Asian Chicken Tacos … with Wonton Taco Shells!
I split my time between San Diego, California and Mexico, and I can’t even guess how many tacos I’ve eaten over the past few years living in a border city as well as south of the border! Tacos in any form are always a win in my book, whether they’re stuffed with al pastor-style pork, ground beef, carne asada, or pulled pork. Hand me a plate of tacos and a lime margarita to wash it all down with, and I’m in heaven. These chicken wonton tacos are the latest in a line of taco recipes I’ve fallen head over heels for. Are they even remotely authentic? Absolutely not. Are they finger-licking delicious? YES! The wonton shells are folded over the edges of a baking tray and cooked until ultra crispy, then filled with juicy teriyaki chicken and topped with an Asian-inspired coleslaw. This is my take on Applebee’s wonton tacos, but as per usual the homemade version blows the restaurant version out of the water! If you’re in a cooking rut and are craving something with an abundance of textures and Asian-inspired flavors galore, you need to make these tacos! Toss together a classic green salad or steam some veggies for a side, and lunch or dinner is served! These are also a hit for casual get-together or game day parties. Whether you’ve got picky eaters or hungry sports fans on your hands, everyone adores these chicken tacos.
Ingredients for Chicken Wonton Tacos
This recipe for wonton tacos is broken down into three parts: the crispy wonton taco shells, the teriyaki chicken taco filling, and the sesame ginger coleslaw topping. You may need to make a trip to the grocery store for a few purchases, but all are easy to find. Gather the following ingredients:
Chicken breasts Teriyaki sauce (or hoisin sauce) Sesame oil Soy sauce Garlic Fresh ginger Coleslaw mix (just the shredded cabbage + carrots mixture, without the dressing) Green onions Rice vinegar Granulated sugar (honey may be substituted) Lime juice Wonton wrappers Sweet chili sauce (the Trader Joe’s brand is great or try the Thai Kitchen brand) Fresh cilantro Sesame seeds
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chicken Wonton Tacos
This copycat recipe for Applebee’s chicken wonton tacos has a few more steps than your average taco recipe, but it’s easy to follow, with about 20 minutes prep time, and everything comes together in about 45 minutes total time. Full instructions are provided in the recipe card at the end of this post, but let’s review the basic steps to making Asian chicken tacos with wonton shells:
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
Finely dice the chicken, then add to a large bowl with 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, tablespoon sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinate.
Step 2: Make the Asian Slaw
While the chicken marinates, make the slaw. Add the fiber filled coleslaw mix and sliced green onions to a mixing bowl. Top with a combination of sesame oil, rice vinegar, tablespoon soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and ginger. Toss to combine. Taste the slaw and adjust as needed. Add more vinegar for a more tangy slaw, more lime juice for a citrus-forward flavor, more soy sauce to make it saltier, or more ginger if you prefer a ginger-packed coleslaw. Set to the side so the flavors have time to marry.
Step 3: Shape and Bake the Wonton Taco Shells
Fold the wonton wrappers over the edges of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spray them with non-stick cooking spray (or brush lightly with olive oil). Bake in a 375ºF oven just until golden brown.
Step 4: Cook the Chicken Taco Filling
Add the chicken and pour all the marinade which is now your stir fry sauce into a nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Note that dark meat if you’re using chicken thighs takes a bit longer to cook through. If there’s excess sauce in the skillet after cooking, you could consider discarding it. If you add too much sauce to the wonton taco wrappers, they’ll become soggy. Although I am sauce fan and enjoy it.
Step 5: Assemble the Wonton Tacos
Scoop the chicken taco filling into the baked wonton wrappers, then top with slaw. Drizzle sweet chili sauce, sprinkle fresh cilantro, and sesame seeds if desired. Try to eat the tacos without making a mess — good luck!
Make-Ahead Instructions
The chicken wonton tacos are easy to make in advance and reheat during the week. You want to select wonton wrappers to create the a crispy wonton shell for your taco filling. Do NOT confuse wonton wrappers with: -Spring roll wrappers which are paper thin, extremely delicate, and transparent. Save these for Fresh Spring Rolls. -Egg roll wrappers which are thicker, larger, denser, and made for really being stuffed, stretched, and rolled like I do in my Copycat Chili’s Restaurant Southwest Chicken Egg Rolls. -There are also wrappers for potstickers, dumplings, sushi wrappers, and move. Skip all of those too. -In a pinch if you can’t find wonton wrappers, or you don’t want to deal with baking them and creating the wonton taco shells, you can cheat and use good ole fashioned hard taco shells. Easy peasy. The flavor and texture will differ of course, but they’ll work. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind for leftover success:
Store the Asian coleslaw and teriyaki chicken taco filling separately in the fridge. Wait to bake the wonton shells until you’re ready to fill and eat them. If you bake them too far in advance, they’ll lose their crispness as they sit on your counter. Cilantro should be minced fairly close to service so it doesn’t oxidize.
If stored correctly, the slaw and taco filling will last up to 5 days in the fridge. You can reheat the filling in the microwave or in an oiled skillet over medium heat.
What to Serve with Asian-Inspired Wonton Tacos
Seeing as how this chicken wonton taco recipe is neither authentically Asian nor authentically Mexican, you might as well keep the fusion food train going and have fun with the sides! Pair the tacos with one or more of the following:
Mango Teriyaki Salad (omit the chicken) Edamame Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing Fried Rice or Cauliflower Fried Rice (omit the chicken) Pineapple Fried Rice (omit the shrimp) Sweet and Sour Zucchini Corn Salad Sweet and Sour Noodles Sweet and Sour Mushroom Soup Thai Curry Noodles Fresh Spring Rolls Steamed white, brown, or cauliflower rice Steamed broccoli
More Easy Asian-Style Restaurant Copycat Recipes:
P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps – You can skip the restaurant version and make your own in 20 minutes and I promise you this homemade version tastes better! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken — This sweet and sour chicken recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes way better than takeout. Perfect for a weeknight dinner! Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken — Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce!! Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken! Easy Better-Than-Takeout Shrimp Fried Rice — One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never get takeout again!! Homemade tastes WAY BETTER!! Tons more flavor, not greasy, and loaded with tender shrimp! Chicken Pad Thai — EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and BETTER than takeout!! Tender rice noodles, juicy chicken, with crisp-tender carrots, cabbage, and more for an IRRESISTIBLE and AUTHENTIC chicken pad Thai! Kung Pao Chicken Recipe — An easy, BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT recipe with juicy chicken and such a flavorful sauce!! Don’t call for takeout when you can make this HEALTHIER version at home in 20 minutes! 15-Minute Spicy Korean Skillet Chicken – Fast, EASY, perfectly SPICY chicken that’s so tender and juicy!! Who needs takeout or a restaurant when you can make this AWESOME chicken at home in 15 minutes!! Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this AMAZING sticky chicken at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with plenty of sticky sauce!! Healthier Orange Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this HEALTHIER orange chicken at home in less than 10 minutes!! EASY, authentic, and so INCREDIBLE that you’ll never miss the fat and calories!! Sticky Basil Chicken — Skip takeout and make this AMAZING chicken that tastes like it’s from a Thai restaurant at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and plenty of fresh basil! Copycat P.F. Chang’s Mongolian Beef – Comes together in 20 minutes, it’s EASY, and makes for a great weeknight meal! Even picky eaters will love this, and any leftover sauce can be served over rice. Better-Than-Takeout Beef and Broccoli — It really is BETTER than takeout and it’s definitely FASTER!! This EASY Chinese restaurant copycat recipe is a family favorite that’ll go into your regular rotation!!
