Crispy Chicken Wrap

A fun little cafe-style offering, my crispy chicken wrap has all of the flavorful fixings we love in a juicy sandwich, along with an irresistible sauce to tie it all together. Brimming with buttermilk-marinated chicken breast tenders dredged in seasoned flour then shallow-fried until crispy, plus bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion and a creamy honey-Dijon sauce, this chicken wrap recipe makes for the perfect little lunch or light dinner!

I really adore a unique wrap, and when it’s folded together with flavorful, juicy and savory ingredients such as crispy chicken, fresh veggies and a tangy sauce, then I’m definitely all in.

This crispy chicken wrap is one that I really enjoy, because, in full transparency, I’m a total sucker for chicken strips…

I mean, hot and fresh out of the oil, with that seasoned, crispy outer texture and that juicy, tender interior, what’s not to love?

Let me tell you, crispy chicken strips make for a really mouthwatering wrap with a few bells and whistles added in!

My recipe here features crispy bacon, slices of juicy tomato, fresh greens, red onion, plus a sweet-tangy honey-Dijon sauce drizzled over everything for a bit of flair.

And now that I’m listing all of these scrumptious ingredients, I’m kinda thinking I’m a lot more partial to my own homemade wrap recipes than my favorite cafe’s!

My Crispy Chicken Wrap Recipe with Honey-Dijon Sauce
A fresh, delicious wrap can be prepared with just a few simple ingredients, including the tasty sauce.

To get started, I marinate my chicken breast tenders in seasoned buttermilk for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight if I’m prepping ahead.
While the chicken marinates, I prepare my honey-Dijon sauce in my food processor (you can also use a whisk and a bowl), and set that aside in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
Once the chicken tenders are marinated, I fry them until golden-brown, and allow them to drain on a wire rack.
To assemble, I add a couple of crispy chicken strips to the bottom of my wrap, drizzle over some honey-Dijon sauce, add some bacon, tomato, lettuce and red onion, then wrap it all up, nice and cozy, and enjoy.

Crispy Chicken Wrap Ingredients:

1 pound skinless chicken breast tenderloins, sliced in half length-wise to create thinner strips
1 cup buttermilk
Salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 large clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Peanut oil, for frying
4 flatbread wraps
Romaine lettuce greens
Tomato slices
Red onion slices
4 slices crispy bacon, cut in half to make 8 smaller pieces
Honey-Dijon Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon minced chives

Preparation:
To begin, gather and prep all of the crispy chicken wrap ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
To marinate the chicken, place the sliced chicken breast tenderloins into a bowl, and pour the buttermilk over top. Add in about 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper, plus the pressed garlic clove, and toss to mix well. Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight, if making ahead.
While the chicken marinates, gather and prep all of your honey-Dijon sauce ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized.
To prep the sauce, place all of the ingredients except for the chives into the bowl of a food processor (or, you can use a bowl and a whisk for this), and process until completely smooth and creamy. Add the sauce to a bowl, then fold the chives in, and taste to see if additional salt/pepper is needed. Chill until ready to use.
Once the chicken is marinated, drain the buttermilk very well. Add the flour, along with the paprika, the ground white pepper, and a couple of pinches of salt and black pepper, to a large zip-lock bag. Then, add the chicken strips into the bag and shake it up really vigorously, coating the chicken in the seasoned flour.
Remove the coated chicken and place onto a plate to hold.
Add enough oil to a large cast-iron skillet (or other pan/skillet) to come up about 1-2 inches, and heat the oil until hot (about 360°). Working in batches, add in some of the chicken strips and fry for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack, and repeat until all chicken tenders are fried.
To assemble the crispy chicken wrap, place a flatbread wrap in front of you and add to the center about 2 or 3 of the chicken strips. Drizzle over a generous amount of the honey-Dijon sauce, then top with some of the greens, a couples of pieces of bacon, some of the tomato slices, and some of the red onion, and fold over (you can wrap in parchment paper for easier serving). Serve either warm or cold.
Tips & Tidbits for my Crispy Chicken Wrap recipe:
Chicken breast tenderloins for tender, juicy results: While you can absolutely use skinless, boneless chicken breasts and cut them into strip-size pieces, I love keeping things simple and using the breast tenderloins for ease. And because they are the tenderloin, they’re already extra tender and juicy, and the perfect size for this wrap.
Marinate in seasoned buttermilk for extra flavor: What’s not to love about buttermilk fried chicken strips, right? The buttermilk is not only tenderizing, but adds lots of additional flavor. You can skip this step, and head directly to dredging in the seasoned flour, but the buttermilk makes a very tasty difference.
Peanut oil for extra crispy chicken: These days, whenever I fry, I opt for peanut oil. It has a high smoke point, neutral flavor, and makes foods extra crispy and delicious. You can substitute vegetable oil or canola oil, even avocado, if you prefer.
Turkey bacon in place of pork: If you happen to not eat pork, or you’re looking for a leaner option, a terrific and smoky substitute is turkey bacon.
Flatbread wraps, or other good wrapping options: I get the flatbread wraps from Trader Joe’s, but you could use a soft and pliable pita bread, or even lavash for these.