Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wrap Sandwiches

The most delicious way to eat a salad is with your hands! These low carb Chicken Caesar Lettuce Wraps make a perfect healthy sandwich alternative. This sandwich is wrapped in lettuce and stuffed with grilled chicken tossed in a Caesar salad dressing, crisp bacon, avocado, Parmesan cheese and loads of fresh veggies.

Unlike the opened face Thai Style chicken lettuce wraps, all the fixings are rolled up in iceberg lettuce leaves and eaten like a burrito. They are fresh, ready in under 15 minutes, and fun way to eat a traditional Caesar salad without a fork.

These quick and easy lettuce sandwiches use the “batch cooking meal prep idea” to get lunch or dinner on the table in under 15 minutes.  

Time Saving Preparation

Life is busy – I’m sure you’ll agree. To take some of the stress off the dinner routine we “bulk cook proteins”.  For example, we make extra grilled chicken, several baked salmon fillets, extra falafel bites or even bake a whole herb roasted chicken to eat off during the week or freeze for later.

This saves us so much time not having to worry about cooking the main.  Batch cooking your proteins gives you loads of options for an easy dinner. You could add a couple of simple sides, throw the cooked proteins in a soup, buddha bowl or make these easy chicken Caesar salad wraps.

Main Ingredients

The 3 main ingredients to make these chicken salad wraps are lettuce, chicken, and Caesar dressing. You can pile on any of the other ingredients as desired. The only rule is you must be able to roll this lettuce sandwich wrap up without it falling apart.

Lettuce – We used iceberg lettuce as it’s sturdy, crispy and budget friendly.

Chicken – Pre-cooked grilled, roasted or even rotisserie chicken to keep this recipe keto friendly and low carb. If you prefer a little crunch but are not following a low carb diet, try a few slices of Italian chicken cutlets.

Cheese – We chose the king of cheeses – Parmesan.  It paired nicely to give it that kicked up chicken Caesar salad lettuce wrap flavor. However, it can be omitted if lactose intolerant or can be substituted with your favorite cheese.

Caesar Salad Dressing We used a keto friendly homemade Caesar salad dressing. There are also low carb store bought Caesar dressings that are quite nice. Alternatively, you can use a drizzle of ranch or lemon white balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the Chicken salad lettuce wraps.

Homemade Low Carb Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe

Store bought Caesar dressing works well too but if you are looking to amp up your salad wraps, try this easy recipe.

• ½ cup of mayonnaise (keto friendly – without any added sugars)
• 1 tablespoon on Dijon mustard
• ½ juice of a lemon
• ¼ cup parmesan
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic minced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 We are not fond of anchovies, so we skipped it.

Other Delicious Toppings

Bacon – Because according to teenagers, bacon belongs in its own food group. (smiling) We also like to batch cook bacon in the oven to use in breakfasts or recipes during the week. This ingredient is optional, but it makes this sandwich recipe taste like a chicken BLT (bacon lettuce and tomato) wrap.

Tomato – This is another optional ingredient but if you are going for the chicken BLT wrap flavor – you’re going to want a few slices. Roma tomatoes are a nice size and have less seeds but use what you have on hand.

Avocado – A few slices of this optional healthy fat keep us feeling satiated. If you are not going to be enjoying straight away, drizzle them with a little lemon or lime juice to prevent oxidation.

Fun Crispy Crunchy Toppings – thinly sliced cucumbers, radishes, julienne sliced carrots, microgreens, crushed toasted nuts or seeds, or really anything that makes you happy. If you are not following a low carb diet, add a few homemade croutons or toasted garbanzo beans for extra crunch.

How to Make a Lettuce Wrap Sandwich?

Follow these quick and easy steps to make a lettuce sandwich that does not fall apart.

• Cut the iceberg lettuce head in half and remove the core.
• Wash the lettuce leaves and towel dab dry.
• Prepare the Parchment: Cut a rectangle of parchment paper approximately 20 inches by 15 inches and lay it horizontally on your work surface.

• Layer the Lettuce: Arrange 3 to 4 rows of lettuce leaves, overlapping them, so that the leaves are closest to you. Overlap them into a shape of a rectangle on the parchment paper.
• Toss the chicken in Caesar salad dressing.

• Add Fillings: Layer up all the desired fixings starting with the grilled Caesar chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato, and parmesan cheese.  Place your desired fillings in the top third of the lettuce leaves nearest to you.
• Start Rolling: Using the parchment paper, roll the lettuce wrap sandwich away from you, applying firm pressure to secure the roll.
• Fold the Ends: While holding the roll in place, fold in the ends of the lettuce. Fold in the edges and continue to roll up firmly until it all the fillings are secure.

• Slide and Continue Rolling: Carefully slide down the parchment paper towards the end of the roll while continuing to roll the lettuce wrap.
• Secure the Wrap: Fold the ends of the parchment paper over the lettuce wrap and tightly roll to secure it.
• Cut to Serve: Finally, use a serrated knife to cut the wrap in half.

Recipe Tips

• Every head of iceberg lettuce may differ in size and varies in the number of leaves.
• We were able to get 2 sandwiches from one small head of lettuce. We had enough small lettuce leaves leftover for a large salad the next day.
• Mix the Chicken in the Caesar dressing BEFORE adding to the lettuce wrap for a less messy sandwich.
• Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the healthy chicken salad wraps in half.

Recipe Testing Lessons Learned

If you prefer to use one whole head of iceberg lettuce per wrap, you can remove the core and carefully remove the smaller leaves from the center of the head of lettuce. Then, directly add your fillings into the concave multi-layer lettuce wrap and wrap it up.

However, it creates a lot of waste, and you cannot wash the lettuce properly. We tried this method and blew through a whole head of lettuce per wrap. In addition, it is difficult not tearing the leaves when you remove the smaller ones attached on the inside of the head.

Storage

These quick and easy Caesar salad wraps are best enjoyed straight away. If you are planning a party, gathering or lunch on the go, they can be assembled up to 4 hours in advance but hold the dressing until you serve them. Alternatively, you can prep all the toppings (excluding the avocado that can oxidize) and then just roll them up just before serving.

Substitutions

Making a sandwich out of lettuce leaves is a blank canvas. You can literally fill it with anything your little heart desires.  Please leave out the things that do not bring you joy (such as mushy lima beans and Brussel sprouts for us – smiling)!  Add veggies, other proteins, nuts, or seeds or even a few croutons – if you are not following a low carb diet.

Best lettuce Substitutions

Leaf lettuce, butter lettuce or Boston lettuce are a good substitution for iceberg lettuce. They also have large leaves that hold fillings well. However, they are more fragile. Therefore, they should be consumed straight away as they can get soggy. We find romaine lettuce difficult to fold because of the firm rib that runs down the center of the leaf.

Vegan Options

Substitute chicken with falafel bites, pan seared tofu or even roasted vegetables. Substitute cheese with a vegan cheese and vegetarian Caesar salad dressing.

What to Serve with a Salad Wrap?

Try a few Spicy garlic cucumber refrigerator pickles either inside the lettuce wrap or on the side. We love a cozy cup of French onion soup made without red wine or any bread to keep the meal low carb.

If you’re not watching your carbohydrate intake, a refreshing side of quinoa fruit salad or sliced seasonal fruit it always a delicious choice.