Chicken Madeira (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

Tender, Juicy Chicken Madeira

As fresh-out-of-college yuppie, Cheesecake Factory was the it place to go for me and my friends. The portions were huge, the menu had something for everyone, and all my friends were gaga over the New York style cheesecake.

My ultimate favorite dish on that menu was Chicken Madeira. The rich flavors of Madeira sauce, mushrooms, both savory and sweet, are what makes that dish such a popular one.

Fast forward to seemingly countless years later…

Watch Us Make Chicken Madeira

Now we’ve got our own better-than versions of thick, dreamy New York style cheesecakes. If you can have an entire New York Pumpkin Cheesecake any time of year you want, you’d never need to go spend $8 on a teensy slice again.

And if you can easily create platefuls of this golden brown Chicken Madeira, it matters not that the closest Cheesecake Factory is an hour away.

Use the Same Skillet

This Chicken Madeira is easy enough for weeknights yet delicious enough for serving to friends on the weekend.

The low down: Brown the chicken breasts to a gorgeous golden brown. We could just stop right there, but it gets better.

Combine the other ingredients to form the stunning Madeira sauce. Both the browning and sauce are done in the same skillet, keeping things nice and simple.

It’s all in the sauce

The Madeira sauce wears the crown for this dish. It’s both savory and slightly sweet, with a complex and rich flavor that takes only some easy prep to pull off.  This dish is surprisingly healthy, considering the depth of flavor it boasts.

Last up: just a quick broil to get that a bit of melty mozzarella cheese on top.

Cheesecake Factory traditionally serves this dish with a couple of asparagus spears. I couldn’t find asparagus in great condition despite several shopping trips, which is a dead giveaway regarding my produce pickiness.

I used crispy fresh green beans instead.

Serve this Chicken Madeira with plenty of sauce, with mashed potatoes, angel hair pasta, or fluffy rice.

Chicken Madeira (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

4.98 from 41 ratings

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This Chicken Madeira recipe is easy, scrumptious, and such a people-pleaser! It’s simple enough for busy weeknights, yet delicious enough for weekend guests. (Note: The Madeira wine’s alcohol content evaporates during the cooking/reducing process, so it’s a kid-friendly dish.)

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

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For the Chicken:

• 4 skinless chicken breast fillets
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 TB olive oil, divided
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the Sauce:

• 2 TB olive oil
• 8 oz fresh white mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cups madeira wine, almost a full bottle
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 TB cornstarch dissolved in 2 TB of the beef broth
• 1 TB salted butter
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Pound: flatten chicken breasts to an even 1/4-inch thickness throughout. Lightly sprinkle both sides of each chicken breast with kosher salt and black pepper.
• Cook: in a large skillet, heat 3 TB olive oil over medium heat until hot. Place chicken breasts in skillet, without overcrowding (if needed, cook them in two separate batches.) Cook 3-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned on both sides and no longer pink in center. Transfer cooked chicken to a baking pan and cover to keep warm.
• Sauce: in the same skillet (don’t wash out the skillet) add 2 TB olive oil over medium heat until oil is hot. Add mushrooms and stir 1-2 min. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir and bring sauce to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced by one-fourth of its original volume. Finished sauce will be dark brown and thickened. Transfer sauce to a container and keep warm.
• Broil: sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly on top of chicken breasts on baking pan. Broil 3-4 minutes or just until cheese is golden and melted; watch carefully to prevent burning. 
• Serve: enjoy chicken immediately, generously drizzled with Madeira sauce. Extra sauce is delicious over mashed potatoes, angel hair pasta, or fluffy rice.

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Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.5g | Protein: 18.6g | Fat: 14.4g | Saturated Fat: 3.5g | Cholesterol: 33.4mg | Sodium: 482.3mg | Fiber: 1.2g | Sugar: 1.8g

Course: Dinner, Main

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Method: Stovetop

More favorite chicken Dinners:

1. Chicken Marsala. This is one of my all time faves for chicken. It’s always good, anytime. It was one of my earliest recipes on COL and still one of the best.

2. Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken Bake. If you crave a crunch but want to keep it healthy, try this baked Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken. It’s tender and mouthwatering.

3. Slow Cooker Roast Chicken. This recipe is simply amazing. Like, it’s both simple and amazing. I’ve never had a whole chicken more tender than this one, with huge flavor to boot.

4. Honey Soy Baked Chicken. Nobody doesn’t like this one. It’s my Dad’s specialty, and it looks like we’re handing it down to our own kiddos.