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!
Thanks for the recipe! This is my boyfriend’s favorite dish at CF and I wanted to make it for him My sauce separated before I added the cream and then I tried to fix it by adding more broth, then more wine, and it turned out ok but tasting nothing like the original Do you know what I did wrong to make it separate like that? I’m going to give it another go! Thank you!
Hi Melissa, using half and half might cause that. Did you use heavy whipping cream as stated in the recipe? Also, make sure to add the sauce ingredients in the correct order. Changing the order can break the consistency of the sauce, or not letting the alcohol boil out long enough can also do it. I hope that helps!
hey natasha,
this looks so good! i want to do it but we can’t drink or have wine in our religion.. can u advice anything similar to it… thanks
If you are looking to make it wine-free, you could just use more broth but the flavor profile wouldn’t be quite the same.
No need to go to the Cheesecake Factory now…this is at least as good, and I think better, for a fraction of the price, and you don’t have to wait an hour to be seated. Thanks so much.
Exactly! Thanks for giving this recipe an excellent feedback.
I made this tonight, and it was to die for! Everyone loved it – even the 5 year old boy who is suspicious of new foods. This recipe is a keeper for sure! It was flexible too, as I haven’t been shopping in a bit so had to make do with a few things that were not quite right. Still amazing.
Hello Melanie, thank you for sharing your great feedback with us. Yes, I agree, this dish is pretty flexible and I”m glad that your son loved it!
I have tried several of her dishes already and they have all turned out Amazing. I always look forward to new dishes that she puts on Facebook
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me Monique!
My wife’s birthday was yesterday and we could not go out to get her favorite meal. I followed the recipe exactly and it came our perfectly. The only negative may be we may not be going to Cheesecake factory going forward because she prefers this version better ; ) Thanks Natasha for making her birthday one of the best under trying times.
Wow! Thank you for that amazing compliment! That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
1000/10. A new favorite in our house. Very, very similar to the original recipe. Will definitely be using this blog again because the cook times and instructions very clear and absolutely accurate. This meal was life-changing. Can’t wait to make it again. Probably this week.
What an amazing review, Lauren. Thank you so much! I hope you love every recipe that you try.
what can you use if you don’t use wine
If you are looking to make it wine-free, you could just use more broth but the flavor profile wouldn’t be quite the same. The madeira wine gives it a unique, sweet flavor profile and I haven’t experimented with anything besides wine to provide a specific recommendation.
Natasha with this recipe you knocked it out of the park! I’ve tried a few of you recipes and am so glad I found your blog . My beautiful wife has an Autoimmune disease and her energy level has big time ups and downs. By evening she is so tired so I’ve taken over Dinners to let her rest . We’ve loved every one of your recipes and she’s so happy I found your blog & cooking . I’m enjoying every minute of doing it . I can’t wait to make more of your dishes . You have 2 very big fans in Kansas . Bless you and your family & keep the delicious coming !
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that thoughtful feedback with me! I’m all smiles.
That looks like a wonderful dinner
but my husband cannot have mushrooms. What can I use in place of the mushrooms. Thank you.
Hi Frances, I haven’t tested it without mushrooms so I’m not sure how much it would affect the flavor. You could try omitting them and maybe using some chopped zucchini instead. I hope you love it even without the mushrooms!
I tried the Chicken Madeira- it was tasty , but I did something wrong bc the sauce was runny…what did I do wrong? I even used good Madeira wine.
Sorry to hear that Amy. Can you share with me if there was something that was changed with the ingredients or with the steps?
If i cant find the Madeira wine, what are some other wine options?
Hi Ashley, if you are not able to find Madeira, then Marsala wine is a good option.
I was wondering if you can replace the whipping cream with a can of coconut milk?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tested that with coconut milk to advise, I worry it won’t give the same creamy consistency. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha
I love your recipes I follow everyday I am 77 yrs young and still learning from you I have bought a Dutch oven which is a great help do you do a recipe book if so could you tell me how to get it I live in Australia I will send you my email and thankyou for making cooking fun you are a treasure .
Lots of love Rita
Hi Rita! I’m so glad you found my blog. I do not have a recipe book at this time but we are working on one. Stay tuned!
I really appreciate that you actually name the wine being used. Most recipes list dry white, I have no clue between one wine and another. I love the added flavor of the wine. Thank you
I’m so glad that is helpful Trina! Thank you for that awesome feedback.
BEWARE! You make this recipe and you will NEVER make another recipe ever again. My family keeps asking for this over and over and over again. It is just THAT good! Guess what we are having for dinner tonight. Thank you Natasha for this incredible recipe. One day I hope to try Chicken Marsala
Isn’t it the best!! We absolutely love this recipe. Thank you for that wonderful review, Lisa.
Try Natasha’s lasagna. My family asks for that all the time.
Hi Natasha, I want to make the chicken Madeira but no one likes mushrooms, can I leave them out or use something else instead? Thanks, love all your dishes!
Hi Donna, I haven’t tested it without mushrooms so I’m not sure how much it would affect the flavor. You could try omitting them and maybe using some chopped zucchini instead. I hope you love it even without the mushrooms!
Great recipe, thanks!!!
Question: do you know how long it last if is in the fridge? This is day 3
Hi Angelica, I haven’t had it last more than two days so I can’t advise beyond that but it does reheat well.
Hi Natasha would it work with no wine
Hi Michelle, 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’ve been craving this, so made it tonight for the first time. We used red madeira as we couldn’t find the white and it was soooo good!! My adult son is a picky eater and he loved the chicken (doesn’t eat asparagus or mushrooms). I even made some mashed potatoes and he put the sauce over them like a gravy. We will definitely be making this again and again!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I have made this so many time now , its great for a big crowd . It always turns out the same . Just gorgeous .
Sounds like you found a favorite recipe, Catherine! We get this all the time when we go to the Cheesecake Factory and simply had to recreate it!
Natasha,
Which store did you buy the America Maderia in Idaho? I need to find that bottle.
Hi Olga, it was at the liquor store in Meridian (Tenmile and Ustick).
Hi Natasha! I love your recipes and your adorable personality! I was surprised to see you’re in Meridian or Boise as my mom’s whole family, and thus, mine too, live there!!! We just spend time visiting them in August, and also in Cascade Lake, and Coeur d’Alene. Such a beautiful state. Every blessing, Theresa in The Woodlands, Texas
Hi Theresa, yes! We love Idaho. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. Blessings over you and your family also!
I’m from Meridian also! I love your recipes and I can’t wait to try this one. Thank you for all you do!
That’s so awesome, Leslie!!
I experimented with this last night because it’s my favorite dish at The Cheesecake Factory and thought if I could make it I’d have an awesome dish up my sleeve for dinner parties. It came out perfect – another keeper! Thanks Natasha!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!