This is an easy copycat of Applebee’s chicken wonton tacos recipe that’s made with marinated chicken and creamy coleslaw inside crispy wonton shells and topped with a delicious sweet Asian chili sauce.

If you’ve ever had these wonton tacos at Applebee’s you know what a fan-favorite appetizer they are! This is a delicious copycat of Applebee’s wonton taco recipe made with marinated chicken, creamy coleslaw dressing, a crispy wonton on the outside, and drizzles of sweet Asian chili sauce on top. Add some cilantro or sliced green onions for an extra layer of flavor.
Ingredients for Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos
Chicken Stir Fry
- Chicken Breasts, diced into fine cubes
- Soy Sauce
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Sesame Oil
- Hoisin Sauce
- Light Brown Sugar
Creamy Coleslaw
- Coleslaw Mix (with shredded cabbage and carrots)
- Marzetti’s Coleslaw Dressing – Can’t find it at the grocery? Click here for a homemade recipe of the dressing!
Sweet Asian Chili Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- Light Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes (Add more if you like it spicy!)
Taco Shells
- Wonton Wrappers
- Canola Oil
- Cilantro or Green Onions, and Lime Juice for Topping
How to Make Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos
- Begin by making the chicken stir fry sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Dice the chicken into fine pieces and stir into the sauce. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the coleslaw mixture by mixing coleslaw and Marzetti’s coleslaw dressing together in a bowl. Pour just enough of the Marzetti’s to coat all of the slaw.
- For the sweet Asian chili sauce, mix together ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl, then microwave for 30 seconds.
- To form wonton wrappers into the shape of a taco, heat an inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Place a wrapper in the oil and then use tongs to quickly flip over and fold one half of the wonton shell upward (like a taco) to fry one side until crispy. Once crispy (about 15-30 seconds) flip over and fry the other side. It may take some practice. Continue until enough wrappers are fried. They continue to brown after they are removed from the oil. Place the fried wontons on a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a large pan, cook chicken until browned and cooked through the center.
- Cut lime wedges for finishing touches. Place chicken in each wonton taco, top with coleslaw, sweet Asian chili sauce, and topped with fresh cilantro or green onions, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice.
Baking the Wonton Tacos
Want to bake the wonton cups instead of frying them into tacos?
I personally prefer frying because baking makes them have a more stale crunch, but if you are looking to decrease oil or cannot figure how to make them hold a taco shape this is another way to go.
- Using a muffin pan, spray each muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Place wonton wrappers into each tin. Spray each wonton wrapper with additional oil to help them crisp as they bake.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown. Fill each cup the same as the wonton tacos.
Substitutes
- Another alternative for this great appetizer is using ground chicken in place of diced chicken breast. Either stir ground chicken with the stir fry sauce before cooking on the stove, or the ground chicken can be browned first and then add the stir fry sauce after.
- A great addition to these tacos would be pickled red onions. Cut some strips of red onion and place them in a small bowl. Squeeze some of the fresh lime juice from the lime wedges on them (about 1-2 tablespoons). Top them on the wonton tacos with the slaw.
- We decided to mix it up and eat some of our chicken in lettuce wraps. They were so good! To make lettuce wraps, use a head of lettuce and remove whole leaves. In each leaf, layer with the chicken stir fry, a little coleslaw, and drizzle the sweet Asian chili sauce on top.
Recommended Recipes
- Chicken Stir Fry
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Instant Pot Ginger Pepper Steak
- Instant Pot Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs
- Japanese Steakhouse Ginger Sauce
- Peking Egg Rolls (Copycat Recipe)
- Teppanyaki Fried Rice
Asian Chicken Wonton Tacos
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade
- 2 Chicken Breasts, diced into fine cubes
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Hoisin
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
Slaw
- 2 cups Coleslaw Mix, with cabbage and carrots
- [Marzetti’s Coleslaw Dressing – Can’t find it at the grocery? Click here for a recipe of the dressing!]
Sweet Asian Chili Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Honey
Taco Shell
- 1 Package Wonton Wrappers
- Canola Oil
- Cilantro and Lime Juice for Topping
Instructions
- Combine finely diced chicken and marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Prepare the slaw by mixing coleslaw and Marzetti’s coleslaw dressing together in a bowl.
- For the sauce, mix together ingredients in a small dish, then microwave for 30 seconds.
- To fry wonton wrappers into the shape of a taco, heat an inch of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Place a wrapper in the oil and then use tongs to quickly flip over and fold one half of the wonton shell upward (like a taco) to fry one side until crispy. Once crispy (about 15-30 seconds) flip over and fry the other side. It may take some practice. Continue until enough wrappers are fried. They continue to brown after they are removed from the oil. Drain on paper towels.
- In a large pan, cook chicken until browned and cooked through the center.
- Add chicken to each wonton taco, followed by coleslaw, sweet chili sauce, and topped with fresh cilantro and squeeze of lime juice.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn referral fees from products I love and recommend at no extra cost to you.
Leave a Reply