Chicken Madeira is a twist on the classic Chicken Marsala, made famous by none other than The Cheesecake Factory. While both are made with chicken and a lot of mushrooms, the main difference is the wine used for cooking.
Chicken Marsala uses Marsala wine, and, predictably, Chicken Madeira features Madeira wine. Madeira wine has a wider range (compared to Marsala) of both dry and sweet options. If you’ve been craving that rich, creamy Chicken Madeira dish but don’t feel like eating out, no problem. Check out the best Chicken Madeira recipes below.
1. Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira Recipe
If you’re looking to recreate the famous dish from Cheesecake Factory, look no further than this recipe. Juicy chicken breasts and savory mushrooms cooked in butter and oil are added back to a luscious pan sauce.
The sauce is comprised of Madeira wine, chicken stock, and heavy cream. You finish it off with asparagus and melty mozzarella cheese, making this truly a decadent dish.
While following this recipe will get you incredibly close to the real deal, there’s no harm in changing it up a bit. If you’re not an asparagus fan, consider rapini or brussel sprouts to add a nice green pop of color to your dish. You could also substitute button mushrooms for something more intense such as shiitake or portobello.
Get the full recipe and directions here.
2. Creamy Chicken Madeira
This simple preparation requires only a few ingredients and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Using butter, shallots, and Madeira wine to create a sauce that is rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced.
Heavy cream makes it even more decadent, and Italian seasoning and salt provide the last pop of flavor that you need to round this out. If you have gluten allergies, you can coat the chicken breasts with almond flour instead of regular flour to keep the meat moist and tender.
Get the full recipe and directions from Kevin is Cooking.
3. Cheesy Chicken Madeira
There is another layer of flavor and texture in this Chicken Madeira recipe. The secret? Mozzarella cheese, specifically fresh mozzarella. The combination of butter and oil helps elevate this dish, but make sure to add your chicken right when the butter starts to foam, otherwise, the butter may burn. The cornstarch slurry at the end is also an important component that you need to thicken the sauce.
Get the full recipe and directions from Copykat.
4. Instant Pot Chicken Madeira
Everyone loves a recipe that can be completed in under an hour, and thanks to the Instant Pot, this Chicken Madeira dish is one of them. Thanks to sauté mode, this is a true one-pot meal that requires minimal cleanup. You only need to slice the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Once you add everything to the pot after browning the chicken, you are ready to pressure cook.
Get the full recipe and directions from Mommy’s Home Cooking.
5. Easy One Pan Chicken Madeira
This is another dish that only needs one pan – this time a large skillet or Dutch oven. The addition of asparagus brings an earthy and slightly bitter flavor, which helps balance the richness of the chicken, butter, and cheese in this dish.
A parsley garnish at the end adds a clean, bright finish, but you can use chives or even basil if you prefer something a little stronger. The recipe calls for cheddar or mozzarella, but feel free to get a little more creative and add gruyere or gouda if you so choose.
Get the full recipe and directions from Munchkin Time.
Chicken Madeira is a dish that tastes complicated but is almost too easy once you try it. All of these recipes call for chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs. Remember to dial back the butter and oil though because thighs have a higher fat content than breasts.
Whatever you do, don’t cheap out on the Madeira wine because Chicken Madeira will only taste as good as the wine you use to make the sauce. Let us know your favorite way to prepare Chicken Madeira!
If you like this post, we think you’ll really like our Best Chicken Marsala Recipes post.
