Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap Recipe

Wrap sandwiches, consisting of basic sandwich-type stuff rolled in a tortilla as opposed to sandwiched between two slices of bread, are a fairly new creation, only having been part of our culinary lexicon for about 40 years or so. According to The New York Times, they may have been invented by former MLB player and manager-turned-restaurateur Bobby Valentine. As the story goes, the toaster at Valentine's restaurant was broken (he admitted he'd bought a cheapie), so he decided to wrap a turkey club sandwich in a tortilla instead of serving it on (gasp!) untoasted bread. Well, what do you know, the thing caught on. And it tastes pretty good, too!

Wraps remain popular because people like the taste of the tortillas, and the goodies that you stuff inside taste pretty good alongside them. As recipe developer Susan Olayinka says of the chicken bacon ranch wrap she created, "It's such a simple delicious wrap." She goes on to add that this wrap "reminds me of a BLT — my favorite sandwich!" If you love a good BLT and want to try it in wrap form, keep reading to learn how to do it!

This sandwich isn't too complicated, so it doesn't require too many ingredients. To make it you'll need chicken, of course — any kind of leftover cooked chicken will do, or, should you not have any on hand, you could always pick up a rotisserie chicken. You'll probably want to use white meat for this. You will also need some bacon. While Olayinka is British, she says this sandwich is made with "normal USA bacon." For the wrap you'll be using a flour tortilla, while the "ranch" part comes from the ranch dressing that is used as a condiment. As a final touch, you'll need some shredded lettuce. Olayinka uses baby gem lettuce, AKA mini romaine lettuce, but says "any type of lettuce" will do. If you want a spicier sandwich, Olayinka suggests adding black pepper. You could also add some diced jalapeño or hot sauce to the ranch dressing, or else you could top the sandwich ingredients with sliced pickled jalapeños.

Fry the bacon until it is crispy, then let it cool for a few moments and drain off some of the grease. Once you can easily handle the bacon without burning yourself, cut it into pieces about 1-inch long. Shred the chicken a bit with your hands, too, as this will make it easier to roll up in the wrap. Finally, slice the lettuce into shreds, as this, too, will help to facilitate the wrapping process.

Spread the ranch dressing on one side of the tortilla. The amount of dressing used here is something that can easily be varied. If you don't want so much dressing, all you really need is a thin layer. If you want more, though, you go right ahead and use it. In fact, you could even swap out the ranch dressing for some flavored mayo or aioli if that's your preference, or go with blue cheese dressing instead. Once your tortilla is dressed to your satisfaction, top the condiment-smeared side with the chicken, bacon, and lettuce in an even layer.

Make sure all of the ingredients are lined up right along the center line of the tortilla, then fold up the tortilla's edge and tuck in the bottom. Roll the filled tortilla up to make a wrap, then slice the sandwich in half before serving.

The resulting sandwich, which is now ready to serve, is something Olayinka describes as "fresh with great texture from the cooked bacon." She says this sandwich is "definitely a lunch or picnic" dish, and suggests pairing it with potato chips and/or fruit as a side dish. You could also serve it as a light, quick dinner accompanied by a salad.