Cheesecake Factory Chicken Costoletta
Cheesecake Factory Chicken Costoletta is made from thin cut, Panko breadcrumb crusted chicken breasts fried to a golden brown and topped with a creamy lemon sauce.
DELICIOUS RESTAURANT COPYCAT RECIPE
Have you had the Chicken Costoletta from Cheesecake Factory? It’s soooo good, definitely one of my favorites. We do not have a Cheesecake Factory restaurant location near us, so I love re-creating some of my favorite dishes at home. This really sounds like it might be difficult to make (and you may roll your eyes when you see the list of ingredients) but I promise you that it’s not at all difficult to make. It’s more about adding layers of flavor. This recipe is definitely worth it!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Costoletta just means cutlet in Italian. So, this is literally just chicken cutlets with a special sauce- it just sounds fancy! Ha! But, I know it’s fun to say, easy to make and so INSANELY delicious, it’s worth calling it more than just “chicken cutlets” in my opinion.
While I think you’ll get the best crisp on the chicken by pan frying them in oil (and this is how they are made at the Cheesecake Factory), using the Air Fryer is possible. I would start by preheating the Air Fryer to 400F. Coat the chicken breasts as you would in this original recipe. Then work in batches, once the chicken has been coated, spray with cooking spray. Carefully place into the Air Fryer basket and fry for 4 – 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through with an internal temperature that reaches 165F per a meat thermometer. Keep in mind, you will not get the exact same crispiness though.
I know fried chicken with a creamy sauce can scream “heavy, stick to your stomach” kind of meal. But, truthfully, the lemony sauce works perfectly with the lightly fried chicken, and it’s not thick like a sawmill gravy. They really pair nicely together without making you feel like this is a heavy meal. Plus chicken cutlets are thin and not like a thicker chicken fried chicken.
Also, if you really don’t want the sauce to be a little lighter, you can use half and half or whole milk in place of the heavy cream.
Serve with creamy Stovetop Mashed Potatoes (or Crock Pot Million Dollar Potatoes) and asparagus for a true Cheesecake Factory experience. You can serve this chicken with any other side dish you enjoy. Steamed veggies and a nice big, green salad would be a few other great options.
I say this recipe should easily feed 4 servings. However, you may notice if you’ve ordered this at the restaurant, this is actually like 2 of their very large servings. You know how Cheesecake Factory loves having large portion sizes. We always take the leftovers home, so while this may look like the amount of food you’d get if you ordered two orders of the Chicken Costoletta at the restaurant, realistically, it’s like 4 servings of chicken.
So, the sauce it what makes this meal what it is, in my opinion. It’s a pretty decadent sauce. If you want a LOT of sauce to smother all over the place, you can always double the sauce recipe.
I suggest reheating leftovers in the oven or air fryer to help keep the chicken crispy.
I would store the chicken and sauce separately. Leftovers should keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- all-purpose flour
- garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper – these seasonings along with the added seasonings in the Italian pan breadcrumbs provide all the flavor you need. However, you could certainly change out or add seasonings you prefer.
- large eggs
- water
- Italian Panko breadcrumbs – you could use regular Italian breadcrumbs but I think you get a much better crunch with the Panko and that is what they use at the Cheesecake Factory and I wanted to keep it as close as possible.
- lemon zest
- grated parmesan cheese
- thin cut chicken breasts– This would be great with boneless skinless chicken thighs as well. If you’re having trouble finding the thin cut chicken breasts, just purchase a couple larger chicken breasts and pound them with a meat mallet so they’re thinner then cut them into 4 pieces. Most stores carry the thin cut breasts though.
- salted butter – real butter here, not margarine
- garlic clove – fresh garlic is best. The jarred stuff isn’t bad but I don’t think it really shines through as well as fresh.
- heavy cream – you could also use half and half.
- chicken stock – make a Homemade Chicken Stock if you prefer. Also, you can use low or no sodium if necessary.
- lemon juice– fresh squeezed. Trust me, do NOT go reaching for the bottled stuff. It’s far acidic tasting and it will NOT do this recipe justice. Stick to the freshly squeezed lemon juice
- dijon mustard – it should be dijon mustard and not yellow mustard. Yellow mustard is just a bit too vinegary for this.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESECAKE FACTORY CHICKEN COSTOLETTA:
Add the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a medium shallow bowl. Stir to combine. Whisk the eggs with the water set aside in another medium shallow bowl. Lastly, add the panko, lemon zest, and parmesan cheese to a medium shallow bowl and stir to combine.
One at a time, place a piece of chicken in the first bowl with the flour, get it coated in the flour, and let the excess shake off. Place into the egg mixture, cover well with egg, letting the excess drip off.
Next, add it to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, coat it well, and gently press the breadcrumbs so they will stick.
Place the piece of chicken to the side while you coat the other pieces. Next, make the sauce. Add the butter to a medium sauce pot and let it melt over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth and add the garlic. Allow to cook for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking constantly, followed by the stock.
Add the lemon juice, Dijon, and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened; keep warm.
In a large skillet over medium heat, add about ½ inch of oil. Once hot (350°F), add the chicken to the oil and fry in batches until golden brown and an internal temperature reaches 165°F. Place the cooked pieces of chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate just to soak up excess oil, then immediately put it on a wire rack over a sheet tray while you cook the additional pieces.
Serve immediately with the sauce.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Cheesecake Factory Chicken Costoletta
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 large eggs
- splash of water
- 1 cup Italian panko breadcrumbs
- zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 thin cut chicken breasts
- oil, for frying (I prefer peanut oil)
For the sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium shallow bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Whisk 2 large eggs and splash of water in another medium shallow bowl. Set aside.
- Lastly, add 1 cup Italian panko breadcrumbs, zest of 1 lemon, and 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese to a medium shallow bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- One at a time, place one thin cut chicken breast in the first bowl with the flour, get it coated in the flour, and let the excess shake off.
- Place into the egg mixture, cover well with egg, letting the excess drip off.
- Next, add it to the bowl with the breadcrumbs, coat it well, and gently press the breadcrumbs so they will stick.
- Place the piece of chicken to the side while you coat the remaining 3 chicken breasts.
- Next, make the sauce. Add 2 Tablespoons salted butter to a medium sauce pot and let it melt over medium heat.
- Whisk in 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour until smooth then add 1 clove garlic, minced Allow to cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in 1/2 cup heavy cream while whisking constantly, followed by 3/4 cup chicken stock.
- Add 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.Whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2 minutes until thickened. Cover and keep warm.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add about ½ inch of oil, for frying.
- Once hot (350°F), add the chicken to the oil and fry in batches until golden brown and an internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Place the cooked pieces of chicken on a paper-towel-lined plate just to soak up excess oil, then immediately put it on a wire rack over a sheet tray while you cook the additional pieces.
- Serve immediately with the warm cream sauce.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Absolutely love this recipe!!! Perfect and my picky eaters gave it 10/10!! That’s a win. Thank you so very much for sharing this yummy dish
This is my husbands favorite at CF, this recipe was even better! I’ve tried other copycat recipes and they are not even close. This one is a keeper! Thank you!
Honestly better than Cheesecake Factory lol