This creamy Chicken Madeira is a copycat recipe of the most popular dish at the Cheesecake Factory! This dish features juicy chicken and mushrooms in a rich, creamy sauce. It's topped with melty cheese and served with tender-crisp asparagus. You can easily make this restaurant-quality meal at home!
Jump to:
🗝️ Recipe's key points
- The chicken breasts are sliced in half lengthwise and pounded thin for even cooking and tender results.
- Madeira wine and beef stock create a flavorful, rich sauce that's finished with heavy cream for a luxurious texture.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese is melted over the top of the chicken and sauce for a gooey, cheesy finish.
- Blanched asparagus is served alongside the Chicken Madeira for a complete, satisfying meal.
This Creamy Chicken Madeira is a restaurant-quality dish that's easy to make at home. The combination of juicy chicken, tender mushrooms, and a rich, creamy sauce is absolutely irresistible!
🛒 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Chicken breasts - you'll need 1 lb (2 large) chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise and pounded thin.
- Asparagus - 1 lb of asparagus, blanched until crisp-tender and bright green.
- Salt and black pepper - used to season the chicken and mushroom mixture.
- Unsalted butter - divided and used for sautéing the mushrooms and chicken.
- Olive oil - used in combination with the butter for sautéing.
- White or button mushrooms - thickly sliced for a meaty texture.
- Yellow onion - a small or ½ medium onion, finely diced for flavor.
- Garlic cloves - minced for a pungent kick.
- Fresh parsley - finely chopped and used in the mushroom mixture and for garnish.
- Madeira wine - this fortified wine adds a distinct, slightly sweet flavor to the sauce.
- Low-sodium beef stock or broth - used to create a rich, flavorful sauce.
- Whipping cream - heavy or regular whipping cream adds a luxurious texture to the sauce.
- Mozzarella cheese - shredded and melted over the top of the chicken and sauce.
🗒 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Begin by removing the fibrous stems of the asparagus. Fill a medium saucepan with 6 cups of water, then bring to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add asparagus and boil until crisp, tender, and bright green, which will take 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In an oven-safe skillet, melt butter and oil over medium high heat.
- Add mushrooms and cook until soft.
- Add onions and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add minced garlic clovers and stir to combine.
- Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.
- Cook 2 minutes, then remove the mixture to a plate and set aside.
- Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and place under plastic wrap. Pound with a meat mallet until ¼ inch thick.
- Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Put the pan back on medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil.
- When oil is heated and butter is foaming, add chicken breasts.
- Cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to the plate with the mushrooms and set aside.
- Add wine to the same pan and boil until reduced by half. Scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Add beef broth and cook until about ⅔ cups liquid remains.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then add cream and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the chicken back to the pan and coat completely with the sauce.
- Top the chicken breasts with mushrooms and asparagus.
- Springle mozzarella cheese over the top, then broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and garnish with additional parsley.
🥫 Storage
Leftover Chicken Madeira can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until it's warm all the way through. You can also use the microwave on 50% power. Just stir it occasionally until it's heated through.
📚 Variations
- Different cheeses: Try using provolone, Swiss, or Gruyère cheese instead of mozzarella for a different flavor.
- Herb Variations: Try using different herbs like thyme, rosemary, or basil instead of, or along with, parsley.
- Pasta: Serve the Chicken Madeira over your favorite pasta, such as fettuccine or penne, for a heartier meal.
- Wine substitutions: If you can't find Madeira wine, you can use Marsala, Port, or Sherry as a substitute. Keep in mind that each will give the dish a slightly different flavor.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- To cook the chicken evenly and keep it tender, slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Then, pound them to a thickness of about ¼ inch. This will also help the chicken cook more quickly.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the mushrooms or chicken. If necessary, work in batches to ensure the ingredients brown nicely and don't steam.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the mushrooms or chicken. If necessary, work in batches to ensure the ingredients brown nicely and don't steam.
- Shred the mozzarella cheese yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly and evenly.
🤔 FAQs
Chicken Madeira and Chicken Marsala are similar dishes, but they use different wines. Chicken Madeira uses Madeira wine. This wine is a fortified type from Portugal. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. Chicken Marsala uses Marsala wine, which is a fortified wine from Sicily with a deeper, more complex flavor.
While Chicken Madeira shares some similarities with Italian dishes like Chicken Marsala, it is not a traditional Italian dish. Chicken Madeira is actually a popular menu item at the American restaurant chain, The Cheesecake Factory.
If you can't find Madeira wine, you can substitute it with other fortified wines like Marsala, Port, or Sherry. Each will give a slightly different flavor to the dish, but they will still work well in the recipe.
If your sauce isn't thickening, try simmering it for a few minutes longer to allow it to reduce further. You can mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry. Then, stir this into the simmering sauce. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts in this recipe. Keep in mind that thighs may take a bit longer to cook through, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
📗 Related Recipes
For more creamy chicken dishes, try Creamy Tuscan Chicken, Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake, or Cajun Chicken Pasta.
When you like to put a bit of wine in your sauce, try our Chicken Marsala. It is so good you'll want to slurp up that sauce with a spoon.
Love asparagus? Try our Lemon Garlic Asparagus, Shrimp Pasta Primavera, or Baked Salmon Orzo Casserole.
If you like copycat recipes, check out our Copycat Chili's Southwest Chicken Soup, Copycat Outback Potato Soup, and Copycat Panera Strawberry Poppyseed Salad.
🍽 What to serve with Chicken Madeira
This is really a complete meal as is, but to make it heartier we love to serve it with fettuccine or linguini pasta.
It also works perfectly with mashed potatoes as the sauce makes a luscious gravy.
🔪 All Our Way recommends the following
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large, heavy, oven-safe pan - used for sautéing the mushrooms and chicken and building the sauce.
- Meat mallet or rolling pin - needed to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness.
- Medium pot - used for blanching the asparagus.
- Sharp knife - for slicing the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and chopping the vegetables.
- Cutting board - provides a stable surface for prepping the ingredients.
- Grater - used to shred the mozzarella cheese.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
Okay, amica o amico, let's be real — who needs to go out when you can whip up this Chicken Madeira at home? You get all of Cheesecake Factory's version's rich, indulgent flavors, minus the long wait and hefty bill. Plus, there's something extra satisfying about making a restaurant-quality meal yourself.
The beauty of this dish is that it feels fancy for special occasions (Ciao, Valentine's Day dinner for two!💕). But it's easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. Just one skillet, a few ingredients, and ecco—you have a delicious meal that will have everyone licking their plates.
So, what do you say? Grab a glass of wine (maybe even a little extra Madeira for yourself!), lega sul grembiule (tie on the apron), and mettersi a cucinare (get cooking). Once you taste this, I guarantee it's going on your regular rotation. Buon appetito, miei amici.
Tutti a tavolo, è pronto!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
What's new? Check out my All Our Way Store on Amazon. We'll be adding more items we love and use or wish we had to make cooking fun and easy.
📖 Recipe
Ultimate Chicken Madeira Recipe (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts 2 large
- 1 lb asparagus blanched*
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt divided, and black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter divided
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil divided
- 16 oz white or button mushrooms thickly sliced
- 1 small or ½ medium yellow onion finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped, plus to garnish
- 1 ½ cups Madeira Wine
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium beef stock or broth
- ½ cup Whipping Cream heavy or regular
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
To blanch asparagus:
- Snap off the fibrous stems. (check the notes)
- Fill a medium pot with 6 cups water, bring to a boil, and add 1 tablespoon salt.
- Add the asparagus and boil uncovered until crisp, tender, and bright green (2-3 minutes, then remove from hot water and set aside).
To cook the mushrooms, onions, and garlic:
- Place a large heavy (oven-safe) pan over medium/high heat and melt in 2 Tablespoons butter and 1 Tablespoon oil.
- Add sliced mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until soft.
- Stir in diced onion and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add minced garlic cloves, then season with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 2 Tablespoons parsley.
- Add minced garlic cloves, then season with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 2 Tablespoons parsley.
- Cook another 2 minutes, then remove the mixture to a plate.
To cook the chicken:
- Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound each cutlet between plastic wrap until no more than ¼" thick.
- Season chicken all over with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Place the same pan over medium/high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil.
- When the butter is finished foaming, add chicken breasts and sauté 3 to 4 min per side or until golden and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and put it on the same plate with the mushrooms.
The Madeira Sauce:
- Pour 1 ½ cups of Madeira into the same pan. Bring the wine to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Make sure to stir it well to scrape the bottom of the pan. This will help deglaze it. You want the liquid to reduce by half.
- Add 1 ½ cups beef broth and cook until ⅔ cup liquid remains or about ¼ of its original volume (10 min).
- Reduce heat to medium, add ½ cup cream, and simmer until sauce thickens (2 min)—season with salt and pepper to taste.
Finish the dish:
- Return the chicken to the pan, turning it to coat in the sauce.
- Top with mushrooms and asparagus, and sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- To cook the chicken evenly and keep it tender, slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Then, pound them to a thickness of about ¼ inch. This will also help the chicken cook more quickly.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the mushrooms or chicken. If necessary, work in batches to ensure the ingredients brown nicely and don't steam.
- Don't overcrowd the pan when cooking the mushrooms or chicken. If necessary, work in batches to ensure the ingredients brown nicely and don't steam.
- Shred the mozzarella cheese yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly and evenly.
Nutrition
Sign up for the emails and never miss another recipe!!
We'll never share your email or send you spam. Promise
Comments
No Comments