Five easy wrap filling ideas
Five vibrant, quick-to-build fillings for wraps — chicken shawarma, harissa veg, spiced beef, halloumi & pesto and chickpea & avocado.
Wraps are the culinary equivalent of a good pair of jeans: endlessly useful and reliably satisfying. This recipe gives you five different fillings you can mix and match for lunches, picnic boxes or a fuss-free midweek supper.
There’s a punchy chicken shawarma, sweet-spicy harissa veg, quick spiced beef, a showy halloumi & pesto option and a creamy chickpea & avocado mash. All are straightforward and mostly cook in one pan or on a baking tray, so you can pick two or three and assemble a wrap feast in under an hour.
Ingredients
- 6 large tortilla wraps — for all wraps
- 100 g mixed salad leaves
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 2 lemon
- 80 ml olive oil
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
- 6 garlic cloves
- 600 g chicken thighs, boneless skinless — chicken shawarma filling
- 150 g natural yoghurt
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 10 ml ground cumin
- 1 large aubergine — harissa roasted veg filling
- 1 large courgette
- 1 red pepper
- 30 ml harissa paste
- 400 g beef mince — spiced beef filling
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 225 g halloumi — halloumi & pesto filling
- 60 ml basil pesto
- 400 g tinned chickpeas, drained — chickpea & avocado filling
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 lime
- 15 g fresh coriander
- 60 ml white wine vinegar — quick-pickled red onion
- 15 g caster sugar
- 120 ml cold water
- 15 ml honey
Equipment
- oven
- baking tray
- tongs
- blender or fork for mashing
Instructions
Make a quick pickle for the red onion: finely slice the red onion and put in a bowl. Add the white wine vinegar, caster sugar, a pinch of sea salt and the cold water. Stir to dissolve and leave to pickle at room temperature for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Make the shawarma marinade: crush or finely grate 2 garlic cloves, juice one lemon, then mix with the natural yoghurt, smoked paprika, ground cumin, 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Add the chicken thighs, toss to coat thoroughly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roast the harissa veg: preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Cut the aubergine and courgette into batons and the red pepper into strips. Toss with 1½ tbsp olive oil, the harissa paste and a good pinch of sea salt on a baking tray. Roast for 25 minutes until caramelised and tender.
Cook the marinated chicken: heat a frying pan over medium–high and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Shake off excess marinade and cook the thighs for 6–8 minutes each side until caramelised and cooked through (internal juices run clear). Transfer to a plate and rest for 2 minutes, then slice.
Make the spiced beef: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan, crush 1 garlic clove and fry for 30 seconds. Add the beef mince and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato purée, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp ground cumin and the dried oregano. Cook for 8–10 minutes until browned and thickened; season to taste.
Prepare the halloumi: slice the halloumi into 6 slices. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil and fry the slices for 1–2 minutes each side until golden. Remove from the pan and brush both sides with basil pesto and a drizzle of honey.
Make the chickpea & avocado mash: drain the tinned chickpeas. In a bowl, roughly mash the chickpeas with the ripe avocado, juice of the lime, a drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh coriander and sea salt to taste.
Warm the wraps and assemble: warm the large tortilla wraps in a dry frying pan for 20–30 seconds each side or in the oven for 3–4 minutes. Halve the cherry tomatoes, drain the pickled red onion, then build the wraps: a handful of mixed salad leaves, a spoonful of your chosen filling (chicken, harissa veg, spiced beef, halloumi & pesto or chickpea & avocado), add cherry tomatoes and a little pickled red onion. Squeeze over lemon and fold.
Tips
- Make the pickled red onion and the chickpea mash ahead — both keep in the fridge for up to 48 hours and speed assembly.
- When roasting veg, give pieces space on the tray so they brown; clustered veg steams and loses char.
- If you want a lighter wrap, swap large tortilla wraps for flatbreads or crisp lettuce leaves (stays-close).
- Warm wraps just before assembly — a warm wrap moulds better and prevents fillings from falling out.
- Use chicken thighs rather than breast for juicier shawarma; if using breast, slice thin and reduce cooking time slightly.
Substitutions
chicken thighs, boneless skinless → chicken breast, thinly sliced; marinate for no more than 20 minutes
Stays closehalloumi → firm feta, oven-roasted in slices
Noticeably differentlarge tortilla wraps → flatbreads or pitta breads
Stays closebasil pesto → sundried tomato paste or herby yoghurt
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 530
- Calories
- 28 g
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 750 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make all the fillings ahead?
Yes — the pickled onion and chickpea mash keep well, and cooked chicken, beef and roasted veg keep 24–48 hours refrigerated. Halloumi is best fried just before serving for colour and texture.
How do I stop wraps getting soggy?
Avoid dressing salad leaves before assembly; layer leaves between the wrap and wetter fillings and serve promptly. Warm wraps also help keep fillings snug.
Can I freeze any of these fillings?
Cooked beef and cooked chicken freeze OK (store up to 3 months). Avoid freezing avocado mash, fresh salad or halloumi — they lose texture.
Can I make these gluten-free?
Yes — use gluten-free wraps or flatbreads. Check tomato purée and harissa paste labels for hidden gluten.
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