Prepare your favorite Outback Steakhouse dishes at home with easy-to-make copycat recipes!

Bloomin’ Onion

What’s your favorite thing about Outback Steakhouse? There’s a good chance it’s this delicious appetizer known as the blooming onion. Here’s how you can make it at home.

Serves 2–4 | Prep. time 10 min. | Cooking time 8 min.

Ingredients

Bloomin’ Onion Dip

• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon horseradish, drained
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper

For the onion

• 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Oil for frying (sufficient to cover the onion)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• Salt

Directions

1. Prepare the sauce by combining all the ingredients. Cover and keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
2. Peel the onion and place it on a cutting board. Slice off the top half-inch or so.
3. Turn the onion cut side down on the cutting board and starting from about half an inch from the root, cut down all the way through. Start by making four even sections, then divide these into a total of 16 segments.
4. Heat the oil in a high-sided pot.
5. Turn the onion over and gently separate the outer slices.
6. Combine the flour, cayenne, paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin, and black pepper.
7. Place the onion in a bowl with high sides. Pour all the flour mixture over the onion and cover the bowl. Shake from side to side to ensure that all surfaces of the onion are coated.
8. Whisk the eggs with the milk, and carefully submerge the onion in the egg mixture. Let any excess drip off, and then flour it again.
9. When the oil reaches 400°F, carefully lower the onion in, cut side down. Keep the oil at about 350°F, and after 3–4 minutes, turn the onion over. Cook another 3–4 minutes, until golden.
10. Serve with dipping sauce.

 

Alice Springs Chicken

This is one of our favorite ways to eat chicken breast, but because of the amount of bacon and cheese involved, we don’t do it every week!

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 min. | Marinating time 30 min. | Cooking time 40 min.

Ingredients

For the marinade

• ½ cup honey
• 6 tablespoons mustard
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the chicken

• 6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 (5-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Set aside ⅓ cup in the fridge.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a resealable bag and add the rest of the marinade. Turn to coat, and refrigerate for at least an hour, preferable 2–3 hours. From time to time, manipulate the bag to ensure everything is coated.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until it is medium crisp. Remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the grease in the pan.
4. Add the mushrooms to the hot skillet and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove them to a bowl.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade.
6. Add the oil to the skillet and when it’s hot, add the chicken. Do not move or flip the chicken breasts until they are deeply golden, 5–7 minutes. Turn them over and brown them on the other side.
7. Top the chicken with the mushrooms and bacon, and then sprinkle the cheese on top.
8. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is 165°F internally.
9. Serve with the reserved marinade for dipping.

 

Baby Back Ribs

If you’re a rib lover but aren’t sure how to make them come out tender, give this recipe a try! The ribs themselves aren’t too gooey with two bastings they have just the right amount of sauce. Of course, you’ll have extra for dipping!

Serves 4 | Prep. time 30 min.  | Cooking time 2 hours

Ingredients

• 4–5 pounds baby back ribs (2 full racks)
• 1 (32-ounce) bottle cola

For the rub

• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon onion powder

For the sauce

• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
  Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Place the ribs in a large resealable bag and pour in the cola. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
2. Combine the seasonings for the rub and preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Drain the ribs, throw out the cola, and pat the ribs dry with paper towels.
4. Rub the seasonings all over the meat and wrap them in foil. Bake for 1 hour.
5. While the meat is baking, combine the sauce ingredients. Heat the barbecue or grill to medium.
6. Once the ribs are baked and tender, transfer them to the grill and coat them with sauce. Grill for 15 minutes or so, basting often until they are charred and crisp to your liking.

 

Coconut Shrimp

You can’t have a conversation about Outback Steakhouse food without mentioning Coconut Shrimp! This is a specialty of the restaurant that you shouldn’t miss.

Serves 4 | Prep. time 15 min.  | Cooking time 12 min.

Ingredients

• 16 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup ice water
• 2 cups short shredded coconut
• Vegetable oil for frying

Honey marmalade dipping sauce

• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons mustard
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ¾ cup orange marmalade
• 4 drops Tabasco^® or hot sauce

Directions

1. Rinse the shrimp and pat it dry.
2. Combine the ingredients for the honey marmalade sauce and keep it chilled.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornstarch, flour, salt, and cayenne pepper.
4. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the ice water. Mix to form a batter.
5. Heat the oil to 350°F.
6. Spread some of the shredded coconut in a shallow bowl. One at a time, dip the shrimp in the batter and then press it into the coconut. Fry in small batches for 3–4 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
7. Serve hot, with a side of the dipping sauce.

 

Chocolate Thunder from Down Under

A chocolate brownie topped with ice cream? Now that we have your undivided attention, check out this delicious copycat recipe for the Outback favorite.

Serves 6 | Prep. time 10 min. | Cooking time 20 min.

Ingredients

For the brownies

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

For the hot fudge sauce

• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For topping

• 6 scoops vanilla or chocolate fudge ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate curl (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light.
3. One at a time, blend in the eggs. Add the vanilla.
4. Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder, and stir just to combine
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 20–22 minutes, or until the edges are cooked through but the middle is still moist.
6. To prepare the sauce, combine the chocolate chips, milk, brown sugar, and butter in a saucepan.
7. Cook over medium heat until the chocolate chips are melted. Stir in the vanilla.
8. To assemble the dessert, place a warm brownie on a plate. Top with a scoop of ice cream, some whipped cream, a drizzle of sauce. And if desired chocolate curls.

 

Watermelon Rita

These are very tasty and can be enjoyed frozen if you like.

Serves 1 | Prep. time 3 min. 

Ingredients

• 2 ounces watermelon vodka
• 1 ounce tequila
• 2 ounces sweet and sour mix

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients and combine.

 

***All these recipes and more can be found in Lina Chang’s book Copycat Recipes: Making Outback Steakhouse’s Most Popular Recipes at Home. Click here or on the cover of the book.

Click here to download a copy of the recipes.