Hot summer days call for simple lunches that are light on the stomach. Let me help you beat the heat with this ridiculously simple smoked buffalo chicken wrap. No fancy ingredients.
Although I am longing for cooler days with hearty meals, we are still in full on summer mode here in North Texas. Our daily heat index has consistently ran above 100 degrees for weeks. It’s all I can do to keep the house cool. I certainly don’t to spend hours standing over a hot stove.
Hot summer days call for simple lunches that are light on the stomach.
For this lunch, my husband smoked bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. I told you this recipe didn’t have any fancy ingredients, didn’t I?
Let’s make a refreshing wrap where smoked buffalo style chicken meats the cool, crisp crunch of lettuce. Wrap it up in a light and fluffy flour tortilla and dip that bad boy in some homemade ranch. Ugh. My mouth is watering and it’s 11pm as I write this!
Does the chicken have to be smoked?
No – but it tastes better! My husband literally has me spoiled with his smoking/grilling skills. If you have the option to grill or smoke the chicken thighs, do it.
Otherwise, you could always bake your chicken in the oven or sear it on the stove top.
Do I have to use chicken thigh?
Growing up, I never ate chicken thigh. It tends to have mostly dark meat and my mom simply wasn’t a fan of it. We enjoy cooking with it now because it remains juicy and retains all of its flavor during the cooking process.
Use any cut of chicken you have on hand for this recipe. Chicken breast would work just fine.
Heck, you could even buy yourself a precooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store on your way home from work so you literally don’t have to cook a thing.
Tools you may need:
Grill/smoker or oven
Cutting board and knife
THAT IS IT!
Ingredients you will need:
**Brace yourself, this list is so short you’re going to want to make it right now!
- Chicken – I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt & pepper
- Flour tortillas
- Buffalo sauce – I used Franks
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Optional – Homemade ranch for dipping
How to make smoked buffalo chicken wrap
Alright! Start out by having your husband smoke/grill some chicken thighs generously seasoned with salt and pepper. HAHA! I took the *easy* way out on this one.
Once they are done, remove the meat from the bone. Do not throw out the skin! It has all that yummy flavor where seasoning meets smokey goodness.
After removing all the meat, dice it up into bite size pieces. I don’t like biting into a wrap with big chunks of meat so I dice my chicken up pretty small.
Be sure to include the skin in the chopping!
Now that the meat is diced up, place a small serving in the center of a flour tortilla.
Then drizzle your favorite buffalo sauce on top of the chicken. I used Franks Buffalo Sauce here.
Next, top with shredded lettuce. I think this is what makes this a great summer lunch. It keeps the wrap light and cool with it’s crunch in every bite.
Then, add as much or as little cheese. I used mozzarella because that’s what we had on hand that was already shredded. This lunch is all about keeping it easy.
Wrap the tortilla up, making sure you don’t tear it.
Slice ‘er down the middle so you can see all the beautiful layers of goodness!
Just look at that wrap! All you need now is a bowl of homemade ranch to dip it in.
Enjoy your smoked buffalo chicken wrap!
Since my husband smoked the chicken thighs, this recipe literally took no time at all. It was one of those simple, delicious lunches where my husband and I nodded with approval as we chewed with our mouths full.
We even agreed that this fixed our craving for restaurant lunch!
I love it when I can throw together a quick meal that hits the spot like it would if we spent twice as much at a restuarant.
I’ve now equipped you with a quick and refreshing lunch option for your busy days. Pack this for yourself or your kids for school lunch or whip it up quickly before heading off to a full day of little league games.
If you try this recipe or if you have had something similar before, let me know down in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
Leave a Reply