With juicy chicken breasts, crisp asparagus and a rich mushroom wine sauce, it's no wonder why chicken Madeira is a bestseller at The Cheesecake Factory. Now you can make copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken Madeira at home.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira
Updated on Nov. 13, 2024
Don’t bother with the other 20-plus pages of the enormous menu at The Cheesecake Factory. Just cut to the chase and order one of the chain’s bestselling menu items: chicken Madeira. You can thank us later. And if you don’t want to dine out, stay home and make this recipe for Madeira chicken that tastes just like the restaurant’s dish!
This copycat recipe uses (mostly) everyday ingredients you likely already have stocked in your kitchen and requires minimal tools and equipment. The Cheesecake Factory chicken Madeira recipe has a rich mushroom sauce—made with sauteed onions, mushrooms, garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Madeira wine and herbs—as well as melty mozzarella cheese, crisp asparagus and fluffy mashed potatoes. It’s a full-flavored dish and downright delicious.
Like many of our other favorite Cheesecake Factory copycat recipes, this chicken Madeira recipe is a total crowd-pleaser guaranteed to become an instant family favorite.
What is chicken Madeira?
Chicken Madeira is a divine dish similar to chicken Marsala in taste and preparation. Both use fortified wine to flavor the rich mushroom sauce; however, chicken Marsala’s fortified wine comes from Sicily and chicken Madeira features fortified wine from the Portuguese islands of Madeira. The two fortified wines are similar, ranging from dry to sweet, but Marsala tends to be sweeter than Madeira, even the dry version. The caramelized notes of Madeira wine add flavor and color to a chicken Madeira sauce. In a pinch, however, you can use Marsala wine, sherry or even port in its place.
While countless chicken and Madeira recipes exist, we think ours is best and most like the chicken Madeira served at The Cheesecake Factory.
Ingredients for Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira
- Flour: All-purpose flour coats the chicken and helps it crisp in the frying pan.
- Seasonings: A combination of salt, pepper, and store-bought or homemade Italian seasoning flavors the chicken and pan sauce.
- Chicken breasts: Quick chicken recipes like this require butterflied chicken breasts pounded thin to keep the breasts tender and to shorten the cooking time.
- Olive oil: You’ll cook the chicken and vegetables with olive oil.
- Mushrooms: White or crimini mushrooms are the best type of mushrooms for this chicken Madeira recipe. Their mild flavor adds earthiness without overpowering the other flavors in the sauce.
- Onions and garlic: These two aromatics add depth of flavor to the tantalizingly rich and savory wine sauce.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon adds zip and acidity to counter the sweetness of the honey and the savory taste of the Worcestershire sauce. Impress your friends and make your own Dijon mustard from scratch.
- Worcestershire sauce: Bring a touch of umami flavor to the sauce that pairs nicely with the mushrooms.
- Honey: Chicken Madeira from The Cheesecake Factory is subtlely sweet. A small drizzle of honey replicates that taste in our homemade copycat recipe.
- Herbs: Dried thyme and parsley add flavor and a flourish of green color to the sauce. If you have fresh herbs, you can easily convert fresh to dried herbs for any recipe.
- Madeira wine: Madeira is a fortified wine made from white grapes. Its golden hue and sweet taste give the sauce its signature color and flavor.
- Chicken stock: Use homemade chicken broth or your favorite store-bought chicken broth to thin the sauce.
- Butter: Butter makes the sauce rich, shiny and velvety smooth.
- Asparagus: Crisp, colorful asparagus adds some freshness to our copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken Madeira recipe.
- Mozzarella cheese: Melty, mild mozzarella makes this dish cheesy and comforting. If you don’t have mozzarella, fontina or provolone would be suitable substitutes.
- Mashed potatoes: The chicken Madeira at the Cheesecake Factory is served over a pile of the restaurant’s famous mashed potatoes, but any mashed potatoes recipe will do.
Directions
Step 1: Coat the chicken
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, Italian seasoning, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, then dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour until evenly coated on all sides. Shake off any excess.
Step 2: Cook the chicken
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chicken and cook until lightly browned, four to five minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken; cook it in small batches. You can use an instant-read thermometer to check on the doneness of the chicken and prevent overcooking.
Step 3: Cook the onions and mushrooms
In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and cook until tender, three to four minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and garlic.
Cook until the mushrooms are tender, four to five minutes.
Stir in the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, honey, thyme and parsley.
Step 4: Deglaze the pan
Deglaze the pan with the Madeira wine and chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Editor’s Tip: Those tasty brown bits are called fond and add a ton of flavor to any sauce. A wooden spoon or sturdy spatula gets the job done.
Step 5: Simmer and reduce the sauce
Simmer the sauce on low heat until it has reduced by half and thickened, 18 to 20 minutes. Stir in the butter and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper until the butter melts into the sauce. Remove from the heat.
Editor’s Tip: Patience is the key to making this chicken Madeira sauce great. Take your time and allow the sauce to reduce. This will thicken and concentrate the sauce flavors.
Step 6: Cook the asparagus
While the sauce simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until it’s crisp-tender, three to four minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step 7: Assemble and bake
Add the chicken back to the skillet with the mushroom sauce, turning to coat the chicken in the sauce.
Top the chicken with the asparagus, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira Variations
- Make pork Madeira: You could also make this recipe with succulent and juicy pork chops instead. Select boneless pork chops between 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick, then prepare the recipe as directed. Cook until the chops have an internal temperature of 150° to 155° for medium doneness.
- Go with other vegetables: If you don’t enjoy asparagus or it is not in season, make this recipe with broccoli florets, a few cups of baby spinach or chopped kale.
- Try Madeira without wine: If you prefer to cook without wine, you may substitute an equal amount of chicken or vegetable broth for the wine. The final taste of the sauce will be a little different but still delicious.
How to Store Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira
Leftover chicken Madeira can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can also freeze it for a quick weeknight dinner in the future.
Can you freeze chicken Madeira?
Yes. To freeze it, store copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken Madeira in an airtight, freezer-safe food storage container for up to three months. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and thaw it completely before reheating.
How do you reheat chicken Madeira?
To reheat the dish, warm it gently in a microwave-safe container until heated through. If the Madeira sauce needs to be rehydrated before warming, add a splash of chicken stock.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira Tips
What can you use instead of Madeira wine for chicken Madeira?
Depending on your location, Madeira wine can be challenging to find. You’ll have the best luck at a specialty wine or liquor store instead of your local grocery store. Madeira wine is essential to replicating the golden color and flavor of The Cheesecake Factory’s sauce.
However, if you can’t find a bottle in your area and don’t wish to order Madeira online, use Marsala wine, cognac, sherry or semi-dry white wine. In testing, we had great luck preparing this recipe with an affordable pinot grigio. It tasted almost exactly like The Cheesecake Factory’s mushroom Madeira sauce.
Can you make chicken Madeira with chicken thighs?
If you prefer dark meat, you may swap in chicken thighs for the chicken breasts in this recipe. Follow the recipe as directed, but note that the cooking time may need to be adjusted slightly depending on the size and thickness of your chicken thighs. The correct temperature for chicken thighs is 175°.
What can you serve with chicken Madeira?
The Cheesecake Factory serves chicken Madeira with creamy mashed potatoes and crisp asparagus spears. To complete the meal at home, set a fresh green salad and copycat Cheesecake Factory brown bread on the table and finish your evening with a slice of copycat original Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.
Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
35 min
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1-1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded 1/2-in. thick
- 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 8 ounces sliced fresh white or cremini mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1-1/2 cups Madeira wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Hot mashed potatoes, for serving
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a shallow dish, combine flour, Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture until evenly coated on all sides; shake off excess.
- Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken; cook until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- To the skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion; cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and garlic; cook until mushrooms are tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in Dijon, Worcestershire, honey, thyme and parsley. Deglaze pan with Madeira wine and chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits.
- Bring sauce to a simmer; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer sauce on low heat until sauce has reduced by half and has become thickened, 18-20 minutes. Add in butter and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- While sauce simmers, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil a separate skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add asparagus; cook until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add reserved chicken back to skillet with mushroom sauce, coating chicken in sauce. Top chicken with asparagus; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, 15-20 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.
Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 1482 calories, 74g fat (20g saturated fat), 241mg cholesterol, 2209mg sodium, 70g carbohydrate (29g sugars, 4g fiber), 85g protein.
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Here's a special-occasion comfort dish you can re-create at home! Treat yourself to chicken and asparagus under a blanket of melty mozzarella, served on a mountain of mashed potatoes with Madeira wine sauce. Yes, it is divine! —Lauren Habermehl, Pewaukee, Wisconsin
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