If you love The Cheesecake Factory’s chicken piccata, you’ll adore this Chicken Piccata Cheesecake Factory Copycat! It’s loaded with juicy chicken, mushrooms, and tender pasta in creamy white wine and caper sauce.
The Best Chicken Piccata Cheesecake Factory Copycat!
Chicken piccata should live up to its name – piquant and full of flavor. This one is all of that and more. If you like the creamy, tangy, salty taste of piccata sauce with cream and mushrooms, this dish will blow your mind – seriously, it’s that good.
This recipe is actually based on The Cheesecake Factory’s beloved version of chicken piccata, so if you’re a fan, you’ll love this. Get all that creamy, dreamy flavor you love without leaving your kitchen or breaking the bank.
Why You’ll Adore This Dreamy Chicken Piccata
- Made from Scratch: This recipe is made entirely from scratch with ingredients you can feel good about. Luxurious, and good for you? Sign me up!
- Bold and Saucy: Thanks to the medley of flavorful ingredients, from capers to garlic to lemon, this saucy pasta dish is anything but bland.
- Rich but Light: With the cream, mushrooms, chicken, and pasta, chicken piccata is filling and hearty. However, thanks to the bright flavors of lemon, parsley, and capers, it’s also light and zesty.
- Foolproof Recipe: Best of all, you won’t have any trouble making this one. It’s actually super simple once you get the hang of it!
What’s the Difference Between Chicken Piccata and Lemon Chicken?
I hear you thinking – so wait, Katerina, is chicken piccata just a fancy name for plain old lemon chicken? While the two dishes may seem similar at first glance, there are a few key differences. Both dishes feature chicken and lemon, but chicken piccata is usually enriched with cream, butter, capers, and other ingredients, while lemon chicken usually skips some or all of those items. My Lemon Chicken is breaded and crisped with a tangy ( not creamy) lemon and garlic sauce.
The Ingredients You’ll Need
To make your own chicken piccata Cheesecake Factory copycat, you will need to round up these ingredients. Most of them are basic pantry staples, and all of them are easy to find at most grocery stores.
- Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, salt, and pepper – easy!
- Olive Oil and Butter: For sauteing.
- Mushrooms: I like to use cremini mushrooms, but you can use any kind you like.
- White Wine: This doesn’t have to be expensive wine, but it should be drinkable – for the best flavor, skip the “cooking wine,” which has preservatives and salts, and use a wine you like to drink.
- Lemon: Juice half of a lemon and slice up the other half.
- Capers: These are usually found in the grocery store near the pickles and olives.
- Cream: Heavy cream is best for this recipe.
- Pasta: Cook the pasta of your choice here – spaghetti, angel hair, or whatever you like.
- Parsley and Parmesan: For garnish.
How to Make This Chicken Piccata Copycat Recipe
The process for making chicken piccata is fairly straightforward, so even if you’re new to making this dish, it’s very doable! Here are the steps:
- Cook the Chicken. Slice the raw chicken breasts into thin strips, and season them with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Then cook them in a tablespoon each of oil and butter over medium-high heat until cooked through. Set aside on a clean plate.
- Cook the Mushrooms. Next, add the rest of the butter and oil to the same skillet. Cook the mushrooms until tender, and lightly browned. Set those aside with the chicken.
- Deglaze the Pan and Add the Lemon. Pour the wine into the skillet, and as it simmers, gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all of the browned bits and stir them into the wine. This is called deglazing the pan. Add the lemon juice and lemon slices and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- Finish the Sauce. Stir in the capers and heavy cream, bring to a simmer, and cook the sauce for 5 minutes to thicken. Taste the sauce, and add salt and pepper as needed. (You can also add more lemon if you need to!)
- Finish the Dish and Enjoy! Add the cooked pasta, chicken, and mushrooms to the sauce, and serve with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips for Success
This chicken piccata makes the best date-night dinner, birthday dinner, or just a great dinner to fill you up and cheer you up after a long day! And these helpful tips make it even easier to cook.
- Pounding the Chicken: For extra tenderness, you can pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before slicing and cooking.
- Don’t Overcook: Be careful not to overcook the chicken! Remove it from the heat when it’s cooked through but still juicy.
- Pasta Is Optional: While this is often served with pasta, you can also serve it with rice, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, or even some crusty bread.
Side Dish Ideas
To round out the menu and make this dish even more irresistible, try pairing it with a simple side dish or two. These are some of our favorites:
- Asparagus: This Garlic Butter Roasted Asparagus is a colorful, healthy side dish that goes with everything. Serve it anytime asparagus is in season for a wonderful, fresh addition to the table.
- Caprese Salad: Everyone loves a simple caprese salad, but if you really want to up the wow-factor, you’ve got to try Caprese Stuffed Avocado! This is one beautiful dish, and it’s bursting with flavor.
- Roasted Veggies: Roast up a sheet pan of seasonal veggies, and you’ll be glad you did. I can never get enough of these Roasted Brussels Sprouts – the roasting process leaves them crunchy, caramelized, and perfect. A whole different ballgame than the bitter, soggy sprouts from way back when!
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Piccata
- To store leftover chicken piccata, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- To reheat it, place the desired amount in a covered skillet over low heat and gently warm it until it’s heated through. If it seems dry, add a splash of chicken broth or cream to thin it out. Stir occasionally, and enjoy.
- To freeze, just cool it down, pack it in a freezer container or freezer bag, and pop it in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, and you’re ready to reheat and enjoy.
Chicken Piccata (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)
This Chicken Piccata, a Cheesecake Factory Copycat, is loaded with juicy chicken, mushrooms, and tender pasta in creamy white wine and caper sauce.
Servings: 6
Calories: 616kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 lemon, squeeze the juice from one half of the lemon and slice the other half
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 14 ounces cooked spaghetti or angel hair pasta
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts into thin strips. Season them with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken strips and cook until they are golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until they are tender and lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add lemon juice and lemon slices, and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Stir in the capers and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, you can add more lemon juice for extra tanginess.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss to coat the pasta evenly.
- Return the chicken strips to the skillet and gently stir to combine with the pasta and sauce.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Serve the creamy Chicken Piccata pasta hot, and enjoy!
Notes
- Storing and Freezing: Leftover chicken piccata can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. To reheat it, place the desired amount in a covered skillet over low heat and gently warm it until it’s heated through. If it seems dry, add a splash of chicken broth or cream to thin it out. Stir occasionally, and enjoy.
- Pounding the Chicken: For extra tenderness, you can pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before slicing and cooking.
- Don’t Overcook: Be careful not to overcook the chicken! Remove it from the heat when it’s cooked through but still juicy.
- Pasta Is Optional: While this is often served with pasta, you can also serve it with rice, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, or even some crusty bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 625mg | Potassium: 760mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 752IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg
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