This yummy mess is what a real Alice Springs chicken copycat recipe looks like! It's full of cheese, bacon, mushrooms, and onions in a honey mustard-style sauce just like you get at Outback Steakhouse!
Ken, my husband, always laughed when we would go to the Outback Steakhouse because I never ordered steak, I always ordered Alice Springs Chicken.
I just love this chicken dish so much I was inspired to create The Best Alice Springs Chicken Copycat recipe and I think it is fantastic, maybe even better than the original!
This Outback copycat recipe is one of the first recipes I published when we started this blog. It is one of my favorite chicken dishes I make, and have made for so long.
This was inspired by another copycat recipe for Olive Garden Stuffed Shells. It worked out so wonderfully, I knew I could give Alice Springs chicken the same treatment!
If you enjoy copycat recipes, you're going to love trying these Olive Garden Meatballs and my KFC Mashed Potato Bowl.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- A delicious and satisfying meal that's sure to please any crowd!
- A budget-friendly way to enjoy your favorite Outback chicken dish at home!
- An impressive dish when served! It's perfect for special occasions and when you have guests or dinner.
- Its amazing flavor combination will leave everyone wanting more!
Ingredients
This delicious chicken copycat recipe packs a punch of flavor, but it only uses a few simple ingredients.
Here are the highlights. Check out the complete ingredients along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for ease! Chicken thighs or tenderloins will also work.
- Mustard: No need for anything fancy here! Yellow mustard works just fine or you can use any type of mustard you prefer, such as Dijon, or whole grain.
- Honey: To sweeten the marinade. You can also use maple syrup or another liquid sweetener. Just note that making changes may adjust the flavor.
- Onion flakes: Dried onion flakes provide a boost of flavor to the marinade. You could also swap for onion powder.
- Lemon juice: I always recommend fresh for the best flavor. If you don't have it you could also use lime juice or white vinegar.
- Mayo: Adds creaminess and richness to the marinade. You can also use Greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Bacon: Choose your favorite bacon or keep things simple and buy it pre-cooked.
- Veggies: Cooked mushrooms and onions go on top of marinated chicken breasts.
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and moisture to the chicken during cooking.
- Paprika: For flavor!
- Cheeses: This chicken dish is stuffed with Monterey jack cheese and cheddar cheese.
How to Make Outback's Alice Springs Chicken
This recipe might look difficult, but it's actually very easy to make. You'll be in and out of the kitchen in no time. The highlights are below, but see the recipe card for the exact instructions.
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
- Stir together with a whisk. Reserve half the mixture in the refrigerator.
- Pound the chicken a bit so they have an even thickness and place them in a large plastic bag or container.
- Add the remaining honey mustard sauce over the top of the chicken. Marinate the chicken for at least two hours.
PRO TIP: Marinate the chicken for at least two hours, preferably overnight for the best flavor. It helps to adjust the chicken periodically while it is marinating in order to ensure an even coating of marinade.
- When you're ready to cook, transfer the chicken to a baking dish. Season it with salt, paprika, and black pepper. Then bake it in the oven.
- Cook the bacon slices in a skillet. When it's cooked, remove it from the pan.
- Add the onions and mushrooms to the skillet with a bit of the bacon grease and cook until tender.
- Brush the baked chicken with honey mustard.
- Top the chicken with the bacon.
- Followed by the onions and mushrooms and both cheeses.
- Bake again until the chicken is done and the cheeses are melted.
Storage
- Leftovers: Store the chicken in an airtight container for up to four days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Make Ahead: This dish doesn't work well made in advance. For the best flavor serve it freshly made.
- Reheat: Place the chicken in a baking dish with a little water, cover, and bake at 350° F for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.
What to Serve with This Chicken Dish
This copycat Alice Springs chicken recipe is an extremely hearty dish. We recommend keeping things simple and serving it alongside things like:
- French fries or frozen air fryer sweet potato fries.
- Baked potatoes or these tasty twice baked potatoes.
- Simple veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and instant pot asparagus.
- A simple salad
- Garlic bread or whole grain artisan bread
Serve up the chicken with the remaining refrigerated honey mustard sauce as a dip or drizzle on top of each piece of chicken. Don't use the sauce used to marinate the chicken. It should be discarded.
Need more serving ideas? Check out more chicken side dishes to plan your meal.
Tips
- Flatten the chicken breasts so they are even in size in order to cook evenly.
- Cooking time may vary. The amount of time will depend on the thickness of the chicken breasts and you oven. The easiest way to know it's done is to check the temperature with a thermometer. It's ready when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Baste the chicken with the reserved honey mustard marinade as it cooks for more flavor.
- Cook the onions and mushrooms in some of the remaining bacon grease for more flavor.
- Broil at the end of baking time if you want to brown the cheese on top of teh chicken.
FAQ
Outback Steakhouse uses a blend of cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses but you could also use cheese or cheeses like provolone, mozzarella, fontina, gouda, Colby, Havarti, swiss, or gruyere instead.
We recommend marinating the chicken breasts for at least two hours, but preferably overnight so flavors still have time to penetrate into the meat.
More Chicken Breast Recipes
If you like this copycat chicken recipe, then we think you'll love these other delicious chicken recipes.
How to Make This Chicken Recipe Video
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Alice Springs Chicken Recipe (Outback Steakhouse Copycat)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
Marinade
- ⅔ cup mustard, any kind
- ⅔ cup liquid honey
- 1 tblsp onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 tblsp mayonnaise
- cooking spray
Instructions
- First you need to make the marinade. In a small bowl, combine mustard, honey, mayonnaise, onion flakes and lemon juice. Use a whisk to make sure mixture is totally blended together. Pour half the sauce into a small bowl, cover, refrigerate and reserve for later.
- Using a mallet flatten the chicken out a little bit, so the breasts are about the same thickness. This will help to equal your cooking time. I hate it when you have to overcook part of the chicken breast to make sure the other part is cooked! Place the chicken in a large resealable bag. Pour the remaining half of the marinade in the bag and toss the chicken around to coat. Remove as much air as possible. Marinate the breasts in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Adjust chicken periodically while it is in the bag.
- When you are ready to make this chicken dish preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with foil and a light coating of cooking spray. Set aside.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the bag, marinade and all. Season each piece of chicken with salt, paprika and black pepper. Place on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While chicken is in the oven grab a frying pan or skillet and cook the bacon until it is almost crisp. Place bacon on some paper towel and set aside. You now have a choice to make here. You can either save a few tablespoons of the bacon grease to cook the onions and mushrooms or use butter in the next step. I do it both ways. It is up to you! This chicken dish turns out beautifully both ways.
- Using the same skillet, melt butter if you are not using bacon grease. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook for between 7-10 minutes. Onions and mushrooms should be tender. Drain and set aside. You will be using them in a moment.
- Remove your chicken from the oven. Brush each chicken breast with a little of the reserved honey mustard marinade.
- Place 4 pieces of cooked bacon, across each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms and onions on top of the bacon, being sure to cover each breast as evenly as possible. Sprinkle ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese evenly onto each breast followed by ¼ cup of the Cheddar.
- Place the chicken back in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes (possibly longer if your chicken is really thick), or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 and the cheese has melted. Broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese. Serve with remaining refrigerated honey mustard sauce on the side. Absolutely delicious. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published August 2018. It has been updated with new images and some content.
Lisa Cobb
Nevermind; I see now. 1/4 cup over each breast. My apologies..
Karin and Ken
No need to apologize. I am so glad you found it. We love this recipe around here. If you have a moment please let me know what you think of it after you try it! I would love to hear! Regardless take care and all the best. Karin
Lisa Cobb
Recipe calls for 2 cups of cheese but you only accounted for using 1/2 cup (1/4 cup of each kind). When do you add the rest of the cheese?
Frances
It was very moist and tender came out perfect my breasts were not huge so I cooked about 22 minutes then 10 after adding the topping!
Karin and Ken
So happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! It always makes my day when someone enjoys one of our recipes! Hopefully you find some other recipes on this site that you enjoy just as much! Take care and all the best! Karin