Chicken Madeira Cheesecake Factory Recipe
This Chicken Madeira recipe is a copycat version of the popular dish you will find at Cheesecake Factory and Grand Lux Cafe. This dish is made with a sweet and savory wine sauce and paired with mashed potatoes and asparagus. This one-pot meal is perfect for leftovers and meal prep.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 389kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts Sliced into 4 cutlets.
- ½ teaspoon paprika Smoked paprika will also work.
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms Any type of mushrooms will work.
- ½ cup chopped onions I used white onions.
- 3 garlic cloves Minced
- 1 cup beef broth Any broth works.
- 1 ½ cups madeira wine You can substitute marsala or sherry wine.
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream You can also substitute half and half.
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half (horizontally) and pound them using a meat mallot, rolling pin, a glass mason jar, or whatever you can get your hands on. You do this so the chicken cutlets are evenly sized especially in terms of thickness so they cook at a consistent temperature. ¼ of an inch to ½ of an inch is ideal.
- Season both sides of the chicken with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Place an oven-safe pan (see notes) on the stove on medium-high heat and olive oil. When hot, add the chicken cutlets. Saute and sear each side for 3-4 minutes each until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- If needed, add additional olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and mushrooms. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and stir.
- Pour in the beef broth and Maderia wine. Adjust the heat to medium. Deglaze the pan by using a wooden spoon to scoop up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. These bits will add flavor to the sauce.
- Pour in the heavy cream and stir.
- To thicken the sauce combine the flour and water in a separate bowl. Stir until fully combined and thick. Add the slurry to the pan and stir continuously. The sauce will thicken after several minutes.
- While waiting for the sauce to thicken, preheat the oven to Broil.
- Return the chicken to the pot with the sauce. Top the dish with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Broil for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese has browned.
- Serve with asparagus, mashed potatoes, or your favorite side dishes.
Video
Notes
- The dish is traditionally prepared using chicken breasts that you will need to slice in half to make cutlets. You can use any cut of chicken, boneless chicken thighs will also work well.
- You can wrap the chicken in plastic wrap or wax paper to pound them. I often do not and they still turn out! Pound the chicken to between a quarter-inch and half-inch is ideal, but the important part is making sure the width is as uniform as possible.
- If each breast/cutlet is unevenly sized the chicken will cook at varying rates which results in dry chicken. Some breasts will cook faster than others. When you pound the chicken, this also tenderizes the meat and makes the chicken more tender.
- I like to use a 12 inch cast iron skillet. It’s large enough to easily fit 4 chicken cutlets. A 10-inch pan will work, but you may have to cook the cutlets in batches if you can’t get them to fit. It will depend on the size of your chicken.
- If you want a nice sear on your chicken I recommend using a pan that will get really hot like a cast iron or stainless steel pan.
- To make this a one-pot meal, you should also use a pan that’s oven-safe. Once the chicken is seared you will add mozzarella cheese and broil it for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
- When making the flour/water/slurry thickener start with 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water. I found this wasn't enough to thicken the sauce to my liking. If that's the case for you, then add the additional tablespoon as noted in the recipe.
- You may see Madeira cooking wines in stores along with marsala cooking wines etc. These are outside of the alcohol section of the store and aren’t true Madeira. Cooking wine is loaded with preservatives, sweeteners and salt, which can make your final dish taste overly sweet, salty or even metallic. I was able to grab bottles of Maderia at the local grocery store close to my home. You may have to try a liquor or wine store.
- Macros noted are for the chicken dish. Feel free to use a macro calculator of your choice along with the ingredients you use for any other additions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 16.5g | Protein: 25.3g | Fat: 15.6g