When you want a great-tasting and satisfying creamy chicken salad wrap but don’t want the heavy mayonnaise or excess calories, turn to this recipe! Our Healthy Chicken Salad Wraps have 100 calories less! They are made with our signature recipe for light and creamy chicken salad, toasted nuts, dried cranberries, and crunchy lettuce wrapped in delicious soft flour tortillas.
I’m chef Katie and my superpower is making healthier food taste good, so if you’re new here, welcome to your new favorite website for healthy recipes! This tried and tested recipe is the perfect example of what we do best here at Healthy Seasonal Recipes: create good-for you recipes that taste great with extra veggies and nutrients sprinkled in! Read on to find out how to make this recipe!
Ingredient Notes
Greek Yogurt and Mayonnaise: The base of the chicken salad is made with two parts plain Greek yogurt and one part mayonnaise. We’ve found this gives the chicken salad dressing great taste and creamy texture, but is still lighter in calories.
Seasonings and Pantry staples: The dressing has a combination of simple flavor boosters to make it taste great, but keep the calories lower. I used a blend of Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, a little sugar (or honey), dry tarragon, salt, pepper and celery salt.
Cooked Chicken: You’ll need two cups of chopped leftover chicken or cooked chicken that’s been cooled. Use cooked chicken breasts.
Celery, Dried Cranberries and Nuts: Traditional stir-ins for chicken salad. You can use either walnuts or pecans. Take the time to toast the nuts to bring out their flavor. Sub in diced apple or red grapes, cut in half, instead of cranberries if desired.
Lettuce: To add freshness, a serving of veggies and crunch
Wraps: Look for large flour tortillas or sandwich wraps.
How to cook chicken for chicken salad
If you do not have leftover cooked chicken you can use rotisserie chicken or cook chicken breasts in the oven or Instant Pot. Cool completely before adding to the chicken salad.
In Instant Pot: Add 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken and a little bit of water or broth to the the Instant Pot. Cover, place valve to seal and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Carefully release steam, cool, and cut into cubes.
In the oven: Season boneless skinless chicken with salt and pepper and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Bake until the chicken is 165 degrees when measured with an instant-read thermometer, about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Rest at least 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into cubes.
How To Make Chicken Salad Wraps
Step 1: Make Dressing
Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt, celery salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Mix Chicken Salad Together
Add chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans and stir until completely coated.
Step 3: Assemble Wraps
Lay wraps on the work surface. Divide lettuce among the wraps. Top with chicken salad, about ½ cup salad per wrap. Wrap up into rolls and cut in half. Serve immediately or chill.
Chef Katie’s Expert Tips
Can chicken salad wraps be made in advance? We’ve tested assembling the chicken salad wraps and keeping them in a fridge for later, and they are fine for about an hour, but after that they can get a little soggy so we don’t recommend it. The chicken salad can be made three days in advance. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stir before using. Lettuce can be washed, spun dry, chopped and refrigerated up to 5 days ahead. For the best texture and so your wraps don’t get soggy, assemble your wraps just before serving. Are chicken salad wraps good for you? Traditional chicken salad wraps are high in calories (550 to 600 calories) but this healthier version is lighter with only 495 calories per wrap! Furthermore, these healthy wraps contain leafy greens, antioxidant-rich cranberries, protein-rich Greek yogurt and lean chicken breast, and nuts which are a good source of essential fatty acids.
Variations To Try
Shred the chicken breasts instead of cubing for a varied texture.
Add more veggies to your wraps! We like avocados, cucumbers, tomatoes and sprouts too!
Stir in chives, shallot or finely diced purple onion. Or if you’re in a rush a pinch of garlic powder added to the dressing adds a nice touch.
Use lemon juice instead of the vinegar and add a little lemon zest for a pop of fresh citrus flavor
Use a low carb wrap and omit the cranberries to make it lower in carbohydrates
Serving Suggestions
More Healthy Wrap Recipes
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Description
When you want a creamy satisfying chicken salad wrap, but you don’t want the mayonnaise and calories, turn to these healthy Chicken Salad Wraps. They have 100 fewer calories and are made with good-for-you ingredients but still have a delicious taste!
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar or honey (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch celery salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2/3 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
6 large wraps, soft tortillas or lavash
3 loosely packed cups shredded lettuce
Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, salt , celery salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Add chicken, celery, cranberries and pecans and stir until completely coated.
Lay wraps on work surface. Divide lettuce among the wraps. Top with chicken salad, about ½ cup salad per wrap. Wrap up into rolls and cut in half. Serve immediately or chill.
Notes
Wraps can be assembeld and chilled for about an hour in advance. For prepping ahead further, wait to assemble the wraps before serving. The chicken salad can be made three days in advance. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stir before using. Lettuce can be washed, spun dry, chopped and refrigerated up to 5 days ahead.
Prep Time: 20Category: Main CourseMethod: No cookCuisine: American
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1 wrap
Calories: 495
Sugar: 6 g
Fat: 24 g
Carbohydrates: 46 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 24 g
About the Author
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
