Chicken Wraps with Hummus, Goat Cheese & Chimichurri Sauce

A quick & easy chicken wrap featuring simple ingredients like shredded cooked chicken, hummus, chopped veggies, an addicting homemade chimichurri sauce, and crumbled goat cheese all piled onto your favorite vessel for wraps. Prep these in 20-ish minutes for a fast, flavorful & healthy dinner, or make them ahead for a cold lunch you can bring to work or school. 

Need a new idea for using up leftover chicken? These chicken wraps are hands-down my favorite way to turn cooked chicken meat into a fabulous new meal.

I love them so much that I don't even wait until I have leftover chicken meat to make them.

I purposely buy a rotisserie chicken from the store or cook a whole chicken in my slow cooker JUST so I can fix these wraps for dinner two nights in a row.

Honestly, I could eat them 4 nights in a row, but haven't yet because my better half would probably protest. I might have to test that theory soon. ;)

Today's version with chimichurri sauce (it's sooooo good - you'll literally want to put it on everything) is adapted from my original chicken hummus naan wrap recipe that features roasted red pepper hummus and a quick homemade red wine vinaigrette.

I like to think of it as a Mediterranean-inspired wrap, but I've had so many people tell me it reminds them of gyros (probably because of the soft & chewy naan bread + tomato, cucumber & onion), that I can totally see the similarity.

The beau & I ate the red wine vinaigrette version A LOT back in the summer of '17. (That feels so weird to type. In my head, '17 should refer to 1917, not 2017!!) But, now I'm obsessed with this version because chimichurri + goat cheese makes my belly happy.

That's why I put the latter on my leafy strawberry salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I'm very into tangy, herby things at the moment. :)

One of my other favorite meals from two years ago is this Chimichurri Panzanella Salad with White Beans from With Two Spoons. I could eat this one every night, too!

My favorite part of the salad is the lemony white beans (they're even better the next day), so I tried to recreate some of those same flavors in today's chicken wrap by adding lemon zest & juice, fresh rosemary & crushed red pepper to the hummus.

Lemon zest + rosemary is such a heavenly combo. I bet adding fresh rosemary to my parmesan crusted chicken (with lemon butter sauce) would be stellar!

What is Chimichurri Sauce? 

If you've never tried chimichurri sauce and are wondering whether it's worth making, let me fill you in real quick.

You've had basil pesto, right? That's an herb and olive oil-based sauce with fresh basil & a few other ingredients added for flavor (cheese, pine nuts, salt & pepper & garlic). It's something you blend up in only a few minutes and store in the fridge.

Well, chimichurri sauce is also an herb & oil based sauce but it's much tangier & dairy-free. The main herb is parsley followed by a bit of oregano. You can use fresh or dried herbs, although I prefer fresh.

The other main ingredient, which adds the tangy element, is vinegar (I prefer white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar). Then you throw in some fresh garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Blitz it, taste and adjust flavors & you're good to go.

Chimichurri is so simple to make and uses only a handful of ingredients that you can get year-round. It's also much cheaper to make than basil pesto (unless you're growing your own basil and have a good stash of pine nuts on hand). That's why I often make kale pesto instead.

The best part is you can make chimichurri sauce in 10 minutes or less right before assembling these chicken wraps OR several days ahead of time to make meal prep fast & easy.

Once you have a jar of homemade chimichurri sauce on hand, you'll want to drizzle it on all your salads, wraps, eggs, cooked meats (like pan-seared salmon or cast-iron steak), or grilled or roasted veggies (like roasted green beans or roasted tomatoes). You can even serve it as part of a charcuterie board with some baguette, crackers or veggies for dipping.

What Kind of Wrap Should I Use?

My favorite chicken wrap "vessel" right now is naan bread (an Indian flatbread with yogurt & butter) because it's soft & chewy. It holds up well to all the fillings + extra sauce (I like to pack my wraps with lots of veggies) and the naan doesn't fall apart as I eat it. Pita bread is another option, but honestly, I stopped buying pita bread after trying naan bread. Pita is so much drier in my opinion.

If you're looking for something with fewer carbs than naan bread, a large flour tortilla is a good option. It's big enough for all the fillings, and you can wrap it & cut it in half for easy portability. Do make sure it's big enough for a normal-sized burrito though. The smaller ones don't give you much room to add the ingredients and then wrap it properly.

For a low-carb or keto option, I've had good luck with fresh, not frozen mini cauliflower pizza crusts (also called sandwich thins or wraps depending on the brand). They're made with grated cauliflower, egg, shredded cheese, salt & herbs (some have almond flour, too). I toast them in the oven while I prep everything else, which gives them a slight crust and helps make them sturdier. They are softer and fold into a taco or gyro shape just like the naan bread; however, they're more delicate so you have to eat them two-handed in case they start to fall apart from the bottom.

If you need something that's grain-free or gluten-free, try coconut flour tortillas, almond flour tortillas, or cassava flour tortillas. Note: the store-bought brands I've found are pretty small so you may have to fix two wraps for yourself or bulk up on the side dishes to make it a meal. Another option is to fix homemade coconut flour tortillas so you can make them larger.  

How to Make These Chicken Wraps

• Make a quick batch of homemade chimichurri sauce. You'll need fresh parsley & oregano, vinegar (like white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice wine vinegar), fresh garlic, salt, pepper & crushed red pepper flakes. That's it! This is a good sauce to prep ahead (even though it only takes 10 minutes to make) & keep in the fridge until a little bit before mealtime.
• Toast your naan bread (or preferred wrap vessel). Before I shred my chicken, I usually pop my naan bread into the oven on the LOW broil setting, set a timer so I can flip it halfway, and let it get slightly golden on both sides. That way you get a little bit of crispiness on the outside with the soft, chewy bread on the inside. You could also heat up your wrap in a skillet set to medium heat.
• Shred or chop your cooked chicken. If you're using leftover meat from a rotisserie chicken, you can save yourself a bit of time by shredding the whole thing at once at the beginning of the week to use in meals like these wraps, leafy salads (like cobb salad), a brothy chicken tortilla soup, tacos, or thick chicken noodle soup. 
• Chop the veggies & toss with chimichurri sauce. If I'm using cherry tomatoes, I quarter them; if it's grape tomatoes, I halve them. These days I prefer English or Persian cucumbers (the longer thinner ones) since they have delicate skins without wax so I can eat them without peeling. Red onions I'll cut into thin strips or diced chunks - whatever I feel like at the moment. I pile everything into a bowl and toss with a few tablespoons of chimichurri sauce.
• (Optional) Zest the lemon & chop the rosemary for the hummus: If you want to keep it simple, you can use your favorite flavored hummus and skip this step; however, I love lemon + rosemary with chimichurri sauce so if you want to try that out, stir these mix-ins into your favorite container of plain hummus (or homemade if you're awesome).
• Assemble the wraps: Lay out the naan bread (or other wraps), spread it with hummus, add spring mix and then the chopped chimichurri veggies & goat cheese on one half, and the shredded chicken on the other half. Drizzle everything with a bit more chimichurri to taste, then fold up (or tie with some hemp cord) and eat immediately! 

Can You Make These Chicken Wraps Ahead of Time For a Healthy Lunch or Dinner?

Yep! These wraps make an excellent cold lunch for work or school (be sure to pack a couple of napkins). Prep and assemble everything for the wraps except for the veggies & extra chimichurri sauce (store those separately on the side). Put the chimichurri-tossed veggies + extra sauce onto the wrap just before serving or a few hours before your meal. If you let it sit longer, the juice from the sauce & veggies (specifically the tomatoes) will run onto your wrap and make it soggy. We don't want that.

Sides To Serve with Chicken Wraps

If you're eating this wrap for a healthy make-ahead lunch, you likely won't need a side; however, for dinnertime, you may feel a bit hungrier and want something extra.

Sometimes I'll eat the wrap by itself for dinner (it does have a good balance of carbs, protein & veggies) and other times I'll grab something light to add to the plate.

Here are some ideas:

• kettle chips (I love avocado oil ones)
• red cabbage coleslaw
• potato salad
• roasted or sauteed veggies (like green beans, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower) 
• quinoa or rice
• cottage cheese (I like mine mixed with applesauce)
• fresh fruit (like watermelon, apple slices, red grapes, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, orange segments, or sliced peach)
• a cup of soup (something light & brothy)
• dill pickle spears or sauerkraut (I love tangy foods as sides)

chicken wraps, chicken hummus wraps, homemade, good, healthy, make ahead

Main Dishes

Mediterranean

Yield: 4 wraps

Author: Elaina Newton - The Rising Spoon

Chicken Wraps with Hummus, Goat Cheese & Chimichurri Sauce

prep time: 22 Mcook time: total time: 22 M

A quick & easy chicken wrap featuring simple ingredients like shredded cooked chicken, hummus, chopped veggies, an addicting homemade chimichurri sauce, and crumbled goat cheese all piled onto your favorite vessel for wraps (like naan bread, pita bread, flour tortilla, mini cauliflower pizza crust, etc.). Prep these wraps in 20-ish minutes s for a fast, flavorful & healthy meal any night of the week.

ingredients:

For The Wraps:

• 4 pieces of naan bread OR other wraps like large flour tortillas, mini cauliflower pizza crusts, coconut flour tortillas, etc.
• 1 cup of lemon rosemary hummus  (see below for recipe) OR your favorite flavored hummus
• 4 cups of baby greens (I used spring mix) OR chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or slow cooker whole chicken)
• 2 cups of the veggie mixture with homemade chimichurri sauce (see below for veggie recipe)
• 4 tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese
• For garnish (added to each wrap):
• 2 tablespoons of extra chimichurri sauce (mixed with 2 teaspoons of water to thin it out)

For The Veggie Mixture:

• 1/2 cup of peeled, sliced & quartered cucumber
• 1 cup of quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of peeled & diced red onion
• 3 tablespoons of homemade chimichurri sauce

For The Lemon & Rosemary Hummus (Optional):

• 1 (8 oz) container of plain hummus
• 2 teaspoons of lemon zest (from 1 small lemon)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary
• 2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes

instructions:

How to cook Chicken Wraps with Hummus, Goat Cheese & Chimichurri Sauce

1. Combine the ingredients for the homemade chimichurri sauce in a blender or food processor, blitz until combined, taste and add more vinegar or oil if needed. You can also finely chop everything by hand & combine in a bowl or glass jar. Set the sauce aside to let the flavors develop while you prepare everything else.
2. Lightly toast both sides of the naan bread or other wraps using your oven's LOW broil setting, a skillet set to medium heat, or a toaster oven.  This should take 3-5 minutes. Set a timer so you don't forget about the wraps & so you can flip them halfway if using the broiler. We don't want them to burn!
3. Meanwhile, prep the cucumbers, tomatoes & onion and add them to a medium-sized bowl. Toss the veggies with 3 tablespoons of the chimichurri sauce.
4. Lay the naan bread (or other wraps) on a cutting board or large baking sheet with the inside facing up. 
5. Prepare each wrap as follows: Spread 1/4 cup of hummus across the whole surface, place 1 cup of the baby greens or lettuce on half of the wrap, then the shredded chicken on the other half. Scoop 1/2 cup of the chimichurri veggie mixture on top of the greens, then crumble 1 tablespoon of goat cheese over the veggies.
6. Garnish each chicken wrap by drizzling an extra 2 tablespoons of chimichurri sauce over the chicken & veggies. If the chimichurri sauce is too thick, mix it with 2 teaspoons of water to help thin it out & make it easier to drizzle.
7. Serve the wraps immediately while still flat (letting each person fold it themselves before eating) OR for a pretty presentation, tie a small length of hemp cord or baker's twine around each wrap beforehand. 

NOTES:

The prep time includes making the homemade chimichurri sauce. So, if you fix the sauce ahead of time or are using a bottled brand from the store, you can shave 10 minutes off the total time. It'll only take you 10-12 minutes to assemble these wraps. If you're prepping these for make-ahead lunches or dinners, be sure to store the veggie mixture + extra chimichurri sauce separately & only add both to the assembled wraps right before eating so the bread/wrap doesn't get soggy.

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