Save My coworker Sarah brought these wraps to a Friday lunch rush, and I remember the moment she unwrapped hers—the smell of fresh basil completely cut through the fluorescent office air. I had to ask for the recipe immediately. What I loved was how simple it was, yet it tasted like something from a proper Mediterranean kitchen. The pesto-soaked chicken was the secret; it transformed what could have been boring deli-style wrapping into something genuinely special.
I made a batch of these for a beach picnic last summer, and watching people eat them with one hand while holding a drink in the other told me everything I needed to know about whether this recipe worked. No one struggled with it falling apart, everyone went back for seconds, and the basil smell lingered on our fingers for hours in the best way possible.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken breast, shredded or sliced: Use rotisserie chicken if you're short on time—it's already seasoned and tender, and honestly tastes better than chicken you boil at home.
- Basil pesto: Store-bought works beautifully here; there's no shame in it, and it coats the chicken more evenly than you'd expect.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: Fresh mozzarella gets a bit soggy, so stick with the pre-shredded kind or low-moisture varieties.
- Baby spinach leaves: They wilt slightly when they meet the warm chicken, which actually makes them blend in perfectly.
- Tomato, thinly sliced: A ripe tomato makes all the difference; a mealy one will water down your whole wrap.
- Red onion, thinly sliced: The raw sharpness cuts through the richness of the pesto and cheese like a bright note in a song.
- Roasted red peppers: Jarred ones save you an entire step and taste just as good as homemade in this context.
- Large flour tortillas: Ten-inch tortillas give you enough surface area to layer without overstuffing, which is the whole battle.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper: Never skip this final seasoning; it awakens everything you've just layered together.
Instructions
- Coat the chicken with pesto:
- In a medium bowl, toss your cooked chicken with the pesto until every piece glistens and smells like an Italian garden. This is where the magic happens—the pesto becomes the seasoning, the sauce, and the binding all at once.
- Warm your tortillas:
- A quick warm in a dry skillet or 10–15 seconds in the microwave transforms a stiff tortilla into something pliable and forgiving. Cold tortillas crack and split; warm ones roll like they actually want to hold your lunch together.
- Build your wrap:
- Lay the tortilla flat and start with spinach down the center—it acts as a barrier between the warm chicken and the tortilla, preventing sogginess. Layer the pesto chicken next, then mozzarella, tomato, red onion, and peppers if you're using them.
- Season and roll:
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything, then fold in the sides tightly and roll it up like you mean it. A loose wrap is a wrap that falls apart the moment you take a bite.
- Slice and serve:
- Cut diagonally in half so it looks intentional and holds together better. Serve right away, or wrap it in foil for later—it's one of the few wraps that improves slightly as it sits, everything melding together quietly.
Save My son came home from school and grabbed one of these straight from the fridge, and I realized then that the best recipes aren't the ones in magazines—they're the ones that become part of your regular rotation without you even planning for it. This wrap earned that status somewhere between the first lunch I packed and the fifth time someone asked me how I made it.
The Pesto Question
People often ask whether homemade pesto is worth the effort here, and honestly, it depends on how much time you actually have. Store-bought basil pesto carries enough flavor that you're not losing anything essential, but if you have five minutes and a food processor, fresh pesto made with good olive oil and real Parmesan elevates this from quick lunch to something you'd serve at a dinner party. The chicken seems to absorb better pesto more gracefully, holding onto every fleck of basil and garlic.
Protein and Staying Power
These wraps pack 28 grams of protein per serving, which means you're actually full afterward instead of hungry again by 2 p.m. The chicken and cheese do the heavy lifting, and that protein density is why this works so well as a lunch—it bridges that gap between mid-morning snacking and dinner without demanding much from you.
Customizations That Actually Work
The beauty of this wrap is how forgiving it is with swaps. Feta cheese brings a salty sharpness that plays off the pesto differently than mozzarella. Grilled chicken has more texture and depth than plain rotisserie. Whole wheat tortillas add a nuttiness that somehow makes the basil pop even louder. I've tried arugula instead of spinach on a Wednesday when we were out of spinach, and it created this peppery brightness that changed the entire character of the wrap in a good way.
- Grilling the finished wrap on a panini press for 90 seconds melts the cheese and creates a slightly crispy exterior that changes everything.
- A thin spread of sun-dried tomato paste under the spinach adds depth without adding bulk.
- If you skip the roasted red peppers, nobody will notice, but if you add them, everyone will ask what makes it taste like that.
Save There's something quiet and satisfying about a recipe this straightforward that tastes this good. No fussing, no failures, just lunch that actually makes you happy.
Recipe Help & FAQs
- → How do I make the chicken tender for this dish?
Use cooked chicken breast, shredded or thinly sliced, to ensure tenderness and even flavor absorption from the pesto.
- → Can I prepare this dish ahead of time?
Yes, assemble wraps and store them wrapped in foil or parchment in the fridge. For best taste, warm or grill briefly before serving.
- → What types of pesto work best here?
Classic basil pesto is ideal, but nut-free or store-bought versions also complement the flavors well. Adjust according to dietary needs.
- → Are there good cheese alternatives to mozzarella?
Feta or provolone cheeses offer distinct flavors and melt nicely, making them excellent substitutes depending on preference.
- → How can I make the wrap more flavorful?
Try grilling the assembled wrap briefly on a panini press or skillet to melt the cheese and enhance the taste with slight charred notes.