Easy Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Wraps With Bagged Salad

Rotisserie Chicken Caesar Wraps With Bagged Salad

A rotisserie chicken Caesar wrap is a practical answer to lunch when you have cooked chicken in the fridge and no interest in turning on the stove. Chop the chicken, toss it with romaine, Parmesan, and Caesar dressing, then roll it into a large tortilla. A Caesar salad kit makes the shopping list shorter; a bag of plain romaine works just as well if you already have dressing and cheese.

The one thing worth paying attention to is moisture. Caesar dressing tastes good on the filling, but a dressed wrap left in the fridge for hours can develop a soft, damp tortilla. Make the wraps just before eating when possible. For a packed lunch, keep the dressing apart until you’re ready to assemble.

What to use

This recipe makes four generously filled wraps. The amount of dressing in a salad kit varies by brand, so taste as you go rather than emptying the packet into the bowl.

Prep time: About 15 minutes
Yield: 4 wraps

• 4 large flour tortillas, about 10 inches (25 cm) across
• 3 cups chopped or shredded cooked rotisserie chicken, about 14 to 16 ounces (400 to 450 g)
• 4 packed cups chopped romaine, about 6 ounces (170 g), from a Caesar salad kit or a bag of plain romaine
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Caesar dressing (60 to 80 ml), from the kit or a bottle
• 1/3 cup grated or shaved Parmesan, about 1 ounce (30 g), including any cheese supplied with the kit
• 1/2 cup croutons, optional, including any supplied with the kit
• Freshly ground black pepper, optional

A Caesar kit may contain enough cheese and croutons for the recipe, or just a small packet of each. There’s no need to measure those packets precisely. Use what’s included and add more Parmesan if the filling needs it. If your kit contains less than four cups of romaine, make slightly smaller wraps or add more lettuce from another bag.

White meat, dark meat, or both?

Breast meat and leg meat both work in chicken Caesar wraps. White meat gives the filling a mild flavor but can seem dry if it’s been refrigerated; a little dressing helps. Dark meat tends to stay moist and has a richer flavor. A mix is an easy way to use the chicken you have.

Remove the skin and bones, then cut larger pieces into bite-size chunks. Shredded chicken is fine, but avoid long strands that pull the filling out with the first bite. Check through the meat as you chop, especially if you’re using pieces close to the bones. Cold chicken can go straight into the wrap as long as it was stored safely after purchase.

Assemble the wraps

1. Prepare the lettuce. If you’re using plain romaine, wash it if needed and dry it thoroughly. Salad-kit lettuce may be labeled ready to eat; follow the package instructions. Chop large leaves into pieces that will stay inside the tortilla.

2. Dress the chicken and lettuce. Put the chicken and romaine in a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of Caesar dressing and toss gently. The filling should be lightly coated, not sitting in dressing. Add a little more, up to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) total, if it seems dry. Toss in the Parmesan and a few grinds of pepper.

3. Fill the tortillas. Lay a tortilla flat and place one-quarter of the filling in a short mound just below its center. Leave several inches clear on both sides. If using croutons, scatter about two tablespoons over the filling now. Large croutons can be broken into smaller pieces so the tortilla rolls without tearing.

4. Roll and serve. Fold the sides toward the filling. Bring the bottom edge up and over it, tuck gently, and roll the wrap away from you. Set it seam-side down for a minute before cutting it in half. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

A large, flexible tortilla is easier to roll than a small one. If yours feels stiff, a few seconds in the microwave can make it more pliable, though warming it is optional. Let a warmed tortilla cool before adding cold lettuce. If the filling spills out as you roll, use a little less in each wrap and serve the extra salad alongside.

Keep the tortilla from getting soggy

Dry lettuce and a light hand with the dressing do most of the work. Water left on washed romaine can dampen a tortilla just as quickly as excess dressing. If the chicken is sitting in liquid in its container, lift it out before chopping rather than tipping that liquid into the salad bowl.

Dress only the filling you plan to eat soon. If you’re making several lunches at once, store the chicken, romaine, dressing, and croutons separately. Once dressed, the lettuce wilts and the croutons soften, even when the tortilla is still intact.

Croutons add some of the crunch of a Caesar salad, but they’re optional. Add them immediately before rolling. Small pieces distribute more evenly and are less likely to poke through the tortilla. Another option is to skip them inside the wrap and pack them on the side.

For a wrap that needs to sit briefly before eating, spread the filling down the center rather than across the whole tortilla, and leave the edges clear of dressing. Wrap it snugly in parchment or foil after rolling. That holds the shape and makes lunch easier to handle, but it won’t keep a dressed wrap crisp all day.

Pack a chicken Caesar wrap for lunch

The best packed version is assembled at lunchtime. Put the chicken in one sealed container, the dry romaine and Parmesan in another, and the dressing in a small leakproof container. Keep the croutons and tortilla dry. At lunch, toss the chicken and lettuce with dressing, add the cheese and croutons, and roll the wrap.

If you need to leave home with a finished wrap, make it that morning and use less dressing than you would for a wrap eaten immediately. You can pack a little extra dressing separately for dipping. Wrap each tortilla tightly, place it seam-side down in a container, and keep it cold until lunch. Expect the lettuce to be softer than it would be in a freshly made wrap.

Rotisserie chicken is a perishable cooked food. Refrigerate it promptly after purchase, and keep the chicken and prepared wraps at 40°F (4°C) or colder. An insulated lunch bag with a frozen cold pack is useful when a refrigerator isn’t available. Don’t leave a chicken wrap at room temperature for more than two hours, or more than one hour when the temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Use refrigerated cooked chicken within three to four days; if you won’t use it in that time, freeze the meat separately.

Adjust the filling to what you have

A Caesar salad kit is convenient because the dressing, cheese, and croutons come together, but its packets aren’t necessarily sized for four chicken-filled tortillas. If there’s only a little dressing, divide it among fewer wraps or supplement it with bottled Caesar. With plain bagged romaine, use the measured dressing and Parmesan in the ingredient list.

You can also change the amount of chicken or lettuce without changing the method. More lettuce makes a lighter wrap but takes up space quickly, so choose a larger tortilla or divide the filling among more wraps. If you have only a cup or two of leftover chicken, make two wraps and save the remaining romaine for a salad. A small squeeze of lemon can brighten a rich dressing, but add it to the filling just before serving so it doesn’t add moisture during storage.

A useful way to finish a rotisserie chicken

These wraps make good use of both breast and leg meat without reheating either. For the best texture, keep the romaine dry, use enough dressing to coat the filling lightly, and add croutons at the last minute. Eat freshly rolled wraps right away; for lunch away from home, carry the parts chilled and put them together when you’re ready to eat.