When most people think about “eating healthy” an image of a plain cooked chicken breast, steamed broccoli, and some white rice. It won’t have flavor or any spark, and maybe a sad trombone will play as you look at it. While I will admit, boneless, skinless chicken breast isn’t my first choice of proteins, there are ways to jazz it up, add flavor, and eat a hearty, healthy meal.
I see boneless, skinless chicken as a prime candidate for slow cooking or pressure cooking and turning it into shredded chicken. From there, the possibilities are endless. You can use them as taco meat, sandwich meat, in a soup, over salad, as a snack, and in a wrap.
Wraps are a fun way to eat, and if you’re not eating grains, they work as a taco substitute. And if you do eat grains, it’s a great way to mix it up and get more vegetables and nutrients in. It’s a win whatever way you look at it.
To make this wrap more filling, rather than a party appetizer, these Paleo Shredded Chicken Wraps also have cauliflower rice and kale mixed in with the shredded chicken. The filling is a almost a meal within itself. There’s also some red raw cabbage on top to add crunch, color, and more phytonutrients (what gives veggies color and give you a variety of nutrients). And for a little extra kick of flavor, drizzle some tahini dressing on top for more healthy fats and flavors.
If you want to make it your own, you can swap out the kale for your favorite sautéed green. If you add spinach, add twice as much since it’s a higher water content than kale and shrinks quickly. If you want to swap out the red cabbage or white cabbage, that also works, or if you want to take it to the next level, you can swap the raw cabbage for sauerkraut, which will give your gut a nice boost of helpful bacteria. If you can’t find romaine lettuce, go with a butter lettuce or another lettuce that can form some kind of cup that will be easy to fill.
I’ve got two options in the recipe for how to cook the chicken, in a slow cooker or in an Instant Pot (this is the one I use). I’ve made both versions and which method you choose is really up to your timing and what equipment you have. If you use the slow cooker, remember to factor in the slow cooking time. It was a perfect meal to cook when I was meal prepping for the week with the slow cooker. With the Instant Pot I could’ve quickly had it that night, it all comes down to what works for you. if you want to change up the seasonings to have more heat or a different spice, that is also totally up to you to play with.
You can also enjoy this recipe with the filling warm or cold, it tastes great either way. If you’re packing this as a lunch for you or someone else, it’s easiest to pack the filling in a container and put the washed and patted dry leaves in a plastic bag or separate container so they don’t get soggy. If you prefer them warm, you can also easily heat up the filling as well.
This recipe makes a good amount of filling, so you can enjoy lots of wraps, really full wraps, or turn the filling into a salad topping or just snack on it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast
- 1 cup broth/water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Cooked Cauliflower rice from one head of small cauliflower
- 1/2 bunch of kale, stems removed and finely chopped
- 2 tsp coconut or olive oil
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed
- 1/2 cup red cabbage, finely sliced
- 1/4 c organic tahini
- juice from a whole lemon or lime
- 1/2 c water
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp paprika
Instructions
If you're making the chicken with a slow cooker, add all ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. When done, remove the chicken breast from the slow cooker and shred on a plate or cutting board.
If you're using an Instant Pot, add broth to the bottom of the pot. Season chicken on both sides with seasoning. Place steam rack into the pot and place the chicken on the rack. Close and cook for 13 minutes on the High Pressure setting. Quick release and shred chicken on a plate or cutting board.
In a medium sauce pan, bring the coconut or olive oil to medium heat and add in kale. Sauce until wilted, about 7-10 minutes. If you prepped your cauliflower rice earlier, add that in to warm it up. If your cauliflower rice was just made, combine the two in a mixing bowl or storage container.
Add chicken into the saute pan or mixing bowl and taste. Add additional garlic powder, salt or pepper to taste.
Make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients into a bowl or mason jar. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings to taste. Tahini can absorb liquids quickly, so if you want a smoother, more liquid-y sauce, add a little bit more water and stir until you get the consistency you prefer.
To assemble your wraps, plate your romaine lettuce leaves on a plate. Scoop the filling into the leaves and add in the red cabbage for some crunch. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy. Wraps work well with filling warm or cold.
