Alice Springs Chicken (Outback Copycat)

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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!

Alice Springs chicken on a white plate with sides of broccoli and mashed potatoes.


 

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.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Alice Springs Chicken.

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:

  1. 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.
Marinade for alice springs chicken.
  1. 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.
Alice springs chicken marinating in a zippered bag.

To make the chicken:

  1. 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.
Mushrooms cooking in a metal skillet.
  1. 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.
Four chicken breasts in a metal skilllet.
  1. Divide the mushrooms evenly over the chicken. Top with bacon and cheese.
Alice springs chicken before being baked in the oven.
  1. 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.
Alice springs chicken in a silver pan resting on a cooling rack.
  1. Serve with reserved sauce on the side for dipping.
Alice Springs chicken on a white plate with sides of broccoli and mashed potatoes.

Recipe tips and variations

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

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Alice Springs chicken on a plate with broccoli.

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!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Marinate time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Calories 766
5 from 544 votes

Ingredients 

For the marinade:

For the chicken:

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. Colby jack cheese: Any shredded cheese will do here.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes 4 servings, 1 chicken breast with sauce and all the toppings per person.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. 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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5 from 544 votes (463 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. The recipe calls for mayo but it’s not on the list of ingredients or how much should be used?

    1. Hi Anita, sorry for the confusion. The marinade ingredients are listed separately in the section that says “For the marinade,” you’ll see 1/4 cup is listed there for the mayo. And then right below is “for the chicken.” Sorry about that! Thanks. -Meggan

  2. This is my favorite meal from outback. I made this for dinner with a few changes. First, I added onions to the mushrooms while sauteed. I also doubled the recipe to cover larger family. Cutting chicken breats in half makes the breasts perfect size and aides in cooking time. Only other thing I did was to brown the chicken in the bacon grease. Served with loaded mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.5 stars

  3. Even better than the original! I put the marinated chicken in the same skillet as the bacon, after cooking and removing the bacon. It was really good! I did the mushrooms in a separate pan and made zoodles with it!5 stars

  4. This is the only thing my fiancé ever orders at Outback. I made it last night and it was amazing!!! He said it tasted just like the restaurant! He and our daughter had seconds and there were no leftovers!!! The only thing I did differently was that I used shredded me i can cheese instead of Colby jack because that’s what i had. I will for sure be making this again! Next time I will plan ahead and go get the cold by jack!!!