3 Amazing Outback Honey Mustard Dressing Secrets

Oh, you know those moments when you take one bite of something at a restaurant and instantly think, “I need that flavor in my life forever”? That’s exactly what happens to me every time I’m at Outback and dip a bloomin’ onion petal (or, okay, maybe just a plain piece of bread) into that magical sauce. For ages, I tried finding a bottle on the shelf that hit that exact sweet, tangy spot, but nope! So, I finally dedicated an entire afternoon to figuring out the perfect copycat recipe. Trust me, after testing batches until my arm ached from whisking, I cracked the code on this Outback Honey Mustard Dressing. It’s shockingly easy, comes together in about ten minutes, and it has the perfect balance of tanginess that makes every salad or piece of chicken taste like Friday night!

Why You Will Love This Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

Honestly, I keep a batch of this in my fridge almost constantly now. Why buy the jarred stuff when you can whip up something this incredible so fast? It just makes everything better!

• It’s genuinely lightning fast! Seriously, you can have it ready to chill in under ten minutes of active time.
• That perfect sweet-and-tang balance: It’s got the mellow sweetness from honey cut perfectly by the sharp bite of Dijon mustard.
• It’s incredibly versatile—don’t just stick to salads; use it as a marinade or a dip for pretty much anything savory!
• You control the ingredients, which means no weird fillers or stabilizers you find in the store-bought versions.

If you’re also looking for other homemade favorites to ditch the bottle, you absolutely have to check out my recipe for making a simple homemade ranch dressing next. It’s another sauce I refuse to buy ready-made anymore. Find that recipe right here!

Gather Your Ingredients for Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

Okay, gathering your supplies is the easiest part—no cooking required here, just measuring! I always lay everything out before I start mixing so I don’t forget that crucial dash of pepper. You’ll need just a few pantry staples to nail this copycat Outback Honey Mustard Dressing.

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Use your favorite brand, but full-fat works best for creaminess!)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

That’s it! Fewer than ten things standing between you and dipping everything in this amazing sauce.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

Okay, getting this Outback Honey Mustard Dressing recipe right is all about technique, even though it’s super simple. We aren’t cooking anything, but a good whisk makes all the difference between a chunky mess and that silky restaurant texture. Remember, the quality of your mustard, especially that Dijon, really changes the final zing, so use the best you have on hand!

I’ve broken down the process exactly how I do it every time:

Combining the Wet Base Ingredients

1. Start by grabbing a medium bowl—nothing fancy needed! Dump in your 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, the 1/4 cup of yellow mustard, the full 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard, the honey, and the apple cider vinegar.
2. I always give this a quick stir with a fork right now, just to get everything acquainted before we add the dry stuff. We want it mostly combined before moving on to Step 2.

Adding Dry Seasonings and Whisking

2. Now, toss in the flavor boosters: the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Don’t be worried about the measurements; they are designed to let the mustard shine through!
3. This is where you grab your whisk—and whisk hard! You need to combine everything until that dressing is completely smooth. I mean, zero lumps of dry powder remaining. This whisking step ensures you get that signature creamy, emulsified texture of the best Outback Honey Mustard Dressing.

Taste Test and Flavor Melding

4. Once you think it’s perfect, pause! Give it a taste. This is your chance to customize this copycat sauce. Does it need another tiny drizzle of honey for sweetness? A little more Dijon if you want it sharper? Adjust it now to your perfect liking.
5. Finally, and this is non-negotiable for depth of flavor, cover that bowl and pop it in the fridge. It needs at least 30 minutes of chill time. The chilling allows all those mustard and spice notes to really settle down and meld together beautifully. Trust me, it tastes 100% better after that rest!

If you want another quick and delicious sauce recipe you can whip up in minutes, check out my super-fast honey mustard sauce—it’s great for sandwiches, but this Outback version is always the winner for salads!

Tips for Making the Best Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

Even though this recipe is basically just mixing, there are a couple of little tricks I’ve picked up over the years that take this Outback Honey Mustard Dressing from “good” to absolute perfection, especially regarding how it behaves in the fridge.

The most important thing you’ll notice is that this dressing thickens up once it gets cold. That’s totally normal! The mayonnaise and the honey just tighten up a bit when chilled. If you pull it out of the fridge and it seems a little too stiff for pouring or drizzling the way you want it—maybe you prefer that thinner consistency Outback sometimes serves—don’t panic!

You can easily thin it out. I just whisk in a tiny splash of water or a whisper of milk, teaspoon by teaspoon, until it feels right again. It loosens right up without losing any of that fantastic sweet and tangy flavor we worked so hard to create.

My biggest tip about flavor adjustment? Always taste *after* the chill time if you can wait. The honey flavor often mellows slightly once it’s cold, so if you think it needs more sweetness when it’s warm, it might be too sweet once it hits the salad greens. Seriously, let it sit for that minimum thirty minutes before deciding if you need to add more honey or vinegar.

If you’re experimenting with different dressings after mastering this one, I highly recommend trying out a Homemade Italian Salad Dressing next. It’s bright, zesty, and perfect for summer grilling season! You can find the steps right here.

Variations for Your Honey Mustard Dressing

Part of the fun of making copycat recipes at home is being able to tweak them until they are absolutely perfect *for you*. While this Outback Honey Mustard Dressing is spot-on as written, sometimes you need a little extra something, right? Don’t feel married to the exact ingredients!

Here are a couple of easy ways I like to mix things up when I’m feeling adventurous:

• Bring the Heat: If you like a little kick to cut through the richness of the mayo, whisk in just a tiny dash—maybe half a teaspoon to start—of your favorite hot sauce. Cayenne pepper works too, but hot sauce adds a little complexity that I love with the mustard.
• Swap Your Sweetener: Honey is classic, but one time I was totally out, and I grabbed the pure maple syrup instead. Wow! It gives the dressing a deeper, slightly woodsy sweetness that complements the vinegar really nicely. Just use the same amount as the honey called for.
• A Zesty Brightener: If you want to boost that tangy factor even more, scrape the zest of half a fresh lemon right into the bowl when you add your dry seasonings. It gives the whole Outback Honey Mustard Dressing a really lovely lift on the palate.

If you’re exploring more flavor profiles after you finish your dressing experiments, you should absolutely try my recipe for Chimichurri Sauce. It’s totally different—herby and garlicky—but it’s another one of those sauces that transforms any plain meal! You can see how I make that over here.

Serving Suggestions for Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

Now that you have this heavenly, tangy Outback Honey Mustard Dressing chilling perfectly in the fridge, the real fun begins: figuring out what to put it on! Honestly, once you taste this copycat, you’ll probably want to pour it directly over everything, but I have a few tried-and-true favorites that really let this sauce shine.

First off, let’s talk the classics. If you’re making homemade chicken tenders—baked or air-fried, I don’t judge—you absolutely need this for dipping. The sweetness clings perfectly to the crispy coating, and the mustard cuts through the richness. It’s just divine, way better than anything you get in a plastic packet!

For salads, this dressing really elevates the humble green. It’s fantastic tossed through a mixed green salad, but it’s extra special if you toss it with mixed greens, grilled chicken breast, crumbled crispy bacon, and maybe some blue cheese crumbles. That mix is a winner, I promise.

And don’t forget the fries! Seriously, if you make homemade oven fries or sweet potato fries, get this Outback Honey Mustard Dressing ready. It’s almost mandatory. It’s also amazing spread thinly on turkey sandwiches instead of regular mustard.

If you’re looking for a really satisfying meal that uses a flavorful dressing as its base, you should check out my Chicken and Avocado Salad recipe. It’s packed with goodness, and this honey mustard dressing actually works wonderfully tossed through those ingredients! You can grab the recipe for that salad here.

Storage and Reheating of Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

So, you made a whole cup of this glorious Outback Honey Mustard Dressing because you know you’ll be using it all week, right? Good choice! Since this recipe relies on mayonnaise and doesn’t have any major preservatives, storage is pretty straightforward, but you do need to keep it happy in the fridge.

When you store this homemade dressing in an airtight container—a mason jar works perfectly for me—it stays fresh and delicious for about one week, maybe up to ten days if your ingredients were super fresh to start. It’ll last longer than store-bought, but I usually try to use it up within the first week because the flavor is always best when it’s young!

Now, about reheating—this is the easy part! You absolutely do not reheat this dressing. Ever. It contains mayonnaise, so warming it up is just asking for your dressing to break apart and get oily, which is the opposite of the thick, creamy texture we’re aiming for.

If you find that stiff texture issue I mentioned before, just let the chilled container sit on the counter for about ten minutes before you plan to use it. That slight warming period will allow the honey to relax a bit. If it’s still too thick for drizzling straight from the fridge, grab that teaspoon of water or milk and whisk it gently right in the jar until it loosens up to your preferred thickness. It should always be served cold or at least cool, never warm!

Frequently Asked Questions About Outback Honey Mustard Dressing

I always get a ton of specific questions when people try to recreate their favorite restaurant flavors at home, and this Outback Honey Mustard Dressing is no exception! It’s such a popular dip, and folks are always curious about swapping ingredients they might not have on hand. Here are the three questions I hear the most often!

Can I make this honey mustard dressing without Dijon mustard?

That’s a great question, because sometimes you just don’t have Dijon kicking around! The Dijon is actually really important here, though. It brings a complex, slightly sharp, fermented quality that makes this copycat taste authentic. If you absolutely must skip it, you can substitute it with more yellow mustard, but you’ll need to compensate for that missing flavor. Try adding an extra half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and maybe a tiny pinch of that onion powder to boost the tanginess a bit. It won’t be the exact Outback profile, but it will still be a delicious sweet mustard!

How does this homemade dressing compare to the store-bought versions?

Oh, the store-bought stuff is fine in a pinch, but honestly, once you make this homemade version, you won’t go back to the jar! Store-bought honey mustard dressing is usually loaded with stabilizers and sweeteners to keep it fresh on the shelf for months. This recipe? It tastes so much brighter and cleaner because we are just using fresh honey, real vinegar, and good quality mayo. Plus, mine has that specific tang because I nailed the ratio of yellow to Dijon mustard. The flavor is just punchier!

Is this recipe vegetarian-friendly?

Yes, absolutely! This recipe is perfectly vegetarian. We aren’t using any meat products or anything that comes from rendered animal fats—it’s just mayonnaise, mustards, honey, and spices. It’s a great vegetarian addition to any salad spread! It also works perfectly if you are serving it alongside those easy Ranch Chicken Fajita Bowls—you can swap the standard ranch for this dressing for a fun twist!

If you’re looking for more great ways to use up leftovers or create full meals with flavorful condiments, check out my recipe for Ranch Chicken Fajita Bowls. It’s a crowd-pleaser!

Nutritional Snapshot of This Honey Mustard Dressing

I know some of you are tracking macros, or maybe you’re just cutting down on sugar, so I pulled together some estimated numbers for you! Since this is made with full-fat mayonnaise and honey, it’s definitely more of an indulgent sauce, but hey, we are keeping it real here!

Please keep in mind these are just ballpark figures based on standard ingredient calculations, so your results might vary depending on the exact brands of mayonnaise or honey you use. Think of this as a good general roadmap for your Outback Honey Mustard Dressing serving!

Here’s the breakdown per 2-tablespoon serving:

• Calories: ~120
• Fat: ~10 grams (with about 1.5g saturated)
• Carbohydrates: ~7 grams (and yes, that includes all that delicious honey!)
• Protein: ~1 gram
• Sugar: ~8 grams
• Sodium: ~250 mg

It’s got a decent amount of fat, which is where that wonderful creamy texture comes from—it’s the mayonnaise and butterfat doing their job! If you want to lower the fat and sugar a little for next time, you can try reducing the mayo by swapping a tablespoon for plain Greek yogurt, but you might sacrifice a little bit of that classic Outback texture. Taste is everything!

Share Your Homemade Outback Honey Mustard Dressing Success

Well, that’s it, friends! You’ve got the power now. You have the secrets to making that amazing, zingy, sweet, and tangy Outback Honey Mustard Dressing right in your own kitchen. I hope you’re as thrilled with how easy this was as I am every single time I make a fresh batch.

It truly brings me so much joy knowing that you can whip up this restaurant favorite in minutes without having to drive over to the steakhouse. I always feel like I’ve won when I can perfectly recreate a sauce like this at home!

I need to know what you think! Did it scratch that Outback itch? Did you have to add extra honey, or maybe crank up the Dijon like I sometimes do?

Seriously, please take just a moment after you’ve tried it to leave a quick star rating right down below. That helps me so much, and it lets other home cooks know that this copycat recipe is the real deal. And don’t forget to drop a comment describing how you used your batch of Outback Honey Mustard Dressing—was it on a salad, or did you just dip everything in sight? I love hearing about your kitchen victories!

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