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Switching up Tuesday night with these Folded Crispy Chipotle Chicken Wraps. Spicy chipotle chicken, rice, peppers, spicy ranch, and a little cheddar cheese, all folded up in wraps, then pan-fried until warm and crispy. These easy wraps come together quickly. They’re crunchy on the outside, and spicy and cheesy inside. Serve them up with the most deliciously creamy, spicy ranch, and tajin. Great for both lunch and dinner, but equally fun for upcoming Cinco de Mayo.
Well, aren’t these fun? I have been excited to share these all week long. They’re easy, but yet so delicious and so much fun! A cross between a wrap and a warm, cheesy quesadilla. They’re crispy outside, but cheesy inside, and full of so much flavor!
So the quick story, and I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but chicken quesadillas were one of the first things I made for my brothers after we moved to Colorado. They’re one of the foods that really got me hooked on cooking. They’d come home from snowboarding around four o’clock and be starving. We would usually have leftover chicken and tortillas, so I started making them quesadillas.
At first, these started out pretty simple, but over time I got better and better at making them. Soon they were requesting these quesadillas pretty much every day. They even preferred them to their beloved Chipotle burritos.
I swear I was making them quesadillas four or five times a week. Pretty much any day they’d go out snowboarding. At some point, I started to do two things that really made my quesadillas better than any others.
First, I’d sprinkle the chicken with taco seasoning…and a lot of it. Usually the chicken was already cooked, but with no seasoning. So I’d add the taco seasoning we had in the pantry…this was the KEY. It gave everything so much flavor and a little kick too.
Second, the rice. We almost always had leftover rice in the fridge and one day I sprinkled some into the quesadillas. The day I did that, they never looked back. The rice sealed the deal and made for a complete all-in-one meal. Like a burrito with all the fixings, but better, because the crispy pan-fried tortillas are really everyone’s favorites.
Here are the details
They are SIMPLE.
Pick up some chicken, brown the meat, add seasonings, and fold each one up into cheesy wraps with rice and spicy ranch. Pan fry until crispy!
Doesn’t get any easier, yet this is a dinner that everyone will love.
Over the years, I feel like I’ve kind of perfected the taco seasoning mix. It’s just a touch spicy, a little smoky, and hinted with garlic. I use a mix of chipotle chili powder (key ingredient) and smoked paprika to keep the chicken extra flavorful.
Once the chicken is cooked, mix up a quick homemade ranch….but make it spicy!
I use fresh cilantro and plenty of lime in place of the usual herb mix, then I stir in some jalapeños for a spicy kick. This is the perfect sauce to swirl into each wrap.
Now assemble.
I took a lot of photos so you could see how this is done, but guys it’s easy. Make a cut down the center of your tortillas, then add the chicken to one corner, and the rice and peppers to another corner, and finally the cheese to another. Fold it all up, then pan-fry.
So you’ve got….
One-quarter of chipotle chicken.
Another quarter of rice, peppers, and cilantro.
A quarter full of spicy ranch.
And finally a quarter full of cheese.
Fold it all up into one triangle.
As the wraps cook, the cheese on the outer layer melts out a bit and the most magical thing happens. The cheese melts onto the skillet and becomes crispy and almost fried. It’s really good.
And then, everything else cooks together into a wrap that’s crispy on the outside, but cheesy and saucy inside.
And the final thing? A sprinkle of tajin on top of each wrap just after it comes out of the skillet. It adds a salty, spicy touch with hints of lime. SO DELICIOUS.
If you wanted to take the toppings a step further, I would recommend a little mango on the side, sprinkled with more of that tajin. But you all know me, I love a good fruity salsa. Oh, and maybe add a nice margarita too. This spicy Spicy Cucumber Margarita is my personal favorite.
Looking for a few other fun Mexican dinner ideas? Try these…
Crockpot Carne Asada Tacos with Cilantro Lime Garlic Sauce
Lastly, if you make these Folded Crispy Chipotle Chicken Wraps be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Folded Crispy Chipotle Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large tortillas (burrito size)
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 poblano pepper chopped
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- tajin, for serving , (optional)
Spicy Ranch
- 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 jalapeño seeded (if desired) and chopped
- juice from 2 limes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and onion. Cook until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt. Add 3/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly around the chicken, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.2. Meanwhile, make the ranch. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake or stir until creamy. 3. To assemble, cut down from the center of the tortilla to the edge (see above photo). Spread the chicken in the bottom left corner, then add a spoon of rice, a few poblano peppers, and cilantro on the top left corner. Spread the ranch on the top right corner, and the cheese on the bottom right corner (see photos for visuals). Fold the chicken over the rice. Then, working clock-wise, folding that quarter over the ranch. And finally, fold that quarter over the cheese.4. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet, add 1 wrap and cook 2-3 minutes per side until crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle the wraps with tajin and lime zest. Serve warm with additional ranch, avocado, and any other desired toppings.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
OMG , these are fantastic! the taste and the crunchiness are superb! Kinda messy to get in and out of the pan, but sooooo good
Hey Jodi,
Love to hear this!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! ☀️xTieghan
Easy and good! Rave review across four generations we had for dinner. Easily customizable for heat preference.
Hey there,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out! ☀️xx
This recipe is SO good! It is easy but a ton of little steps.. so I would say it does take more then 30 mins to make!
Hey Dani,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Another hit with the family. I’m going to keep this spice mix ready to go… it’s perfect ?? ?
Hey Melissa,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xxT
One of our favorites, we use the spices and chicken in a lot of other things too. How long is the jalepeno ranch good for in the fridge? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Melissa,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! I would say 2 weeks in the fridge. Have a great week:) xx
This was amazing! My teenage boys wanted to cook for us and they choose this… I had Some supervision but..they did great! The chicken seasoning will be my go to for tacos from now on…perfect!
Hey Susan,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Holy cow this was freaking delicious!!! I’ve never made anything like this before! This was my fiance and i’s lunch today – he is on his 3rd helping right now! Another fabulous recipe by you that we will be adding to our rotation!
Hey Sarah,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xxTieghan
Hi Tieghan, are these the wraps you said you could freeze in your story’s today?
BTW I love every single thing you cook.
Hi Jacqui,
Yes, that would work well for you! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Oh my .gawsh, Miss Tieghan!!
First, thank you for the awesome recipe!
I have made this soooo many times already!
I’ve made it with chicken, but also take a Mexican spice marinated sirloin tip roast that I’ve slow cooked and shredded.
The Ranch Dressing is the best! Absolutely necessary!
Some avocado or guacamole is a delicious addition, too!
Hi Donna,
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!? xx
Made this recipe, soooo good the rice and peppers added some good dimension and the sauce so good! Def adding to the dinner rotation!!
Hey Kristina,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This dish was so amazing and fun to make with the tortillas! My boyfriend said this is one of his favorite dishes and won’t stop talking about it. I used yogurt instead of sour cream and it was sooo refreshing, can’t wait to make again!
We also used black beans instead of rice for more filling – delicious!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xxTieghan
So good!! Quick too, took me an hour total from start to finish. I ended up freezing several of the leftover wraps and can confirm – just as tasty reheated, so makes for a great straight-from-the-freezer meal.
Hey! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂 xxTieghan
Loved these!!! You definitely need the Tajin for that little bit of salty/lime at the end. Delicious!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xTieghan
I made this tonight for dinner and it was so quick and tasty! Thanks for the recipe.
Ohhh, Tieghan! This is a n AWESOME recipe! I make it with chicken, but I make it more often with a pork sirloin roast that I’ve marinated and slow cooked then shredded.
I have made it more often than I should admit…we love it!
Thank you!!
Can you substitute something besides rice? Not a huge ran, but this recipe looks amazing.
Hi Briana,
I would just skip the rice:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’ve used veggies like lettuce, onions, peppers, tomatoes, or beans instead of rice. This recipe is very adaptable. You could even use the beans (black, pinto, refried, etc.) in place of the chicken if you wanted a meat-free protein.
Hi Tracy! Thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xTieghan