Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Fried Chicken

 There used to be an Outback Steakhouse close to my home. When Mr. O-P was well, we would order from them for pick up. We could get one large meal (we generally opted for the full rack of ribs) and share it between the two of us. We would wait until they offered their "get a free blooming onion with one adult meal" special. A number of years ago that location closed, so I haven’t eaten there in about six years. 

 

When I found a recipe online for their Bloomin’ Chicken, I had to give it a try. I made the sauce early in the day so that the flavors would have a chance to meld. I also flattened the chicken so that I would have only a small amount to do at dinnertime. 

 

I varied a bit from the original recipe. In my opinion the chicken needs to be flattened to a quarter of an inch so I did that (It also cooks faster this way, thereby using less energy). I also think that Chick-fil-A or Syberg’s Sauce works just as well and tastes just as good, so, in my opinion, there’s really no point in bothering to make sauce. I’m not a fan of deep-frying, so rather than using a big pot with 2 inches of oil, I used an All-Clad with a 4-inch side, and a half inch of oil. The results were phenomenal! Truly, much better than chicken I’ve had when I've dined out. As I always do, I soaked my chicken in buttermilk overnight. The end result was chicken that was flavorful and juicy, with a super crispy exterior. This was phenomenal. There’s really not much to it, and I like that in a good meal.

 Outback Steakhouse Bloomin’ Fried Chicken

Slightly adapted from desirerecipes.com

 Bloomin' Sauce

½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

2 t. ketchup

2 T. horseradish

¼ t. paprika

¼ t. salt

1/8 t. garlic powder

1/8 t. dried oregano

1 dash ground black pepper

1 dash cayenne pepper

Seasoned Flour Breading

2 c. flour

4 t. paprika

2 t. garlic powder

1 t. salt

½ t. ground black pepper

½ t. cayenne pepper

 Chicken

½ c. water

1 lb. chicken breast

Vegetable oil for frying

Bloom Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 Seasoned Flour Breading

Stir all ingredients to combine.

 Chicken

Place the buttermilk into a shallow bowl, add the water, and stir to combine. Prepare the chicken by pounding it to ¼ inch thick. If your chicken breast is greater than 1 inch thick, slice in half horizontally. Place chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap, and gently pound out thin with a meat mallet.

 Set up a breading station by placing the seasoned flour first, then the buttermilk mixture, and then a baking sheet with a wire rack on it.

Dredge chicken into seasoned flour, and then shake off the excess. Dip the breaded chicken into the buttermilk, shake off the excess. Then dip the buttermilk-dipped chicken into the seasoned flour for a second time. Place the fully breaded chicken onto the wire rack.

 Repeat for the remaining pieces of chicken. The breaded chicken should rest for about 5 minutes before cooking.

 Add 1 to 2 inches of vegetable oil into a skillet. (See above text) Heat the oil to 350°F.

 Place one or two pieces of chicken into the oil. Deep-fry the chicken pieces in the hot oil until done, about 5 to 6 minutes, turning midway until both sides of the chicken are golden brown.

 When the chicken is done, remove it from the oil and drain on a clean wire rack.

To serve, place the cooked chicken on a plate and drizzle on some of the bloomin’ sauce.

 

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