Buffalo Chicken–Bacon Ranch Wraps

About 40 minutes total. Makes 4 generous dinner wraps using 12-inch flour tortillas. Salt measurements use fine table salt or fine sea salt.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1¼ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Buffalo sauce

• ¼ cup cayenne pepper hot sauce, such as Frank’s Original
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon honey

Homemade herb ranch

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

For the wraps

• 4 large flour tortillas
• 6 slices bacon
• 3 oz sharp cheddar, freshly shredded—about ¾ cup
• 2 cups shredded romaine, washed and thoroughly dried
• ½ cup seeded, diced tomato, blotted dry

Instructions

1. Make the ranch. Stir together all ranch ingredients. Refrigerate while you prepare everything else so the herbs and garlic have time to flavor the dressing.
2. Cook the bacon. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Pour off the fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the skillet.
3. Season the chicken. Pat it dry and flatten any thick sections to approximately ½ inch. Season with the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
4. Brown the chicken. Heat the reserved bacon fat over medium-high. Cook the chicken in a single layer, working in batches if needed, approximately 4–6 minutes per side, until well browned and 165°F in the thickest part. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice. Use temperature to determine doneness.
5. Make the Buffalo sauce. Gently warm the hot sauce, butter, and honey until the butter melts. Toss with the sliced chicken.
6. Assemble. Warm the tortillas until flexible. Divide the cheddar, lettuce, tomato, chicken, and crumbled bacon among them. Add 2 tablespoons ranch per wrap. Lift the chicken out of any excess Buffalo sauce rather than pouring loose sauce into the tortilla.
7. Roll and serve. Fold in the sides, tuck the bottom firmly over the filling, and roll tightly. Serve the extra ranch alongside.

Notes

• The detail that makes it great: Let the chicken stop steaming vigorously before adding it to the lettuce. You want warm, saucy chicken with cool vegetables and crisp bacon.
• Warm the tortillas first. Use a dry skillet for about 10–15 seconds per side, or microwave the stack under a slightly damp paper towel in short bursts until flexible.
• Leave room to roll. Keep about a 2-inch border clear. If you have 10-inch tortillas, make six smaller wraps with the same filling.
• Assemble just before eating. Keep sauces, vegetables, cooked fillings, and crunchy toppings separate until then.
• For leftovers: Refrigerate cooked fillings within 2 hours, keep them at 40°F or below, and use within 3–4 days.