These burrito-style pesto chicken wraps are loaded with so much flavour and couldn’t be easier to make!
These truly are such a treat. You’d typically see something like this on a lunch menu, but honestly, they’re hearty enough to devour for dinner! Follow me…
Pesto Chicken
The heart and soul of these wraps is the chicken pesto, which if you haven’t guessed yet, is literally just chicken and pesto:
- Chicken – I typically buy some cooked chicken breasts from the shop, although leftover chicken works perfectly here. Either way, you’ll want to dice it into small cubes.
- Pesto – I whip up a half batch of my Homemade Pesto, although you could use store-bought if you’d prefer. Try and grab something good quality, as it does make up a big portion of the flavour!
Process shots: make pesto in food processor (photos 1&2), add to chicken (photo 3), stir to combine (photo 4).
Pesto Chicken Wraps
You’ll want to use large flour tortillas. I’ll usually give them a quick blitz in the microwave, just to loosen them up and make them more pliable. For the fillings, here’s what we’re going for:
- Rice – A packet of Tomato & Basil rice does the trick here! You’ll find it in most supermarkets – just pop it in the microwave until cooked.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – I love dicing up a few sun-dried tomatoes and stirring them through the rice.
- Avocado – thinly sliced.
- Caesar Dressing – I add a drizzle of this in the middle, just to prevent the wrap from coming out dry. You can serve with more if you’d like.
- Bacon – Cooked using your preferred method to your desired texture.
- Pesto Chicken – As discussed above.
- Mozzarella – freshly grated or shredded.
I played around with the fillings quite a bit and highly recommend keeping all the above in. Each one is a building block to a flavour paradise! Okay, slightly dramatic, but they are delicious I promise 🤣
Process shots: add rice & sun-dried tomatoes to wrap (photo 1), add avocado (photo 2), add Caesar dressing (photo 3), add bacon (photo 4), add pesto chicken (photo 5), add mozzarella (photo 6).
Pesto Chicken Burritos
I love to fold the wraps as you would a burrito and then cook them until crisp on the outside and hot right through the centre. My two favourite methods are:
- Pan fry – I like to gently rotate them in a dry pan until golden and crisp. This method is a bit more hands-on, but you’ll get a better char on the outside.
- Air fry – You could also pop them in the air fryer until golden and crisp. I find this method cooks the inside more efficiently and leaves the burritos more crisp, but they end up slightly drier. I counteract this by brushing them in a little oil beforehand.
They don’t necessarily need to be screaming hot through the centre, but it’s nice to get them hot enough to melt the cheese.
Burrito-Style Pesto Chicken Wraps FAQ
Do I have to cook them?
If you don’t mind the cheese not melted, you could definitely just serve them as wraps! If you’re doing that, I recommend using fresh mozzarella, as opposed to the pre-grated packet stuff.
Can I prep them ahead of time?
Yes, just make sure the fillings are completely cool (rice/bacon) then wrap them up and tightly store in the fridge.
Serving Burrito-Style Pesto Chicken Wraps
I served with Sweet Potato Fries (which were store-bought to film with!) and an extra pot of Caesar Dressing. Check out my Sides for more inspo!
These are actually pretty hearty, so I typically serve them for Dinner. But they can work for a big Lunch too.
For the sister recipe to this dish check out my Chicken Pesto Grilled Cheese!
For more burrito recipes check out my Cheeseburger Burritos, Breakfast Burritos and Chicken Avocado Burritos!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these pesto chicken burrito wraps shall we?!
How to make Pesto Chicken Wraps (Full Recipe & Video)
Burrito-Style Pesto Chicken Wraps
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Food Processor (for pesto)
- Box Grater
- 2x Small Mixing Bowls (for chicken pesto/rice)
- Pan & Tongs or Air Fryer (for toasting)
- Brush (if air frying)
Ingredients
Pesto Chicken
- 1 small bunch of Fresh Basil (30g/1oz)
- 60ml / 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 20g / 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp Pine Nuts
- 1 very small clove of Garlic, peeled & left whole
- 1/4 tsp Salt, or to taste
- 1/8 tsp Pepper, or to taste
- 200g / 7oz Cooked Chicken, diced into small cubes
Burritos
- 3 large Flour Tortilla Wraps
- 1x 220g/7.8oz pouch of Tomato & Basil Rice (see notes)
- 3-4 Sun Dried Tomatoes, diced (plus some oil if air frying)
- 1 medium Avocado, thinly sliced
- 6 slices of Bacon
- 3 tbsp Caesar Dressing (see notes)
- 100g / 1 cup shredded/grated Mozzarella
Instructions
- Cook the bacon using your preferred method to your desired texture.
- Meanwhile, add all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth. You may need to stop a couple of times to scrape down the sides. Check for seasoning and adjust if desired, then combine in a bowl with the diced chicken.
- Cook the rice to packet instruction (typically 2 minutes in the microwave) then combine in a bowl with the diced sun dried tomatoes.
- Lay out 3 wraps on a clean surface (if you need to loosen them up just warm them in the microwave). Divide the rice slightly below the centre of each of them. Top with avocado, a drizzle of Caesar dressing, bacon, pesto chicken and mozzarella.
- Fold in the sides, then tightly fold over the bottom to cover the filling and continue rolling into a burrito. If pan frying, sprinkle a little extra cheese at the end to 'glue' the burrito shut.
- Air Fry (option 1): Brush in oil and cook for 8-10mins at 190C/375F, or until golden and crisp.
- Pan Fry (option 2): Add seam-side-down to a pan over medium-high heat. Gently rotate until golden all over. If they're charring too quickly just lower the heat slightly as you want the cheese to melt inside.
- Tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
b) Pesto – If you don’t want to go down the Homemade Pesto route, you can sub 1/2 cup (120g) store-bought pesto.
c) Rice – You’ll find this in most supermarkets in the microwavable rice section. I usually go for Ben’s Original, although Tilda does do a Basmati version too.
d) Caesar Dressing – You can whip up your own Homemade Caesar Dressing if you’d like, but store-bought works just fine. A drizzle inside the burrito keeps everything moist, whilst adding a gentle boost of flavour. If you’d like, you can serve with more at the end.
e) Serving – I served with Sweet Potato Fries (which were store-bought to film with!) and an extra pot of Caesar Dressing. Check out my Sides for more inspo!
f) Prep Ahead – Make sure the fillings are completely cool (rice/bacon) then wrap them up and tightly store them in the fridge. I recommend getting them out 30 mins or so before needed, just to take the chill out of the centre. Then cook as instructed.
g) Calories – Per burrito.
Nutrition
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