crispy chicken wrap

crispy chicken wraps have become my go-to for a quick, fulfilling meal, mixing the satisfying crunch of breaded chicken with fresh, lettuce and a creamy sauce, all wrapped up in a soft tortilla.

this crispy chicken wrap takes the classic fast food favourite to a new level, featuring tender chicken with a golden crust, nestled alongside crisp romaine lettuce in a soft tortilla. top with a big dollop of garlicky mayo and a sprinkle of cheese for the perfect lunch!

why you will love this crispy chicken wrap recipe:

• combo of textures: as someone who is very into textures when it comes to food, i love how the combination of crunchy, creamy, cheesy and soft gives me the perfect bite every time.

• fast food but make it better: these crispy chicken wraps offer a homemade alternative to the drive-thru without sacrificing flavour. perfect if you’re craving your favourite fast food meal but with better flavour and fresh ingredients.

how to make these crispy chicken wraps:

to make these chicken wraps, we need to marinate chicken, coat in flour and fry until golden and crispy. then we’ll assemble our wrap, starting with a soft tortilla and loading it up with breaded chicken, crunchy lettuce, cheese and a creamy garlic sauce.

ingredients you will need:

• chicken – for this recipe, i use chicken breast, cut into strips. we’ll be marinating the chicken with some spices before coating and frying.

• salt and black pepper – adjust to your taste. salt will be used in the marination and both salt and pepper will be used in the seasoned flour mixture.

• red chilli powder – this will be used in both the marination and the flour mixture in small amounts, just to add a little kick of spice.

• vinegar – i used distilled white vinegar in the chicken marination to help tenderise the chicken.

• flour and cornstarch – we’ll be using a mixture of plain flour/all purpose flour and cornstarch for the coating because we want to make our crispy chicken extra crispy.

• onion powder and garlic powder – seasonings for the flour mixture.

• paprika – this will also be used in the flour mixture for some extra colour.

• cold water – the chicken will be dunked in a bowl full of cold water after coating in flour. this is a good egg-free alternative to getting that crispy coating, and i’ve found that i actually prefer it to using egg when making fried chicken.

• oil – use any neutral oil for frying. i usually use sunflower oil but you can use anything e.g. safflower oil, canola oil, etc. olive oil is not a good option for frying due to its low smoke point.

• tortillas – the base of our crispy chicken wraps.

• cheese – any cheese of your choice will work just fine.i used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella.

• lettuce – this will add an extra layer of crunchiness to your chicken wraps. make sure it’s fresh. i find that romaine lettuce works best for these.

• mayo – this will be the base of our sauce.

• sour cream – i like to mix the mayo with sour cream to make this sauce. it adds a nice, light feel to it that works well with the heaviness of the crispy chicken.

• other seasonings – mustard powder, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder and dried parsley will add some extra flavour to our creamy sauce.

  tools:

• 2 wide bowls – you will need these for the cold water and the flour mixture. make sure they are wide so that you can dip the chicken in with ease.

• wire skimmer – this is really helpful for draining any excess oil when frying.

• wire rack – place your fried chicken on a wire rack once it’s done to get rid of excess oil.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: cut chicken into strips. add chicken to a bowl, then add salt, red chilli powder and white vinegar and mix. cover this and leave to marinate for around thirty minutes.

step two: in another bowl, make your flour mixture. add flour, cornstarch, salt, red chilli powder, paprika, onion powder, black pepper and garlic powder. mix all of this together.

step three: add chicken strips into the flour mix and make sure it’s nicely coated with the mixture.

step four: once the chicken is coated, dunk it in a bowl of cold water for a few seconds, then add it back to the flour mixture bowl. you can dip each piece of chicken individually or add them all into a wire skimmer and dunk that in, letting the water drain out once you lift it out.

step five: coat the chicken with the flour mixture once again, this time pressing it in and squeezing it to create nice clumps.

step six: shake off excess flour, then fry chicken until golden and crispy.

step seven: remove chicken from the oil using a wire skimmer to drain out any excess oil. you can also place the fried chicken on a wire rack for a minute or two to remove excess oil as well.

step eight: warm up your tortilla so that it’s soft and easy to wrap and then load it up with whatever you like! i opted for some crunchy romaine lettuce, a creamy garlic mayo sauce, our fried chicken and then a sprinkle of cheese at the end.

step nine: wrap up your tortilla – be careful not to overfill your wrap or it will break. toasting it once wrapped is optional, but i decided to skip this step as i like the contrast between the cool, crunchy lettuce, the hot chicken and the soft tortilla.

step ten: serve up, and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• when you are cutting your chicken, make sure it’s not cut too thick as this will take a lot longer to cook. thinner strips are quicker and easier to fry.

• be sure to warm your tortilla slightly and get straight to filling it up. once it cools, it will harden and be more difficult to wrap.

• when filling up your wrap, avoid using too much sauce at the bottom since this can cause the wrap to become soggy and fall apart. you can always have more sauce at the side as a dip for your wrap.

• if you’re looking for a healthier option for this crispy chicken wrap, you can skip the flour tortilla and have this as a lettuce wrap instead. just wrap your chicken and other fillings in some crunchy romaine lettuce and you’re good to go.

• the secret to that crispy kfc-style texture is all about the clumps of flour – really work the chicken into the flour when it comes to your second coat. press it into the flour mix and squeeze it, don’t be too gentle. when you lift it up and shake off any excess, you should be able to see all the clumps and ridges that give it texture.

• if you’re worried about not knowing whether your oil is hot enough, using a kitchen oil thermometer will make it easier for you.

• when it comes to storing these crispy chicken wraps, i would recommend storing the fillings separately in the fridge so that they’re as crispy and fresh as possible when you eat them. you can warm up the chicken in an air fryer then assemble your wraps whenever you’re craving one.

frequently asked questions

1. can i use egg instead of water for the coating?

   – yes you can. i like to dip the chicken in water because it’s easier than cracking open an egg and i find that it produces equally as crispy chicken as dipping in egg does. it’s also great for those who might not be able to have eggs in their diet for whatever reason. if you would prefer to use egg, that’s absolutely fine as well.

2. what can i serve these crispy chicken wraps with?

   – this crispy chicken wrap is incredibly filling all on its own, but if you’re looking for some sides to pair it with, i think it would be great with some crispy fries or potato wedges, or even sweet potato fries if you want something on the healthier side.

3. what other sauces could i use in this wrap?

   – i like to use a creamy but light, mayo and sour cream based garlic sauce for my wraps, but i think a number of different sauces would work well with them – something like sweet chilli or sriracha mayo would add a little spice that would compliment them well. you could even make a crispy chicken caesar wrap by swapping cheddar for parmesan, adding some croutons and using a creamy caesar salad dressing instead of the garlic sauce.

4. how do i roll up my wraps without breaking them?

   – make sure your wrap is slightly warm so that it’s soft and pliable. this will make it easier to wrap. don’t add too much sauce at the bottom of your wrap as this might make it soggy. add your filling to the centre and make sure not to overfill it. fold in both sides of the wrap on either side of the filling, until only a small amount of filling is visible through the gap. then, while you are holding these sides, bring the bottom of the wrap over the filling and keep rolling until the wrap is tight and secure. push any filling that’s escaping back in, and hold everything tightly so that the wrap remains intact.

recipe