I have been on the biggest Caesar salad kick lately, and this Spicy Chicken Caesar Wrap recipe truly takes the cake! It’s made with panko-crusted chicken breast and a Calabrian chili Caesar dressing. Load up this wrap with fresh, crunchy Romaine lettuce and lots of parmesan and you’ve got yourself a meal that has the best textures and flavors, wrapped in one tortilla!

a hand holding a chicken caesar wrap that has been cut in half

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links – at no cost to you! I appreciate your support that helps me run my blog.

I used to hate Caesar dressing because it was a mayonnaise-based dressing. I always thought the store-bought dressing looked gross, too. I used to be an incredibly picky eater, so whenever I found out that something that was supposed to taste good was made with a single ingredient that I hated, I wouldn’t touch it.

But I have grown up and my palate has expanded to include ingredients that I once refused to eat. Caesar dressing is now one of my absolute favorite things to make, and it is SO much better than store-bought. It’s also made with some staples that you probably already have in your kitchen and pantry! This dressing is made even more delicious with the addition of Calabrian chilies. It provides just the right amount of heat without being too spicy.

This spicy Caesar wrap will leave your mouth watering and craving more, so make sure you make extra to have leftovers!

Chicken Caesar Wrap with Spicy Caesar Dressing

While I was editing these photos for this blog post, I was reminded of how delicious this wrap is. I actually made this and took these photos month ago back when I was living at my old house. Moving, shooting other recipes, and getting my life back together has kept me so busy that I had forgotten to write this post!

Seeing these photos again makes me want to add this recipe to next week’s dinner menu. It takes a little bit of effort to bread and fry the chicken, but it’s so incredibly worth it. You can prep the dressing and chicken ahead of time so you can make an easy spicy Caesar chicken wrap for lunch at home!

You can also make a lighter version by grilling the chicken instead of breading and frying it. A spicy grilled chicken Caesar wrap meal prep sounds like a great way to get excited about weekday lunches!

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s great for meal prep. Make the dressing and cook the chicken ahead of time, so that all you have to do when you’re ready to eat is reheat the chicken, dress the lettuce, and wrap it all up into a warm tortilla!
It’s full of texture and flavor. Crunchy Romaine, crispy breaded chicken, and a creamy dressing all wrapped in a soft and warm flour tortilla makes your taste buds dance in your mouth.
It’s a spin on a classic. Everyone loves a chicken Caesar wrap, but adding a little bit of spice brings this meal to a whole new level. Calabrian chilies are the perfect addition to the homemade Caesar dressing to add some heat without being overpowering. The heat is perfectly balanced by the creaminess and acidity in the dressing.

Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Caesar Wrap

Chicken breast. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken breast to even thickness (about 1/4-1/2 inch thick).
Flour. This is the first step in your dredging station, which will help the egg and panko stick to the chicken.
Egg. A couple of beaten eggs make up the second part of the dredging station. This helps the panko stick to the chicken.
Panko. I prefer to use panko breadcrumbs versus a traditional breadcrumb because it leads to a thicker and crispier breading.
Parmesan. I always mix some parmesan into the panko mixture before breading my chicken, but parmesan is also used throughout this whole recipe!
Salt & pepper. Season each step of the dredging station, including the chicken, with salt and pepper!
Romaine. The perfect leafy green for this salad wrap!
Mayonnaise. I made a homemade Calabrian chili mayonnaise for the base of the Caesar dressing, but you can also use regular mayonnaise and add Calabrian chilies to the dressing.
Lemon juice. Adds some acidity to the dressing.
Worcestershire sauce. A savory element for the dressing. This can also be replaced with soy sauce or a gluten-free alternative like tamari or liquid aminos.
Anchovy paste. This adds the perfect amount of salty umami to the dressing.
Garlic. You can never have enough!
Tortilla. Use a flour tortilla and pop it in the microwave for 15-30 seconds before wrapping ingredients inside!
Oil. For frying the chicken!

How to Make a Spicy Caesar Wrap

Keep on scrolling for the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card, but here are some photos and an overview of the process!

Pound the chicken thin. You’ll want your chicken to be even in thickness so that it cooks evenly and the breadcrumbs won’t burn from uneven cooking. Place the chicken in a large food storage bag (with the air removed) or wrap the chicken in plastic wrap. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness.
Set up your dredging station. Use three separate shallow bowls or plates for your dredging station. To the first bowl, add flour or cornstarch. To the second, add beaten eggs. Add panko and parmesan to the third bowl. Season each with salt and pepper.
Coat the chicken in panko. Before you start coating the chicken, designate one of your hands as the “dry” hand and one as the “wet” hand. Handle the chicken in the flour and panko with your “dry” hand and pick up the chicken from the beaten egg with your “wet” hand. This will prevent your hands from being covered in excess breading. Place a piece of chicken in the flour bowl and coat both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Then dip the chicken into the beaten egg, coating both sides and letting the excess drip off. Finally, place the chicken in the panko mixture. Use your hands to scoop some panko and add a thick layer on top of the chicken. Press the panko into the chicken, flip, and press again, making sure the panko covers every surface of the chicken.

three metal plates with flour, egg, and panko — Set up your dredging station with three bowls or deep plates. Add flour to the first, beaten egg to the second, and a mix of panko and parmesan to the third. Season each with salt and pepper.

Flour-coated chicken is placed into beaten eggs before being coated with parmesan panko — Pound out the chicken to even thickness, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Then place in the flour, then egg, then panko mixture. Use one designated “dry” hand and one “wet” hand to handle the chicken at each step.

Shallow fry the chicken. Add about 3/4 inches of oil to a pan over medium heat. Heat the oil to about 350ºF (if you don’t have a thermometer, insert a wooden spoon into the oil and it should start to bubble). Carefully place the chicken into the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip then cook another 5-6 minutes until golden brown and the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Make the Caesar dressing. While the chicken cooks, add the Calabrian chili mayonnaise, anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, dijon, minced garlic, and parmesan to a bowl. Whisk until smooth. If the dressing is very thick, add about 1-2 tsp of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

breaded chicken breast frying in a shallow pan of oil. — Heat oil in a large pan to 350 degrees over medium heat. Fry one large breast at a time for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

Whisking together caesar dressing ingredients in a bowl — Whisk together the dressing, and add water 1-2 tsp at a time until desired consistency is created.

Set out prepared wrap ingredients. Cut the cooked chicken into strips. Warm the tortillas in the microwave (about 15-30 seconds) to make them more pliable. Grate some extra parmesan cheese. Chop the Romaine lettuce and place it in a bowl.
Dress the lettuce. Toss the Romaine with Caesar dressing and extra parmesan.
Build your wrap. Place a warmed tortilla in the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Top with the dressed Romaine, more parmesan, and strips of chicken. Drizzle on more dressing if desired. Carefully fold two opposite edges of the wrap in toward each other, then while keeping these edges tucked, use your thumbs to tuck the side of the tortilla that is closest to you and begin to roll it to create a wrap. Wrap in parchment paper, then cut in half and enjoy!

Ingredients set out for a chicken caesar wrap — Set out your ingredients for the chicken caesar wraps. Cut the chicken into strips, warm the tortillas for pliability, chop the romaine, and grate more parmesan cheese.

Tossing romaine lettuce in a spicy calabrian caesar dressing — Toss the romaine lettuce in the spicy Calabrian caesar dressing.

caesar-dressed romaine, breaded chicken strips, and parmesan placed in the center of a tortilla wrap. — Place dressed romaine in the center of a tortilla wrap. Top with more parmesan. Add chicken strips on top. Fold the sides into the center of the wrap, then roll the wrap, tucking all ingredients into the wrap.

a hand holding a chicken caesar wrap that has been cut in half — Cut the wrap in half and dig in!

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Gluten-free: Use a gluten-free tortilla, gluten-free panko breadcrumbs, and replace the flour with cornstarch. Double-check that your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free. If not, you can replace it with tamari or liquid aminos.
Lower-carb: Instead of making breaded and fried chicken, you can make grilled chicken instead. This will lead to a significantly lighter and lower-calorie chicken wrap by removing oil and breading!
Protein: Not a fan of chicken breast? Use thighs, or you can even use steak! If you’re a pescatarian, a salmon Caesar wrap also sounds pretty delicious!
Vegetarian: While I haven’t made my own vegetarian or vegan Caesar wrap, you can certainly use tofu in place of chicken. I would suggest marinating some extra firm tofu in a mix of soy sauce, lemon juice, lots of garlic, and Nutritional yeast, then treating the tofu just like the chicken by breading and frying it. You can also replace the anchovies in the Caesar dressing with capers.
Anchovies: Not a fan of anchovies? Use capers instead! They provide a similar salty umami needed for this dressing.

Storing and Reheating

Chicken. Store the chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, you can microwave in a pinch, but I prefer reheating in the oven at 350ºF for 10-12 minutes
Romaine. Chop the romaine and place in a large gallon storage bag or other container with a lid with a damp paper towel to keep it crispy.
Dressing. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.

Spicy Chicken Caesar Wrap

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase through one of my links – at no cost to you! I appreciate your support that helps me run my blog.

Chicken Caesar Wrap with Spicy Caesar Dressing

Why you’ll love this recipe

Ingredients for Spicy Chicken Caesar Wrap

How to Make a Spicy Caesar Wrap

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Storing and Reheating

Equipment

Spicy Chicken Caesar Wrap

Ingredients

For the Chicken

For the Dressing

For the Wrap

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

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