Healthy Chicken Collard Green Wraps Recipe 

Looking for a light and healthy meal or an easy appetizer? Try these chicken collard green wraps with only four ingredients. If you're dealing with a picky eater, have dietary restrictions, or are simply looking for healthy recipes, these collard green wraps are a great choice. They're gluten-free, low-carb, and suitable for Whole 30, paleo, and keto diets. They are easy to put together without needing much meal prep time. Plus, they can easily be made vegan-friendly by substituting chicken with grilled tofu, marinated tofu, or tempeh.

One of the things I adore about this collard wrap recipe is its flexibility. You can repurpose any protein leftovers, like grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, or tofu. But if you don't have any on hand, don't worry; just cook some protein and assemble the wrap. Plus, you can experiment with different proteins, such as tofu or steak strips, to suit your taste buds. Below, I will show you how to make collard green wraps that are healthy and easy.

Chicken Collard Green Wrap Recipe

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce

Directions

1. Prep collard green leaves. You can use full-size or half-collard green leaves to make these wraps. If you plan on using full leaves, remove any chunky stem with a sharp paring knife so it can lay flat. If you plan on using half leaves, slice the leaves in half with a sharp knife. If you cook the leaves, ensure the collard leaves are dry before rolling.

2. Lay the collard green leaf flat. Place chicken, cucumber, and carrots on one side of the wrap. Avoid placing the stuffing too close to the edge or in the middle, or else you won't be able to wrap it.

3. Fold the edge of collard greens over the stuffings and roll up tightly. Make sure it is tightly rolled so it doesn't fall apart.

Peanut Sauce

In a mixing bowl, mix the peanut butter with the hot water to thin it down. You can add just a splash more, depending on how thick or thin you like your sauce. Then, add the remaining ingredients and stir.

What You Will Need To Make These Collard Green Wraps

Collard Green Leaves

To make these collard green wraps, you will need collard leaves, which you can find at any grocery store. Depending on how many collard green wraps you are planning on making, you may need a whole brunch, and you can use a full collard leaf or half for each wrap.

When choosing collard greens from the store, pick ones with small, thin leaves over large collard green leaves. The large and thick ones can be tough and bitter, but they are doable. And avoid any that are wilted or have brown spots.

In addition to collard greens, you can use several other greens as a wrap, including lettuce, swiss chard, purple cabbage, kale, or other dark leafy greens.

Cooked Chicken

If you have leftover chicken at home, this recipe is perfect. However, if you don't have any at home, you can easily stir-fry some chicken.

For healthy options, I recommend that you use chicken breast. You can also substitute other types of protein of your choice, and it will still be as delicious! You can try tofu or tempeh instead to make vegan collard green wraps.

Cucumber And Carrot

I added sliced cucumber and carrot to give the collard green wraps a crunch and refreshing taste. If the carrot is too hard for your personal preference, you can lightly stir-fry it. But feel free to add your favorite crunchy vegetables instead.

How To Soften Collard Greens

While you can eat raw collard greens, they have some distinctive taste that isn't for everyone. Whether you should cook collard green leaf or not is a personal preference. Regardless of whether you will cook it or not, don't forget to slice off any big stems to make them flatter and easier to wrap.

Although collard greens can be used raw, I prefer lightly cooking them to reduce bitterness and make them more pliable. Cooking in water can help dissipate any unpleasant bitterness notes. You can also use this method if you choose kale instead.

There are a few ways you can soften collard greens:

Dip In Boiling Water

One of the easiest ways to soften the collard greens is to dip them in boiling water for a few seconds. You only need to dip them for a few seconds, or they will be overcooked. You only want them to be slightly soft.

Pour Hot Water Over

An effortless method to soften collard greens is to pour hot or boiling water over the leaves in a bowl. Drain the water after a few seconds to avoid overcooking them.

Steamed Collard Greens

If you prefer to preserve the most nutrients in your food, steaming is the best cooking option. Just be sure to steam the collard greens for no longer than 5 minutes to retain their nutrients.

Place Collard Wraps In Skillet

If none of the above options sounds good to you, you can place it in a skillet and cover it with a lid. Let it cook for about a minute and until it is softer.

The Sauce

There are endless dipping sauce options for this recipe. While I opted for a peanut sauce with Asian flavors, you can use any sauce you prefer. Some of my go-to options include sesame ginger or classic Asian sesame dressing. You can also turn it into Mediterranean wraps by using garlic toum or hummus as a dipping sauce. Whatever sauce you decide to go with, it will be absolutely delicious.

To keep it less messy, I prefer to use a dipping sauce rather than adding it to the wrap. However, you can add the sauce directly to the wrap before folding.

Why You Will Love Collard Wraps

Simple ingredients and easy-to-make dishes

You only need 4 ingredients to make this dish, and most likely, you already have the ingredients right in your kitchen. You can also have this dish ready to go in less than 10 minutes.

It is so versatile

This wrap is super versatile. You can use any protein you like, which goes with any dressing.

Healthy

This recipe is super healthy and diet-restriction friendly. It is also gluten-free, keto, paleo, and Whole 30 friendly!

Packed With Protein

It is great as an in-between-meal snack or appetizer. It is also a great weight loss support meal, as it is packed with protein!