt Coleslaw
- Juicy, refreshing grapes or watermelon slices
- Strawberry Banana Smoothies
- or Homemade Fudgesicles
All the flavors of a great summer barbecue meal, without even firing up that grill!
We can’t wait to hear what you think! Let us know how you like these BBQ Chicken Wraps … and what fun summer activities this super-fast recipe gave you more time to enjoy!
Easy, Cheesy BBQ Chicken Wraps
No need to fire up the grill for big, bold barbecue flavor! These delicious, super-fast BBQ Chicken Wraps are wonderfully melty and cheesy ... and ready in less than 10 minutes!
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Includes Make-Ahead Steps •
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breasts (see note)
- 1 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (see note)
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 1/2 cup finely diced sweet onion
- 4 (8-inch) whole-wheat or whole-grain tortillas
- 1/4 cup chopped tomato
- 4 small lettuce leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cheese, barbecue sauce, green pepper, and onions, stirring to combine.
- Spread 1/4 of the chicken mixture (about 2/3 cup) down the center of each tortilla. Microwave just until hot and melty. (In our microwave oven, that's about 45 seconds, but microwave ovens vary in wattage, so adjust the time a little as needed.)
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon tomato on top of the warmed chicken mixture for each wrap, and then top each with a lettuce leaf.
- Wrap up and serve while still warm.
Notes
Rotisserie chicken: As we mentioned in the post, rotisserie chicken is a quick, easy option for this recipe. But, nearly any boneless, skinless chicken breasts will also work well here, as long as they’re not seasoned with spices or marinades that compete with the other flavors in this recipe. If you prefer, you can simply plan on cooking a couple of extra chicken breasts whenever you’re making chicken, so you'll have extra cooked chicken for this recipe without any extra work.
Barbecue sauce: After testing various brands, we liked Stubb's Original in this recipe. Feel free to use your own favorite (we recommend sticking with "original" or "classic" flavors). Also, be sure to read ingredient labels carefully, as many sauces contain unexpected and undesirable ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup (at least one popular grocery store brand even lists it as the very first ingredient).
Make-ahead steps and meal prep: You can shred the chicken and chop the peppers and onions ahead of time. Or, you can go even further, and mix together the chicken, cheese, barbecue sauce, green pepper, and onions – then refrigerate (for up to about 3-4 days) until you're ready to make your wraps. This is great for meal prep, since you can make just one wrap at a time as needed, or an entire meal.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 wrapAmount Per Serving: Calories: 275Total Fat: 5g
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
My husband & I loved this wrap. He loves to bbq and it was a great change from a burger or just plain chicken. We used red peppers and also grilled some zucchini too. It was just delicious
I’m so happy to hear it! I totally agree that’s it’s a nice little change of pace – plus a BBQ chicken recipe without the fuss. The red pepper and grilled zucchini sound like fantastic additions, too, and I love when readers share how they personalized a recipe to really make it their own. So much fun to swap recipe ideas and inspire each other – thanks for taking the time to leave such a great comment and tip! Have a wonderful week! ~Shelley
So delicious and so easy to make. This is great! Thanks for sharing.
Awesome, Michael! Thanks a bunch for taking a moment to let us know! They really are so easy – big, bold flavor is just moments away with these chicken wraps – yay! So perfect for busy days! ~Shelley
Yessssss! The chicken in these looks totally juicy. I love BBQ chicken but with our weather, grilling isn’t always a possibility. Trying this out ASAP!
You’re absolutely right – the chicken is moist and juicy – really delicious! And this recipe definitely has all that summer-y BBQ vibe, without ever firing up a grill. Booyah! 😀 ~Shelley