My first bite of Cheesecake Factory’s Chicken Piccata was a revelation. Unlike traditional versions, their unique twist includes earthy mushrooms and a luxuriously creamy sauce that elevates this classic Italian dish to new heights. After countless attempts to recreate this restaurant favorite, I’ve finally perfected a copycat recipe that captures all the magic of the original, right down to that signature sauce.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
While traditional piccata relies solely on lemon and butter, this version incorporates heavy cream and mushrooms for added depth. The two-stage cooking process ensures perfectly tender chicken and a bright and rich sauce. Best of all, it comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for weeknight dinners and special occasions.
What makes this Chicken Piccata recipe so good?
One key ingredient that makes this dish stand out is the capers. I love capers, and I use them in my copycat tartar sauce recipe. Capers are a type of juniper berry that adds a pleasing flavor that reminds me of a tart, salty pickle. (You can use capers to add a little zest to various dishes.) Some fresh lemons and fresh parsley also make this chicken piccata dish special.
Chicken Piccata Recipe Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Provide the protein base and mild flavor that complements the sauce
- Salt and black pepper – Enhances overall flavor and seasons the meat
- Butter – Creates golden crust and adds richness
- Vegetable oil – Allows higher cooking temperature without burning
For the Sauce:
- Portobello mushrooms, sliced – Adds meaty texture and umami flavor
- Dry white wine – Deglazes pan and provides acidity and depth
- Butter – Creates silky texture and richness
- Fresh lemon juice – Adds brightness and traditional piccata flavor
- Capers – Provides salty, briny pop of flavor
- Heavy cream – Creates signature creamy texture
- Fresh parsley, chopped – Adds color and fresh flavor
- Angel hair pasta – Perfect base for capturing the sauce
How to Make Chicken Piccata like Cheesecake Factory
- Slice chicken breasts in half and place the chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound them until they are ¼-inch thick.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add butter and vegetable oil.
- Cook the chicken until brown on both sides. Remove them from the skillet.
- Reduce the heat slightly and add mushrooms, butter, and a dash of salt.
- Sauté the mushrooms until they are softened and just browned. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet.
- Add dry white wine to the pan and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, and capers to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Add heavy cream and increase the heat.
- When the mixture begins to bubble, return the mushrooms and chicken to the pan.
- Add parsley and serve with angel hair or other pasta of your choice.
Alternatives in making the Piccata Sauce recipe
Most chicken piccata recipes do not have mushrooms, which is one reason you will love this copycat take on The Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata. I prefer baby portobello mushrooms in this dish because they offer more flavor than your traditional white button mushrooms.
This recipe also calls for dry white wine. If you don’t have any dry white wine on hand, you can use dry vermouth, which works well as a substitute. If you are not an alcohol drinker, you could substitute chicken broth—your piccata won’t taste quite as good, but chicken broth will do nicely.
What is the best wine to use in Chicken Piccata?
Any dry white wine is excellent for making chicken piccata. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay are great options. Use the one you would prefer to enjoy drinking with the meal.
What can be used instead of capers in Chicken Piccata?
Green olives are the best substitute for capers in chicken piccata. Use large, unstuffed green olives packed in brine.
Or can the capers be left out of the recipe altogether?
Yes, you can omit the capers. Note it will change the flavor of the dish slightly.
What is the best pasta to serve with Chicken Piccata?
Angel hair pasta is recommended to serve with this copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata since that is how it is served at the restaurant. Other types of long pasta great for serving with this dish are:
- Bucatini
- Capellini
- Fettuccine
- Linguine
- Spaghetti
- Vermicelli
Or any pasta you have on hand is great!
Looking for more Copycat Cheesecake Factory Recipes? Try these
- 25 Cheesecake Factory Recipes
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake
- Chicken Madeira
- Chicken Romano Pasta Recipe
Love chicken recipes? Check out these great chicken dinner recipes
- Chicken Dijon
- Chicken Francese
- Chili’s Margarita Grilled Chicken
- Chick-fil-A Nugget Recipe
- Italian Chicken Breast
- Oven Baked Chicken Quarters
- PF Chang Lettuce Wrap Recipe
- Chilis Chicken Crispers
- Chicken Cream Cheese Enchiladas
- Chicken Black Beans Crock Pot
- Crispy Chicken Fritte Piada
Look at my easy chicken recipes and the best homemade Italian food.
Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 8 ounces portobello mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
- Cooked angel hair pasta or another type of pasta.
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts in half, they should be about ⅜ to ½-inch thick after cutting.
- Place the chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until they are ¼-inch thick.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
- Place chicken breasts in the skillet and cook them until brown on both sides. Remove them from the skillet.
- Reduce the heat slightly and add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon butter, and a sprinkle of salt.
- Sauté the mushrooms until they just begin to brown. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet.
- Add dry white wine to the pan and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, and capers to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Add heavy cream. Increase heat until the mixture begins to bubble.
- Return mushrooms and chicken to the pan.
- Stir in fresh parsley and serve immediately with cooked angel hair pasta or other pasta of your choice.
Video
Notes
Pro Tips for Perfect Piccata
Chicken Success
- Choose uniformly sized chicken breasts
- Pound gently to avoid tears
- Don’t overcrowd the pan
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving
Sauce Mastery
- Use quality white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio)
- Don’t skip the mushroom browning step
- Add cream slowly to prevent curdling
- Adjust lemon to taste
Nutrition
Common Questions & Troubleshooting
Why is my sauce breaking?
- Heat too high when adding cream
- Lemon added too quickly
- Sauce overcooked
Wine Substitutions:
- Dry vermouth
- Chicken broth + one tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Additional lemon juice + chicken broth
Dietary Modifications
- Gluten-free: Serve over gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles
- Dairy-free: Substitute coconut cream for heavy cream
- Low-carb: Serve over cauliflower rice
- Alcohol-free: Use chicken broth instead of wine
Scaling the Recipe
- Half batch: Halve all ingredients but keep the same cooking time
- Double batch: Cook chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding
- Per person: Plan on 6 ounces of raw chicken per serving
Does the nutrition include the pasta. Also for the Chicken Madeira , does the calories include the potatoes
The nutrition is for every ingredient listed in the recipe.
I’ve tried other CF copycat chicken piccata recipes and this is the best! I used whole wheat spaghetti and it was fabulous! It certainly deserves 5 stars!
An always perplexing aside:
How can ppl award/withhold stars when they 1) change the recipe or 2) haven’t even tried it?
The rating system was implemented after some people left comments. You don’t need to rate a recipe to leave a comment.
I’ve tried other CF copycat chicken piccata recipes and this is the best! I used whole wheat spaghetti and it was fabulous! It certainly deserves 5 stars!
An always perplexing aside:
How can ppl award stars when they 1) change the recipe or 2) haven’t even tried it?
The picatta from Cheesecake Factory is my absolute favorite… I haven’t found a recipe as close as this one yet. SO good! I floured the chicken first, that was my only change. Made more for the family and tripled the sauce. So good I shared it with all my friends 🙂
Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata is my absolute fave from the restaurant. I’ve tried several chicken piccata recipes trying to replicate the dish with no success. This recipe was hands down EXCELLENT. Even my pickiest eater ate his whole plate. The only change I made was doubling the sauce. I can honestly say I’ll be adding this recipe to my dinner rotation. Thank you!
I am glad you liked the recipe.
Do you have the recipe for Chicken Piccata from Chicago’s Restaurant?
CF Chicken Piccata is my favorite. I have a couple of thoughts….I’m not trying to disagree with your recipe as I am sure it is delicious but I have questions. I love CF chicken piccata because it’s not an entire size of a breast. So it seems they do more of something like scalloped pieces. This allows the smaller pieces to be coated with sauce- less dry chicken breast meat. (I know yours is thin but still a large plank of meat). Additionally, the chicken does not seem to be browned or sautéed. It’s more velvety and super moist. Do you think they use a velvet chicken type process like the Chinese do? I would appreciate your input. These are my barriers to perfecting this copycat recipe. Thanks!
So I think the variation in the preparation may be dependent upon the cook. I made mine the way it was served to me. So I would need to try a different location, or perhaps a different cook there. I often find there are slight variations in food when it is prepared made to order. So my experience wasn’t the same as yours. I would think that the Chinese velvet style of cooking for others, https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/07/chinese-velveting-101-introduction-water-velveting.html may be a way I would try this. I don’t think you would have enough good flavor using a poaching method or that of a sous vide. I personally hate meat that isn’t browned after preparing in a sous vide. Not sure I was helpful or not.
Excellent copy, flavor was true and I used dry vermouth as I didn’t have any dry white wine at home. I would double the sauce the next time as I served over angel hair pasta and would have
Inked a bit more sauce on the pasta. Thanks!
I hope you enjoyed the recipe.
Awesome!. Try it with mash potatoes
Thanks for creating this recipe for us. It’s the best chicken picatta dish I’ve ever had. I couldn’t figure out how they did it and now I can’t wait to make it at home!
I too doubled the sauce and replaced the wine with chicken broth. Turned out great!
Glad I watched your wonderful video as the measurements you use for the sauce does not match what you use in the videos! I can’t wait to try this!
this is very good.
I have made a couple of other copycat recipes for CF’s chicken picatta. This one is the BEST and tastes most like CF! I doubled the ingredients for the sauce (wine/butter) and thank goodness I did. Excellent recipe and I HIGHLY recommend it. Thank you!!
I made this tonight and it was so easy and delicious! Thanks for the recipe!!
Oh I am so excited to try making this! I had it at Cheesecake Factory back in Februry for my birthday and it was heavenly!
Can you make this in a slow cooker?
I am not sure, this recipe comes together very quickly.
Wow – totally awesome! Hubby said definitely a restaurant quality meal. I did make a few minor changes – added herbs de Provence to chicken with the salt and pepper, and I floured the chicken before browning just to get a nice brown color and to thicken sauce a bit. And I had to add minced garlic to the mushroom just because I love garlic on everything and I was kind of surprised none was called for in the recipe. I doubled the sauce – glad I did because my family of 4 with two girls age 9 and 14 finished every last bite. And I topped with fresh parmesan. Picky Kids went back for seconds. This is a winner recipe all around – super quick and easy, totally awesome flavor, and everyone loved it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. (Next time I make it, I’m also going to double the mushrooms and add even more capers)
Your recipe looks yummy. However, you didn’t have chicken piccata when you finished. The sauce isn’t thick in piccata and it doesn’t have herbs de Provence in it. Also the chicken isn’t floured.
This is great. What a nice flavor. I also doubled the sauce to serve with 16oz of angel hair pasta.
Love this recipe! Thank you Stephanie…its dead ON!
Hi joyce did the recipe come out just as good as it look?
My name is Joydee & the recipe looks as good on the platter as it does on the picture.
please excuse me joydee’ thank you
I always double the sauce & use either bow tie or angel hair pasta. This recipe does not lend itself to heavy pastas. Enjoy!!!
The restaurant serves this with Angel hair, I tend to use what ever box I have open.
I hope you give the recipe a try.
Thank you very much!