Southwest Chicken Wrap, Quick Healthy Lunch Ready in 20 Minutes

A bold, fresh lunch ready in minutes, featuring smoky spices, creamy avocado, and a tangy chipotle-lime sauce.

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Craving a bold, fresh lunch that is ready fast and travels well, this Southwest Chicken Wrap hits the spot. It blends smoky spices, creamy avocado, and a tangy chipotle-lime sauce for a satisfying meal you will want on repeat.

Why this recipe works

• Fast cooking, lean protein, and crisp produce for a balanced meal.
• Crunch from romaine and corn, creaminess from Greek yogurt and avocado.
• Simple pantry spices give big flavor without complicated prep.
• Perfect for meal prep or a quick family dinner that photographs beautifully for Pinterest.

For more high-protein chicken ideas that complement this wrap, try these 5 high-protein chicken recipes you need to try.

INGREDIENTS

Complete ingredients list with exact measurements

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch
• 1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned, drained
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Southwest sauce

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, adjust to taste
• Pinch of salt

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Chicken, use thighs if you prefer richer flavor, reduce cook time slightly.
• Greek yogurt, swap for sour cream for a tangier sauce.
• Flour tortillas, use whole wheat or low-carb wraps to reduce calories.
• Corn, use frozen thawed for convenience.
• Black beans, substitute pinto beans for a milder taste.

Where to find specialty items

• Chipotle powder, available in most grocery spice aisles or online.
• Greek yogurt, pick plain full-fat or 2 percent for best creaminess.

If you love bold Mexican-style fillings, check these best chicken enchiladas recipes and pro tips for more inspiration.

STEP-BY-STEP

1. Prepare the spice rub. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, mix until even. Visual cue, the rub should look evenly blended with no clumps.
2. Season the chicken. Cut chicken breasts into even 1/2-inch strips and rub the spice mixture all over each piece until well coated. Checkpoint, each strip should be fully coated but not falling apart.
3. Cook the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add seasoned chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Photo tip, crisp browned edges are ideal.
4. Make the sauce. While chicken cooks, whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, chipotle powder, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust chipotle powder based on heat preference, the sauce should be balanced, not too sweet.
5. Warm tortillas. Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side, or microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30 seconds until pliable. Visual cue, tortillas should be soft and slightly puffy.
6. Assemble the wrap. Lay a warm tortilla flat and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of Southwest sauce down the center vertically, leaving 2 inches at top and bottom. Layer with lettuce, sliced chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and cilantro. Use about 3/4 cup total filling per wrap.
7. Roll and serve. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, then fold in both sides. Roll tightly from bottom to top, keeping sides tucked in. Cut diagonally in half and serve immediately or wrap tightly in foil for storage. Tip, cut with a sharp serrated knife for clean halves.

For a comforting side that pairs well with these flavors, consider serving with a bowl of creamy white chicken chili.

TIPS & VARIATIONS

Make-ahead and storage

• Store components separately for up to 3 days, assemble just before serving to keep tortillas from getting soggy.
• Wrapped in foil, assembled wraps last 24 hours chilled.

Variations

• Low-carb, use lettuce wraps or low-carb tortillas.
• Vegan, swap chicken for seasoned and pan-seared cauliflower or chickpeas, use vegan mayo.
• Spicy, increase chipotle powder and add sliced pickled jalapeños.
• Tex-Mex twist, swap avocado for pepper jack cheese and add a drizzle of salsa.

Serving suggestions

• Serve with lime wedges, tortilla chips, or a crisp slaw.

Pro tips for best results

• Dry chicken thoroughly before seasoning for better browning.
• Rest cooked chicken 5 minutes to retain juices.
• Warm tortillas just before filling for flexible wraps.

Try a smoky variation using blackened chicken for a richer profile, inspired by this blackened chicken Alfredo twist.

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

1. Overcrowding the pan when cooking chicken, results in steaming not searing, fix by cooking in batches.
2. Cutting uneven chicken strips, leads to uneven cooking, fix by slicing uniform pieces about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Using cold tortillas, causes cracking when rolling, fix by warming briefly to make them pliable.
4. Applying too much sauce, makes wraps soggy, fix by using 1 to 2 tablespoons and serving extra on the side.
5. Not resting the chicken, yields dryer meat, fix by letting cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes.
6. Skipping a taste check on the sauce, may be too spicy or bland, fix by adjusting chipotle, lime, or honey to balance.
7. Overfilling the wrap, causes it to burst, fix by using about 3/4 cup filling and tucking sides while rolling.

If you want a saucier, bold option to troubleshoot seasoning and heat control, see this guide to blackened chicken alfredo sauce adjustments.

Southwest Chicken Wrap

A bold, fresh lunch ready in minutes, featuring smoky spices, creamy avocado, and a tangy chipotle-lime sauce.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 4 servings

Calories 350 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Main ingredients

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips Use thighs for richer flavor, adjust cook time slightly.
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• to taste Salt and pepper
• 4 large flour tortillas, 10-inch Use whole wheat or low-carb wraps to reduce calories.
• 1 cup romaine lettuce, shredded
• 1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned, drained Use frozen thawed for convenience.
• 1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained Substitute pinto beans for a milder taste.
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Southwest sauce

• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt Swap for sour cream for a tangier sauce.
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise Use vegan mayo for a vegan option.
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder Adjust to taste.
• a pinch salt

Instructions

 

Preparation

• In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper; mix until even.
• Cut chicken breasts into even 1/2-inch strips and rub the spice mixture all over each piece until well coated.

Cooking

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
• Add seasoned chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
• Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.

Making the Sauce

• While chicken cooks, whisk together Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, honey, chipotle powder, and salt in a small bowl until smooth.

Assembly

• Warm tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30 seconds per side or microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30 seconds until pliable.
• Lay a warm tortilla flat and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of Southwest sauce down the center vertically.
• Layer with lettuce, sliced chicken, corn, black beans, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and cilantro.
• Roll tightly from bottom to top, keeping sides tucked in and cut diagonally in half.

Notes

Store components separately for up to 3 days. Use low-carb tortillas for a healthier option or vegan substitutes for a plant-based wrap.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 350kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 28gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 600mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3g

Keyword Chicken Wrap, Healthy Lunch, meal prep, Quick Recipe, Southwest Chicken

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