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This Alice Springs Chicken recipe is based on the Outback Steakhouse favorite. To make this copycat recipe, marinate chicken breast in honey mustard sauce, then top with mushrooms, bacon, and a pile of cheese! So delicious!
With a name like Outback Steakhouse, you can guess what most people are going to order when they walk through the door: steak.
But it’s always wise to have chicken on the menu, right? People are obsessed with chicken. However, in steak vs. chicken battle at a steakhouse, chicken better have a plan.
Alice Springs Chicken has a plan, and it’s amazing.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken: Outback uses chicken breast, but you could choose quick-cooking cutlets or even juicy thighs if you prefer. Just plan on 1 ½ pounds total per 4 servings.
- Mushrooms: You either love ’em or you hate ’em. If you’re in the latter category, feel free to leave them out. Alice won’t mind!
- Colby jack cheese: Any shredded cheese will do here.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the marinade:
- In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Reserve ¼ cup sauce in a covered container and refrigerate until serving time.
- Meanwhile, place the chicken breast in a large plastic zipper-top bag. Pour in remaining sauce and turn in bag until evenly coated. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
To make the chicken:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter until the foaming. Add mushrooms and sauté until they have released most of their liquid and have started to turn brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
- To the same skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add chicken (discarding any remaining marinade) in a single layer and do not move until a golden-brown crust forms, about 5 minutes. Flip each piece and continue to cook until the second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer.
- Divide the mushrooms evenly over the chicken. Top with bacon and cheese.
- Cover the skillet and place in the oven. Bake until the chicken reaches 165°F when tested with an internal thermometer at the thickest part, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with parsley if desired.
- Serve with reserved sauce on the side for dipping.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings, 1 chicken breast with sauce and all the toppings per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The chicken can be marinated in the refrigerator up to 1 day in advance.
- Aussie Appetizers: Start your Outback feast with restaurant-inspired apps like Grilled Shrimp [on the Barbie], Air Fryer Chicken Wings, seared Ahi Tuna, or Coconut Shrimp.
- Soups and Side Salads: To continue your Outback-inspired dining, try Loaded Baked Potato Soup, French Onion Soup, a chilled Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing or Ranch Dressing, or a fresh Caesar Salad.
- Steakhouse Potatoes and Sides: Round out your Outback menu with all the classic sides. Try homestyle Mashed Potatoes, a Baked Potato (with our without cheese and cooked bacon), Lemon Rice Pilaf, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Steakhouse Mac and Cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Alice Springs Chicken?
This chicken recipe is named after Alice Springs in Australia, a large town in the Northern Territory. You can read about it on Wikipedia if you want to know more!
What is the dipping sauce for Alice Springs Chicken?
Readers go back and forth on this with some saying it’s barbecue sauce, but the menu is very clear: Alice Springs Chicken is marinated in, and served with, honey mustard sauce.
More steakhouse inspiration
Main Dishes
Surf and Turf
Beef Recipes
Grilled New York Strip Steak
Fish and Seafood Recipes
Baked Salmon
Appetizer Recipes
Coconut Shrimp
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Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Copycat)
This Alice Springs Chicken recipe is based on the Outback Steakhouse favorite. To make this copycat recipe, marinate chicken breast in honey mustard sauce, then top with mushrooms, bacon, and a pile of cheese!
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1/2 cup Dijon mustard (I prefer this French brand!)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds, see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices bacon cooked and chopped into 2-inch pieces (I use uncured)
- 2 cups Colby Jack cheese shredded (see note 3)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley for garnish, optional
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To make the marinade:
- In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Reserve ¼ cup sauce in a covered container and refrigerate until serving time.
- Meanwhile, place the chicken breast in a large plastic zipper-top bag. Pour in remaining sauce and turn in bag until evenly coated. Refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight.
To make the chicken:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, heat butter until the foaming.
- Add mushrooms and sauté until they have released most of their liquid and have started to turn brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet.
- To the same skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add chicken (discarding any remaining marinade) in a single layer and do not move until a golden-brown crust forms, about 5 minutes.
- Flip each piece and continue to cook until the second side is browned, about 5 minutes longer.
- Divide the mushrooms evenly over the chicken. Top with bacon and cheese. Cover the skillet and place in the oven. Bake until the chicken reaches 165 degrees when tested with an internal thermometer at the thickest part, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and garnish with parsley if desired. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with reserved sauce on the side for dipping.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chicken: Outback uses chicken breast, but you could choose quick-cooking cutlets or even juicy thighs if you prefer. Just plan on 1 ½ pounds total per 4 servings.
- Mushrooms: You either love ’em or you hate ’em. If you’re in the latter category, feel free to leave them out. Alice won’t mind!
- Colby jack cheese: Any shredded cheese will do here.
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings, 1 chicken breast with sauce and all the toppings per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The chicken can be marinated in the refrigerator up to 1 day in advance.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 chicken breastCalories: 766kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 46gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 1165mgPotassium: 804mgFiber: 2gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 1068IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 487mgIron: 2mg
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Alice Springs chicken has BBQ sauce on it. Not a mustard sauce.
Not at my Outback. It’s a honey mustard sauce, not straight BBQ. I am going to call them today and ask and make sure I’m not missing anything. I wonder if there are regional variations? Strange!
I was a salute cook for outback. It has always been honey mustard.
I agree with Dale. I also worked for Outback for twelve years. It was honey mustard. Not bbq sauce, They did however have a chicken sandwich with bbq, called “sweet chook of mine” back years ago. She might have been confused between the two.
I think maybe everyone is confusing this with the Monterey Chicken from Chilis. That one has bbq sauce, bacon, tomatos and cheese. Both are delicious!
Grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed mushrooms, crisp bacon, melted Monterey Jack and Cheddar and HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE; per the Outback Steakhouse website…Not bbq sauce. This is my Favorite dish. Thank you for an easy, awesome recipe.
I also agree with Meggan – my outback is honey mustard sauce. In fact, I always ask for extra on the side. Like she said though – maybe a regional thing. ??? Interesting…
This looks so good…. especially because its cooler here in southern california. Of course it does have the magic words with it….BACON!!
Yumm! My hubby will be psyched I will be able to make this dish at home!
Thank you, Jennifer! It’s a seriously husband-pleasing dish, no doubt! 😉
This looks so scrumptious! Chicken ,bacon and cheese! So perfect together. I love this recipe!
Thank you, Diane! All the good stuff together, piled on chicken!
Oooh, now you’ve not only made me hungry but I want to go to Alice Springs and Uluru!!
This really looks fabulous – for me it would win hands down over the steak (I’m weird like that).
Another nice one, Meggan! 🙂
I totally agree with you on the steak vs. chicken! Especially when the chicken is buried in good stuff… thank you, Helen!
I have to agree with Susan, unfortunately…. I tried a few things on their menu but it’s not a place I care for, this one looks especially well, kind of on the indulgent side with those toppings lol. Their sweet potato fries weren’t that bad if I remember. Looks yum though!
Thanks Malia, and I totally understand. It’s not for everyone, for sure! But for a special occasion… it’s definitely tasty!
Love this copycat recipe, looks so delicious! Now I need to try it! Love the sauce! Pinning!
Thanks Mira, the sauce is the best! Seriously. Love it. Even just with chicken fingers, ha ha!
Love this dish! Thanks for the copycat recipe – all the flavor without paying those restaurant costs! Besides, homemade is always better 🙂
What I love about homemade is you just get tons so you have a lot for leftovers. 😉 This recipe was definitely a hit in my house!
This dish sounds very decadent! I wish I could be enthusiastic about anything from Outback Steakhouse, but can’t be, because they have nothing on their menu that I’m able to eat. The problem is that everything, even when you order a plain chicken breast, is way too salty. And the last time I ate there, when I tried for the plain chicken breast, it also tasted like lighter fluid. I think they brine everything. Even though this is probably very tasty, I’m going to pass on it.
You know, I love salt, and even I think their food is too salty. I guess I can say that with this dish, I didn’t add any extra salt on top of salty bacon, salty cheese, salty honey-mustard… ha ha ha. But yes. Your point is taken and true, for sure.
Why did I make the mistake of reading this right before I got into the gym? I am now starving for a cheesy, mushroom smothered chicken breast, with EXTRA bacon. The sauce sounds really good and I love a bit of chikky dunking.
You silly girl, reading food blogs before working out! XXXXtra bacon, please, right over here too!