Copycat Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos

Derek and I are having the conversation. The big one. Not marriage — not yet — but the future. Where this goes. What this becomes. We are two single parents with four children between us, two exes, two separate households, two sets of Saturday routines, and one love that is getting too big for the current arrangement. He said, on a Wednesday night phone call at midnight: "I don't want to keep leaving." I said, "I know." He said, "But the kids—" I said, "I know." We both know. The timeline is not ours. It belongs to four children who are still learning to share a mini golf course, let alone a house.

Isaiah came to my townhouse for dinner. Without Derek. Just Isaiah, dropped off on Saturday because Derek had a work emergency and Lydia was unavailable and Isaiah needed somewhere to be. He walked in, looked around, sat at the kitchen table, and said nothing. He is twelve years old and his silence is the loudest thing in any room. I didn't push. I made dinner: chicken stir-fry, his preferred meal at my house (I learned this from the mini golf outing — he mentioned it once, in passing, to Zoe, and I filed it). He ate. He ate two plates. He looked at me and said, "This is good." Three words. The first three words Isaiah has voluntarily spoken to me that were not a response to a direct question. Three words. I treated them like gold. I said, "Thank you, Isaiah." He nodded. He went back to eating. The wall has a door. The door is not open. But it has a handle now.

Curtis came for Saturday dinner and I told him about the "future" conversations with Derek. He was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "Your mama married me when she was nineteen. She said she knew in three months." I said, "Did she?" He said, "She said she knew. I believed her. I was right to believe her." He paused. "Do you know?" I said, "I know, Daddy." He said, "Then what are you waiting for?" I said, "For the kids to catch up." He said, "Kids catch up. That's what they do." He ate his cornbread. He didn't say more. He didn't need to.

I filed it away the first time — one offhand comment at a mini golf course, Isaiah telling Zoe he liked chicken stir-fry — and I built toward it quietly, the way you do when you are hoping to earn someone’s trust one meal at a time. What I made that Saturday was inspired by these Copycat Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos: the same sweet-and-savory Asian-style chicken, the same satisfying crunch, the kind of food a twelve-year-old will eat two plates of without being asked. I wanted something that felt familiar but a little special, because that’s exactly what I was hoping the evening would feel like for him.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4 (3 tacos each)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
12 wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying wontons
3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Asian sweet chili sauce, for drizzling

Instructions

Make the quick slaw. In a medium bowl, toss the coleslaw mix with rice vinegar and sugar. Set aside to lightly pickle while you prepare everything else.
Fry the wonton shells. Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil into a small saucepan and heat over medium-high until shimmering (about 350°F). Working one at a time, drape each wonton wrapper over the handle of a wooden spoon or fold it in a taco shape held open with tongs, and fry 30–45 seconds per side until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat for all 12 wrappers.
Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes if using. Set aside.
Cook the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the sliced chicken thighs in a single layer. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and beginning to caramelize at the edges.
Glaze the chicken. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and stir to coat. Cook 1–2 minutes more until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken. Remove from heat.
Assemble the tacos. Fill each crispy wonton shell with a spoonful of the glazed chicken. Top with the pickled slaw, green onions, and cilantro. Drizzle with Asian sweet chili sauce and finish with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
Serve immediately. Wonton shells soften quickly, so serve right away for maximum crunch. Set out extra chili sauce on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Copycat Applebee’s Chicken Wonton Tacos — Three Words That Tasted Like a Beginning