Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata

The Cheesecake Factory’s menu, which spans over 20 pages and boasts over 250 items, offers a mountain of options. Yet, with so many choices, people still gravitate toward their favorite dishes, including (if not especially) chicken piccata. Between the perfectly cooked thinly sliced chicken, the creamy lemon sauce and the magically swirled angel hair pasta, it’s no wonder this dish is such a popular choice.

The good news: You can make it at home. Our copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata recipe tastes just like the original, requires ingredients you most likely have on hand and takes less than an hour from start to finish.

What is chicken piccata?

Chicken piccata is a traditional Italian dish made from thinly sliced chicken cooked with butter, lemon juice and capers. The chicken and sauce are served over pasta, or sometimes with rice or fluffy garlic mashed potatoes. Piccata is also often made with thin slices of veal and, while not traditional, sometimes pork.

While authentic chicken piccata has a velvety lemon sauce finished with butter, The Cheesecake Factory adds a touch of cream for extra richness as well as mushrooms for even more oomph. Our copycat version adds these, plus a little white wine. The wine helps deglaze the pan and add extra acidity and flavor.

Chicken piccata is similar to other lemon chicken recipes, like chicken Francese, which also features a lemony white wine sauce and chicken. However, chicken Francese sauce is typically thicker and does not include capers.

Ingredients for Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata

• Pasta: Generally, chicken piccata is paired with pasta shapes like spaghetti, linguine or angel hair. Our favorite is angel hair, but you can opt for any shape you enjoy.
• Chicken: To make the best chicken piccata, butterfly the chicken breasts and pound them to a thin, even thickness to promote quicker, more even cooking.
• Flour: A light dusting of all-purpose flour on the chicken helps keep it moist and juicy and develops a lovely golden brown color.
• Olive oil and butter: We like to combine olive oil and butter for chicken piccata. The butter adds flavor and richness, while the olive oil allows you to cook the chicken at a slightly higher temperature to get that golden brown exterior.
• Mushrooms: Sliced cremini mushrooms add a subtle earthy flavor that marries well with the chicken, white wine and lemon.
• White wine: White wine deglazes the pan so you can scrape up all of that flavorful fond on the bottom of the skillet. If you prefer to cook without wine, you can also deglaze with an equal amount of chicken or vegetable stock.
• Lemon juice: Lemon adds a bright citrus flavor that cuts through the richness of the savory chicken, cream and mushrooms.
• Heavy whipping cream: A splash of heavy cream is the perfect finish to The Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata recipe. There is a slight difference between heavy cream and whipping cream, but either works here.
• Capers: Capers have a wonderful briny flavor reminiscent of green olives. They add saltiness and acidity to the dish.
• Parsley: Chopped fresh parsley offers a final flourish of herbaceous color and freshness.
• Parmesan cheese: Our favorite way to finish chicken piccata is with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
• Lemon slices: You can serve this copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata with fresh lemon slices or wedges if you wish.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Editor’s Tip: Cook the pasta to al dente, so it’s not too soft when the chicken is ready.

Step 2: Prepare the chicken

Flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture to coat both sides, shaking off the excess flour.

Editor’s Tip: Cover each breast with storage wrap and flatten the chicken using a meat mallet.

Step 3: Cook the chicken

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until the chicken juices run clear, three to five minutes on each side. Remove from the pan; set the chicken aside and keep warm.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t move the chicken around once you place it in the pan. Let it get a nice sear on one side, and flip it over when it feels ready to release. The internal temperature of cooked chicken should be 165°F.

Step 4: Cook the mushrooms

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, and cook and stir until tender, five to seven minutes.

Step 5: Make the sauce

Add the wine and lemon juice to the mushrooms, stirring to loosen the browned bits from the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid reduces by about half, five to seven minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cream, capers, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; heat through.

Step 6: Serve with pasta

Drain the pasta (if you haven’t already). Serve the chicken with the pasta and sauce. Sprinkle with parsley and, if desired, serve with lemon slices and Parmesan cheese.

DAN ROBERTS FOR TASTE OF HOME

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata Variations

• Omit the mushrooms: If you don’t enjoy the mushrooms in the chicken piccata at The Cheesecake Factory, you can omit them from your homemade recipe. Instead, try sliced sun-dried tomatoes, sweet green peas, or chopped kale or spinach.
• Replace the cream: If you don’t believe cream belongs in piccata, you can omit it from the recipe. Instead, finish the sauce with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
• Swap proteins: As mentioned, you can make piccata with other proteins. Thin, boneless cutlets of veal (a la veal with mushroom-wine sauce) or pork would work great in this recipe. For seafood lovers, try a piece of cod or another firm whitefish that pairs well with lemon.

How to Store Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata

Store leftover chicken piccata in an airtight food storage container. We like to store the chicken and sauce in one container and the pasta in a separate container to make reheating a breeze. This copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata will be good for up to four days.

Can you freeze chicken piccata?

Due to the cream content in the sauce, we don’t recommend freezing chicken piccata. If you’d like to prep this as a make-ahead meal, you can prepare the recipe as directed and omit the cream. Then, freeze the pasta and cooked chicken for up to three months. Thaw both completely in the refrigerator overnight and add the cream when reheating the sauce on the stovetop.

How do you reheat chicken piccata?

The best way to reheat pasta, including this copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata, is on the stovetop. Gently warm the chicken and sauce in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through. Reheat the pasta with a splash of water or chicken stock in a separate skillet. You can also reheat chicken piccata in the microwave at a reduced power setting in a covered container.

Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata Tips

DAN ROBERTS FOR TASTE OF HOME

What’s the best wine for chicken piccata?

Some experts say sauvignon blanc is the best pairing for chicken piccata, thanks to the varietal’s citrusy notes and high acidity. A chardonnay or a pinot grigio should also work. That goes for wine to both cook with and drink with the finished dish! If you’d rather not cook with wine or don’t have any on hand, use chicken broth in the recipe.

Can you make The Cheesecake Factory copycat chicken piccata without capers?

If you’re not a fan of capers, you don’t have to add them. However, it is important to note that a traditional chicken piccata does include capers, so a version without capers wouldn’t be a “traditional” take.

What else can you serve with chicken piccata?

Serve Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata with a loaf of the best garlic bread or focaccia bread. Since The Cheesecake Factory’s recipe is rich and heavy, a fresh garden salad is a nice side option to lighten things up. You can also go full restaurant-at-home and serve other copycat Cheesecake Factory recipes, like Cheesecake Factory copycat cheesecake.