I'll confess that I enjoy being a bit of a kitchen alchemist, and dabbling playfully in all of the many options available in my spice cabinet. I consider spices and various seasonings my “magical powders”, and get a thrill out of combining them with some good oil, herbs, citrus juices and zests, and blending them into some glorious elixirs that fragrantly infuse and flavor all sorts of willing candidates. For me, the more spices the better, especially when it comes to a simple meal such as a grilled chicken sandwich wrap; and because there are typically only a handful of ingredients in a “portable pal” of this sort, it creates the perfect vessel for those magical powders to heat things up and warm the soul, not to mention the taste buds.
Deep, earthy spices such as cumin, cinnamon, ginger, coriander and turmeric are those precious spices that warm to the core; and when sprinkled over a simple chicken breast that has been lightly bathed in good olive oil plus a little squeeze of lemon, and are allowed to penetrate to its very center, create an amazingly rich and comforting balance of flavors, perfect for a luscious grab-n-go wrap. When grilled, the chicken takes on the succulent flavors of the slightly charred spices; and when paired with a mildly-sweet, tangy and rich eggplant, tomato and onion chutney topped with just a mild sprinkling of fresh, cool mint, plus a creamy, spicy hummus spread to tie everything together, then the result is the perfect little portable sandwich wrap to enjoy if you yourself are a kitchen alchemist, or at least like to eat like one.
Oh the flavors that can be experienced with the many spices found on a market's spice-shelves, or in your very own cabinet, if you're a kitchen alchemist-type like me — flavors that will warm up any mood, and whisk you away to a place where bland does not exist, warming your belly and soul in the most delicious way possible. A “Spiced Moroccan Chicken Wrap” with all of the rich accoutrements within it is the perfect pick to experience some kitchen magic with, and to revel in the flavor of; it's a simple yet unique meal, a perfectly “portable pal”, that you'll be dreaming of enjoying, again and again.
Taste what's good and pass it on.
Spiced Moroccan Chicken Wrap with Grilled Eggplant, Tomato and Onion Chutney, with Spicy Hummus Spread and Fresh Mint
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(Makes 4 wraps)
Ingredients:
2 skinless & boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
2 cloves garlic pressed through garlic press
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch cayenne pepper
4 wooden skewers
• Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney (recipe below)
• Spicy Hummus Spread(recipe below)
4 pieces Middle Eastern flatbread, or pita
Preparation:
-Place the chunks of chicken into a bowl, and add about 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil; next, add a couple of pinches of salt and black pepper, and the rest of the ingredients through the pinch of cayenne pepper; toss the ingredients well to coat, and skewer the chicken pieces as equally as possible with the 4 wooden skewers; set the chicken aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes, or even overnight if you're doing this ahead.
-While the chicken marinates, prepare the Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney (recipe below).
-Next, prepare the Spicy Hummus Spread (recipe below).
-Grill the chicken skewers on a grill pan or outdoor grill for a few minutes per side, or until the chicken is slightly charred and cooked through; place onto a platter to hold.
-To assemble to sandwich wraps, spread a generous amount of the Spicy Hummus Spread over each of the 4 pieces of flatbread; next, slide the chicken pieces off of the skewer in a row in the center of each wrap (1 skewer per wrap), and top the chicken with a couple of spoonfuls of the Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney; bring the two sides of the flatbread together, and secure with toothpicks if needed, or wrap in parchment paper to hold the wrap together while you enjoy.
Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney ingredients:
• Olive oil
1 small onion, quartered and sliced
• Salt
• Black pepper
2 small Japanese eggplants, or 1 very small “globe” eggplant, diced into small pieces (about 1 ½ cups worth)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Preparation:
-Place a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and add in about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in the sliced onions, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for about 5-6 minutes until a light, golden-brown.
-Next, add in the diced eggplant, plus a pinch of salt, and saute it with the onion for about 2-3 minutes, or until a light golden-brown and slightly tender (add more olive oil if the mixture seems dry).
-Next, add in the diced Roma tomatoes, plus another small pinch of salt and pepper, and saute the mixture for about 8 minutes, or until everything begins to break down and resemble a “jam” or a chutney, and is a deeper golden-brown.
-Finally, add in the garlic, and saute for an additional 2 minutes; finish the chutney with the lemon juice and the fresh mint, plus another drizzle of olive oil to make it glossy and rich, and check to see if additional salt and pepper is necessary; set aside and keep warm until ready to use.
Spicy Hummus Spread ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove of garlic
1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon plus a pinch salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Preparation:
-Place all ingredients through the pinch of cayenne into the bowl of a food processor, and process for several moments until mostly smooth; with the processor running, slowly add in the olive oil and process until the spread is very smooth, scraping the sides down if necessary; transfer the hummus spread into a bowl or container, and set aside until ready to use.
Wow - Everything about this wrap looks so good! The eggplant tomato chutney is something I'd like to have in my fridge at all times - to put on everything. Great recipes. Found you on Foodgawker.
Thanks, Lisa!
Those are some tasty looking wraps!
Thanks Kevin! Nice to have you stop by!
yummm the wraps looks really delicious, great idea for dinner
I made this tonight and WOW it was good! I used ready made hummus and tortilla wraps instead of pita...awesome!
Hi there Gillian! Thanks so much for coming back to share what you thought of the recipe - the ready-made hummus is a good short-cut, and the tortilla wraps are a nice substitution. Glad you enjoyed this!
I saw your recipe on Foodgawker when I was looking for something to put in pita bread I had just bought. Made your recipe and it was awesome! Thanks!
Hi Meg! Talk about perfect timing with the pita! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed...
Wow - I am eating this right now and it is SO good! Absolutely delicious recipe!
Thanks!
Thanks, Megan - glad you liked! (Hope you didn't get any schmutz on your keyboard, haha!)
Yum yum, absolutely delicious. Will defo be making these again.
Great Lynsey! Thanks...
can i use regular eggplant?
Absolutely, Sami! Just pick a very small one. 😉
Hi Lisa!! The recipe looks awesome, I'm going to try it on Friday. Do you think some tzaziki would go well with it? What would you suggest as a side dish? And arugula salad with something else?
I love your cooking, it's very inspiring! Thanks a lot and greetings from Argentina.
Hi there! Yes - an arugula salad would be delicious with this! I hope you enjoy preparing this recipe. Thanks for visiting from Argentina! 😉
That was really delicious, I just made it for dinner and my husband and I loved it! I think from now on I will make my own hummus. Yum!
Hi Garre! Yeay - glad you both enjoyed your din! And I'm so happy to read that perhaps you'll be making your own hummus from now on; this recipe had sort of a "quick" version, but if you'd like a bit of a more "formal" one that I have here on the site, give this one a try - it's yummy! https://thecozyapron.com/cozy-cameo-when-pita-met-humus/ Thanks for stopping by...
Just got done having seconds on these, and they are...DELICIOUS! Love the combination of all the different flavors! Thanks for the great recipes, I'll be checking back for more 🙂
Scott, thank you so very much for your comments! Glad you enjoyed, and I do indeed hope that you get the chance to check out some more of the recipes to prepare. Thanks for sharing with me!
I've never attempted Moroccan food before, but I love all the spices you've mentioned. I'm definitely going to have to try these as they sound amazing!!
lovely recipy, everything well balanced and perfect dressing. Tried with homemade pitta well worth it. Eggplant chutney super delicious. Thank you.
Susanne, I really appreciate your comments. Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed!
I found this recipe wanting to use some leftover eggplant I had used the day before to make a wonderful minestrone soup from finecooking.com I had all the primary ingredients on hand except I didn't have lemon zest and also used whole wheat tortillas, already in the frig and pre-made hummus. I love finding recipes that use up the ingredients in my frig with minor changes so not to let food go to waste. I will make these again and will make the extra effort to run to the local Greek restaurant to get fresh pita bread.
Hi Christine, that truly is an awesome thing when good food, already in your fridge, can be plugged into another recipe to make another tasty meal. So glad you enjoyed this! Thanks for your comments.
I absolutely loved this recipe! My girlfriend said if I keep putting that on the table, she might just have to marry me. Also I loved this hummus recipe! Normally I'm not a fan but since I could spice it up and slightly cut down the olive oil, it's now my favourite dip. And I will be trying the chutney on burgers later in the week, I'm super excited. Thanks for a top shelf meal to celebrate our 9monthiversary
Hi Tim, that's music to my ears! So glad you had such a good experience with the recipe, and that you even feel like you ended up with a go-to hummus recipe, as well! Congrats on your 9 month anniversary—what a lovely thing that you prepared this meal for your special lady. 😉
This was delicious! We love moroccan food and do a lot of tagines etc and this is a tagine in a wrap!
Really amazing, love your site xo
Becca, your comment put a bit smile on my face! Thanks so much for sharing your experience with these tasty wraps, and I truly hope you continue to find more recipes to try your hand at and be comforted by. Thanks for your readership, and happy cooking!
Ingrid, oh my goodness, this meal is delicious! Every part of it is great, but all the parts together...let's just say there were no leftovers, ha. I had to make a few changes based on the current circumstances and what's available (dried mint, canned tomatoes) and the weather (baked, then broiled chicken), but otherwise I made no changes. Thanks for filling our bellies again. Best wishes to you and yours, especially right now...Love, Melissa
Melissa, so glad you all enjoyed these wraps—I love it when there are no leftovers, haha!
Wonderful substitutions/tweaks...
Please know what a pleasure it is for me to have some small part in "filling your bellies" with these recipes. It is an honor, and I am so grateful that you come back to share your experiences with me.
Much love, and happy cooking to you!