Chicken Madeira

This creamy Chicken Madeira recipe is packed with savory sautéed mushrooms, sweet wine, tender chicken, and melted mozzarella cheese. Skip a trip to the Cheesecake Factory for chicken Madeira and easily make it at home instead!

If you’ve been hankering for Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira, you won’t have to go out to eat to enjoy it. My recipe takes all the hearty, savory, and delectable flavors you love and turns them into a restaurant-worthy dish you can make at home!

Why You’ll Love Chicken Madeira

• A one-pan meal. You’ll blanch the asparagus separately, but the rest of the ingredients, including chicken, vegetables, and creamy sauce, are all cooked in just one skillet.
• So flavorful and cozy. Cream, melted cheese, hearty chicken, mushrooms, and fresh asparagus – I love all of the flavors playing together in this comforting meal.
• Tastes like the restaurant version. The Cheesecake Factory serves a great plate of chicken madeira, but I happen to think my version is just as good!

What Is Chicken Madeira?

Chicken Madeira takes juicy pan-fried chicken breasts and smothers them in a rich cream-based sauce that’s livened up with a little sweet wine called Madeira. Madeira is a slightly sweet wine originating from Portuguese islands off the coast of Morocco. You’ll tuck in garlicky mushrooms and blanched asparagus to round out this satisfying dish. Then top it with shredded mozzarella and run it under the broiler to melt the cheese!

Recipe Ingredients

• Fresh Asparagus
• Salt and pepper – Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper nicely season the chicken.
• Olive oil
• Butter – I prefer unsalted butter but you can use salted butter if needed and adjust the amount of added salt.
• Chicken – Use chicken breasts in this recipe.
• Mushrooms – I use cremini mushrooms, but you can also use white or baby portabella mushrooms.
• Shallot – Or an equivalent amount of red onion.
• Garlic
• Parsley – Use flat leaf, fresh parsley.
• Madeira – Madeira is a sweet white wine that gives so much flavor to this dish.
• Beef broth – Or you can use chicken broth.
• Heavy cream – Swap half-and-half for the cream if needed.
• Mozzarella – Use shredded mozzarella cheese for maximum meltiness.

How to Make Chicken Madeira

Follow along with my photos below to help you make this chicken madeira recipe. The detailed instructions will be in the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Cook the asparagus. Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling, salted water, cool it in an ice bath, and set aside.
• Season. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then cook it in a mixture of melted butter and olive oil until cooked through.
• Cook the mushrooms. Melt the butter and olive oil in the same skillet and cook the mushrooms until soft.

• Add onions. Stir in the onion and sauté until tender.
• Stir in the garlic. About a minute before finishing, add the minced garlic to the skillet.
• Make the wine sauce. Add the Madeira to the skillet, stirring to deglaze the pan, and bring to a boil.
• Add broth. Now whisk in the beef broth and bring to a boil again. Cook until the sauce reduces.

• Add cream. Whisk in the cream and simmer until thick. Lower the heat to medium, whisk in the heavy cream, and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Season. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Assemble. Return the chicken, mushrooms, and asparagus to the skillet.
• Finish. Sprinkle the tops of the chicken with shredded mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler until the cheese is melted.

Tips & Variations

• Cook the chicken thoroughly. You want to make sure you cook the chicken to a safe temperature, but you also don’t want to overcook it. The chicken will be done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165℉.
• Switch the wine. If you don’t have madeira on hand, you can use another sweeter wine like sherry or marsala.
• Pound the chicken. For extra tender and evenly-cooked chicken, pound the chicken breasts before you cook them.
• Use green beans. You can substitute green beans for asparagus.

Serving Suggestions

Chicken Madeira is wonderful served with these Creamy Baked Mashed Potatoes. My Garlic Butter Parmesan Rice would be amazing. You could also make a grilled vegetable salad or a bright, fresh Avocado Tomato Salad. This Gigi Hadid Pasta with red sauce is wonderful, or try a few Lasagna Roll Ups. Finally, soak up the luscious sauce with thick slices of homemade No Knead Dutch Oven Bread.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

• Store the chicken in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• You can reheat chicken Madeira in a warm oven until the chicken is heated through. Or, heat it in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot.

Easy Chicken Dinners

• Chicken Piccata
• Chicken Fajita Pasta
• Lemon Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Kiev
• Chicken Tetrazzini

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Chicken Madeira

This creamy Chicken Madeira recipe is packed with savory sautéed mushrooms, sweet wine, tender chicken, and melted mozzarella cheese.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheesecake factory chicken madeira, chicken madeira, chicken madeira recipe, madeira chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 511kcal

Author: Katerina | Easy Weeknight Recipes

Equipment

• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Large Skillet
• Large Pan
• Wooden Spoons

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus spears, ends trimmed
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 2 cutlets, about ¼-inch thick
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium shallot onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1½ cups Madeira Wine, or use a sweet white wine
• 1½ cups low-sodium beef broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Asparagus

• Fill a wide pot with about 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt; bring it to a boil.
• Add trimmed asparagus to the boiling water; cover with a lid and cook until crisp-tender texture, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
• Drain the cooked asparagus and promptly transfer it to a large bowl filled with ice-cold water. This method helps cool the asparagus quickly and halts the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.

Chicken Madeira

• In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat.
• Season the chicken cutlets with Kosher salt and black pepper.
• Add the seasoned chicken to the skillet, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Once done, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and keep it aside.
• Return the same skillet to medium-high heat. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and add sliced mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until soft, allowing them to develop a golden-brown color on one side.
• Stir the mushrooms to ensure even cooking, then add the finely diced onion to the skillet.
• Sauté the mushrooms and onions, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, and the onions are translucent, which should take approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
• About a minute before finishing, add the minced garlic to the skillet, stirring until the garlic is fragrant. Transfer the sautéed mixture to a plate, covering it to keep warm.
• Preheat your oven's broiler to high.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the Madeira wine, stirring to deglaze the pan. Bring it to a boil and continue boiling for 3 minutes.
• Whisk in the low-sodium beef broth, bring to a boil, and cook for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is reduced.
• Lower the heat to medium, whisk in the heavy cream, and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed.
• While the sauce simmers, return the cooked chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and blanched asparagus to the skillet.
• Sprinkle the tops with shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Place the skillet under the preheated broiler for 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
• Remove from the oven, garnish with additional fresh parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

• Chicken: I cut 2 large chicken breasts in half, longwise, but you can easily get 1/4-inch thick chicken cutlets if you don’t want to deal with extra steps. 
• Madeira Wine: If you can’t find Madeira, substitute it with a sweet alternative like sherry or marsala.
• Asparagus Alternative: You can use green beans or broccoli instead. 
• No Broil: If you’d rather not use the broil method, you can cover the pan with a lid and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
• Storage: Cool the chicken, vegetables, and sauce before sealing them in airtight containers. They can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 1009mg | Potassium: 1033mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1934IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 223mg | Iron: 4mg