Bloomin’ Fried Chicken

This is a copycat of Outback Steakhouse’s Bloomin’ Fried Chicken: boneless chicken breast battered in the same breading as their Bloomin’ Onion and served with the same tangy sauce.

Well, I guess I can’t say it’s the same exactly, but I think it’s pretty close! You tell me!

Bloomin’ Fried Chicken Ingredients

Feel free to jump to the full recipe, but here are useful notes about the ingredients you will need to make this Bloomin’ Fried Chicken recipe:

• Boneless skinless chicken: I call for breasts because that’s my preference, and it’s what you’ll get if you order it in the restaurant. You can use thighs if that’s your preference; just make sure to increase the cooking time.
• Flour, baking soda, and cornstarch: A blend of the three gives a light, flaky coating when it hits the buttermilk that fries up beautifully. Don’t use too much baking soda, or you’ll be able to taste it. Ew.
• Buttermilk and egg: To give the dry dredge something to stick to, and give us those crunchy craggies.
• Cayenne, paprika, seasoned salt, black pepper, oregano, thyme, cumin: The seasonings are what set it apart from regular fried chicken and make it Bloomin’ Fried Chicken. We use a nice amount of each of them in the chicken and/or the sauce.
• Sour cream, mayonnaise: The base of the sauce.
• Ketchup, sugar, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce: A precise combination of these plus some of the seasonings round out the sauce.
• Equipment: Below is the equipment I use when I make this at home. You can find additional options in my Amazon Storefront or Cooking Essentials.

How to Make Bloomin’ Fried Chicken

Full instructions are included in the recipe below, but here is a basic overview of what you’ll need to do, along with some important tidbits to help you make the most of this Bloomin’ Fried Chicken:

• Make the sauce. First things first: it’s super important to make the sauce in advance. The flavors need time to blend and meld. Don’t believe me? Taste it when you make it, then taste it again a couple of hours later. Then picture me in your face going “eh? EHHHH??!” when the difference hits you. Combine all of the sauce ingredients together. Whisk them well, make sure it’s thoroughly combined. Transfer it to an airtight container and place it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. The sauce for your Bloomin’ Fried Chicken will last about 7-10 days under these conditions.
• Marinate the chicken. Add your chicken pieces to a large bowl and season them lightly with seasoned salt. Beat the egg, then pour it and the buttermilk into the bowl. Stir and make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Set it aside on the counter to rest. This is a mini-marination because we’re only leaving the chicken only in the buttermilk until the next step is completed.
• Dredge and rest the chicken. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and the remaining dry seasonings together in another mixing bowl. Dip the tongs of a fork into the buttermilk/egg mixture that the chicken is soaking in and flick that over the surface of the flour dredge, then stir the flour. This creates little chunks of flour which will become our crunchy craggies (the crispy bits of breading that fall off the Bloomin’ Fried Chicken when you bite into it)! Now, set the floured chicken aside to rest while you preheat the oil.
• Prepare the oil. Place a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and fill it about halfway up the side with oil. Let the oil heat up until it reaches about 360°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop one of the crunchy craggies into the flour – it should rise to the surface with bubbles popping around it within 2 seconds of hitting the oil. Did it sink and stay on the bottom? The oil is too cool. If it pops up and the bubbles are loud and violent, the oil is too hot.
• Fry the Bloomin’ Fried Chicken. When the oil is ready, fry the chicken in batches – don’t crowd – until golden brown all over and cooked throughout. I do about 7-10 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Drain over a wire rack and enjoy your Bloomin’ Fried Chicken!

What to Serve with Bloomin’ Fried Chicken

There isn’t much that wouldn’t go well with this Bloomin’ Fried Chicken recipe to be quite honest!  For example, you could serve it with:

• Ol’ Schol Mac and Cheese and Roasted Asparagus
• Easy One-Pot Dirty Rice and an Endive Salad
• Cast-Iron Broccoli and Cheese and Simple White Rice

If you’re looking for other chicken dinner recipes take a look at my Spicy Buttermilk Fried Chicken or Honey Jerk Roasted Chicken. They’re pretty yummy, I think. Here’s a graphic for Pinterest:

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