Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos

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

1. Mix together the slaw.
2. Spray the wonton wrappers.
3. Bake until crispy.
4. Marinate the chicken.
5. Sauté until cooked through.
6. Assemble your tacos and enjoy!

More topping ideas

These are little appetizers, 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

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 appetizers 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 the chicken

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

• Applebee's Quesadilla Burger
• Applebee's Tequila Lime Chicken
• Applebee’s Shrimp Wonton Stir Fry

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• 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.