Outback Steakhouse is giving away free Bloomin' Onions today - here's how to get one

Facebook / Outback Steakhouse

Outback ran a NASCAR-themed promotion for its Bloomin' Onion in May 2017.

• Outback Steakhouse is giving away Bloomin' Onion appetizers to anyone who visits the restaurant on Jan. 2.
• The promotion is tied to the Outback Bowl, the college football bowl game the restaurant has sponsored since 1995.
• Say "Outback Bowl" to your server to take advantage of the offer.

Outback Steakhouse is giving away Bloomin' Onion appetizers to anyone who visits the restaurant on January 2. To take advantage of the offer, say "Outback Bowl" to your server.

The deal is part of a promotion the restaurant ran surrounding the Outback Bowl, the college football bowl game it's sponsored since 1995. Before this year's game, which was played on January 1 and featured the University of Michigan and the University of South Carolina, Outback assigned each team an appetizer, with the winning team's item available to customers for free the day after the game. South Carolina was assigned the Bloomin Onion, while Michigan was given coconut shrimp. South Carolina won the game 26-19.

Outback has previously run sports-themed promotions for the highly-caloric dish, giving them away for one day in May 2017 after NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick finished in the top 10 during the Toyota Owners 400.

Outback's parent company, Bloomin Brands, got off to a rough start in 2017 by announcing its plan to close 43 restaurants, including multiple Outbacks.