Juicy chicken and mushrooms in a madeira cream sauce under melty cheese and asparagus… all you need is mashed potatoes to go with it. This creamy Chicken Madeira is one of the most popular menu item at the Cheesecake Factory. It is popular for good reason! We love recreating our favorite restaurant copycat recipes like this one from Olive Garden!
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The madeira cream sauce has incredible flavor. You will want to dip your bread into the pan before the night is over and get every last drop of it. This Chicken Madeira recipe tastes fancy and will impress your family, dinner guests or your special someone for a date night in! This is one of our favorite copycat recipes.
Everyone in our family loved this Chicken Madeira, even the baby! My Mom was particularly impressed (she was trained as a chef so naturally when Mom is impressed, I’m beaming!).
This made for a lovely and fancy dinner and there was nothing overly difficult about it. Now you can also enjoy homemade Chicken Madeira for a fraction of the price!
Watch How to Make Chicken Madeira Recipe:
We went to the Cheesecake Factory on our Anniversary for my husbands’ first (and my second) time ever and ordered their world famous Chicken Madeira. It was love at first bite and we just knew we had to recreate this dish at home.
We made a copycat Chicken Madeira, except I love the homemade version even better! And, when you make it at home, you can feed a family of 4 for the cost of 1 serving at the restaurant. This is why we love copycat recipes so much!
Ingredients for Easy Chicken Madeira Recipe:
These simple ingredients work together to make a memorable one-pan dinner. If the wine section of your grocery store does not have Madeira, check at the liquor and wine store – I purchased this bottle for $6. If you aren’t able to find Madeira wine, you can substitute with Marsala wine which is also a sweet wine although it will taste more like chicken marsala ;).
How to Make Copycat Chicken Madeira:
1. To blanch asparagus: Remove fibrous stems from asparagus by snapping them off (watch video above). To blanch asparagus, fill a medium pot with 6 cups water, bring to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. Add asparagus and boil uncovered until crisp tender and bright green (2-3 minutes then remove immediately from hot water and set aside).
2. Place a large heavy (oven-safe) pan over medium/high heat and melt in 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. Add thickly sliced mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until soft. Stir in diced onion and cook 3 minutes. Add minced garlic cloves then season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and 2 Tbsp fresh parsley. Cook another 2 minutes then remove mixture to a plate and wipe skillet clean with wet paper towel.
3. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound each cutlet between plastic wrap until no more than 1/4″ thick. Season chicken breasts all over with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place same pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. When butter is finished foaming, add chicken breasts and saute 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan to the same plate as mushrooms.
4. In the same pan, add 1 1/2 cups Madeira and boil until reduced by half (5 minutes of vigorous boiling), scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add 1 1/2 cups beef broth and boil until 2/3 cup liquid remains or about 1/4 of it’s original volume (10 min). Reduce heat to medium, add 1/2 cup cream and simmer until sauce thickens (2 min). Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste and turn off heat.
5. Return chicken to the pan, turning it to coat in the sauce. Top with mushrooms, asparagus and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley.
Are you hungry yet? This dish always gets rave reviews at the dinner table and it’s so good paired with Mashed Potatoes. I hope it becomes a new favorite for your family.
Our Most Popular Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Avocado Salad – our #1 most popular chicken recipe
- Spatchcock Chicken – the juiciest way to roast a whole chicken
- Garlic Butter Stuffed Chicken – you won’t believe what’s inside!
- Stuffed Chicken Parmesan – a classic chicken recipe just got better
Chicken Madeira Recipe (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breasts (2 large)
- 1 lb asparagus, blanched*
- 3/4 tsp sea salt, divided, and black pepper to taste
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, divided
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 16 oz button mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1 small or 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus to garnish
- 1 1/2 cups Madeira Wine, sweet white wine*
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef stock or broth
- 1/2 cup Whipping Cream, heavy or regular
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- To blanch asparagus: Remove fibrous stems from asparagus by snapping them off. Fill a medium pot with 6 cups water, bring to a boil and add 1 Tbsp salt. Add asparagus and boil uncovered until crisp tender and bright green (2-3 minutes then remove from hot water and set aside).
- Place a large heavy (oven-safe) pan over medium/high heat and melt in 2 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. Add sliced mushrooms and cook 5 min until soft. Stir in diced onion and cook 3 min. Add minced garlic cloves then season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper and 2 Tbsp parsley. Cook another 2 min then remove mixture to a plate and wipe skillet clean with wet paper towel.
- Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pound each cutlet between plastic wrap until no more than 1/4" thick. Season chicken all over with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Place same pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil. When butter is finished foaming, add chicken breasts and sauté 3 to 4 min per side or until golden and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan to the same plate with mushrooms.
- In the same pan, add 1 1/2 cups Madeira and boil until reduced by half (5 minutes vigorous boiling), scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Add 1 1/2 cups beef broth and boil until 2/3 cup liquid remains or about 1/4 of it's original volume (10 min). Reduce heat to medium, add 1/2 cup cream and simmer until sauce thickens (2 min). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return chicken to the pan, turning it to coat in the sauce. Top with mushrooms, asparagus and sprinkle with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Broil 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This chicken madeira recipe is easy and so good – just the way it should be. And, it’s so smart to dine in, especially if you are feeding a crowd!
My husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary with this dish. 14 years feels just few by and we now have an 8 year old and 2 year old. WOAH!! I am so thankful that we are best friends after all these years and that we not only love, but really like each other – and we work side by side day after day. The longer I am married to my husband, the more I just want to be around him and with him. Our date nights are few and far between but they are a treat!
Q: What is your favorite celebration dish and restaurant? I’d love to hear about it in a comment below!
P.S. If you love one-pan chicken recipes, make sure to check out this reader favorite (EASY) pesto chicken!
Wow! This recipe is amazing!!! I made it with Marsala because I already had it, it turned out great! The only thing — mushroom gave to much juice and I my sauce end up liquid as I put it to the pan before the last step.., need to improve next time. Thank you!
That’s so great, Olena! Thank you for that awesome review.
I was super impressed! Added 1/2 cup of wine and 1/2 of broth to have extra sauce (we are saucy people) and a T of flour to thicken the sauce! Family hit! My husband even thought it was better than Cheesecake… unbelievable!!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kristi!!
I was thinking it needed a little flour for thickening as well. Happy you tried it and it worked out. I will also add next time.
This was very tasty but I could not get the sauce to thicken as much as I think it was supposed to be. Would try it again. Thanks for all your videos.
Hi Pamela, I would suggest simmering down the liquid for longer. It could take longer depending on the surface area of your pan and the heat you are cooking on. I hope that helps for next time.
This looks so good! Could I use chardonnay instead?
Hi Linda, I haven’t tested that but I think the chardonnay would probably still taste great
Congratulations on ur Anniversary,, love to watch all ur recipes ,,you have some I want to make for a up coming wedding on the 19th she wants a marble cake n buttercream frosting,, but was think of the Italian butter cream ,,not sure ,just a small cake cake .thank you
I’m so glad you’re enjoying watching our recipes!
Made this dish,and it came out great! But I needed more sauce. Can I double the recipe?
That should work Kathy! I hope you love it with double the sauce!
Can I make this ahead and reheat?
Hi Sue, yes to make the entire dish ahead, let it cool to room temp then refrigerate. Before serving, complete that last step of putting it in the oven until hot and the cheese is melted over the top. You might need a few extra minutes in the oven since it is going in chilled from refrigeration. I suggest checking the chicken temperature with an instant-read thermometer to make sure it reaches the correct internal temperature of 165˚F.
My chicken was tough
I used a good quality chicken breasts already sliced thin by Harris teeters.
Mine too. Going to add a some cook time in the oven next time, low and slow, with the Madeira/broth mix to tenderize the chicken, before adding the whipping cream.
Can I use a red wine Maderia instead of white?
Hi Mariah, I haven’t tried that but I think it should work.
HI I have been following your blog since a very long time. and i just simply love it.So i wanted to give this chicken Madeira a try, But we dont consume alochol . SO is it possible if you can give me a non alcoholic substitute please . Thanks
Hi Saher, most of the alcohol is cooked out in the pan so you just get the added flavor and the sauce ends up with an insignificant amount of alcohol which isn’t really a concern. My children loved this
I been following u please share any new recipes. u have great recipes. im a major foodie at heart!!!
Hi Jennifer! We post new recipes every week. Thank you for following our recipes!
What can I use to substitute chicken for the vegetarians in my house? This recipe is THE BOMB
Hi Dawn, I haven’t tested a vegetarian substitution to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
The reason Madiera wine is not sold in grocery stores is that the alcohol content is higher than traditional wines; selling would violate their permit.
Also, I always turn off the flame before I add the Madiera. It flames easily which is okay if intentional but not so much if it is a surprise.
Thank you for those tips and for sharing that with me!
Its sold at all Kroger Brand stores. I get it for six bucks at my local Ralphs in california. So depends on your state. California sells hard liquor along with some other states.
I used Marsala cooking wine, No Madeira wine to be found at heb in cleburne,tx! Just added a shake of white pepper and a half Cup more of cream. Yummy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Estella!
The only problem is th cheese cake factory recipe is darker red and I was told lactose free 🙂
it cant be Lactose free with all that mozzarella cheese on top
We were discussing the sauce.
Obviously the mozzarella cheese is not lactose free.
And it can be removed.
This sauce is different in color and taste than the cheesecake factory.
This is my favorite dish from cheesecake factory. I made this tonight and it was amazing. I could have drank the sauce and I did right off my plate. I love, love, love this recipe.
That’s so great, Tammy! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Is there any other wine comparable to the Paul Masson Madeira I cannot find Paul Masson anywhere. I went to H-E-B and they didn’t have it but the lady that worked in the wine department said that Taylor Sherry was comfortable just need to know thank you.
Hi Patty, this would work with Marsala wine as well. I haven’t tested Sherry here so I can’t speak to that.
Made twice. Both times, the cream did not incorporate in the sauce. I did it off heat but never worked.
Hi Jami, sometimes making substitutions might cause that – for example, I would not suggest using a light cream, half and half or milk which might not incorporate or may even get lumpy.
I was unable to find Madeira even at my wine store. I purchased a sweet white Marsalla instead. Was I supposed to purchase the dry white Marsalla? Upon looking up traditional chicken marsalla recipes, most use Dry but plan on using your recipe. Just confirming, thanks!
Hi Kristyn, Madeira is a sweet wine so I think either one would work.
So delicious!!!! My family raved!!!!
That’s so awesome! Sounds like you found a new favorite!
The Madeira Chicken is Out of This World!!! I substituted fresh greens beans,as we dont care for asparagus. The wine cost me $17.00…but I have other specialty stores to try that may be less expensive.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hey, I made this recipe alot of times it’s our family’s favorite. I’m out of chicken thighs and breast, I have on hand chicken leg quarters would that work too? Making it tomorrow for lunch.
Hi Olga, yes I think that should still work but you will need to cook the chicken longer initially since it is bone-in meat. Start on lower heat and cook until the internal temperature reads 165˚F on an instant read thermometer, or until juices run clear. Under the broiler, you are just melting the cheese essentially so it should be cooked before it goes into the oven. If you test it, let me know how it goes.
I made it without cream to try to make it look closer to the original cheesecake factory and added an extra tablespoon of butter and cornstarch to thicken it. The chicken was well cooked but my sauce came out salty
…it may have been the beef stock but this did not have the sweet taste of the madeira chicken I had at cheesecake factory the other day
Hi Jenn, the saltiness could have to do with the stock – if it was not low sodium, you would definitely want to use less salt in the recipe. Also, the sweetness comes primarily from the type of wine used and Madeira is a very sweet wine.
Honestly you blew it. Follow the recipe it’s amazing and better than Cheesecake Factory.
I just submitted a comment that if wasn’t as dark as cheesecake factory recipe and that I was told when I ate there several times and just 2 days ago it was lactose free.
CHICKEN MADEIRA
Our most popular chicken dish! Sauteed Chicken Breast
Topped with Fresh Asparagus and Melted Mozzarella Cheese. Covered with
Fresh Mushroom Madeira Sauce and Served with Mashed Potatoes
CONTAINS: MILK EGG GLUTEN SOY
* This is copied from Cheesecakes Allergin listing for all menu items. The Madeira Chicken definitely is not lactose free. Either the waiter was misinformed or possibly did not know what Lactose means.
I went to one of the bigger liquor stores and they dont have that specific wine. I don’t know much about wines at all. Would any “sweet white wine” work?
I was going to grab this small container of Bota Moscato….but have no clue if that would even work??
Hi Valorie, if you are not able to find Madeira, a marsala wine would also work.
Hi Valorie, if you are not able to find Madeira, a marsala wine would also work.