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This Alice Springs Chicken Recipe is a copycat of the Outback Steakhouse favorite and always gets rave reviews. Just layer, bake, and wait for the applause!
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Alice Springs Chicken is one of my hero dinners because everyone gets so excited when I make it! What's not to like?
Juicy chicken, topped with crispy bacon, and lots of gooey melted cheese, sits on a pile of mushrooms. A finger-licking good honey mustard sauce is drizzled over the top with more on the side for dipping.
It brings the same joy as the beloved Lily's Chicken from Bonefish Grill, with its luscious lemon butter sauce, or the smoky BBQ flavor of Chili's Monterey Chicken.
Don't worry! We've eliminated the guesswork of how they do it at the restaurant so you can savor the challenge and the delicious results.
If you've enjoyed this mouthwatering chicken entree at Outback Steakhouse, then you know what all the fuss is about. If not, you're in for a treat!
You'll love this easy dinner recipe because:
- It's a budget-friendly alternative to dining out.
- It takes minutes to prepare, and you can sit back and relax while it bakes in the oven.
- You can make it healthier and lower-carb by following our tips below.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make Alice Springs Chicken at home:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts - Cut large breasts in half to keep baking time to a minimum.
- Mushrooms - Slice fresh button or baby Bella mushrooms.
- Bacon - Cook bacon in the microwave and then crumble or cut into smaller pieces. See the section below.
- Variation: Use turkey bacon or cut down the amount of bacon to reduce the calories and fat in this recipe.
- Monterey Jack cheese - Shred or use slices. Colby Jack or cheddar cheese can be used instead.
- Seasoning salt is a blend of seasoning and spices often used in savory dishes. If you don't have it, generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Honey mustard sauce is a critical component of the recipe. Don't buy a bottle in the condiment section of the store. Make our homemade version below!
How to Cook Bacon in the Microwave
If you're trying to get dinner on the table quickly, use this process for cooking bacon in the microwave. Place 4 bacon strips on a microwave-safe plate lined with 2-3 paper towels, and cover with a few more paper towels. Cook on high for about 3 minutes and for short 30-second bursts after that.
Bacon doesn't need to be super crispy at this point since it will cook some more in the oven.
Honey Mustard Sauce
Here's what you'll need to make a honey mustard sauce that can be used in this recipe and for other purposes as well:
You'll find plenty of bottles of honey mustard at the store. But this fresh, homemade one is top-rated.
It is a carefully blended ratio of the following:
- Mayonnaise (¾ cup)
- Honey (¼ cup)
- Dijon mustard (2 Tablespoons)
I've played around with the proportions many times. This is the winning combination.
Combine ingredients in a small bowl using beaters or whisking well by hand. A portion of the sauce is reserved for drizzling and dipping at serving time.
Make it healthier: Adjust the amount of sauce used to reduce calories. You can also experiment with various honey alternatives, like monk fruit honey.
Directions with Pictures
Here is how to make this easy recipe for Alice Springs Chicken:
- Layer mushrooms on the bottom of a baking dish. It will seem like overkill. But they shrink up, and you will want more mushrooms when everything is said and done. Place chicken breasts in a single layer on top of the mushrooms and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
- It is not necessary to sear chicken before baking it. However, taking this step will make the standalone chicken more flavorful!
- I'll let you in on a secret. If you love mushrooms, add more, as in twice as much if you want!
- You do not need to saute the mushrooms. Liquid is released from mushrooms as they cook. It will mix with the sauce and be left behind when you lift the chicken out of the baking dish. However, taking this step will reduce the amount of liquid in the pan and is a step many people like to take.
- Place pieces of bacon on top of the chicken and drizzle honey mustard sauce over everything.
- Keep a quarter to a third of the sauce to serve on the side.
- Important: Reserved sauce should never touch raw chicken!
- Sprinkle lots of Monterey Jack cheese over the top.
- Of course, you can use less cheese and lower the calorie count.
- Bake uncovered in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 °F. Use an instant-read thermometer so you can cook it perfectly.
- If the cheese begins to brown before the chicken is finished, loosely tent it with aluminum foil. Cheese can also be added halfway through the cooking time.
Note: Some Outback Steakhouse Alice Springs Chicken recipes marinate chicken in the honey mustard marinade before cooking it. We just don't find it necessary to take this step. The chicken is smothered with sauce and cheese and is always juicy and tender.
Top Tips
Want to take this delicious chicken recipe to the next level?
- Sauté the mushrooms before adding them to the baking dish. Add a tablespoon or butter or olive oil to a large skillet and cook the sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat to release some of their liquid.
- Sear the chicken for one or two minutes on each side in the same pan used for the sautéed mushrooms.
What to Serve with Alice Springs Chicken
Any of these side dishes will round out this dinner: Caesar salad, steak fries, mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, or green beans. Add a sprig of fresh parsley for a finishing touch.
And, in the style of Outback Steakhouse, don't forget a Bloomin' Onion appetizer, like this one from Gimme Some Oven.
FAQ
It's named after the third-largest town in Northern Australia. Outback Steakhouse is famous for Aussie-style dishes, so it makes sense.
Storage, Reheating, Make-Ahead
- Refrigerator. Store leftover Alice Springs Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Drizzle leftover honey mustard sauce over the top. Cover and warm in the oven on low heat (325°F) or in the microwave at 50% power.
- Make-Ahead. Prep the honey mustard sauce and bacon ahead of time to save time at the dinner hour.
More Copycat Chicken Recipes
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Copycat Alice Springs Chicken Recipe
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Ingredients
Alice Springs Chicken
- 8 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 16 ounces chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
- 1 Honey Mustard Sauce recipe below
- 4 slices bacon cooked
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
Honey Mustard Sauce
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
Alice Springs Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- Layer mushrooms in the bottom of a baking dish.
- Add chicken and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
- Top with bacon and about ¾ of the honey mustard sauce. Reserve about ¼ of the sauce to serve on the side (the reserved sauce should never touch raw chicken.)
- Sprinkle cheese over the top.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 °F..
Honey Mustard Sauce
- Use beaters to mix mayonnaise, honey and Dijon mustard until well-combined.
Notes
- Sauté the mushrooms before adding them to the baking dish. Add a tablespoon or butter or olive oil to a large skillet and cook the sliced mushrooms for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat to release some of their liquid.
- Sear the chicken for one or two minutes on each side in the same pan used for the sautéed mushrooms.
- Refrigerator. Store leftover Alice Springs Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Drizzle leftover honey mustard sauce over the top. Cover and warm in the oven on low heat (325°F) or in the microwave at 50% power.
- Make-Ahead. Prep the honey mustard sauce and bacon ahead of time to save time at the dinner hour.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 6/13/13 and has been updated to improve the reader experience.
David says
This is my favorite recipe of all time and I don't have to go out to dinner for it! I get rave reviews every time I make it!
Marjory says
I'm so glad you enjoy it! 🙂
Gloria says
Yum!!!
I made this for dinner tonight for the first time and it was sooo good. I'll be making Alice Springs chicken like this from now on. The only thing I omitted was the mushrooms since we don't care for them.
Marjory says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Kathy says
Tonight is the first night I am making this recipe like it says. Before I sliced the thicker chicken breasts in half, pounded them, floured them and fried them in butter to brown. I fried up the mushrooms. I used the low fat olive oil mayonaisse with peppercorns and the sauce tasted just as good. I used precooked bacon for the top and lower fat cheddar jack cheese on top. My husband asks for this every week. Tonight I didn't fry the chicken. I don't think this recipe is very fattening as long as you don't load it with cheese. One of these days I will work it out on Sparkpeople recipe maker. (If one uses center cut bacon, it is even less fat yet). Thank you for a wonderful recipe. Love that honey mustard and you are right, it's perfect.
Marjory says
So glad you like it. My hubby asks for this all the time too! 🙂
tarre says
When pounding the chicken and changing the recipe it is no longer Alice Springs chicken, it is merely Kathy's chicken.
Adele Aiken says
Can this dish be made ahead - either prepped early in the day or maybe cooked and frozen.
Marjory says
Yes - you can use both of these methods!
shirley says
do i need to cut the breast to make them thinner....mine are fairly thick...fat!
Marjory says
Hi! You can adjust the cook time up for thicker breasts or pound them down a little bit. It's very helpful to use a meat thermometer if you have one.
Angela says
If I cooked two of this recipe ahead and froze one how would you recommend reheating?
Marjory says
You could assemble one without cooking it first and freeze it in an aluminum tin. Make sure the mushrooms are on the bottom so that they are covered by the chicken and sauce and that the honey mustard mixture is well combined. Defrost in the refrigerator and cook as you normally would.
Missy says
This meal rocks!! I finally found an awesome honey mustard recipe! This comes the closest to Outback's Alice Spring Chicken than any other recipe I've tried......Delicious!!
Marjory says
Thanks for sharing your experience! I'm so glad you liked it!
Joanna says
Made this tonight and loved it. Honey mustard is awesome...used regular mustard because I did not have Dijon. Might brown the chicken in a skillet first next time, but flavor is spot on!
Marjory says
I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂
jen says
I've never been to Outback Steakhouse but this recipe was awesome! In case anyone else is interested in making the servings a little calorically lighter here's what I did: used half the sauce, sliced the chicken breasts in half using two large breasts to create 4 thinner cutlets, used double the mushrooms, used half the cheese, and used Hellmann's light mayonnaise in the sauce. I cooked it in the oven for about 10 minutes 350 then put it under the broiler for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the bacon was crisp and the chicken was cooked through. I love this recipe and wouldn't feel bad eating this lighter version fairly often! Thanks so much dinner mom! this was my first time trying one of your recipes and I'll surely be back for more.
jen says
oops I forgot one thing. I also roasted mushrooms all alone for about 30 minutes before I assembled the rest of the dish. They came out so delicious this way!
Marjory says
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I'm thrilled that you liked it. 🙂 Love your tips!!!
Carol says
Wow this looks amazing! We are hosting an AFS student from Germany and she is convinced that we put bacon and cheese on everything. I will have to make this for her just to further confirm her suspicions.
Marjory says
Thanks! If she's been enjoying bacon and cheese...then I'm sure she will love this!
Carol says
I made this for supper tonight. Slamdunk! Thanks for the great recipe I will be making time and time again!
Marjory says
Thanks so much for your comment. I'm so glad you liked it!!
Jester says
Modified the recipe slightly for my low-carb diet and it came out fantastic! Thank you!
Marjory says
Wonderful! I'm guessing you modified the sauce a bit. I can enjoy this with just a wee bit of sauce since there is so much cheese, bacon and mushrooms!
Happy Chefx says
Followed the recipe & instructions .... this was excellent and easy-to-make ! We enjoyed it very much. Will definitely cook it again for dinner soon. Thanks for a nice meal.
Marjory says
Thanks so much for sharing! I'm so glad you liked it.
Donna says
In the oven now. I'm not a big fan of cheese but put it on there anyway and added some dry onions
Marjory says
I hope you enjoyed it! The crunchy onions sound like a nice addition!
karey says
Its in the oven right now, can't wait!
Marjory says
Wonderful! I hope you enjoyed it!
Tom says
I will be making these this weekend. Sounds really good. Thanks.
Marjory says
I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Consuelo says
This look fantastic!!! I'm crazy for the honey-mustard combination and mushrooms simply make this dish perfect 😉
Marjory says
Thank you! I often add more mushrooms so I can have lots of extras on the side 🙂
Ninie says
Outback, upstate, wherever...THIS is a Deelish recipe !!
Marjory says
I'm thinking an Alice Springs Chicken Salad sounds good too! I remember having one at the original Outback in Tampa.