Copycat Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken Recipe

If you're headed to the Australia-themed Outback Steakhouse restaurant, chances are pretty good that you're going for a slab of perfectly grilled beef. But one of the most popular dishes on Outback's menu is its Alice Springs Chicken. Named after the Australian subtropical town located in the nation's Northern Territory, Alice Springs Chicken is a near-magical concoction of grilled chicken breast slathered with honey mustard sauce and piled high with sautéed mushrooms, bacon, and cheese. 

By now you might be chomping at the bit to jump in the car and drive over to the nearest Outback Steakhouse. But there's no need to peel out of the driveway because recipe developer Kristen Carli has created a copycat version of Alice Springs Chicken that is equally as delicious as the restaurant's version. "I tried to make this as close as possible to the original," Carli told us, "so that people can copycat this at home." She's always looking for chicken recipes that are full of flavor, and so this recipe will surely not disappoint. 

We love recipes that hit all of the culinary sweet spots but don't have a long list of ingredients that would challenge the best well-stocked cook. Everything you need here will easily fit into a supermarket handbasket, and you may even have most of the ingredients already on hand. 

Carli's recipe will serve three hungry diners, so you'll need three boneless, skinless chicken breast halves that are approximately the same size and weight. The honey mustard sauce consists of mayonnaise, honey, and Dijon mustard. Don't substitute yellow mustard for Dijon, because it has too much vinegar and will give the sauce a sharp taste that doesn't line up with the original. The recipe also calls for four slices of bacon, ½ pound of white mushrooms and two types of cheese: cheddar and Monterey Jack, both shredded.

Let's get started by preheating your oven to 350 F. Pull out a large skillet, and add the four slices of bacon to the pan, and then turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon until it's crispy, flipping it with tongs halfway through its cook time and paying attention to make sure it doesn't become burned. When the bacon is done, transfer the cooked slices to paper towels in order to drain excess fat. 

If you haven't already done so, next slice the 8 ounces of white mushrooms. Then in a second, medium-sized skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and heat over medium heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the sliced mushrooms and sauté them until they've shrunken in size, about 10 minutes.

When the mushrooms are golden brown, take the skillet off the heat and set the mushrooms aside. In the same skillet that you've cooked the bacon, reheat the skillet to medium and add the chicken breasts, which will cook in the residual fat left over from the bacon. Sauté the chicken breasts for five minutes, then flip them over and cook for another five minutes. 

When the chicken breasts are lightly browned, arrange them in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon hefty helpings of the sautéed mushrooms over each chicken breast. Don't worry if some of the mushrooms tumble into the baking dish, as they'll get slathered with cheese later and you or another lucky diner will be sure to scoop them up over the course of the meal.

Now, it's time to make the distinctive and delicious honey mustard sauce. To do so, combine ⅓ cup of mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of honey in a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together with a fork until they're well-combined. Dollop the chicken generously with the honey mustard sauce. 

Next, crumble up the cooked bacon and sprinkle the bacon pieces on top of the sauce. Mix together ½ cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese and ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of the mixed cheeses over each chicken breast, being sure to evenly coat the top of each one.

Put the baking dish into the preheated 350 F oven, then bake the chicken for 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that the chicken is fully cooked at an internal temperature of 165 F, the safe internal temperature for poultry as established by the CDC. 

As for what to serve alongside this main dish, your possibilities are wide open. "I love a side salad or a big serving of veggies on the side," Carli says, "as the chicken is very decadent." Consider a lighter, healthier side option to complement the cheesy richness of this main dish.

You could also go into full Outback Steakhouse mode by serving the Alice Springs Chicken with loaded mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, or — for the complete steakhouse-at-home experience — some creamy and crispy baked mac and cheese. Whether you decide to go simple or extravagant with the sides, one conclusion is very clear: Carli's recipe is a real winner.