This Buffalo Chicken Salad Wrap recipe has been on repeat at our house lately. It's an easy lunch or dinner that you can throw together pretty quickly.
These wraps combine lightly sauced shredded chicken with crisp romaine, celery, red onion, toasted almonds, blue cheese, and a creamy homemade dressing. They have plenty of classic buffalo flavor without being overwhelmingly spicy.
Baked chicken and plenty of crisp vegetables make these wraps filling without feeling too heavy.
Prep the chicken and salad ingredients ahead of time, then assemble the wraps when you're ready to eat. They work well for a quick dinner, packed lunch, or meal to bring along on a busy sports night. Keep the components separate for the best texture, or assemble the wraps a few hours ahead and keep them chilled until serving.
If you're looking for more packable meals that hold up on the go, try: Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad, Easy Turkey Basil Pesto Panini or Bacon and Pea Pasta Salad.
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Quick Wins 🙌
- Prep the chicken and salad ingredients ahead of time
- Pack the components separately for lunch or sports nights
- Adjust the buffalo sauce to control the heat
- Serve as a tortilla wrap, lettuce wrap, or salad
Game Plan 📋
Here's how these Buffalo Chicken Salad Wraps can fit into a busy week.
- Prep ahead: Bake and shred the chicken up to three days in advance. You can also chop the vegetables and prepare the dressing ahead of time.
- Keep it crisp: Store the chicken, salad mixture, and dressing separately. Toss together only what you plan to eat.
- Pack it up: Assemble the wrap a few hours before serving and keep it chilled, or pack the components separately and build it when you're ready to eat.
- Use a shortcut: Substitute shredded rotisserie chicken when you need dinner on the table even faster.
Ingredients 🛒
Here are notes about some of the simple, everyday ingredients needed for these spicy buffalo chicken wraps.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts keep this recipe lean and easy to shred. You can also use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken if you need a shortcut. Just toss it with the buffalo sauce before using.
- Hot sauce: Frank's works great here for that classic buffalo flavor, but you can use any hot sauce you like. If you prefer more heat, add a little extra, or keep it lighter if you're serving kids.
- Blue cheese crumbles: If blue cheese isn't your thing, feta is a good milder option, or you can leave it out altogether. You could also skip the blue cheese dressing and use ranch instead.
- Mayonnaise: This creates a creamy base for the dressing. You can swap in Greek yogurt for a lighter option, or do half mayo and half yogurt for a balance of flavor and texture.
- Apple cider vinegar: If needed, you can substitute with white wine vinegar or even a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Romaine lettuce: You could also use iceberg for extra crunch or a spring mix for a softer texture.
- Celery: If you're not a fan, you can reduce the amount or swap with chopped cucumber.
- Red onion: If you want a milder flavor, use green onions instead.
- Slivered almonds: Toasted almonds add extra crunch. Substitute sunflower seeds for a nut-free option, or simply leave them out.
- Flour tortillas: Burrito-size tortillas make these easy to roll and hold everything together. You can use whole wheat, low-carb, or even serve everything as a salad instead of a wrap.
Scroll to the recipe card below for all ingredient amounts and details.
Recipe Variations
- Make it a salad: Skip the tortilla and serve everything as a salad. It's just as filling and a great option if you want something a little lighter.
- Adjust the heat: Double the buffalo sauce or add extra hot sauce when tossing the chicken for more heat. Reduce the hot sauce slightly or add a little extra butter to mellow the heat.
- Ranch buffalo chicken: Swap the blue cheese dressing for ranch dressing if you prefer a milder, more familiar flavor.
- Make it a buffalo chicken lettuce wrap: Use large romaine or butter lettuce leaves instead of tortillas for a lower-carb option.
- Possible additions: Add sliced avocado for a creamy, fresh addition that balances the heat. Add shredded carrots or cucumber for even more crunch and freshness.
These easy buffalo chicken wraps have not been tested with these variations. If you try one of these variations, let me know how it worked for you in the comments below.
Equipment Needed 🥄
- Baking dish: Used for baking the chicken. A standard glass or metal dish works well and makes cleanup easy.
- Stand mixer: A stand mixer with the paddle attachment makes shredding the chicken quick and easy.
- Instant-read thermometer: The easiest way to know when the chicken is done. Insert it into the thickest part of the chicken breast; it should register 165°F.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 450°F and place the chicken breasts in a baking dish. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne, then drizzle with olive oil.
Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
STEP 2: While the chicken bakes, whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl until smooth.
STEP 3: Once the chicken is done, transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until shredded. You can also shred it with two forks if you prefer.
STEP 4: Pour the buffalo sauce over the shredded chicken and toss until evenly coated.
The chicken is lightly sauced, but you can make extra buffalo sauce if you want a spicier wrap or a little more sauce throughout. I would taste here and adjust as you prefer.
STEP 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, blue cheese crumbles, and apple cider vinegar until combined.
STEP 6: In a large bowl, combine the chopped romaine, celery, red onion, blue cheese crumbles, toasted slivered almonds, and pepper.
STEP 7: Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated. If you're meal prepping, you can leave the dressing off and dress individual portions as needed.
STEP 8: Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Add about 1 cup of the salad mixture and top with about ½ cup of the buffalo chicken. Drizzle with additional dressing or hot sauce, if desired.
STEP 9: Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll it tightly around the filling. Slice in half and serve.
Expert Tips
Here are some tips for making this delicious wrap.
- A stand mixer makes shredding quick and easy, but two forks work just as well. Just pull the chicken apart while it's still warm for the easiest shredding.
- Start with lightly coating the chicken in buffalo sauce. You can always add more later, but this keeps the wraps from getting soggy.
- If your almonds aren't already toasted, take a few minutes to toast them in a dry pan. It adds a deeper flavor and extra crunch.
- A quick warm-up makes the tortillas more flexible and less likely to tear when rolling.
FAQ ❓
Keep the dressing separate until shortly before assembling the wraps, and avoid adding too much buffalo sauce. If you're packing them for later, wrap each one tightly in parchment paper or foil and keep it chilled.
Yes. Shred the rotisserie chicken and toss it with the buffalo sauce before assembling the wraps. This is a great shortcut when you need lunch or dinner ready quickly.
These wraps have mild to medium heat as written. The chicken is lightly coated in buffalo sauce, but you can easily adjust the spice level by using more or less hot sauce. For a milder wrap, add a little extra melted butter to the buffalo sauce.
Yes. Bake and shred the chicken, prepare the dressing, and chop the salad ingredients up to three days ahead. Store each component separately in the refrigerator, then toss the salad and assemble the wraps when you're ready to eat. Assembled wraps can be made a few hours ahead and kept chilled, but they may become soggy if stored overnight.
Storage
Refrigerator storage: Store the buffalo chicken, salad, and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Keeping everything separate helps maintain the best texture and keeps the lettuce from getting soggy.
If the salad has already been dressed, it's best eaten within a day while the lettuce is still crisp.
Freezer storage: The buffalo chicken freezes well, but the salad and wraps do not.
Let the chicken cool completely, then store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Reheating instructions: If you prefer warm chicken, reheat the buffalo chicken in the microwave in short intervals until heated through. You can also warm it in a skillet over medium heat.
The chicken can also be used cold straight from the fridge for quick assembly, which makes this recipe especially convenient for lunches and busy days.
More Recipes To Try
Looking for other recipes to make? Try these:
If you make these Buffalo Chicken Salad Wraps, I'd love to hear what you think. Leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how they turned out.
It really helps other readers and helps me keep creating recipes you'll want to make again.❤️
Recipe
Buffalo Chicken Salad Wraps
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lbs)
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt and black pepper
- Olive oil
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce such as Frank's
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup blue cheese crumbles
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
For the Salad & Wrap:
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery about 3 stalks
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles
- ½ cup slivered almonds toasted
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 burrito-size flour tortillas
Instructions
For the Chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the chicken in a baking dish and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 32-35 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°F.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ lbs)
- While the chicken bakes, whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl until smooth.2 tablespoons melted butter
- Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until shredded, or shred with two forks.
- Pour the buffalo sauce over the shredded chicken and toss to coat. The chicken is lightly sauced, but you can add more if you prefer extra heat or flavor.
For the Dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, blue cheese crumbles, and apple cider vinegar until combined.¼ cup mayonnaise
For the Salad & Wrap:
- In a large bowl, combine the romaine, celery, red onion, blue cheese crumbles, almonds, and pepper.1 head romaine lettuce
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. For meal prep, you can keep the dressing separate and toss just before serving.
- Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Add about 1 cup of salad mixture and top with about ½ cup of buffalo chicken.
- Tightly roll the tortilla, slice in half, and serve. Add extra dressing or hot sauce if desired.6 burrito-size flour tortillas
Video
Nutrition Information
Please note that these nutrition facts are approximations and may not be entirely precise.
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