Lunch time can be hard, and I found it especially difficult to feed myself well when my kids were young and it was easy to snack on their lunch leftovers instead of making something for myself. That’s when I developed these Bruschetta Chicken Pesto Wraps and I’ve gone back to them time and again over the years. I made this as a lighter calorie lunch option, but traditional full-fat mayo and sour cream will work just as well as their lighter counterparts if you prefer. These wraps are protein packed and full of flavor!
My husband is often home for lunch so this recipe is written for two, but you can easily scale it up or down to make as many or few wraps as you need. I also love that it’s a great way to use up the leftover onions, lemons, and tomatoes I often have stored in my fridge.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Tomato – Vine ripened or Roma are my go-to varieties, but any tomato you like will work. You just want something flavorful!
- Onion – For eating raw like this, red onions work best.
- Fresh basil – Fresh is best, but dried also works in a pinch.
- Balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Light mayo – This recipe was originally written to be a lighter calorie lunch option. My favorite brand of light, is the Best Foods (or Hellman’s) with the light blue lid. The other one I use is Kraft with Olive Oil. I’ve found both of those have good flavor and texture and work well in recipes. Just my two cents. If you prefer regular mayo, it will work just as well.
- Light sour cream – Again, full fat will work just fine if you aren’t concerned about calorie count.
- Pesto – I love the refrigerated pesto I find at Costco, but you can find refrigerated pesto near the deli in your grocery store, or jarred pesto near the pasta sauces and dry noodles. If you have a garden full of basil, you can also whip up your own following this Fresh Basil Pesto recipe.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest – Fresh is always best with lemons. Bottled juice just isn’t the same!
- Cooked chicken breast – I try to cook up extra chicken when I make it for dinner to have some available for easy lunches. Rotisserie chicken works well, too.
- Pine nuts – Toasted. You can find these near the nuts on the baking aisle or with bulk food items or with salad toppings. You may find them toasted, but raw is ok, too, simply toss into a dry skillet over medium heat and stir constantly for 2-5 minutes until golden and fragrant.
I usually have a bag of pine nuts in my freezer, but if you don’t, and you don’t want to buy them just for this recipe you could leave nuts out entirely, or sub toasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds. Also, if you’re not counting calories, feel free to add more than the small amount called for! - Romaine lettuce – Spinach also works well.
- Tortillas – Or other wrap of some sort. Pitas, naan, or other flat breads will all work.
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken Pesto Wraps
- First we’ll make a quick Bruschetta mixture. Diced tomatoes, onions, and fresh basil go into a bowl with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. We’re going to skip the traditional olive oil here since we’re adding mayo to the wrap later.
- Next you’ll mix up a spread of light mayo, sour cream, pesto, and a little lemon zest and juice. You’ll mix that up with your chicken and assemble your wrap.
- Pull out your tortilla, add some lettuce or spinach, top with the chicken mixture, and then the bruschetta mixture. Sprinkle with pine nuts and enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- If you have leftover ingredients, store the chicken/spread mixture and bruschetta mixture in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The bruschetta mixture is best if used in 2-3 days and chicken mixture in 3-4 days.
- Feel free to make those things in advance to make assembly quicker as well!
- Nutritional info (in the recipe card below) was calculated using a regular tortilla. In the pictures here, I’m using 50-calorie Soft Wrap Minis from la Tortilla Factory, bringing the calorie count per wrap down to just 290.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely make the components ahead of time. The bruschetta is good for a few days in the fridge and the mayo/pesto spread can be made alone, or mixed with the chicken ahead of time as well. This makes assembly quick and easy. I don’t recommend making the wrap completely ahead of time, as it will likely get soggy.
Absolutely. It’s great on a good focaccia, ciabatta, or even as lettuce wrap. You could definitely tear up your lettuce and pile the ingredients in a bowl as a salad as well.
These are great on their own as a quick lunch, but if you’d like to serve them as part of a heartier meal, they go well with fruit, pasta salad, chips, or soup.
Bruschetta Chicken Pesto Wraps
Ingredients
Bruschetta
- 1 tomato diced (seeds removed)
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh minced basil or 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Pesto Mayo Spread
- 1 tablespoon light mayo
- 1 tablespoon light sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and a little zest
Wraps
- 1 cup shredded or diced cooked chicken breast about 4 ounces
- 1 tablespoon pine nuts toasted
- ½ cup shredded romaine lettuce or spinach leaves
- 2 tortillas flat breads, rolls, pitas, etc.
Instructions
Bruschetta
- Combine diced tomato, onion, basil, and balsamic vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Pesto Mayo Spread and Wrap Assembly
- Combine mayo, sour cream, pesto, lemon juice and a few grates of the lemon zest. Stir mixture and combine it with chicken and pine nuts, stirring until combined. Layer lettuce on torillas (or carb of choice), top with chicken mixture, and then bruschetta.
Notes
- Feel free to make the bruschetta a day or two ahead of time. You can also prep the pesto mayo ahead and even combine it with the chicken so assembly goes quickly!
- Nutritional info was calculated using a regular tortilla. In the pictures here, I’m using a 50-calorie Soft Wrap Mini from la Tortilla Factory, bringing the calorie count per wrap down to 290.
Questions & Reviews
Thank You for this one, it looks fabulous and just the kind of quick. easy and deliciously healthy meals I’m needing right now!! Love your January posts … looking forward to the entire month!!
This all looks delicious, but since I am a poor college student pine nuts are a little outside my budget. Is there something else I can use instead, or should I just leave them out?
Oh, I actually meant to write a note about that! You can totally leave the nuts out, or sub toasted pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
These look delicious. Thanks for doing a month of healthy eating!
Sounds like a delicious combination! Can’t wait to try it.
This looks DELISH!! Can’t wait to try it! I love that it’s small portions, because this is something my husband and little boy would probably not eat. Yum!
You’re so right about lunchtime…I was just thinking that this year I need to be better at making myself lunch so I won’t snack on fishy crackers all day. Thanks for the recipe!
I LOVE it when you guys give the nutritional info! I know it is more work, so I really appreciate it!
This looks great! We are definitely going to try this soon. We love Bruschetta Chicken – this twist is going to be great! As for the caloric free-for-all – I actually did pretty good. I only let go for the last week and a half. I only gained one pound! I was very happy and proud! Now it’s time to get back on the band wagon!
Great recipe. Funny cartoon. And since you provided many of the recipes for our caloric free-for-all we all appreciate you providing recipes to help us get back on track!
Ha! Okay, I’ll give you that one 😉
Oh, I’m not placing blame in any way. I made the choice to enjoy every delicious bite all by myself. I’m just glad you give us both kinds of recipes to help us stay balanced. Happy new year!
Great recipe and I can make this ahead of time so I’ll have the What to Take for Lunch question solved. Thanks for making me a little more efficient!