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Alice Springs Chicken is the Outback Steakhouse copycat my family begs for, juicy chicken smothered in honey mustard, sauteed mushrooms, crispy bacon, and melty colby jack cheese, all in one skillet. I make it on a *cozy Sunday* with Brussels sprouts roasting right in the pan, and it rivals our copycat Monterey chicken.
Seared chicken, honey mustard, bacon, mushrooms, and melty cheese come together in one skillet for the best copycat Alice Springs chicken.
Alice Springs Chicken Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 42 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 52 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 2 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 895kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Savory, cheesy, and smoky with sweet tangy honey mustard
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our copycat Monterey chicken
Quick Answer
Cook diced bacon in a skillet until crispy and set aside, then sear seasoned chicken breasts in the bacon fat. Saute the mushrooms, then sear the Brussels sprouts in butter. Place the chicken back on top of the sprouts and bake at 350 degrees until the chicken reaches 160 degrees. Smear honey mustard over the chicken, top with the mushrooms, bacon, and shredded colby jack cheese, and bake a few more minutes until the cheese melts.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cooking everything in the bacon fat builds flavor. Rendering the bacon first and searing the chicken, mushrooms, and Brussels sprouts in that same fat layers smoky, savory flavor into every component.
- Searing then baking keeps the chicken juicy. A golden sear locks in flavor, and finishing in the oven cooks the chicken through gently so it stays moist under all the toppings.
- Honey mustard is the signature. The sweet and tangy honey mustard is the iconic Outback flavor that ties the bacon, mushrooms, and cheese together.
- One skillet, one pan dinner. Cooking the Brussels sprouts right under the chicken means they soak up the drippings and the whole meal finishes in a single pan.
- Colby jack melts into a blanket. A shredded colby and Monterey jack blend melts smooth and gooey over the top, just like the restaurant.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastes like Outback at home. All the smoky, cheesy, honey mustard flavor of the restaurant favorite, just like our copycat Monterey chicken.
- One pan, full meal. Chicken and Brussels sprouts cook together in one skillet, so dinner and a side are done at once.
- Loaded with the good stuff. Bacon, mushrooms, melty cheese, and honey mustard make every bite indulgent.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Two boneless skinless breasts are the base. Seared then baked so they stay juicy under the toppings.
- Thick cut bacon: Diced and crisped first. Its rendered fat cooks everything else and adds smoky flavor.
- Honey mustard: The signature Outback sauce, smeared over the chicken for that sweet and tangy flavor.
- Mushrooms and colby jack cheese: Sauteed mushrooms and a melty colby and Monterey jack blend pile on top for the classic loaded finish.
- Brussels sprouts: Halved and seared right in the pan, they roast under the chicken into a built in side.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use chicken thighs. Boneless skinless thighs work great and stay extra juicy. Adjust the bake time as needed.
- Swap the side. Use roasted potatoes, green beans, or asparagus in place of the Brussels sprouts.
- Make your own honey mustard. Whisk equal parts honey, dijon, and mayo for a quick homemade version.
- Change the cheese. Cheddar, Monterey jack, or a Mexican blend all melt beautifully.
- Add a steakhouse spread. Serve it with our Outback style onion petals for a full copycat night.
How to Make Alice Springs Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the diced bacon in a 12 inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, then drain and set aside, reserving the bacon fat in the pan.
- Season the chicken with half of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sear in the bacon fat until golden on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes, then set aside.
- Saute the sliced mushrooms in the same pan until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and butter to the pan, season with the remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and sear until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Place the chicken back on top of the Brussels sprouts and bake until the chicken reaches 160 degrees, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Smear the honey mustard over the top of each chicken breast.
- Top the chicken with the sauteed mushrooms, half of the crispy bacon, and the shredded cheese.
- Sprinkle the remaining bacon over the Brussels sprouts and bake 3 to 5 minutes more until the cheese is melted. Serve hot.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use the bacon fat. Searing the chicken and vegetables in the rendered bacon fat is where the deep, smoky flavor comes from, so do not drain it all.
- Do not fully cook the chicken in the sear. Just get a golden crust, the oven finishes it gently so it stays juicy.
- Use an oven safe skillet. A cast iron or oven safe pan lets you go from stovetop to oven without dirtying another dish.
- Halve the Brussels sprouts. Cutting them lengthwise gives flat sides that sear golden and cook evenly under the chicken.
- Check the temperature. Pull the chicken at 160 degrees, the carryover heat from melting the cheese brings it to a safe 165.
- Shred your own cheese. Block colby jack melts smoother than pre shredded for that gooey restaurant finish.
- Make extra honey mustard. Serve a little on the side for dipping, everyone always wants more.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Alice Springs chicken is a complete meal in one skillet thanks to the Brussels sprouts baked right underneath, but it loves a few steakhouse sides. Start the meal with our Outback style onion petals and a basket of warm bread with Texas Roadhouse butter.
For a full copycat steakhouse spread, add our Longhorn hot spinach dip as an appetizer. The honey mustard, bacon, and cheese on the chicken pair beautifully with creamy, cheesy starters.
If you want more sides, serve it with a baked potato, a simple green salad, or steamed rice to soak up the cheesy, bacony pan juices. It is hearty enough that a couple of simple sides round out the plate.
Alice Springs Chicken FAQs
Outback Alice Springs chicken is a grilled chicken breast topped with a honey mustard sauce, sauteed mushrooms, crispy bacon, and melted Monterey and colby jack cheese. This copycat recreates all those signature flavors in one skillet at home.
The sauce on Alice Springs chicken is honey mustard. It is smeared over the chicken before the toppings go on, giving the dish its signature sweet and tangy flavor. Use store bought or whisk your own from honey, dijon, and mayo.
Yes, you can prep Alice Springs chicken ahead. Cook the bacon, sear the chicken, and saute the vegetables in advance, then assemble and bake when ready to serve. You can also fully bake it and reheat, though it is best fresh from the oven.
Yes, you can use chicken thighs for Alice Springs chicken. Boneless skinless thighs stay extra juicy and work great. Sear them the same way and adjust the bake time, checking that they reach 165 degrees internally.
This Alice Springs chicken has Brussels sprouts built right into the skillet, so it is a complete meal. If you want more sides, serve it with a baked potato, rice, green beans, or a simple salad to round out the plate.
Store leftover Alice Springs chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree oven or the microwave until warmed through. The cheese and toppings reheat best in the oven to keep them from getting rubbery.
Other Recommended Copycat Recipes
If this Alice Springs Chicken brought the Outback home, drop a star rating and let us know how it turned out. Photos of your loaded, cheesy skillet on Pinterest always make our day.
Keep the steakhouse copycat night going with our Outback style onion petals, crispy fried onion bites with a creamy dipping sauce.
Add a basket of warm rolls with our copycat Texas Roadhouse butter, sweet, whipped, and cinnamon kissed.
For another cheesy chicken dinner, our copycat Monterey chicken loads chicken with bacon, cheese, and a tangy sauce just like Chili’s.
Start an Outback style dinner with a basket of our Cheesecake Factory brown bread before the main course.
Add our caprese chicken wraps to the dinner rotation.
Get that steakhouse chicken energy on a sheet tray with our easy baked chicken tenders.
Round out your Outback night by setting out a bowl of homemade Bloomin Onion Sauce for dipping.
Alice Springs Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon small diced
- 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper divided
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 4 ounces mushrooms* sliced
- 10 ounces Brussel sprouts fresh or frozen, cut in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard
- 1/2 cup Colby and Monterey Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
- Add the bacon to a 12-inch large skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Drain the bacon, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Set the bacon aside for later.4 slices thick cut bacon
- Season the chicken on both sides with half of the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.2 chicken breasts, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Over medium heat in the same pan with the bacon fat, sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown; they do not have to cook through—about 7-10 minutes total time. Set the chicken on a pan and set aside.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and saute until cooked through; they will be slightly golden brown but not mushy. Take them out of the pan, and set aside.4 ounces mushrooms*
- Finally, add the Brussel sprouts to the pan and toss in the remaining fat. Add the butter and toss to coat—season with the remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Let sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.10 ounces Brussel sprouts, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Place chicken back into the pan on top of the Brussel sprouts, and place the whole pan into the preheated oven. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°, about 20-25 minutes.
- Smear the honey mustard on top of the chicken. Add the sauteed mushrooms, half of the crisp bacon, and the cheese to the chicken.2 tablespoons honey mustard, 1/2 cup Colby and Monterey Jack cheese
- Sprinkle the remaining bacon over the Brussel sprouts and place back in the oven for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Notes
- We like to use chicken breasts for this as it is larger portions but you can use chicken tenderloins or boneless skinless chicken thighs as well.
- This can be frozen, see tips above.
- Colby and Monterey Jack cheese are used in this recipe, but you can replace with what you have on hand.
- The brussel sprouts are optional, we use them just to complete it as a rounded meal.
- You can easily double this recipe to serve more people.
- Use your favorite mushrooms, I used baby bella mushrooms.*
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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I made this the other day. I love Brussel Sprouts, but my son does not. I cook them anyway – try different methods. This one, he liked! He said best Brussels he ever had.
Chicken was moist and tasty.
Recipe was easy to follow. Thanks!