Spelt Thai Basil Chicken Wraps are soft homemade spelt flatbreads filled with garlicky ground chicken, Thai basil, and fresh cucumber. The whole meal takes 55 minutes, and the filling itself cooks in about 8.
The spelt dough has a mild, nutty flavor. The wraps stay soft after cooking, so they fold without cracking. You can make them a day ahead and warm them in a dry skillet.
The filling is salty and lightly sweet, with chili heat you control. Cucumber and carrot keep each bite crisp, and the flavors stay clean.
Rest the dough for the full 20 minutes. Skip it and the dough springs back when you roll it, so the wraps cook up stiff.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spelt wraps stay soft and fold without cracking
- The filling cooks in about 8 minutes in one skillet
- Wraps and filling can both be made a day ahead
- Chili heat is easy to adjust for family meals
Ingredient Notes
- White spelt flour: White spelt gives soft wraps that roll easily. Wholemeal spelt works too, but add 1 to 2 tbsp more water and expect a denser wrap.
- Thai basil: Thai basil has an anise-like note and holds its shape in heat. Holy basil is the traditional herb, and Italian basil works with a sweeter result.
- Ground chicken thigh: Thigh meat stays juicy in a fast stir-fry. Chicken breast mince works but dries out sooner, so cook it about 1 minute less.
- Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds salt and depth. For a milder filling, replace it with extra soy sauce.
- Thai bird’s eye chilies: These chilies are hot. Use one for mild heat, or swap in a larger mild red chili.
Spelt Thai Basil Chicken Wraps with Crisp Cucumber
Description
Spelt flour makes the wraps soft and slightly nutty. The ground chicken filling cooks in about 8 minutes with garlic, chili, fish sauce, and Thai basil, and fresh cucumber and carrot add crunch.
Ingredients
Spelt wraps
Thai basil chicken
To serve
Instructions
Make the spelt wraps
- Whisk the spelt flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tbsp oil and 150 ml warm water and stir into a shaggy dough. Knead on a lightly floured counter for 3 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Cover the dough with the bowl and rest for 20 minutes. While it rests, mince the garlic, slice the shallot and chilies, cut the cucumber into matchsticks, grate the carrot, and pick the basil leaves.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces of about 54 g each and roll each into a ball. Roll one ball at a time into an 18 cm / 7-inch round about 2 mm thick, dusting lightly with flour.
- Heat a 26 cm / 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook one wrap at a time for 45 to 60 seconds per side, until golden-brown spots appear and the surface puffs. Roll the next wrap while the current one cooks, and stack the cooked wraps in a folded kitchen towel to keep them soft.
Cook the Thai basil chicken
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 30 cm / 12-inch skillet or wok over high heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and chilies and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the chicken and press it into an even layer. Leave it for 2 minutes until the base browns, then break it into small pieces and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, until no pink remains.
- Stir in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and 3 tbsp water. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken and the pan looks nearly dry. Check that the chicken reads 165 F / 74 C.
- Take the pan off the heat and fold in the Thai basil for about 30 seconds, until the leaves just wilt.
Assemble
- Lay a lettuce leaf on each warm wrap and spoon on the chicken. Add cucumber and carrot, squeeze over a little lime, then roll or fold and serve right away.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 570kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 25g39%
- Saturated Fat 5g25%
- Cholesterol 120mg40%
- Sodium 1190mg50%
- Potassium 650mg19%
- Total Carbohydrate 52g18%
- Dietary Fiber 7g29%
- Sugars 7g
- Protein 34g68%
- Vitamin A 2200 IU
- Vitamin C 12 mg
- Calcium 70 mg
- Iron 3.5 mg
- Vitamin D 5 IU
- Vitamin E 2 mg
- Vitamin K 20 mcg
- Thiamin 0.3 mg
- Riboflavin 0.4 mg
- Niacin 12 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.8 mg
- Folate 50 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.4 mcg
- Phosphorus 380 mg
- Magnesium 95 mg
- Zinc 3.5 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Rest the dough for the full 20 minutes before you roll it out.
- Cook the chicken until no pink remains and it reaches 165 F / 74 C.
- Stir in the Thai basil off the heat so it stays bright and fragrant.
- Use one chili for mild heat and three for a hot filling.
- Keep cooked wraps stacked inside a folded towel so they stay soft until serving.
