Portuguese Chicken Wraps
Two sauces do a lot of heavy lifting here, a punchy chilli oil and a cooling Greek yoghurt mayo, both come together in minutes while the chicken marinates.
Charring the tenderloins hard and fast in batches is what gets you that proper smoky edge, and a quick glaze of chilli sauce right at the end adds a sticky, spicy finish without burning the sugars in the sambal.
Everything’s kept separate until serving, warm flatbread, cool mayo, charred chicken and a drizzle of chilli oil, assembled fresh so nothing goes soggy.
Portuguese Chicken Wraps
PORTUGUESE CHICKEN WRAPS · CHICKEN · MEAL PREP · EASY
Two sauces, no compromise on either
The chilli oil brings genuine heat and depth, while the creamy chilli mayo tones it down just enough to keep the wrap balanced rather than overwhelming.
Marinating the tenderloins properly and cooking them in batches without crowding the pan is what gets you real char, not just browned chicken. That char is doing a lot of the flavour work here.
And because the chilli oil recipe makes extra, you'll have some left over for the next batch, or for drizzling over just about anything else in the fridge.
Portuguese Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 kg Chicken Tenderloins
- 20 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves Grated
- 6 g Smoked Paprika
- 4 g Sweet Paprika
- 2 g Dried Oregano
- 1 g Dried Chilli Flakes
- ½ wedge Lemon, Juiced
- Salt To Taste
- Cracked Black Pepper To Taste
Chilli Oil
- 125 g Sambal Oelek
- 125 ml Neutral Oil
- 30 ml Lemon Juice
- 2 g Lemon Zest
- 1 Garlic Clove Grated
- 5 g Ginger Grated
- 10 g Dijon Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
Creamy Chilli Mayo
- 150 g Greek Yogurt
- 40 g Mayonnaise
- 40 g Chilli Oil (Recipe Above)
- Salt To Taste
- Cracked Black Pepper To Taste
To Serve
- 6 Flat Breads or Wraps
- Lettuce Shredded
Method
Make the Sauces
- In a bowl, add all of the chilli oil ingredients and whisk well to combine. Store in a jar and refrigerate until ready to serve. This recipe makes more than what you’ll need.
- In a separate bowl, add all of the creamy chilli mayo ingredients and whisk well to combine. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Marinate the Chicken
- Combine tenderloins with olive oil, garlic, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, oregano, chilli flakes, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Marinate 20–30 minutes.
Cook the Chicken
- Heat a non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Cook tenderloins in batches for 3–4 minutes per side until charred and cooked through. Glaze lightly with your chilli sauce in the final 30 seconds. Rest briefly.
Assemble the Wraps
- Warm each flatbread. Spread creamy chilli mayo down the centre, add shredded lettuce, 3–4 tenderloins per wrap and a drizzle of extra chilli oil. Wrap tightly and serve.
Why marinate the chicken for the full 20-30 minutes?⌄
With grated garlic and lemon juice in the mix, that time is what actually works the flavour into the chicken rather than just sitting on the surface. Rushing it means a much milder result.
Can I make this less spicy?⌄
Yes, cut back the chilli flakes in the marinade and use less chilli oil in the mayo and as a drizzle. The creamy mayo already tones things down, so leaning on that more is an easy way to soften the heat.
Why only glaze the chicken in the final 30 seconds?⌄
Brushing it on any earlier risks the sugars in the sambal catching and burning before the chicken is even done. Glazing right at the end keeps it sticky rather than scorched.
Can I use chicken breast instead of tenderloins?⌄
Yes, slice it into strips of a similar size to the tenderloins first so it cooks and chars evenly in the same amount of time.
