Save There's something about wrapping up lunch with your own hands that makes it taste better than anything pre-made ever could. I discovered pesto chicken wraps during a particularly chaotic Tuesday when I'd promised myself I'd stop buying sad desk lunches. What started as a pantry raid—some leftover rotisserie chicken, a jar of pesto I'd been saving—turned into something so good that I started meal-prepping them weekly. The combination of warm, tender chicken coated in herbaceous pesto with the cool crunch of fresh vegetables just clicked for me in a way simple sandwiches never did.
I remember bringing these to work and watching my coworker literally stop mid-sentence to ask what smelled so good. Turned out she'd been surviving on sad turkey sandwiches for months, and suddenly we were both wrapping these together on Friday afternoons before heading into the weekend. There's something oddly bonding about sharing a recipe that makes people genuinely excited about lunch.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken breast, 2 cups shredded or sliced: Use a good quality rotisserie chicken if you're short on time, or poach your own for better control—it stays juicier when you don't overcook it.
- Basil pesto, 1/3 cup: Store-bought works perfectly fine here; don't feel pressured to make it from scratch unless you're already doing it.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup: Freshly shredded melts more evenly than pre-shredded, but either works—just don't go overboard or the wrap gets too heavy.
- Baby spinach leaves, 1 cup: The delicate leaves won't add bulk like regular spinach, and they wilt slightly when the warm chicken touches them, which is exactly what you want.
- Tomato, 1 medium, thinly sliced: Use the ripest one you can find; a watery or mealy tomato will make your wrap soggy, so taste a slice first.
- Red onion, 1/2 small, thinly sliced: The sharp bite cuts through the richness of the pesto and cheese—this is non-negotiable.
- Roasted red peppers, 1/2 cup sliced: Optional, but they add sweetness and a silky texture that makes the wrap feel more luxurious than it has any right to be.
- Large flour tortillas, 4 ten-inch: The size matters—too small and everything squishes out the sides, too thin and it tears under the weight of the filling.
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste: Don't skip the final seasoning; it's the difference between good and craveable.
Instructions
- Coat the chicken in pesto:
- Grab a medium bowl and toss your cooked chicken with the pesto until every piece is glossy and coated. This is where the magic happens—the pesto is your seasoning, your sauce, everything all at once.
- Warm your tortillas:
- A 10 to 15 second blast in the microwave or a quick pass in a dry skillet makes them pliable and way less likely to tear when you're building and rolling. Cold tortillas crack; warm ones bend.
- Build your wrap:
- Lay a tortilla flat and create a line of spinach down the center—this acts as a barrier so the pesto doesn't immediately soak into the wrap and make it soggy. Layer the warm pesto chicken on top, then cheese, tomato, red onion, and peppers if you're using them.
- Season and seal:
- Hit everything with a pinch of salt and pepper, then fold in the sides about an inch and a half and roll it up tight like you mean it. A loose wrap is a falling-apart wrap.
- Slice and serve:
- Cut diagonally in half (it looks better and the angle keeps things tucked in better) and eat immediately, or wrap it in foil if you're taking it somewhere.
Save The best version of this wrap happened on a Friday in late September when I took one to a pottery class and ate it with clay dust still on my hands. My friend across the table looked at me eating casually while doing something creative, and she said, 'That's the dream right there'—and she wasn't wrong. Sometimes the best food is just the one that fits into your actual life without demanding a formal lunch break.
Why This Beats a Sandwich
Wraps have this under-appreciated advantage: the tortilla hugs all the ingredients instead of letting them escape out the sides like a sandwich does. Everything stays together, the flavors mingle instead of separating, and you actually taste the whole thing as a single bite instead of chasing tomato slices around a plate. Plus, a wrap is easier to eat one-handed while doing literally anything else.
How to Make It Travel
If you're wrapping these for a lunch box or picnic, here's the trick: assemble it completely but wrap it tightly in parchment paper or foil, and it'll stay together beautifully for hours. The paper creates just enough moisture control to keep things from getting soggy, but your wrap won't dry out either. I've taken these on hikes, to the beach, and even on a road trip where they sat in a cooler for four hours and were still delicious.
Small Tweaks That Change Everything
Once you get the basic wrap down, it becomes a canvas for whatever's in your kitchen. I've added sliced avocado when I had one, swapped the mozzarella for crumbled feta on days when I felt like something more tangy, and even tried sun-dried tomato pesto instead of basil when I was bored. The beautiful part is that the formula is flexible enough to handle experiments without falling apart.
- If you want warm, crispy wraps, brush them lightly with a bit of oil and sear them on a hot skillet or panini press for 2 minutes per side.
- Make a batch on Sunday and store them wrapped tightly in the fridge for quick weekday lunches that taste like you actually tried.
- Double the pesto coating on the chicken if you like bold flavor; it's almost impossible to overdo it here.
Save These wraps are proof that the best lunch isn't the fanciest one—it's the one that actually happens because you made it yourself. A few good ingredients, five minutes of assembly, and you've got something better than anything wrapped in plastic.
Recipe FAQ
- → What type of chicken is best for this dish?
Cooked chicken breast, shredded or sliced, works best to keep the wrap tender and protein-rich.
- → Can I use homemade pesto instead of store-bought?
Yes, homemade basil pesto adds a fresher flavor and can be customized to taste.
- → What vegetables complement the pesto chicken filling?
Baby spinach, tomato slices, red onion, and roasted red peppers bring freshness and texture.
- → How can I make the wrap more portable?
Wrap tightly in foil or parchment and chill slightly to keep ingredients together for on-the-go meals.
- → Are there good cheese alternatives to mozzarella here?
Feta or provolone can be used for different flavor profiles and creaminess.