Outback Steakhouse Sweet Potato Recipe (Copycat Honey Butter)

I will admit that the Bloomin’ Onion is what gets me in the door at Outback Steakhouse. But the sweet potato is what I actually think about on the drive home — a big, soft, caramelized potato split down the middle with a scoop of honey cinnamon butter melting into it.

IThe good news is that this is one of the easiest restaurant copycats there is. There is no secret technique. The potato is simply baked low and slow until the sugars caramelize, and then it is finished with a whipped honey butter that you can make in about three minutes while it cooks. I have made it both in the oven and in the air fryer, and both methods are below.

If you have ever wondered why the restaurant version tastes so much better than the sweet potato you make at home, it is almost always one of two things: the potato was pulled too early, or the butter was just plain butter. Fix both and you are there.

What Is the Outback Steakhouse Sweet Potato?

Yes, Outback does serve sweet potatoes. On the menu it is listed as the Sweet Potato with Honey & Brown Sugar, and it sits in the sides section for around $5, coming in at roughly 400 calories. It is a whole baked sweet potato, split open at the table, served with brown sugar and a honey butter on the side so you can add as much as you want.

It is the same side that shows up next to almost every steak on the menu, which is why so many people go looking for the recipe after dinner. It is also worth knowing that the sweet potato is a different item from the Outback sweet potato fries, which are seasoned and fried, and from the classic Outback baked potato with its salt-crusted skin.

How Does Outback Cook Their Sweet Potatoes?

Outback bakes their sweet potatoes whole, wrapped in foil, in a low oven for about an hour, until the inside is completely soft and the natural sugars have turned syrupy. They are not steamed, microwaved, or boiled. That long, gentle bake is the entire trick — it gives the flesh time to convert its starch into sugar, which is what makes a restaurant sweet potato taste noticeably sweeter than one you rushed.

At the table, the potato is split lengthwise, fluffed, and topped with brown sugar and honey butter.

I give you both the foil-wrapped oven method (closest to the restaurant) and an air fryer version below. The oven is more authentic; the air fryer is faster and gives you a chewier, crispier skin if that is what you are after.

Ingredients You Will Need

The full printable ingredient list and step-by-step directions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

For the sweet potatoes:

• Sweet potatoes: Look for medium potatoes, roughly 8 ounces each, and try to get them all about the same size so they finish at the same time. Garnet or jewel varieties have the deepest orange flesh and the most natural sweetness.
• Olive oil: A light coating helps the skin crisp and keeps it from drying out.
• Kosher salt: A pinch on the flesh right before serving makes the sweetness taste sweeter, not saltier. Do not skip it.

For the honey cinnamon butter:

• Butter: Softened to room temperature so it will whip. Salted or unsalted both work.
• Honey: This is the ingredient most copycat versions leave out, and it is the one that makes it taste like Outback. Use a mild honey like clover.
• Brown sugar: Adds the molasses note and caramelizes slightly against the hot potato.
• Ground cinnamon: Just enough for warmth. It should not taste like a cinnamon roll.
• Pinch of salt: Balances the honey.

How to Make Outback Sweet Potatoes in the Oven

This is the method that comes closest to the restaurant.

Step 1: Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub the sweet potatoes well under cold water and dry them thoroughly with a paper towel — wet skin steams instead of crisping.

Step 2: Pierce. Poke each potato four or five times with a fork. This lets steam escape so the potato does not split open in the oven.

Step 3: Oil and wrap. Rub each potato lightly with olive oil, then wrap individually in aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment to catch any drips.

Step 4: Bake. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, depending on size. They are done when a knife slides into the center with no resistance at all. If you have a thermometer, you are looking for 205 to 210 degrees F internally — that is the point where the flesh goes fully creamy.

Step 5: Split and serve. Unwrap, slice down the center lengthwise without cutting all the way through, and squeeze the ends toward each other to open it up. Fluff the flesh with a fork, sprinkle with salt, then add brown sugar and a scoop of honey cinnamon butter.

How to Make Outback Sweet Potatoes in the Air Fryer

The air fryer cuts about fifteen minutes off the cook time and gives you a firmer, more roasted skin. I skip the foil here — the whole point of the air fryer is the dry heat hitting the skin. If you want more air fryer sides like this one, my full air fryer recipe index is a good place to start.

Step 1: Prep. Scrub and dry the sweet potatoes, then pierce them several times with a fork.

Step 2: Oil. Rub each one lightly with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Do not season the skin yet — salt draws out moisture.

Step 3: Air fry. Place the potatoes in the basket in a single layer with space between them. Air fry at 380 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes, turning them once at the halfway point. Smaller potatoes will be done closer to 35 minutes.

Step 4: Check. They are ready when a fork slides in with no resistance and the skin has tightened and wrinkled slightly.

Step 5: Serve. Split, fluff, salt, and top with brown sugar and honey cinnamon butter while everything is still hot enough to melt.

A note on temperature: 380 degrees F is my preference over 400. At the higher setting the skin can scorch before the center is fully soft, especially on thicker potatoes, and you lose that creamy texture in the middle.

How to Make the Honey Cinnamon Butter

This takes three minutes and it is the difference between a plain baked sweet potato and the Outback one.

Let the butter come to room temperature — genuinely soft, not microwaved to liquid. Add the honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, then whip it with a hand mixer for about two minutes until it is pale, light, and fluffy. Whipping is what gives it that spreadable, almost mousse-like texture instead of a dense block.

It will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for three months. Let it soften before serving.

If this sounds familiar, it is a close cousin of my copycat Texas Roadhouse butter, which uses powdered sugar and vanilla for a smoother, sweeter spread. Either one is excellent on this potato — the Outback style is a little less sweet and leans harder on the honey.

Pro Tips for the Best Copycat Outback Sweet Potato

• Match your potatoes by size. Two potatoes that differ by three ounces will not finish together, and the smaller one will dry out waiting.
• Do not pull them early. This is the number one mistake. An underdone sweet potato tastes starchy and bland. The flesh should be almost custardy.
• Salt the flesh, not the skin. A pinch of kosher salt on the inside right before the butter goes on amplifies the sweetness.
• Leave the skin on. It holds the potato together and gets sweet and chewy as it bakes.
• Add the butter last. It should melt on contact from residual heat, not get baked in.
• Do not crowd the air fryer basket. Air needs to move around each potato or you will get uneven cooking.
• Make extra butter. It is good on cornbread, rolls, biscuits, and pancakes, and it is the reason I now make a double batch every time.

What to Serve With It

At the restaurant this comes alongside a steak, and that is still how I like it best — a perfect air fryer sirloin or my go-to air fryer steak recipe with this potato on the side is a full steakhouse dinner without the wait for a table. Add the Bloomin’ Onion first if you are going all in.

It is also excellent at Thanksgiving as a lighter alternative to a sweet potato casserole, since all the sweetness sits on top instead of being baked in. For more options like this one, my side dish recipes and full copycat restaurant recipes collections have plenty of pairings.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Let cooked sweet potatoes cool completely, then store them whole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Keep the honey butter separate.

To freeze, wrap each cooled potato tightly in foil and place in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

To reheat, wrap in foil and warm in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Add fresh butter after reheating. The microwave works in a pinch but the skin goes soft and rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Outback have sweet potatoes?

Yes. Outback Steakhouse serves a whole baked sweet potato as a side, listed on the menu as the Sweet Potato with Honey & Brown Sugar. It runs about $5 and roughly 400 calories, and comes with honey butter and brown sugar on the side.

How does Outback make their sweet potatoes?

They bake the potato whole in foil until it is completely soft, then split it open and top it with brown sugar and a whipped honey cinnamon butter. The honey butter is the signature element — that is what most homemade versions are missing.

Can I use large sweet potatoes instead of medium ones?

Yes, but add 15 to 20 minutes to the cook time and test with a fork before serving. Very large potatoes can also cook unevenly, so the oven method is safer than the air fryer for those.

Should I wrap the sweet potatoes in foil?

For the oven, yes — foil is what the restaurant does and it gives you the softest, most evenly cooked flesh. For the air fryer, skip it. Foil blocks the circulating air that makes the air fryer worth using.

Why is my sweet potato skin not crispy in the air fryer?

Usually one of three things: the potato went in wet, it was not coated in oil, or the basket was too crowded. Dry the potatoes thoroughly, rub them with oil, and leave space between them.

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can bake the potatoes a day ahead and reheat them, and the honey butter can be made up to a week in advance. Assemble just before serving so the butter melts fresh.

Can I use white sugar instead of brown sugar?

Brown sugar is worth using here — the molasses is what gives the topping its caramel flavor. If you only have white sugar, add a small drizzle of molasses or use a little extra honey in the butter.

How do I know when a sweet potato is done?

A fork or knife should slide into the center with zero resistance. If you use a thermometer, 205 to 210 degrees F is the target. Sweet potatoes are very forgiving on the high end, so when in doubt, give them another ten minutes.

Can I cook more than one at a time in the air fryer?

Yes, as long as they sit in a single layer without touching. If you have to stack them, use the oven instead.

What is the difference between this and the Longhorn version?

They are close cousins. My Longhorn Steakhouse sweet potato leans more heavily on the cinnamon butter and is served a little sweeter. The Outback version keeps the honey more forward.