Description
Chicken Salad Pinwheels are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer or snack featuring tender shredded chicken mixed with juicy red grapes, crunchy pecans, and crisp celery, all bound together in a creamy mayonnaise and lemon juice dressing. Rolled in soft flour tortillas with fresh lettuce, these pinwheels are chilled to perfection before slicing, making them an attractive and refreshing finger food suitable for parties, picnics, or light lunches.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Salad Filling
- 2 cups cooked chicken (shredded)
- ¾ cup red grapes (halved)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup celery (thinly sliced)
- â…“ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
Assembly
- 3 large flour tortillas
- 6 to 8 leafy lettuce leaves
- Optional: fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and fresh lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, adjusting the seasoning as needed.
- Combine the salad ingredients: Add the shredded cooked chicken, halved red grapes, chopped pecans, and thinly sliced celery to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss everything together until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Assemble the tortillas: Lay one large flour tortilla flat on a clean cutting board or work surface. Place two to three leafy lettuce leaves across the center of the tortilla, creating a bed for the chicken salad.
- Add the chicken salad: Spoon approximately one-third of the chicken salad mixture onto the lettuce in an even layer, spreading gently to cover the surface without overfilling.
- Roll the pinwheel: Starting from one edge, tightly roll the tortilla into a log shape, ensuring the filling stays neatly inside. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Chill the rolls: Place the rolled tortillas in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This step firms them up, making slicing easier and resulting in neater pinwheels.
- Slice into pinwheels: Remove the rolls from the freezer and using a sharp knife, slice each log into ½- to 1-inch thick pinwheels. Wipe the knife clean between cuts to maintain clean slices.
- Garnish and serve: Arrange the pinwheels on a serving platter. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Notes
- For a healthier twist, substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- Use gluten-free tortillas to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Chilling the tortillas before slicing enhances the shape and makes preparation easier.
- Pinwheels can be made a few hours ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator for optimal freshness.
- Feel free to swap pecans with walnuts or almonds according to preference or availability.
