Outback Steakhouse Blue Cheese Vinaigrette – Easy Copycat Recipe
Order a salad at Outback Steakhouse, and the blue cheese vinaigrette is the one people ask about at the table. It is thin and sharp rather than thick and creamy, an Italian dressing base cut with two vinegars and finished with crumbles of Danish blue. That makes it a dressing you can pour over a steak salad without burying it, which is exactly what a heavy blue cheese dressing does. A blender and five minutes get you a jar, and it all starts with a packet from the grocery store.
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Nearly every blue cheese dressing on a restaurant menu is built on mayonnaise, buttermilk, or sour cream. Outback goes the other way and builds theirs on oil and vinegar, so the cheese flavor comes through sharp and clean instead of muted by dairy.
The base is a packet of Italian dressing mix, which does the seasoning work that would otherwise take eight separate spice jars. Add the red wine vinegar and balsamic together, then slowly add the oil to build the emulsion, and fold in the blue cheese at the very end.
This makes roughly a cup, enough for about seven salads, and it keeps in the refrigerator for a week. It costs a fraction of a bottle of specialty dressing and takes less time than driving to buy one.
What makes the Outback’s version special?
Outback’s genius lies in combining two types of vinegar with an Italian seasoning blend to create a bright, herbaceous foundation that complements the sharpness of the blue cheese. The result is a dressing sophisticated enough for steakhouse dining but simple enough to make at home in minutes.
Blue cheese vinaigrette ingredients
For the Vinaigrette Base
- Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix – Provides an herb and spice blend that ties all flavors together
- Balsamic vinegar – Adds subtle sweetness and depth that balances the blue cheese’s sharpness
- Red wine vinegar – Contributes bright acidity that lightens the overall flavor profile
- Water – Helps hydrate the dry seasoning mix and creates proper consistency
For the Emulsion
- Vegetable oil – Creates smooth, pourable consistency without competing flavors
- Olive oil – An Alternative option that adds subtle fruity notes to complement the cheese
For the Cheese Element
- Danish blue cheese crumbles – Provides creamy texture with balanced saltiness and tang
- Alternative bl
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Good Seasons Italian Dressing comes as a dry mix in a packet. If you can’t find this particular brand, feel free to use a different one, such as Hellmann’s or Simply Organic.
If you can’t find Danish blue cheese crumbles, check out the “Recipe Variations” section below for other options.
How to Make Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
This Outback Blue Cheese vinaigrette is easiest to make with a blender or immersion blender, but you can also use a whisk.
- Combine one pack of Italian dressing mix, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and water in a bowl.
- Pulse a few times or whisk for about 10 seconds to fully hydrate the Italian dressing mix.
- Set the blender on low, and slowly pour in the vegetable oil.
- After adding all the oil, increase the speed to medium and blend for about 30 seconds. This is the most challenging step if you are using a whisk. It helps to have someone hold the bowl or pour the oil for you. If you’re cooking alone, roll a dish towel into a tube and form a ring on your work surface. Place the bowl onto the towel ring to hold it steady while you whisk and pour.
- Add the blue cheese to the vinaigrette and pulse one or two times. Whisk users may want to chop the blue cheese into smaller pieces before adding to the rest of the vinaigrette.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Variations
Danish blue cheese crumble isn’t available everywhere, so feel free to buy a block of Danish blue cheese and grate or crumble it. If you can’t find any Danish blue cheese, Stilton, or a younger Gorgonzola is a good alternative. People who want a stronger blue cheese flavor may prefer using Roquefort.
Spice up the dressing a little or a lot with Tabasco or other hot sauce.
Storage & serving guidelines
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers for up to 7 days. Separation is normal.
- Before serving: Always shake or whisk well before each use as ingredients naturally separate when sitting.
- Freezing: Not recommended, as dairy-based vinaigrettes don’t freeze well and may separate permanently when thawed.
More Outback Steakhouse copycat recipes
- Bloomin Onion
- Bloomin Onion Sauce
- Outback Caesar Salad Dressing
- Outback Honey Mustard Dressing
- Steamed Green Beans
- Steakhouse Baked Potato
- Tiger Sauce
Popular salad dressing recipes
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Cobb Salad Dressing
- French Salad Dressing
- Hot Bacon Dressing
- Olive Garden Italian Dressing
- Southwest Salad Dressing
Check out more of my easy salad dressing recipes and the best Outback Steakhouse recipes here on CopyKat!
Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Outback Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 packet Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons Danish blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, vegetable oil, and water. Use an immersion blender to blend well.
- Add the blue cheese crumbles and pulse once or twice.
Perfect.
I added a little Dijon and honey and it balanced it well!!!
Really good recipe. I love it. I think it turned out just like Outback. Thank you for the recipe !
The Outback blue cheese chopped salad is by far my favorite salad out there. I’ve been dying to find a way to make it at home.
I threw some cinnamon pecans on my salad with this dressing and it was almost a perfect match for the one at Outback. I’ll definitely be making this again.
The dressing didn’t seem as thick as the one at the restaurant but the taste is pretty spot on
My wife is a blue cheese lover and she flipped out over this recipe! Thanks.
oh great! I hope you enjoy!
What store chain in Canada carries the Good Seasons Dressing Mixes? Can premixed Italian Dressing be used then omit the salad oil when mixing?
I am sorry I am not familiar with Canadian grocery stores. I think the act of mixing the dry mix, with the oil, and vinegar, are crucial to the emulsification in this recipe. I would not use ready-made Italian dressing for this, if you can’t find that common US brand, I would use another brand of dry Italian dressing mix for that recipe.
Hidden Valley is what we have in our pantry and it works just fine with this recipe.