Craving the zesty, tangy flavors of your favorite restaurant dish? This chicken piccata Cheesecake Factory brings the lemony, buttery goodness right to your table! With tender pan-seared chicken, bright fresh lemon juice, and briny capers in a rich piccata sauce, this dish is a restaurant-quality dinner you can make in under 30 minutes. It’s one of our most flavorful easy recipes—perfect for busy weeknights or date night in.
You don’t need a reservation or a long wait time to enjoy Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata style. This Cheesecake Factory specialty is simple to make and comes together quickly with a few pantry staples and fresh ingredients. Chicken cutlets cook fast and stay juicy, while a splash of lemon and capers in the pan create a bold and delicious sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything.
This Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata recipe is one of those dishes that looks and tastes impressive but is surprisingly simple to prepare. We love using our chicken recipes with tenders because they cook evenly and soak up all those browned bits and rich pan flavors. Plus, the golden-brown sear gives it that restaurant-quality finish at home. Serve it over pasta, rice, or roasted veggies, and you’ve got a showstopping meal with minimal effort.
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Why We Love This Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata
- The perfect balance of flavors.
The lemon flavor balances out the butter salty capers. It strikes a balance between being heavy, salty, and tangy, which is why it’s a popular entrée at the restaurant. - An easy weeknight dinner that saves you time and money!
Skip the stressful wait time for a table – just enjoy a quiet dinner at home. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about a hefty bill at the end of the night! - It’s an authentic Italian chicken recipe.
The delicious, aromatic Mediterranean spices will fill your kitchen, similar to when you make our Italian baked chicken cutlets.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Boneless skinless breasts: Either 1 ½ pounds of cutlets, or 4 breasts. We recommend cutting breasts down into two thinner, even cutlets. This ensures that all of the poultry cooks evenly.
- Olive oil: It’s not an Italian dish without olive oil! That being said, butter or any neutral flavor of cooking oil will give you the same results.
- Capers: These are actually tiny flower buds, still green and unripe, that are stored in a brine. Rinse and drain them to remove some of that savory saltiness.
- Lemon zest and juice: Fresh is best! One large lemon or two smaller ones will do. You might also buy one extra lemon to cut into thin slices to garnish your homemade lemon caper chicken as the cherry (or lemon) on top!
Recipe Variations
- Creamy twist: Stir in a splash of heavy cream to the sauce for a richer, creamier version.
- Mushroom lover’s version: Add sautéed portobello mushrooms for a hearty and earthy depth of flavor.
- Olive addition: Mix in a few sliced green olives for a briny contrast that pairs beautifully with capers.
- Herbaceous upgrade: Finish with chopped fresh herbs like basil or thyme alongside the traditional fresh parsley. Then add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Low-carb option: Skip the flour dredge and serve over spiralized zucchini or cauliflower mash.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Skillet
- Platter
- Aluminum foil
- Tongs
The original chicken piccata from Cheesecake Factory is served with sliced mushrooms. While we’ve omitted them from our version, it’s easy enough to add them back to the recipe!
Simply add 1 cup of sliced baby Bella mushrooms to the oil while sautéing the onion, cooking them until softened.
Additionally, the Cheesecake Factory’s lemon caper chicken is served over angel hair pasta. If you want to do the same, just boil the pasta to al dente (follow the package directions) while the sauce simmers.
When you’re ready to plate dinner, add a serving of pasta. Either place it to the side, or place the piccata right over the top. Serve it with wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
How to Make Cheesecake Factory Chicken Piccata Recipe
- Don’t cook the chicken all the way to 165°F. It might be your instinct as a home chef, but don’t do it!
Instead, sauté it until it reaches 163°F and then remove from the heat. Tent it with foil and let it rest to preserve as much juiciness and moisture as possible! As it rests, the temperature will rise those extra two degrees. The culinary term for this process is called ‘carryover cooking’.
- Don’t flip the chicken more than once!
It can be tempting to do so, especially if you’re nervous about the season chicken breasts cooking all the way through — or because you feel that one side has browned more than the other.
However, the best way to get a great sear on the outside is to make sure you only flip it once. This will prevent it from soaking up extra oil from the skillet.
- Prevent burnt garlic with perfect timing.
Garlic burns a bit quicker than onions do. Both are added to some very hot oil in this recipe, so consider throwing the garlic into the pan a little after the onions.
And if you’re adding mushrooms, like in the original chicken piccata Cheesecake Factory, wait until the mushrooms are almost soft to add the garlic so that it’s only in the skillet for about a minute.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice and add it right at the end of cooking to keep the sauce bright and tangy. And don’t skip deglazing the pan—those browned bits stuck to the bottom add incredible depth to your piccata sauce!
What to Serve with Chicken Piccata
This zesty Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata is perfect served over a pasta of your choice like spaghetti and linguine or fluffy rice to soak up all that incredible sauce, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese plus lemon slices on top,. For a lighter option, pair with steamed or roasted veggies like asparagus or broccoli. It also pairs beautifully with potatoes, whether mashed or roasted. Start your meal with a crisp garden salad or garlic bread, and finish with a citrusy dessert like lemon bars or cheesecake. A glass of your best wine or chilled white wine brings it all together for the ultimate copycat experience!
Recipe FAQs
In the United States, piccata is commonly served with chicken cutlets. This isn’t the traditional protein, however. In Italy, the recipe is made with veal cutlets.
The restaurant serves creamy Cheesecake Factory lemon piccata recipe with angel hair pasta. One serving of their version has roughly 1,400 calories.
Our recipe has fewer calories (325 calories per serving) because it doesn’t include pasta or mushrooms. Consider the specific ingredients you have chosen when calculating the calories on your plate — it will vary.
Leftover copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Store the meat with the creamy lemon sauce and lemons in an airtight container to keep it moist and flavorful. Sometimes it’s even better the next day, especially if you’ve added pasta to the dish.
Reheat leftovers on the stovetop, sauce and all, over medium until warmed through. Because of the butter in the sauce, we don’t recommend microwaving to reheat – it’s best to slowly bring it to temperature to prevent the sauce from separating.
Looking for More Easy, One-Dish Poultry Dinner Ideas?
If you tried this Cheesecake Factory chicken piccata recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Chicken Piccata Cheesecake Factory
Equipment
- skillet
- platter
- sheet of aluminum foil
- tongs
Ingredients
- 4 boneless thinly sliced chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons diced onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 lemon juiced
- grated lemon zest from the rind of the lemon
- ⅓ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 tablespoon capers rinsed well and dried
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or ghee or coconut oil
- 1 lemon, very thinly sliced optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet on medium-high heat, heat olive oil until simmering. Add the breasts and sauté for 4 minutes on each side. For the best sear, do not flip more than once.
- Remove breasts to a plate or platter, tenting loosely with foil. Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Simmer until bubbly.
- Remove skillet from heat and add butter and capers. Using tongs, dip each breast into the sauce, coating both sides. Serve with slices of lemon as garnish (optional).
Video
Notes
- Creamy twist: Stir in a splash of heavy cream to the sauce for a richer, creamier version.
- Mushroom lover’s version: Add sautéed portobello mushrooms for a hearty and earthy depth of flavor.
- Olive addition: Mix in a few sliced green olives for a briny contrast that pairs beautifully with capers.
- Herbaceous upgrade: Finish with chopped fresh herbs like basil or thyme alongside the traditional fresh parsley.
- Low-carb option: Skip the flour dredge and serve over spiralized zucchini or cauliflower mash.
- Leftover lemon chicken with capers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Store with the sauce and lemons so that the meat can stay moist and continue to soak up those flavors. Sometimes it’s even better the next day, especially if you’ve added pasta to the dish.
- Reheat leftovers on the stovetop, sauce and all, over medium until warmed through. Because of the butter in the sauce, we don’t recommend microwaving to reheat – it’s best to slowly bring it to temperature to prevent the sauce from separating.
Nutrition
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Dirose says
Dinner tonight! Thank you! Looks so delish!
Renae says
I just love this easy, summery dinner and you will, too!
Charlene says
Simple recipe! Will try for sure!
Renae says
It is the perfect, easy weeknight dinner.