Applebee's "Yummy Bowls" Are Mostly Gone: What Replaced Them (2026)
What the "Yummy Bowls" Actually Are
Applebee's has never sold anything called a "yummy bowl." The name is fans' shorthand for the Irresist-A-Bowls — the rice-and-protein bowls Applebee's launched in January 2020 as a limited-time offer starting at $7.99 (Business Wire). They were an instant hit: piled-high bowls that ate like a full dinner for fast-food money. Applebee's has brought the line back several times since, but never with the full original lineup — which is why people keep searching for what replaced their favorite.
The two survivors are still some of the lightest entrées on the menu — see the full Irresist-A-Bowls menu with prices and calories.
The Bowls, Year by Year
Every Irresist-A-Bowl run has been limited-time, and the lineup has shrunk with each return:
| Run | Lineup | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2020 launch | Southwest Lime-Grilled Chicken, Tex-Mex Lime-Grilled Shrimp, Crispy Orange Chicken, Homestyle Chicken, Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese | from $7.99 |
| 2021 "welcome back" return | Southwest Chicken (steak +$2), Tex-Mex Shrimp, Homestyle Chicken (breaded boneless chicken pieces) | $7.99 |
| Mar 2022 return | NEW Grilled Chicken & Spinach Alfredo, Homestyle Chicken, Crispy Orange Chicken (free shrimp swap), Tex-Mex Shrimp — plus Broccoli Cheddar Mac 'N Cheese | $8.99 |
| 2026 menu | Southwest Chicken Bowl, Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl, NEW Sesame Salmon Bowl (spring 2026) | $14.99–$18.99 typical |
Launch history from Applebee's Business Wire announcements (January 2020; March 2022); 2026 additions per the spring menu rollout. Prices are typical — nearly every Applebee's is franchise-owned, so your local menu is the final word.
What's Still on the Menu Right Now
Three bowls, verified against the current menu in October 2026:
| Bowl | Typical price | Calories | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Chicken Bowl | $14.99 | 820 | Grilled chipotle lime chicken over cilantro rice and greens with pico de gallo, black bean corn salsa, guacamole, chimichurri, tortilla strips |
| Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl | $15.99 | 710 | Grilled chipotle lime shrimp over cilantro rice and greens with pico, black bean corn salsa, guacamole, chimichurri |
| Sesame Salmon Bowl (new 2026) | ~$18.99 | ~1,100 | Seared blackened salmon over cilantro rice with sweet sesame salad, avocado cucumber salsa, almonds, cilantro |
The two originals' prices and calories are from Applebee's published nutrition; the salmon bowl's figures are what menu trackers list (it varies by location). At 710 calories, the Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl is one of the lightest full entrées on the entire menu — the nutrition page has the full per-item tables.
What Happened to Each Discontinued Bowl
None of these were officially "discontinued" with an announcement — they were limited-time items whose runs ended. Here's what each was, and the closest thing you can order today:
| Gone bowl | What it was | Closest order now |
|---|---|---|
| Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl | Breaded chicken in spicy-sweet orange glaze over rice with stir-fried veggies (2020, 2022 runs) | Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders ($15.49) — crispy chicken with a sweet glaze; no bowl format exists anymore, and this is the closest flavor match |
| Homestyle Chicken Bowl | Comfort-style chicken bowl; the 2021 return used breaded boneless chicken pieces | Chicken Tenders Platter ($14.99, 1,450 cal) — hand-breaded crispy chicken, the nearest breaded-chicken comfort plate |
| Chicken Bacon Mac & Cheese Bowl | Mac & cheese topped with chicken and bacon (2020 launch only) | Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken ($17.49, 1,360 cal) — four-cheese mac with crispy chicken and Applewood-smoked bacon |
| Grilled Chicken & Spinach Alfredo Bowl | Grilled chicken and spinach in alfredo (March 2022 run) | Classic Broccoli Chicken Alfredo ($16.49, 1,410 cal) — chicken alfredo; broccoli stands in for the spinach |
| Broccoli Cheddar Mac 'N Cheese Bowl | Broccoli cheddar mac bowl (2022 run) | Four Cheese Mac & Cheese with Honey Pepper Chicken ($17.49) — the closest mac & cheese on the current menu |
All replacement picks are current menu items with published prices and calories. If your heart is set on the Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl specifically, copycat recipes for it are all over the recipe sites — it has one of the most-cloned builds of any Applebee's bowl.
Why They Keep Disappearing
The bowls were designed as limited-time traffic drivers, not permanent menu items. Each run lasts a few months, Applebee's trims the lineup, and the survivors graduate to the regular menu — which is exactly what happened to the Southwest Chicken and Tex-Mex Shrimp bowls. The 2026 spring menu added the Sesame Salmon Bowl the same way: new items roll in, and only the sellers stay. If a favorite returns, Applebee's announces it by press release — our specials and deals page tracks every limited-time return.
How We Verified This
Launch and return lineups from Applebee's own Business Wire announcements (January 27, 2020; March 28, 2022) and the 2021 "welcome back" menu release. Current three-bowl lineup cross-checked October 2026 against three independent menu trackers (applebeesmenuu.us, fullmenuprices.com, applebeeshappyhours.net) and official Applebee's store menus on DoorDash (Murrieta and Cathedral City, CA) — all three agree. Survivor prices/calories from Applebee's published figures; salmon bowl figures as listed by trackers (~$18.99 / ~1,100 cal, varies by location). Replacement picks are current items from our menu data with published prices. No prices invented.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Applebee's Irresist-A-Bowls discontinued?
Not entirely. Two of the original five — the Southwest Chicken Bowl and Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl — are still on the menu, joined in 2026 by a new Sesame Salmon Bowl. The Crispy Orange Chicken, Homestyle, and mac & cheese bowls were limited-time runs that ended.
What happened to the Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl?
It last appeared in the March 2022 Irresist-A-Bowls return and hasn't come back since. There's no bowl-format replacement; the closest current order is the Honey Pepper Chicken Tenders ($15.49) — crispy chicken with a sweet glaze.
How much are Applebee's bowls in 2026?
Typically $14.99 (Southwest Chicken) and $15.99 (Tex-Mex Shrimp); the new Sesame Salmon Bowl runs around $18.99. Prices vary by location since nearly all restaurants are franchise-owned.
Which Applebee's bowl is the healthiest?
The Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl at 710 calories — one of the lightest full entrées on the menu. The Southwest Chicken Bowl is 820 calories. Full macros are on our nutrition page.
Will the old bowls ever come back?
They've returned before — the line came back in 2021 and 2022 with trimmed lineups — so a return isn't impossible. Applebee's announces limited-time returns by press release; nothing is announced for the retired bowls right now.
