The Quickest Weeknight Chicken Wraps-Your New Family Favorite

These quick weeknight chicken wraps are one of our family favorites–and are sure to become one of yours too. 

I came up with these chicken wraps when my husband and I were living in our first apartment together. I wanted a recipe that used ingredients we almost always have on hand. One that was tasty, but also didn’t take long to pull together. Because while I had more time than ever during that season of my life, I hadn’t yet developed a love of cooking. I valued getting delicious, nutritious dinners on the table, but let’s be real. I wanted to spend most of my time with him…or watching Gilmore Girls…or playing Overwatch with my sister. 

Inspired by Restaurants

When developing the recipe, I looked to what we might order out at a restaurant. The problem with this is that we felt we could do that much better. So we did. The avocado adds a nice creamy texture that you typically don’t get out. We also play around with the fillings depending on our mood and if we’d like an added protein boost. Like, roasted, spiced chickpeas are amazing in these.

Perfect for Picky Eaters

The reason why these chicken wraps have withstood the test of time is because they’re so adaptable. All you have to do is lay out a bunch of ingredients on your cutting board or plates, and let everyone build their own. This makes it ideal for your toddlers or kids when they’re going through a challenging phase. If they just want chicken and ranch that night–fine. But they’ll continue to have the option to add more things. And who could resist a juicy tomato or avocado after a while? 

Easy to Adjust for Various Diets

My husband eats regular chicken tenders with hidden veggies. My daughter eats chicken tenders with less salt. I’m a vegetarian, so I opt for plant based. We just toss them all on a pan and meet in the middle of cooking times. For us, that looks like 425 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping, and an additional 7, but you’ll want to judge based on whatever your tenders say on the package. This recipe also works if someone is gluten free (just use gluten free wraps) or if they’re watching carbs (skip the wrap altogether.)

The Party Food Guests Actually Want

If you’re having friends over for lunch or dinner, you don’t have to cook beef wellington with all of the trimmings. In fact, the more we host, the more we discover that people prefer less formal meals. Unless it’s a holiday dinner, they would rather spend time talking to you when you’re unflustered and undistracted. When we do try to get a little fancy, people stand around awkwardly not knowing when to cut in with a witty joke, or whether they should offer to help. These chicken wraps eliminate that added cooking time. Plus, you can prepare the vegetables in advance. 

Don’t Use Raw Chicken

Unless you’re ok with adding a few more minutes to the cook time and tracking their temperature, make sure that the chicken tenders you select aren’t raw. Otherwise, you could turn a quick weeknight dinner into a lesson on patience. I’ve already picked up a pack of breaded tenders from the freezer aisle and been shocked when I looked at the directions. 

The Perfect Pairings

We fill our wraps so much that we usually don’t need a side. When we do–usually if we have friends coming over–we keep it simple. Tater tots, sweet potato fries, and broccoli tots are all good, fun selections because you can cook them at the same time as the chicken. If you have a bit more time on your hands, you might opt for my Easy Golden Hashbrowns.

Have you tried this recipe? Let me know over on Instagram @MamasAndChai!