This One-Pan Chicken Dinner Is Inspired By Outback Steakhouse

Alice Springs Chicken has been on the menu at Outback Steakhouse since the restaurant opened, and it’s easy to see why! This one-pan copycat recipe dresses up chicken breasts with sweet honey mustard, salty bacon and cheese, and delectable browned mushrooms.

Overhead view of Alice Springs chicken in a braiser next to a plate of steak fries and bowl of honey mustard — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

I can now see why this chicken from Outback Steakhouse is so popular: It’s simultaneously sweet from honey mustard, salty from bacon, and savory from its cheesy mushroom topping. The best part? Making it at home doesn’t even require you to turn the oven on.

Brown the chicken breasts in the same pan you cook the bacon and mushrooms in so they pick up all of that flavor from the bacon drippings, then top them with honey mustard and not one, but two kinds of shredded cheese before they’re covered to finish cooking right on the stovetop.

Tips for Making Alice Springs Chicken

Spoon rather than spread the honey mustard over the chicken. It will immediately begin to spread over the hot chicken by itself, and you want to keep as much of it on top of the chicken as possible.
Spread the mushrooms into a single layer and cook them undisturbed to encourage quick and even browning. This ensures that the mushrooms brown rather than steam.
Feel free to play around with the cheese; smoked gouda and Swiss would also be great.
To spice things up, try using hot or spicy honey mustard.

Overhead view of a green plate with a chicken breast with cheese and mushrooms, steak fries and bowl of honey mustard next to a green napkin and a fork and steak knife — Simply Recipes / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

Skillet Chicken Dinners

Cook the bacon:

In a large cast-iron skillet or brazier, cook the bacon over medium-high heat, stirring often, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a medium bowl using a slotted spoon, reserving the drippings in the skillet.

Cook the mushrooms:

Arrange the mushrooms in the skillet in a single layer and cook, stirring every 2 minutes and re-spreading into an even layer, until lightly golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon. Do not wipe the skillet clean.

Brown the chicken:

Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes per side. Remove from the heat.

Top the chicken:

Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of the honey mustard on top of each chicken breast in the skillet, then top each evenly with the mushroom-bacon mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese.

Cook the chicken:

Place the skillet over medium-low heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil. Cook, undisturbed, until the cheese is melted and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F, 8 to 10 minutes.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

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