These Applebee's Chicken Wonton Tacos are the perfect copycat, filled with honey-garlic chicken and zesty slaw in a crispy wonton shell.
Ingredients and substitutions
Chicken
- Chicken breasts – if you prefer dark meat, you can use boneless chicken thighs instead.
- Hoisin sauce – if you don't have hoisin sauce, you can use bean paste or 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp soy sauce mixed together.
- Sesame oil – you can try using a neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil instead.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but the jarred variety will work as well.
- Ginger – use 1 tsp. of ground ginger powder if you don’t have any fresh ginger on hand.
Asian-inspired slaw
- Coleslaw – chop up some red or green cabbage instead (although buying the bagged coleslaw is easier).
- Green onions – chives or shallots would be the best substitute here.
- Sesame oil – swap out for a neutral oil like avocado or canola oil.
- Rice vinegar – white wine vinegar or apple cider would also work.
- Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
- Honey – try using agave syrup or brown rice syrup instead for a bit of sweetness.
Toppings
- Wonton wrappers – if you want to make these tacos low-carb, use lettuce wraps instead.
- Sweet chili sauce – make your own using a blend of hot sauce and honey.
- Chopped cilantro – leave this out altogether if you don’t have any cilantro.
- Sesame seeds – both white and black sesame seeds would work here.
How to make Applebee's chicken wonton tacos
Step 1: Make the coleslaw.
Mix ingredients for coleslaw together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Prep the wonton wrappers.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray or brush with a bit of olive/canola oil, then drape over the side of a 9×13 baking dish.
Step 3: Bake until crispy.
Bake for 7-8 minutes, watching closely so they don't burn. Take wonton shells out of the oven, then gently pull them apart while they are still pliable so that they are more easily filled with toppings. Bake another 7-8 minutes until crispy.
Step 4: Marinate the chicken.
Mix diced raw chicken in a large bowl with hoisin sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger.
Step 5: Cook the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over high heat and saute chicken for 7-8 minutes, tossing frequently until cooked through.
Step 6: Assemble your tacos and serve!
Add chicken mixture to wonton shells, then top with coleslaw, drizzle with sweet chili sauce and sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Topping ideas for wonton tacos
These Applebee’s wonton tacos are appetizer-sized, but if you have a sharp kitchen knife and are good at mincing, consider adding some of these other toppings:
- Minced mushrooms
- Minced bamboo shoots
- Grated carrot or parsnip
- Kohlrabi (German turnip) cut into matchsticks
- Plum sauce
- Sriracha sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
There are just 350 calories per serving in this chicken wonton tacos recipe, significantly less than at Applebee’s! One serving is made up of four tacos so you’re looking at just 88 calories per taco. If you were to order the original dish at Applebee’s, you’re looking at 570 calories per serving – and the serving size is likely smaller.
If you shop at an Asian market, wonton wrappers will be easy to find for your wonton tacos. They are usually in the refrigerated foods section. At traditional grocery stores, they are typically in the refrigerated section of the ethic food aisle. Otherwise, look in the produce section. They might be near the spice roots (like ginger), or near the refrigerated salad dressings.
These Applebee’s wonton tacos have 33 grams of carbs per serving. The wonton wrappers are part of what make these tacos so delicious, but if you’re looking for a low-carb option, you can always swap out the wonton wrappers for lettuce wraps.
Storing and reheating
Anytime you combine hot and cold foods together, it can be tricky to reheat them without losing some flavour, texture or both. Because of this, these Applebee’s wonton tacos are best eaten on the day they are made.
If you do have leftover chicken that you want to keep to enjoy later, store it in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. You can always bake the wonton shells fresh again in the oven.
Freezing this recipe
Unfortunately, fully assembled, chicken wonton tacos do not freeze well. However, you can definitely freeze the chicken by itself!
After cooking the chicken, be sure to allow it time to cool down before you transfer it to freezer-safe storage containers. Once frozen, the chicken will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat it in the microwave or in the oven before assembling your fresh tacos.
More Applebee's copycat recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on storing any leftover chicken.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Applebee's Chicken Wonton Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts, finely diced
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
Asian-inspired slaw
- 1 (397g) bag coleslaw
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
For tacos + toppings
- 16 Wonton wrappers
- Sweet chili sauce, to serve
- Chopped cilantro, to serve
- Sesame seeds, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray wonton wrappers with cooking spray or brush with a bit of olive/canola oil, then drape over the side of a 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 7-8 minutes, watching closely closely so they don't burn. Take wonton shells out of the oven, then gently pull them apart while they are still pliable so that they are more easily filled with toppings. Bake another 7-8 minutes until crispy.
- Mix diced raw chicken in a large bowl with hoisin sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Heat a large skillet over high heat and saute chicken for 7-8 minutes, tossing frequently until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, mix ingredients for coleslaw together in a large bowl.
- Add chicken mixture to wonton shells, then top with coleslaw, drizzle with sweet chili sauce and sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Shari says
This was fantastic!!! I was told I could make this,again anytime!! 😊
Lori says
My won ton wrappers burnt where they draped over before cooking through. What am I doing wrong? I ended up frying them and eating them flat with the toppings. Excellent! But I’d still like to do them as taco shaped.😟
Taylor Stinson says
Hmm, I’m thinking all oven temperatures fluctuate slightly and wrappers can burn if pushed too far back into the oven so maybe that is part of what happened? I also know that it depends what type of dish you use and how thick it is, a dish with thicker edges will result in a larger space to fit the toppings. I hope this helps!
Randy says
Applebee’s employee here, your recipe is fantastic, however way over the top from the actual recipe.
If anyone wants to try something simpler and more authentic to the original recipe, just do the following:
1. Fry wonton shells in 350 degree oil in taco shape. (Baking dish method could also be used, we have special fryer baskets to let us do this so finding the appropriate tool would be harder for the home cook.
2. Pan/Grill boneless skinless chicken breast and dice or used frozen pre-diced chicken for filling.
3. Mix 6 ounces of a good Thai/Asian sweet chili sauce per 2 1/2 pounds chicken breast.
4. Use a hearty cut premade cole slaw and mix in chopped cilantro, or make your own with thick cut green cabbage, shredded carrots, generic cole slaw dressing and chopped cilantro, mix to your taste.
5. Fill tacos with chicken, top with slaw, and drizzle a premade dumping sauce (the kind used for potstickers) over top the slaw.
6. Squeeze a little lime on top and enjoy.
Jessie says
I made my chicken the way you said…. Ummm it was perfect! Thanks for the tip 🙂 I did my slaw kinda as the recipe… instead of green onion I used half a large red finely chopped,1 tbsp soy, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp honey, 2 tbsp mayo, a couple shakes of salt and pepper… I fried my wontons in veggie oil (folded and shaped them while hot) and topped the final dish with fresh lime… I’m telling you 100% just like Applebees. Wish I could load a pic of my masterpiece.
Jeff Hartfield says
How much does the bag of coleslaw weigh?
Taylor Stinson says
It’s a standard 14oz bag
Judy M says
Will try these tonight as it’s my favourite dish at Applebees and haven’t been able to cross into Michigan since COVID hit and we don’t have this restaurant on the Canadian side of the river. Thanks for the inspiration….
Lindsey says
Could this be done in a crockpot?! I’ve made them before following the recipe and it was a hit with everyone! I’m wanting to make a bigger batch for an extended family dinner
Taylor Stinson says
I have never tried it in a crockpot but I imagine it probably could. Let me know if you give it a try!
Mindy says
These were delish! Our 6 year-old ate 5 of them! Thanks so much.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed them 🙂
Keira says
I can’t wait to make these for dinner. My favorite things to get at Applebees.
Ella says
These are my favorite. Can’t wait to try this recipe out.
Sierra says
Would these be good served cold?
Taylor Stinson says
Yes they would!