Easy Chicken Caesar Wrap With Homemade Croutons Recipe

Is there any salad more timeless than the Caesar salad? It is a staple on most restaurant menus, and you can find Caesar salad assembly kits at most supermarkets, ready to be thrown together at a moment's notice. This ever-popular salad has spawned a wide variety of variations on a theme, though at its most simple, the Caesar salad is comprised of romaine lettuce, Parmesan, croutons, and Caesar salad dressing.

This chicken Caesar wrap recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, elevates the classic salad from a sit-down dish to a nutritious and easy on-the-go lunchtime meal option. While croutons can easily be bought at the shop, they are surprisingly simple to make at home, and Rye does this by tossing cubes of bread in oil and seasonings before baking them in the oven until crisp and golden. Similarly, while Caesar salad dressings are readily available at most supermarkets, all you need is a whisk and a few minutes to whip up your own dressing. This foolproof version is fresh and deeply flavorful without the need for additional preservatives. The homemade croutons and salad dressing are combined in wheat wraps along with herby and garlicky oven-baked chicken breasts, crisp romaine lettuce, and flaked Parmesan, to give you a filling and super tasty lunchtime option that is much more portable than the original salad.

To begin this easy chicken caesar wrap with homemade croutons recipe, first, you will need to gather the ingredients. For the baked chicken breasts, you will want two chicken breasts, olive oil, garlic granules, oregano, and salt and pepper. For the croutons, you will need cubed white bread, more olive oil, garlic granules, oregano, thyme, and salt and pepper. To whip up your own Caesar dressing, you will want garlic paste, anchovy paste, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, an egg yolk, olive oil or avocado oil, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, and salt and pepper. Finally, to complete your wraps, you will want wheat wraps, shredded romaine lettuce, and shaved Parmesan.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Add the chicken breasts to a baking dish.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the garlic granules, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until cooked through.

Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the croutons, toss the cubed bread with the oil, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Place the bread on a baking sheet.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp and lightly golden.

Set to one side to cool.

To assemble the salad dressing, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, egg yolk, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Slowly pour in the oil, whisking all the while to emulsify the dressing.

Finish by mixing in the lemon juice and Parmesan.

Slice or shred the cooled chicken.

Spread some of the Caesar salad dressing onto the base of a wrap.

Top with romaine lettuce, shredded chicken, Parmesan flakes, and croutons.

Wrap well, slice, and serve.

While a Caesar salad is a traditional recipe with a few expected components, there are still plenty of ways you can adapt this recipe to keep your lunchtimes fresh and interesting. This recipe uses chicken to add flavor and protein to the wraps. However, you can swap this ingredient out for another kind of protein, such as steak, bacon, turkey, or salmon. For vegetarian options, you can try boiled and sliced eggs, chickpeas, or tofu. If you plan to make this recipe vegetarian, you will also want to omit the anchovy paste from the salad dressing. While Worcestershire sauce is also commonly used in Caesar dressing, this also contains anchovies. You can find vegetarian versions of Worcestershire sauce, or you can substitute in capers, which will add a similar briny depth to the sauce.

Another way to adapt this recipe is to add other salad ingredients into the mix. Tomato, celery, or cucumber are all great additions to this wrap, and avocado will add a delicious creaminess that will complement the other elements of the recipe. Romaine lettuce is the classic choice when it comes to a Caesar salad, but you can mix in other salad greens or substitute romaine for spinach, arugula, or a different kind of lettuce, such as butterhead.

If you have any leftovers from this chicken Caesar wrap recipe and fancy a change, there are plenty of options available to you for repurposing them. A simple way to switch things up is to serve the Caesar salad ingredients with a different carb. A side of rice, quinoa, or couscous works really well with the other elements in this dish to give you a vibrant salad bowl, or you can easily assemble your own version of this Caesar chicken pasta salad recipe to create a delicious and filling meal.

Another creative option is to make yourself a Caesar salad pizza. Although the idea of salad on pizza may seem a little strange, you'll have to trust us when we tell you that you won't regret it. Simply spread a little of the dressing onto a pizza base and add the chicken and Parmesan. Oven-bake the pie and then top it with lettuce, croutons, and another drizzle of dressing, and you've got yourself a delicious and nutritious meal option. Finally, you can toss all the individual elements together in a bowl and then serve them up inside a baked potato for a comforting and warming dinner that is packed full of vitamins and minerals.