Folded Crispy Chipotle Chicken Wraps with Spicy Cilantro Ranch

Switch up taco Tuesday with these folded crispy chipotle chicken wraps. Smoky chipotle-spiced chicken, rice, poblano peppers, a spicy homemade ranch and a little cheddar, all folded into a tortilla and pan-fried until warm and crunchy. They come together fast, they are crispy on the outside and cheesy and spicy on the inside, and they are just as good for lunch as for dinner. Serve them with extra ranch, avocado and a sprinkle of Tajín.

These wraps are a cross between a burrito and a warm, cheesy quesadilla. Chicken quesadillas were one of the first things I ever cooked for my brothers after we moved to Colorado. They would come home from snowboarding around four o'clock, starving, and we usually had leftover chicken and tortillas on hand, so quesadillas became the go-to. Over time I figured out two things that made mine better than anything else. First, I seasoned the chicken with plenty of taco seasoning, which gives everything so much flavor and a little kick. Second, I added leftover rice, which turns the wrap into a complete all-in-one meal, like a burrito with all the fillings, only better, because a crispy pan-fried tortilla is everyone's favorite.

The details

The wraps are simple. Brown some chicken, add the spices, then fold each tortilla around the chicken, rice, poblano, spicy ranch and cheese. Pan-fry until crisp. It does not get much easier, and it is a dinner everyone will love.

The seasoning blend is a little spicy, a little smoky and garlicky. I use a mix of chipotle chili powder (the main ingredient) and smoked paprika to keep the chicken full of flavor.

While the chicken cooks, mix up a quick homemade ranch, but make it spicy: fresh cilantro and lots of lime in place of the usual herbs, plus a jalapeño for heat. It is the perfect sauce to swirl into every wrap.

Assembly

Cut a slit from the center of each tortilla to the edge. Put the chicken in one quarter, rice and poblano in the next, spicy ranch in the third and cheese in the last. Fold the quarters over one another into a triangle, then fry. As the wraps cook, a little of the cheese melts onto the pan and turns crispy and almost fried, which is genuinely the best part. Straight out of the pan, sprinkle each wrap with Tajín for a salty, tangy, chili-lime finish.

If you want to go a step further with toppings, a little mango on the side with more Tajín is delicious, and a spicy cucumber margarita would not hurt either.

Folded Crispy Chipotle Chicken Wraps

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 450 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 large burrito-size flour tortillas
• 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, chopped
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• Tajín seasoning, for serving (optional)

Spicy ranch

• 1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 jalapeño, seeded if desired and chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and onion and cook until the chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, oregano and salt, then pour in 3/4 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce around the chicken thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, make the ranch. Combine all the ranch ingredients in a glass jar and shake, or whisk in a bowl, until creamy.
3. To assemble, cut each tortilla from the center to the edge. Spread the chicken over the bottom-left quarter, then add a spoonful of rice, some poblano and cilantro to the top-left quarter. Spread the ranch on the top-right quarter and the cheese on the bottom-right quarter. Fold the chicken quarter up over the rice, then, working clockwise, fold that over the ranch, and finally fold over the cheese to make a triangle.
4. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add one wrap at a time and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until crispy and golden. Sprinkle with Tajín and lime zest. Serve warm with extra ranch, avocado and any other toppings you like.

Nutrition information is an estimate only: about 438 kcal per serving.