Crispy Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps
Low-effort and high reward, these chicken Caesar lettuce wraps are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Lettuce cups piled with crispy chicken, shards of salty parmesan, and a creamy homemade Caesar dressing that’ll have you licking the spoon. Endlessly versatile, high protein, low carb and so good!
Erica’s Thoughts
Say hello to the first recipe in my series… Embarrassingly Easy Dinners ft. Costco Shortcuts!
This one really is embarrassingly easy. 😬 Cute little artisan romaine lettuce cups filled with a piece of juicy chicken, crispy parmesan cheese and my favorite homemade caesar dressing. Now listen, could you use regular romaine lettuce? Yes, yes you could. But there’s something about that petite, ‘artisan’ romaine at Costco that I find perfect for lettuce cups.
Second, could you use a store-bought Caesar dressing? Absolutely. But if there’s one thing about me, I will be making the dressing. Any dressing or sauce really, but especially Caesar dressing, I love it!
This recipe is actually… not really a recipe at all lol. More of like an *idea* that you can take and make your own. Wrap up the crispy parmesan, lettuce, chicken and dressing in a tortilla, toast it on all sides in a little olive oil and boom, you have the best chicken caesar wrap. Assemble your lettuce wraps and then give everything a rough chop, and you’ll have a rustic, craggy chicken Caesar salad.
The chicken game is very loose here – this beautifully seasoned meal prep chicken is super yummy but utilizing a Costco shortcut like the Realgood Foods crispy chicken tenders or other prepared frozen chicken option saves a ton of time. Another great option is rotisserie chicken.
I make these with my homemade Caesar dressing for Ka-La and I and then make the girls’ wraps with ranch dressing which they love. WINNING.
What You’ll Need to Make Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps
Lettuce: Artisan or petite romaine or butter lettuce leaves work best; sturdy enough to hold the filling but tender enough to bite through.
Chicken: Grilled chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or some type of prepared chicken from the frozen section like the Realgood Foods or Bare options from Costco.
Parmesan cheese: From a block y’all, not pre-grated! The Parmesan cheese from Costco is, by far, the best in terms of both quality and price. You could also use Pecorino Romano cheese for the same vibe.
Caesar dressing: snag a good-quality premade variety or whip up my easy creamy caesar dressing featuring simple ingredients like mayo, dijon mustard, lemon juice, anchovy paste and fresh garlic!
Fresh herbs: optional, but y’all know how I feel about herbs. Green onion, basil and parsley are all great options.
How to Make Chicken Caesar Wraps
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread 2oz finely grated parmesan cheese into a thin, even layer and bake for 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely, then break into shards.
Place all dressing ingredients in a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the wraps. Use 1-2 lettuce leaves per wrap and spread a dollop of Caesar dressing on each.
Top with chicken, 4-5 parmesan crisps, an extra drizzle of dressing, fresh basil, and a crack of black pepper.
Variation Ideas
- Protein ideas: use crispy chickpeas or tofu for a vegetarian wrap or shrimp for a pescatarian version.
- Veggies: add avocado, red onion, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes or any other veggies you love.
- Lettuce alternatives: I recommend butter lettuce, iceberg lettuce or romaine for sturdy leaves that are still easy to eat.
- Chicken Caesar salad wrap: for a traditional wrap, roll everything in a tortilla!
- Chicken Caesar salad: give everything a rough chop and eat it with a fork.
FAQs
In the photos I’m using Realgood Foods crispy chicken tenders – they’re gluten and grain free with a simple ingredient list, which I appreciate in a convenience food. I’ve also made these with my meal prep chicken (amazing) and rotisserie chicken. Really any leftover chicken works!
Yep! All of the ingredients are things you could easily find at a ‘regular’ grocery store like Kroger, Target, etc. If you can’t find artisan or petite romaine, opt for butter or iceberg lettuce leaves. You can use any chicken shortcut that you love.
It’s right by the tuna in the canned fish aisle, usually up high on the shelf in a box. You can find it at nearly any major grocery retailer. If you can’t find the paste, you can use one whole anchovy!
Swap the chicken for pan-fried tofu planks or crispy chickpeas.
I’d store the components separately—each in an airtight container —and assemble the lettuce cups as you’re ready to eat them. I store washed lettuce wrapped in a clean paper towel in a gallon Ziploc bag. The dressing is good for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Costco actually does carry Parmesan crisps. I don’t like them near as baking up some fresh parmesan until crispy, but if you do then that’s definitely an option!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
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Crispy Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes (depending on chicken)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: varies
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Air Fry/Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
A lettuce hug wrapped around tender chicken, crispy parmesan and luscious homemade Caesar dressing – these light and flavorful wraps are your new weeknight obsession.
Ingredients
Wraps
- lettuce (petite romaine or butter lettuce leaves)
- chicken (prepared crispy chicken breast tenders or grilled or roasted chicken breast)
- crispy parmesan (recipe follows)
- Caesar dressing, prepared or homemade (recipe follows)
- fresh basil or green onions, for serving
Crispy parmesan
- 2oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
Caesar dressing
- 3/4 cup mayo (I use kewpie mayo from Costco)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1–2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1oz)
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Parmesan crisps: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread freshly grated parmesan cheese in a thin, even layer. Bake for 12 minutes, until parmesan cheese is golden brown. As it cools, it will crisp up and you can break it into pieces for the wraps.
- Dressing: In a small blender or food processor blend ¾ cup mayo, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1-2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan, ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper, and 3 tablespoons olive oil until smooth and creamy. You may need to adjust with a tablespoon or so of water, based on your desired consistency. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt and pepper, extra squeeze of lemon, drizzle of olive oil, etc. per your tastes.
- Chicken: Cook chicken per package or recipe directions. I like making these particular chicken tenders in my air fryer for max crispiness.
- Wraps: Use 1-2 lettuce leaves per wrap and add a dollop of dressing to each. Layer in a piece of chicken, 4-5 parmesan crisps, extra drizzle of dressing and sprinkle of fresh herbs and black pepper. That’s it! Dinner is served.
I love to eat these with a handful of cherry tomatoes or sautèed green beans on the side. You could absolutely take all of these things and wrap them in a tortilla for a ‘regular’ style wrap that’s a little more hearty. OR you could give everything a very rough chop and eat a rustic and epically delicious chicken Caesar salad.
Notes
Dressing is good for two weeks in the fridge.
Refer to the above blog post for step-by-step photos and answers to frequently asked questions.
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 crispy chicken tenders + lettuce + 1/2oz parmesan crisps + 2 tablespoons dressing
- Calories: 382
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 967.4 mg
- Fat: 26.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 5.2 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 29.3 g
- Cholesterol: 81.7 mg
I made these for dinner tonight and my partner asked me if they were difficult to make. When I said they couldn’t be easier, he was surprised and impressed. Definitely a win in our house!
Yaaay, this is fabulous to hear Stacie! Glad your household liked them and thank you for your review, I really appreciate it!
This meal is not only delicious, but has helped me stay in a calorie deficit without feeling like I’ve given up all the foods I love!
Love to hear it Amber, thank you for your review!
I made these over the weekend and they are super easy and delicious! My favorite store bought chicken strips are from Trader Joe’s. Easy to crisp up in the oven or air fryer.
Yay, thank you Emily! I’ll have to try those chicken strips from TJs, I’ve never had them before!
Made these for dinner last night, but breaded and fried my own chicken because I didn’t have any frozen chicken strips. DELICIOUS, my husband and kids all devoured them. Another banger, Erica!!!