Cheesecake Factory Copycat Chicken Madeira Recipe: Indulge in Restaurant-Quality Flavor at Home

There’s nothing quite like recreating your favorite restaurant dishes right in your own kitchen. From fast-food classics like Mexican Pizzas to sophisticated entrees such as Pasta Milano, the satisfaction of a successful copycat recipe is immense. Not only does it save you money and allow you to enjoy these treats more often, but it also gives you complete control over the ingredients. You can adjust the salt, fat, and even customize flavors to better suit your palate, often resulting in a dish that’s even more delicious and wholesome than the original. Tonight, let’s elevate your dinner game with a truly remarkable copycat: the beloved Chicken Madeira from Cheesecake Factory.

Cheesecake Factory Copycat Chicken Madeira recipe, featuring tender chicken, mushrooms, and asparagus in a rich Madeira wine sauce, topped with melted mozzarella cheese.

Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Madeira is a true culinary delight, celebrated for its tender pan-seared chicken breasts, crisp fresh asparagus, and a generous topping of melted mozzarella cheese, all bathed in an incredibly rich and savory mushroom Madeira wine sauce. When served with creamy mashed potatoes, as it often is at the restaurant, every last drop of that exquisite sauce can be savored. This dish isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience, bursting with complex flavors that make it perfect for a special occasion or a luxurious weeknight dinner. Our homemade copycat recipe captures all the magic of the original, perhaps even surpassing it!

Essential Ingredients for Your Homemade Chicken Madeira

Crafting this restaurant-quality dish at home requires a few key ingredients. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and the way these components come together to create a symphony of flavors. Below is a comprehensive list of what you’ll need. Make sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the complete printable recipe card with exact measurements.

Chicken Breasts: Opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. To ensure even cooking, it’s crucial to either buy them thinly sliced or butterfly them yourself to a uniform thickness. Thinner cutlets will cook faster and remain more tender.
Butter: Used for sautéing both the chicken and mushrooms, butter adds a rich, foundational flavor to the dish. Divide it as instructed for optimal results.
Mushrooms: Fresh cremini or button mushrooms work wonderfully. Thinly slicing them allows them to brown beautifully and absorb the sauce’s flavors.
Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is essential for a pungent, aromatic kick that complements the earthiness of the mushrooms and the depth of the wine sauce.
Madeira Wine: This is the star of the sauce! Madeira is a fortified wine from the Madeira Islands, known for its distinct, rich, and slightly nutty flavor. It’s crucial for achieving that authentic Chicken Madeira taste. (See our tips below for suitable substitutes if you can’t find it).
Beef Broth: Provides a robust base for the sauce, adding savory depth that pairs perfectly with the Madeira wine.
Heavy Cream: A touch of heavy cream at the end transforms the sauce into a luxurious, velvety consistency, rounding out the flavors beautifully.
Asparagus: Fresh asparagus spears add a touch of vibrant green, a slight crunch, and a fresh, slightly bitter contrast to the rich sauce. Choose firm, bright green spears.
Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded mozzarella melts wonderfully, providing a gooey, cheesy topping that ties all the elements together.
Salt & Pepper: Simple seasonings are all you need to enhance the natural flavors of the chicken and vegetables.

Tender chicken in a rich mushroom Madeira sauce, generously topped with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh green asparagus.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Chicken Madeira

Creating this impressive dish is simpler than you might think! Follow these steps to bring the flavors of Cheesecake Factory right to your dinner table. The key is to build flavors in layers, ensuring each component is perfectly cooked before combining them into the final masterpiece.

Prepare and Cook the Chicken: Begin by seasoning your chicken breasts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. In a large, sturdy skillet, melt a portion of the butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is shimmering, carefully add the chicken breasts to the pan. Sauté for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until they are beautifully golden brown and fully cooked through. Resist the urge to overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if necessary to ensure proper browning. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and keep it warm, perhaps loosely tented with foil on a plate.
Sauté the Mushrooms: Add the remaining butter to the same skillet. Once melted, toss in the thinly sliced mushrooms. Cook them over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until they become tender and take on a lovely browned color. Season them with a pinch of salt and pepper. Now, add the minced garlic and cook for just 1 minute more until fragrant. This quick cook prevents the garlic from burning and developing a bitter taste. Remove the cooked mushrooms and garlic from the pan and add them to the plate with the warm chicken.
Craft the Rich Madeira Sauce: With the pan still hot, pour in the Madeira wine and beef broth. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil. Continue to cook, allowing the liquid to reduce by at least half, which should take approximately 10-12 minutes. This reduction process is crucial as it concentrates the flavors and helps the sauce thicken. Once it has reduced and begun to thicken, stir in the heavy cream. Let it simmer for another couple of minutes until the sauce is wonderfully thick and creamy, coating the back of a spoon.
Blanch the Asparagus: While your sauce is reducing, bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the trimmed asparagus spears and blanch them for about 4-5 minutes. You want them to be tender-crisp – still vibrant green with a slight bite. Drain them immediately and set aside until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
Assemble and Finish the Dish: Once your Madeira sauce has reached its perfect consistency, return the cooked chicken breasts and sautéed mushrooms (and garlic) to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Arrange the blanched asparagus spears around the chicken.
Melt the Cheese to Perfection: Finally, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese generously over the entire dish. Cover the skillet with a lid and allow it to cook for a few minutes, just until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Serve your magnificent Chicken Madeira immediately, perhaps with a side of creamy mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up every last bit of that incredible sauce.

Easy and delicious chicken dinner made with a rich Madeira wine sauce, perfect for any night of the week.

Perfect Pairings: What to Serve with Chicken Madeira

With asparagus already incorporated into this flavorful dish, you don’t need many additional sides. However, a few complementary options can truly enhance the experience and ensure no drop of that exquisite Madeira sauce goes to waste. Here are some fantastic ideas to complete your meal:

Garlicky Mashed Potatoes: The creamy texture and robust garlic flavor of these mashed potatoes make them an ideal canvas for the rich Madeira sauce. They’ll soak up every bit of flavor!
Warm Breadsticks: Whether homemade or store-bought, soft, warm breadsticks are perfect for dipping into the decadent sauce. Our Olive Garden copycat recipe is a great choice.
Oven Roasted Potatoes: For a heartier side, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside roasted potatoes offer a wonderful textural contrast and absorb the sauce beautifully.
Fluffy Biscuits: Simple, buttery biscuits can be a surprisingly delightful accompaniment, providing a comforting, homemade feel to your meal.
Simple Green Salad: A light, crisp green salad with a vinaigrette dressing can offer a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the chicken and sauce.

If you’ve ever had this dish at Cheesecake Factory, you know just how incredibly rich and utterly delicious it is. The unique, complex notes of Madeira wine give the sauce an unparalleled depth of flavor. It’s truly worth the small effort to find a bottle at your local liquor store and bring this extraordinary experience into your home kitchen!

Expert Tips & Tricks for Perfect Chicken Madeira

Achieving restaurant-quality Chicken Madeira at home is easy with a few insider tips. These pointers will help you navigate ingredients, cooking methods, and storage to ensure your dish is a resounding success every time.

Navigating Madeira Wine: Madeira wine is a fortified wine, meaning it has a higher alcohol content and a distinct, rich flavor profile. You can typically find a basic bottle for around $8-$15 at most liquor stores. It’s primarily used for cooking and isn’t usually a wine people drink on its own. If you have trouble locating Madeira, don’t fret! Excellent substitutes include Marsala wine (which will yield a slightly different, perhaps sweeter, flavor), dry vermouth, a good quality dry sherry, or even port wine. While each substitute will impart a subtly different nuance to the sauce, they will all work well and still result in a delicious dish.
Asparagus Preparation: The recipe instructs boiling the asparagus, which is how Cheesecake Factory typically serves it. This method yields tender spears. However, for an extra layer of flavor and texture, I highly recommend trying Roasted Asparagus. Roasting brings out its natural sweetness and gives it a slightly charred, nutty taste that beautifully complements the rich sauce. You can roast it on the side and add it to the final dish.
Chicken Thickness: To ensure your chicken cooks quickly and remains juicy, aim for thinly cut breasts. If your chicken breasts are thick, you can butterfly them or place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them gently with a meat mallet until they are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. This ensures even cooking and prevents the chicken from drying out.
Don’t Rush the Reduction: The step of reducing the Madeira wine and beef broth is crucial. This process evaporates the alcohol and concentrates the savory, complex flavors of the wine, creating a more intense and flavorful sauce. Allow it to boil vigorously until it visibly thickens and reduces by at least half.
Storage and Reheating: If you have any glorious leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, gently warm in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth or water if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are answers to some common questions you might have about making Chicken Madeira at home:

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts? Yes, absolutely! Chicken thighs would also be delicious and might even be more forgiving if you tend to overcook chicken. Adjust cooking times as thighs typically take a bit longer to cook through than breasts.
What if I don’t want to use alcohol? For an alcohol-free version, you can substitute the Madeira wine with additional beef broth, or a combination of beef broth and a splash of red grape juice or balsamic vinegar to mimic some of the wine’s depth. The flavor profile will be slightly different, but still enjoyable.
Can I prepare any parts of this dish ahead of time? You can certainly prep ingredients in advance. Slice your mushrooms, mince garlic, trim asparagus, and pound your chicken breasts. You could even cook the chicken and mushrooms a day ahead and store them separately, then prepare the sauce and combine everything just before serving.
What kind of mushrooms are best? While cremini (baby bella) and white button mushrooms are commonly used and work perfectly, feel free to experiment with other varieties like shiitake or oyster mushrooms for a more gourmet twist.

More Irresistible Chicken Recipes to Explore

If you loved this Chicken Madeira recipe, you’re in for a treat! Chicken is a versatile protein that can be transformed into countless delicious meals. Here are some more of our favorite chicken dinner recipes that we think you’ll adore:

General Tso Chicken: A classic Chinese-American takeout favorite, made perfectly at home with crispy chicken and a sweet, spicy sauce.
Garlic Tomato Baked Chicken: A simple yet flavorful dish with juicy chicken baked in a savory garlic and tomato sauce.
Fiesta Lime Chicken: Bright, zesty, and packed with Tex-Mex flavors, perfect for a lively weeknight dinner.
Margarita Grilled Chicken: Marinated in a tequila-lime mixture and grilled to perfection, this chicken is bursting with tangy flavor.
Crispy Chicken Cordon Bleu: A sophisticated dish featuring chicken breasts filled with ham and cheese, then breaded and fried to a golden crisp.

A plate of Chicken Madeira with asparagus on a table.

Chicken Madeira Recipe

By
Erin Sellin

This copycat Chicken Madeira is even better than the restaurant version! Tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and fresh asparagus are brought together in a luscious Madeira wine sauce, crowned with melted cheese. Elevate your chicken dinner tonight!

Prep:
5 mins

Cook:
30 mins

Total:
35 mins

Servings:
4

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Ingredients

4 thinly cut chicken breasts
4 Tablespoons butter, divided
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup Madeira wine
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.

4 thinly cut chicken breasts, Salt and Pepper
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp butter to melt. Place chicken in the pan and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is browned and just cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

4 Tablespoons butter
Add remaining butter to the pan to melt. Add mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until tender and browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from the pan and keep warm.

8 oz mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic
Pour in wine and beef broth to the pan. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 10-12 minutes until it is reduced by at least half and is starting to thicken up. Add cream and cook for a couple minutes until sauce is thick and creamy.

1 1/2 cup Madeira wine, 1 1/2 cup beef broth, 1/4 cup heavy cream
Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil and cook asparagus for 4 minutes.

1 pound asparagus
Add chicken, mushrooms and asparagus to the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author:
Erin Sellin

Prep Time:
5 minutes

Cook Time:
30 minutes

Total Time:
35 minutes

Course:
Dinner Recipes

Cuisine:
American

Servings:
4

Calories:
507

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