Keep lunch prep easy with these Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps! Mix up the caesar chicken salad ahead of time, then enjoy with greens on a wrap, as a sandwich, or dip in crackers at lunchtime. Simple & make-ahead friendly!
Who doesn’t love a good chicken Caesar salad? I know I do! While a classic Caesar salad is delicious, it can turn into a pretty boring meal prep. Wraps are so much more transportable and fun to eat!
The original Caesar salad was supposedly invented in 1924 by Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico, where he improvised the dish on a whim based on the ingredients he had available. It became so popular, even Julia Child visited and watched Cardini make his salad!
These Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps are less of a green salad per se, but definitely include those original Caesar dressing and parmesan flavors, along with romaine lettuce. The recipe starts with a Caesar chicken salad base – this is the make-ahead friendly part! Think classic chicken salad, but flavored with parmesan and Caesar dressing instead.
Once the base chicken salad recipe is prepped, the rest is easy. The wraps can be assembled with greens and your favorite add-ins whenever you want to eat them. With everything else already made, assembling the wrap takes no time at all!
What are the ingredients in these Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps?
All of the ingredients in these Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps are no frills and easy to find at your grocery store. I even used store-bought Caesar dressing to keep it super simple – but you can make your own if you’re feeling adventurous!
Here’s everything I used in this recipe, and why it’s important:
- shredded chicken breasts – This is the base of our chicken salad. You can also use rotisserie chicken if you want.
- green bell pepper – For some crunch, I added some diced green bell pepper. Both the mild flavor and the crisp texture of the pepper are important for this recipe!
- shallot bulb – A small shallot bulb adds a nice hint of brightness without going overboard on onion flavor!
- Caesar salad dressing – Using a creamy premade store-bought dressing saves lots of time here. Use your favorite or even make your own if you feel like it! Here’s an easy homemade Caesar dressing recipe if you want to try.
- mayonnaise – Adding some mayonnaise helps make the chicken salad nice and creamy without going overboard on the salad dressing & Caesar flavors.
- parmesan cheese – A requirement for any Caesar salad, just like the original! Freshly grated is best for flavor but not a requirement.
- garlic powder, salt & fresh ground black pepper – The seasoning backbone of any good chicken recipe.
- burrito size tortillas – It’s important to use the bigger size of tortillas so you can fit everything into your wrap.
- leafy greens mix – I use a basic romaine mix from my garden. Romaine is classic for Caesar salad, but you can use any greens mix you have on hand.
- optional add-ins – Cherry tomatoes, croutons, extra parmesan cheese, olives, and a squeeze of fresh lemon are all great ideas for adding to this salad.
How do you make the Caesar chicken salad?
The easiest part of this recipe is making the Caesar chicken salad base. Once you’ve shredded the chicken and chopped up the bell pepper and shallot, grab a medium mixing bowl and dump everything in.
Mix it well, until you’ve got a creamy, delicious looking chicken salad. Give it a taste to check if it needs any additional salt or pepper.
How do you assemble the Caesar chicken salad lunch wraps?
After you’ve got the base Caesar chicken salad made, I like to toss the greens with the chicken salad so everything is evenly dispersed in the wrap. This also helps you get dressing on every piece of lettuce and makes it easier to wrap up.
Put a 1 cup scoop of chicken salad in a small mixing bowl plus 1 and 1/2 cups of loosely packed greens. I used a romaine mix from my garden. Romaine is the traditional green for a Caesar salad.
After you toss the chicken salad and greens together, place it on the tortilla, in a thick horizontal line. Roll up the wrap and enjoy now or wrap it up for later and enjoy within 24 hours.
How do you roll up the wraps so they don’t come open?
While I’m obviously not classically trained chef, I’ve got a wide and random variety of food making skills, most of which I picked up while working at the Dining Center for four years in college.
One of these skills is rolling up wraps. We made the best chicken Caesar salad wraps, which is also part of my inspiration for this recipe!
Here’s an explanation of how I wrap my burritos & wraps. Please see the pictures as well – they show the whole process a bit better.
Step 1: Pull the left and right sides of the tortilla over each end of filling.
Step 2: Using your thumbs, pull the bottom of the tortilla up and over the filling, covering the sides you folded over in Step 1.
Step 3: Tuck the bottom of the tortilla you folded in Step 2 under the burrito, also tucking the sides from the top and bottom of the tortilla.
Step 4: Fold the burrito over the remaining open tortilla so it covers the tucked sides and bottom. There you go!
Tips so your tortillas don’t rip:
Once you get in a groove with your favorite tortillas, this process is easy. But if can be frustrating if your tortillas keep ripping. Here are some tips to prevent that from happening.
- Do NOT overfill your burrito. This is a very common mistake. Fill it only with about 1 cup chicken salad and loosely packed 1.5 cups of greens, plus cheese.
- Use large, burrito size tortillas. This is how you fit everything in – use the right size tortillas or use less filling according to the size of your tortillas.
- Use room temperature tortillas. This will help prevent them from ripping.
Can I use rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breasts?
Yes, feel free to use shredded rotisserie chicken in place of shredded chicken breast. You’ll need about 1 pound, or about 3 cups of shredded chicken.
If you need to cook chicken for this recipe, check out my post called How to Cook Chicken for Meal Prep!
What should you serve with these Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps?
Anything you’d normally eat along with a chicken Caesar salad is fair game! Recently, I enjoyed the Caesar chicken salad on two pieces of bread with lettuce, along with some dried mango and carrot sticks on the side.
Alternative customization ideas:
The best way to customize this recipe is to add a little bit of your favorite mix-ins to the wraps! Go easy on the add-ins or you may not be able to wrap up your burrito all the way. Stick with 1/2 cup of add-ins max, or reduce the amount of chicken salad and greens going into the wrap.
Here are some add-in ideas for your Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps:
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- croutons!
- olives
- cucumbers
- spinach
You can also customize this recipe by not turning it into a wrap at all. Enjoy on bread as a sandwich or with crackers and veggies like a classic chicken salad.
How do you meal prep these Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps?
These wraps work great for a weekday lunch or dinner. No reheating or complicated assembly – just roll it up and enjoy! There are a couple ways to save time by preparing this recipe ahead. Here are some options:
- Complete meal prep: Follow the recipe as written, then fully assemble the Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps with greens and a tortilla, up to one day ahead of time. Store remaining components separately.
- Chicken Salad prep only: Follow the recipe as written, but instead of preparing the wraps, store the Caesar chicken salad, tortillas, and greens separately in airtight containers in the fridge. Assemble wraps right before eating. This helps keep the tortilla and greens from getting soggy. You can also enjoy the chicken salad on its own with crackers or veggies.
Where do you get those containers?
The container pictured above is part of the set of the 3 Compartment Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate link!) from Prep Naturals on Amazon.
I’ve owned these for a few years and still love them! I recommend hand washing the plastic lids so they last longer.
I would not recommend freezing this recipe – it would most likely have a weird texture and the peppers would lose their crunch. This recipe is best enjoyed fresh!
Store premade lunch wraps tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Otherwise, it’s best to store the Caesar chicken salad in an airtight container with lid, separate from the greens and wrap. Assemble wraps the morning of or night before you plan to eat them.
Generally, this is a recipe that’s best served cold from the fridge! But as a hot sandwich lover, I wouldn’t stop you from turning it until a chicken melt or adding some to a grilled cheese!
Want to Save this recipe for later?
Did you make this? I want to see how it turned out! Tag me in your social media post @projectmealplan and use #projectmealplan when you share!
Print
Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps
Keep lunch prep easy with these Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wraps! Mix up the caesar chicken salad ahead of time, then enjoy with greens on a wrap, as a sandwich, or dip in crackers at lunchtime. Simple & make-ahead friendly!
- Total Time10 minutes
- Yield4 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Caesar Chicken Salad:
- 1 pound cooked chicken breasts, shredded (see note for cooking instructions if needed)
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 small shallot bulb, finely diced
- 1/2 cup creamy Caesar salad dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt & fresh ground black pepper
For each wrap:
- burrito size tortilla
- 1 1/2 cups of greens, loosely packed (I used a romaine mix)
- optional add-ins: cherry tomatoes, croutons, extra parmesan cheese, squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix it up: In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the Caesar chicken salad ingredients, including the shredded chicken, bell pepper, shallot, Caesar salad dressing, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until creamy and well mixed.
- Assemble wrap: In a small mixing bowl, combine about 1 cup of the Caesar chicken salad mixture, and about 1.5 cups of loosely packed greens. You can also add about 1/2 cup of additional mix-ins like cherry tomatoes or croutons (don’t add too much or you won’t be able to wrap it up). Use tongs to toss it all together, dispersing the dressing and mixing up the greens with the chicken salad. Dump this mixture onto your tortilla or wrap, arranging in a thick horizontal line. Wrap it up by folding the sides over, wrapping from the bottom and tucking in the sides tightly as you go (see photos in the post above!).
- Store it: For best quality, it’s best to enjoy premade wraps within 24 hours of assembling. Keep the Caesar chicken salad stored in the fridge separately from the lettuce and tortillas, then assemble the wrap the night before or the morning you’d like to enjoy it. Wrap tightly in foil or use container that will fit the wrap but not let it unroll. You can also enjoy the chicken salad on bread, or with crackers if you don’t want to use tortillas. Store leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge and enjoy within 4 days.
Equipment
Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board
Buy Now →
OXO 9-Inch Silicone Head Tongs
Buy Now →(affiliate link!)
Notes
To cook chicken breasts: Oven: Preheat oven to 425F. Lay raw chicken in a rimmed baking pan lined with aluminum foil (for easy clean up). Rub with 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Full recipe for Baked Shredded Chicken here.
Instant Pot: Place your raw chicken breasts into the pot with 1 cup chicken broth. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook on Manual or High Pressure for 8-9 minutes for raw or 12-14 minutes for frozen (higher end of the range for thicker breasts). Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest of the pressure. More info on chicken cooking methods in my article How to Cook Chicken for Meal Prep!
Make a half batch of this recipe to serve 2 if you only have one chicken breast (at least 8 ounces).
Caesar dressing: You can find a homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe accompanying this Roasted Chickpea Caesar Salad recipe.
Nutrition information estimated with My Fitness Pal and includes Caesar Chicken Salad Lunch Wrap as pictured.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: No Heat
- Cuisine: Italian & Mexican-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 714
- Sugar: 5g
- Fat: 42g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 45g
Did You Make This?
I love seeing what you made! Leave a review below, and be sure to tag me at @ProjectMealPlan when you share a photo!
These are fantastic! We made them during our vacation for lunches on-the-go. Minimal ingredients were so appreciated since we were traveling. This recipe will definitely become a regular addition to our school year lunch menu.
Hey Ange, It makes me so happy to hear this made a delicious vacation lunch, and that you’re keeping it in your rotation 🙂 I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know how you liked it. Super helpful for myself and other readers! Thank you!! -Danielle
So good! My daughters, who generally don’t eat raw bell peppers and shallots, absolutely loved it! I’m making it again this weekend. Thank you for sharing!