Chicken Wrap with Black Beans and Pickled Red Onions

I don’t know about you, but for me, lunch is one of those perennial problems that pop up as an afterthought pretty much every day. I’m happy to eat pretty much the same breakfast day in and day out, and dinner needs planning (sort of). But lunch? PB&J and tuna sandwiches can only take you so far. Most of us have already eaten our lifetime quota by the age of 20.

This is where wraps come into play. They are infinitely adaptable to the little things you already have in your fridge. In fact, I always keep a few extra tortillas in the freezer to pull out and use from last night’s dinner. This recipe is basically a blueprint for as many variations as you can think of. The only limit is your imagination!

Use store-bought or leftover shredded chicken

In this recipe, the star is the store-bought rotisserie chicken or last night’s homemade rotisserie chicken. It’s paired with chilled black beans for lightness and extra protein, shredded lettuce for some crunch, and sharp cheddar because cheese!

Pickled onions and avocado sauce are the added bonus

Two additions that bring these together and banish the ho hum factor are pickled red onions and avocado sauce. You could use raw onions if you like, but I find them too strong. The pickled version only takes a few minutes, and once you’ve got it in the fridge, you can pull it out to add extra pizzazz to sandwiches, wraps, or salads.

It’s nice to have something creamy to top off the wrap, and this avocado dressing is easy to make in a mini-processor. You could also just puree everything together in a bowl.

How to cut and peel an avocado

CONTINUE READING:

10-inch flour tortillas are a good size. You can also buy flavored flour tortillas like jalapeño cheddar or herbed tomato to mix in. Other similar thin flatbreads like lavash or flatbreads simply called “wraps” are all good options for this recipe.

How to fold a tortilla or flatbread into the perfect wrap

Place the filling in the bottom half of the tortilla or flatbread, leaving a gap on the sides and bottom for folding.
Don’t overfill them.
Bring the left and right sides to the center and roll up from the bottom.

That’s all there is to it!

Mix and match fillings

If you’re new to making wraps, this recipe is a great place to start. Once you try it you will see how easy it is and you can then add your own spin. More fillings for inspiration:

Leftover sliced steak with avocado and salsa
Smoked or firm tofu coated with hoisin sauce
Feta, hummus, harissa, mashed chickpeas with lemon and tahini
Prawns and avocado with Russian dressing

you have the idea Almost any sandwich filling you like could be turned into a wrap. Once you’ve chosen your fillings, you’ll be wrapping them up in just minutes!

More wrap recipes to try

BLT wraps
Kid-friendly wraps
Asian wraps with beef salad
Breakfast wraps with spinach and feta

preparation time
20 minutes

total time
20 minutes

portions
2 servings

yield
2 chicken wraps

For the pickled onions

3/4 Cup distilled white wine vinegar
1/2 Cup water
6 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Red onionthinly sliced

For the avocado sauce

1 ripe avocadocored and cut into pieces
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon hot sauceor to taste

For the wraps

2 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 Cup baked black beans
1/4 Cup shredded homemade or store bought roast Chicken
1/4 Cup grated cheddar cheese
4 tablespoon Avocado Sauce
4 branches corianderleaves only
1/4 cup torn iceberg lettuce

Make the pickled onions:

In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, combine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and salt. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Stir in the sliced onions and return to the microwave for 1 minute. Let stand for about 15 minutes until cool.

Simple tip!

Store leftovers in the brine in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Make the avocado sauce:

In a blender or small food processor, combine the avocado, water, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and hot sauce. Process until smooth and creamy and no avocado chunks remain.

Simple tip!

Refrigerate leftover avocado sauce for up to 3 days.
Warm tortillas:

Place the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate and microwave until pliable and no longer translucent in places, about 1 minute.
Assemble the wrap:

Place 1 tortilla on a cutting board. Arrange half of the beans in a line in the bottom third of the wrap, leaving about 2 inches of space on the bottom and right and left sides of the tortilla.

Top with half the chicken, half the cheese, 2 tablespoons avocado sauce, 1 tablespoon drained pickled onions, cilantro leaves, and shredded lettuce.

Fold the sides of the tortilla toward the center, almost touching, leaving a gap of about 2 inches.

Fold the bottom (uncovered) flap of the tortilla up toward the center and begin rolling the tortilla, holding the side flaps with your fingers, until the casing completely encloses the filling in a tight roll.

Repeat with the second tortilla and more filling.
Cut wraps in half and serve:

Halve the wrap diagonally with a large chef’s knife and serve.

You can store leftover pickled onions, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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