Crispy BBQ Chicken Wraps | High-Protein Freezer Meal Prep
These crispy BBQ chicken wraps are filled with chicken, Colby Jack, bacon, red onion and barbecue sauce, then baked between two sheet pans. An easy high-protein lunch you can refrigerate or freeze!
Creator: Leslie Stokes
These Crispy BBQ Chicken Wraps are one of those recipes that makes me wonder why I haven’t been meal prepping wraps this way forever.
They’re filled with my oven-baked chicken, Colby Jack cheese, crispy bacon, thinly sliced red onion and barbecue sauce, all wrapped up inside a Carb Smart tortilla.
But the best part is how I cook them.
Instead of standing over the stove and grilling every single wrap individually, I put all of them onto a sheet pan, place another sheet pan directly on top and bake them together.
The second sheet pan presses the wraps while they bake so you get a golden, crispy tortilla on BOTH sides. They almost taste like they’ve been individually grilled or pressed, except I can make an entire batch at once.
And for meal prep, that’s exactly the kind of shortcut I’m looking for.
These are high in protein, incredibly easy to customize and something my kids will actually eat. I can keep a few in the refrigerator for the week and put the rest in the freezer for another day.
Breakfast meal prep gets a lot of attention around here, but having lunch already made might be even better.
The Meal Prep Lunch I Actually Want to Eat
I’m very particular about meal prepping lunches because I don’t want to make something on Sunday that I’m completely tired of by Tuesday.
These wraps are different.
They don’t really feel like “meal prep.” They’re cheesy, crispy and filled with BBQ chicken and bacon, and they’re just as good for an easy dinner as they are for lunch.
I also love that I can make a big batch without much extra work. If I’m already baking chicken, I’ll make enough to turn the leftovers into these wraps.
I’ll keep a few in the refrigerator and freeze the rest individually. Then when I need an easy lunch, I already have something made.
Why Bake Chicken Wraps Between Two Sheet Pans?
This is my favorite part of the entire recipe.
Usually, if I want a wrap crispy on the outside, I have to put it into a skillet and cook each side individually. That’s completely fine if you’re making one or two.
When you’re making eight? Not so much.
Instead, I lightly coat the bottom sheet pan with olive oil, arrange the wraps seam-side down and spray the tops with a little more olive oil. Then I place another sheet pan directly on top.
The weight of that second pan lightly presses the wraps while they bake.
After about 15 minutes at 400°F, the tortillas are golden and crispy on the top and bottom, the cheese is melted and the filling is hot.
Basically, it’s the sheet pan version of a grilled wrap.
And it’s SO much easier when you’re cooking in bulk.
High-Protein BBQ Chicken Wraps
I love finding ways to add more protein to everyday meals without making completely separate “high-protein” recipes.
These wraps are a perfect example.
Between the chicken, cheese and bacon, you’re getting plenty of protein in something that still just tastes like a really good BBQ chicken wrap.
I use Carb Smart tortillas, which also help keep the wraps higher in fiber and lower in carbohydrates than some traditional flour tortillas.
They’re filling enough for lunch but also work really well when the kids need something more substantial after school.
Oven-Baked Chicken Makes These Even Easier
I use my simple oven-baked chicken for these and then slice it once it’s rested.
This is also a great recipe for using chicken you’ve already prepped earlier in the week. You don’t need to start from scratch every time you want to make these.
If I know I’m meal prepping, I’ll purposely cook extra chicken at dinner and turn it into wraps the next day.
That’s my favorite kind of meal prep — cooking once and getting multiple meals out of it instead of spending an entire day making separate recipes.
Don’t Overfill Your Wraps
I know it’s tempting. More filling sounds better, right?
But if you’re planning to meal prep these, you want to be able to roll them pretty tightly. Overfilling makes them harder to close and also gives the barbecue sauce and cheese more opportunities to escape while they bake.
Keep the filling concentrated toward the center, fold the sides in and then roll everything up tightly.
Placing them seam-side down also helps keep them closed while they bake.
How to Meal Prep BBQ Chicken Wraps
Once the wraps are baked, let them cool completely before putting them into storage containers.
This is important!
If you wrap them while they’re still steaming, that moisture gets trapped and can make those beautifully crispy tortillas soggy.
For refrigerator meal prep, store them in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
Then just pull one out and reheat it when you need a quick lunch.
How to Freeze Chicken Wraps
This is actually one of my favorite things about this recipe.
Make a double batch and freeze them!
Let the baked wraps cool completely. Wrap each one individually in parchment paper or foil and place them together in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Freeze for up to 2–3 months.
Having individually wrapped chicken wraps in the freezer is so convenient because you don’t have to defrost the entire batch. Just grab however many you need.
The Best Way to Reheat Them
If you have time, I recommend reheating these in the air fryer or oven because it brings that crispy exterior back.
For refrigerated wraps, reheat in an air fryer at around 350°F until warmed through and crispy.
You can also reheat them in a 375°F oven until hot.
For frozen wraps, I prefer thawing them overnight in the refrigerator and then reheating. They’ll crisp up much better this way.
And yes, you can use the microwave when you’re in a hurry. The tortilla just won’t be quite as crispy.
Easy Ways to Change Them Up
Once you know the sheet pan method, you can use it for so many different wraps.
For these BBQ chicken wraps, you could add sliced jalapeños for some heat or swap the Colby Jack for pepper Jack or sharp cheddar.
You could also add a little ranch with the BBQ sauce for a BBQ ranch version.
Just keep in mind that if you’re freezing the wraps, I wouldn’t add anything with a lot of moisture, like fresh tomatoes or lettuce. Those are better added after reheating.
What to Serve With BBQ Chicken Wraps
For lunch, I usually don’t make this complicated. Pair one with fruit, veggies and ranch, a simple salad or whatever else you already have prepped in the refrigerator.
For dinner, you could serve them with a big chopped salad, roasted potatoes, corn or a simple veggie.
And honestly, they’re also great by themselves when someone needs a quick snack between school and whatever we’re running off to next.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make BBQ chicken wraps ahead of time?
Yes! That’s one of the reasons I love this recipe. Bake the wraps, allow them to cool completely and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Can you freeze BBQ chicken wraps?
Yes. Once they’re completely cool, individually wrap them and freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 2–3 months.
Why do you put another sheet pan on top?
The second sheet pan presses the wraps against the hot pan underneath while also making contact with the tops. This helps both sides become golden and crispy without individually cooking each wrap in a skillet.
Can I use rotisserie chicken?
Definitely. Rotisserie chicken would make these even quicker. Chop or shred the chicken and assemble the wraps as directed.
Can I use a different cheese?
Yes. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper Jack or a Mexican-style cheese blend would all work.
Do I have to use Carb Smart tortillas?
No. You can use your favorite flour tortillas. I like Carb Smart tortillas for the extra fiber and because they work well for a higher-protein meal-prep lunch.
Why These Are Always Worth Keeping in the Freezer
There are certain things I meal prep because I know we’ll actually use them, and these wraps definitely fall into that category.
They’re not limited to lunch. My kids will eat them, I can grab one when I need something quick, and they can easily become dinner on one of those nights when everyone seems to need to eat at a different time.
And making eight wraps really doesn’t take much longer than making two.
That’s why I like to make them in bulk. A few go into the refrigerator and the rest go straight into the freezer.
It’s one of those small meal-prep things that I’m always very happy I did when the week gets busy.
Crispy BBQ Chicken Meal Prep Wraps
Ingredients
- 8 Carb Smart flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 pounds cooked oven-baked chicken breasts sliced or chopped
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 6 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 1/2 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup barbecue sauce plus more as desired
- Olive oil or olive oil spray
Let's Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Lightly coat the bottom of a large sheet pan with olive oil or olive oil spray.
- Lay a tortilla flat and add sliced chicken down the center.
- Top with shredded Colby Jack cheese, sliced red onion, chopped bacon and a drizzle of barbecue sauce.
- Fold in the sides of the tortilla and tightly roll into a wrap.
- Place the wrap seam-side down on the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Lightly spray or brush the tops of the wraps with olive oil.
- Place a second sheet pan directly on top of the wraps, gently pressing them between the two pans.
- Transfer the stacked sheet pans to the oven and bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden and crispy and the cheese inside has melted.
- Carefully remove the top sheet pan. Let the wraps cool for a few minutes before serving or allow them to cool completely before storing for meal prep.
Nutrition Facts
Approximate nutrition per wrap, based on 8 wraps and using Carb Smart tortillas:
Calories: approximately 350
Protein: approximately 34g
Carbohydrates: approximately 22g
Fiber: approximately 12g
Net Carbohydrates: approximately 10g
Fat: approximately 17g
Saturated Fat: approximately 7g
Sugar: approximately 6g
Sodium: approximately 850mg
Nutrition will vary significantly depending on the tortillas, barbecue sauce, bacon, cheese and amount of chicken used.
Meal Prep in 1 Hour
You can use any two of the meals in this series to get your meal prep done in just about and hour, give or take!
Having your breakfast and lunch ready for the week helps you stay on track with your nutriton, saves you time and money! I truly beleive that meal prep does not need to be over complicated, take too much time or be boring!
I always get asked- “do you ever get tired of eating the same thing all week?” and the answer is, no! Not when the food taste good! I give plenty of variety in these preps and keep it simple!
As always, thanks for being here and remember, don’t over complicate the process! Take a deep breath, you got this!
