If you have ever been to Cheesecake Factory, you know that their menu is HUGE! I can never decide on what to get because everything looks so good. My fall-back menu item of choice is always the Chicken Madeira. One time while eating it at the restaurant, I thought to myself, “I can duplicate this!” When I opened my cupboard I didn’t have any Madeira cooking wine on hand and I didn’t feel like going to the store to get some, so I improvised. The second time I made this recipe I did it with the Madeira wine and to be honest, I liked it better with my balsamic/beef broth creation better! Of course you can do it “right” and use wine instead of beef broth. It is completely up to you.
Ingredients in Chicken Madeira
It may sound or look complicated, but this is one of those dishes that comes together so easily but packs such a wow factor that your guests will be amazed! Add it to the list of new recipes to try for Valentine’s Day, Sunday dinner or any special occasion. Here’s all you need for this Cheesecake Factory copycat recipe:
Chicken breasts – four chicken breasts, boneless and skinless. You can use chicken cutlets, or even thicker cuts and pound them down to thinner for quicker cooking.
Chicken Marinade:
Balsamic vinegar – about three quarter cup, rich balsamic vinegar. This is also a substitute for a cup madeira wine (don’t worry about the alcohol, it evaporates during the cooking process). However, madeira sauce can also be made with balsamic vinegar. Olive oil – half a cup of extra virgin olive oil, or regular olive oil. Brown sugar – two teaspoons, or more if you like the sauce a bit sweeter. Salt and Pepper – to taste
For the Sauce:
Butter – three tablespoons unsalted butter Fresh mushrooms – two cups fresh cremini mushrooms, sliced Balsamic vinegar – one more cup of rich, balsamic vinegar for the sauce. Again, you can use Madeira wine for this sauce if you like. Beef Broth – one cup beef broth or stock, or about eight ounces Brown sugar – two tablespoons, more or less depending on how sweet you like this recipe. Black Pepper – to taste
Toppings:
Asparagus spears – fresh spears are so delicious on top of this rich chicken dish Provolone cheese – a slice or two of provolone cheese. It’s got a tangy bite to it that elevates the chicken. Mozzarella cheese – If you don’t want to buy a whole package of each type of cheese, here’s a tip: go to the deli section of your grocery store to purchase the cheeses. They will give you 4 slices of each cheese. It’s less expensive this way.
What is Madeira?
Madeira wine is a wine whose taste comes from the repeated reheating of the wine, creating a unique taste. It’s a fortified wine available in a variety of sweet styles Other favorites are sherry dry port or a dry sherry. However, when it comes to this popular copycat Madeira Chicken recipe, there are options if you don’t happen to have any Madeira wine on hand. In the case of this recipe, the madeira sauce can be made with a beef broth and balsamic vinegar combination.
Step by Step to Perfect Chicken Madeira
It doesn’t take very many steps to make this beautiful dish. Here’s all you need to do:
First, place chicken breasts between two pieces of Saran wrap of wax paper and pound until about half an inch thick. Next, place chicken in a Ziplock bag and put the bag in a large bowl. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour into the bag along with the chicken. Squeeze out all of the air in the bag and refrigerate and marinate for up to two hours. About 20 minute before the chicken is done marinating, heat oil over medium high heat in the bottom of the pan. Use a large skillet sauté your diced mushrooms for a couple minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients into the pot with the mushroom mixture, bring to a boil on the stovetop and reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about a half hour until the sauce thickens and reduces. It should be a dark brown color when it’s done. Make sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, they give the dish lots of yummy flavor.
While the sauce is simmering, transfer the marinated chicken to a lightly greased glass baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. While chicken is baking sauté the asparagus spears over medium heat in some butter or oil until bright green and crisp-tender. Add a couple of garlic cloves or a teaspoon of diced garlic for extra flavor.
Remove chicken from the oven (or grill) and layer on one slice of provolone cheese, a few asparagus spears, then one slice mozzarella cheese on each piece of chicken. Set the oven to broil and broil to melt for about 3 minutes or until it turns to melty cheese and browns a little. Right before serving, spoon some of the sauce over each piece of chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes.
A chicken with any other name… still tastes great!
When I posted this recipe before (back in 2008) I actually named this dish “Balsamic Asparagus Chicken” but I decided to re-name it “Chicken Madeira” because that was the taste I was going for and what I was trying to duplicate (even though technically it doesn’t have any Madeira in it). You are going to love this recipe. It is so fancy looking, but actually REALLY easy to make! Guests will definitely be impressed!
What to Serve with Chicken Madeira
The flavor of this Chicken Madeira recipe includes the deep, earthy flavors of wine and balsamic vinegar, along with the tenderness of the chicken and bright crunch from the asparagus. It pairs well with any starch: rice, mashed potatoes, baked potato, noodles, etc.
Variations on this recipe
The beauty of making this dish at home as opposed to eating Chicken Madeira at Cheesecake Factory is you can swap out ingredients, add variations, basically you become the chef and can do whatever you like!
Modify the type of protein you use. For example, you can switch out the chicken for a nice filet or pork cutlet or other type of meat. To ensure even cooking just make sure it’s about a half to quarter inch thickness. Try different cheeses for different flavors. Add a splash of heavy cream into the sauce for a lighter color but equally rich and creamy sauce. Replace any veggies you don’t like for some that you do. Leave off the asparagus and add fresh green beans. Or swap out mushrooms for green peppers and onions.
How to Store Leftovers
Keep any leftover Chicken Maderia tightly covered and placed in the fridge or freezer until you want to serve again. To reheat, pop a plate in the microwave until it’s warmed through. Read More: 35+ Quick and Easy To Follow Dinner Ideas Your Family Will Surely Love
How to Make Chicken Madeira
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