These easy chicken tikka wraps are filled with juicy halal chicken marinated in flavorful spices, grilled until smoky and tender, then wrapped in soft flatbread with crisp vegetables and creamy garlic sauce. They are quick to prepare, incredibly satisfying, and perfect for lunch, dinner, or Ramadan iftar.
Chicken tikka is one of those flavors that feels like home regardless of where you grew up eating it. The marinade, the char, the tang from the yogurt, it is a combination that is hard to beat. Putting it in a wrap makes it a weeknight meal instead of a project and honestly I prefer it this way.
I started making these wraps when I was figuring out my halal lunch rotation. Sandwiches got boring. Salads were fine but not exciting. Chicken tikka wraps solved both problems. They come together fast, they travel well if you need to pack lunch, and the leftovers are genuinely good the next day.
What you need (serves 4)
For the chicken:
- 1.5 lbs halal chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp ginger paste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1.5 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (adjust to heat preference)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the wrap:
- 4 large flour tortillas or flatbreads
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt or tzatziki
- 1 cup shredded lettuce
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Chili sauce or sriracha if you want heat
How to make it
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and toss the chicken in it until every piece is coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. Overnight in the fridge takes it to another level if you’re planning ahead.
Heat a pan or grill pan on high. Add a drizzle of oil and cook the chicken pieces in a single layer without crowding the pan. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until charred on the edges and cooked through. Do this in batches if needed. Crowding the pan steams the chicken instead of searing it and you will lose that caramelized exterior that makes chicken tikka so good.
Warm your tortillas or flatbreads in a dry pan for about 30 seconds per side.
To assemble, spread a good spoon of yogurt or tzatziki down the center of the flatbread. Add a layer of shredded lettuce, a few pieces of chicken tikka, diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro. Squeeze a little lemon over the whole thing before wrapping it up.
Wrap tightly in foil if you’re taking it on the go. It stays together better that way.
Make it a bowl instead
Skip the wrap and serve everything over basmati rice for a chicken tikka bowl. Same ingredients, different format, equally good. This is also great for meal prepping since the chicken reheats really well.
