Copycat Cheesecake Factory Chicken Bellagio Recipe

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The origin of the dish may be shrouded in mystery and rumors, but our copycat Cheesecake Factory chicken Bellagio recipe is full of honest, good old-fashioned flavor. A perfect combination of crispy fried chicken, creamy Parmesan sauce, vibrant basil oil, peppery arugula, and salty prosciutto, this restaurant dish may take some work to recreate at home, but the results will likely leave you clutching your spoon for seconds and thirds.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, since its humble beginning as a small family-owned bakery in Los Angeles, the Cheesecake Factory became a national hit that grew to include dozens of branches all across the United States. The chicken Bellagio is one of its most well-known recipes, and though the restaurant constantly comes up with new dishes, it has been on the menu for years. There are some theories about the origin of the dish, including that it was made in honor of President William Howard Taft, but no official statements or records confirming this exist. Despite all this, the restaurant doesn't gatekeep — in fact, the recipe is available to all on their website.

We took the original recipe, tested it, and tweaked it slightly to make it easy to recreate this dish at home. The result is a creamy, salty, bright, and multi-textural dish that feels like a flavor bomb. Forget waiting in line at the Cheesecake Factory for this — you can now make the chicken Bellagio recipe at home.

To make this dish as flavorful and as close to the original as possible, we have chosen to prepare several of the components from scratch. You can follow our lead for maximum flavor, or choose store-bought whenever possible. For the homemade basil oil, you'll need fresh basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, and salt — but a high-quality prepared basil oil may be just as good, or you can even try to use pesto or homemade pesto in a pinch. For the chicken itself, you'll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, salt and pepper, panko breadcrumbs (Italian style will be best), grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, all-purpose flour, eggs, and oil for frying. For the Parmesan cream, you'll need unsalted butter, more all-purpose flour, heavy cream, more Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt and white pepper for seasoning. Finally, to assemble the pasta, you'll want a package of spaghetti, prosciutto di Parma, wild arugula, and — you may have guessed it — even more Parmigiano-Reggiano.

To make the basil oil, bring a saucepan of water to a boil.

Blanch the basil in boiling water for 10 seconds.

Shock the basil in ice water.

Dry the basil thoroughly.

Blend with oil and salt until smooth.

Strain the basil oil through a fine mesh strainer or a coffee filter, and reserve.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Mix the panko breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan.

Dredge the chicken in flour, then eggs, then in the panko and Parmesan mixture.

Fill a large pan with enough oil to get to about 1 inch high.

Fry the chicken in batches until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165 F, approximately 3 minutes per side.

Rest on a wire rack.

For the Parmesan cream, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in the cream and simmer until thickened.

Remove from the heat, add the Parmesan and season with salt and white pepper.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Cook the spaghetti to al dente in heavily salted water and drain.

Toss with ¼ cup Parmesan cream.

To plate the dish, place the spaghetti in the center of the plate and top with sliced chicken.

Drizzle with additional Parmesan cream.

Layer prosciutto and arugula on the chicken.

Finish with basil oil and shaved Parmesan, and serve.

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Though the original chicken Bellagio recipe is layered with perfectly complementary flavors and textures, there are a few ways you can change up the recipe and make it your own or use what you have on hand. We love adding a touch of spice with a healthy smattering of red pepper flakes on top of the dish or whisked into the panko mixture. You can substitute the prosciutto with pancetta, bacon, or smoked or pan-fried duck breast for deep flavor, or omit it altogether. We also liked changing up the basil oil for pesto.

You can also switch up the pasta. Any long pasta, including fettuccine, linguine, angel hair pasta, or even whole wheat spaghetti, will all work. Though the Parmesan cream is pretty perfect, you can add a touch of herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage, or even a splash of white wine for more complexity. Adding a bit of umami flavor to the dish in the form of sauteed mushrooms also works really well, especially if using cremini mushrooms.

One look at the heavy cream, cheese, oil, and meat in the ingredient list, and it's pretty clear that this chicken Bellagio is one rich dish. We've tested a few ways to lighten it up, and wanted to share some of the best ones with you. One of our favorite methods to add a bit of fiber and nutrition to it is by switching up the pasta for a whole wheat version, or even using a low-carb pasta like spiralized zucchini noodles or butternut squash, or a commercial product like palmini pasta. 

You can also bake the chicken breasts instead of frying. Simply coat the breaded cutlets with olive oil spray, and bake at 425 F for 15-18 minutes. It will come out just as crispy and delicious. You can also reduce the cheese in the breading by half, and use half and half or even whole milk in the Parmesan cream, though it will come out as less creamy. Finally, increase the arugula amount, or combine it with some spinach to add more iron and vitamins to the dish. You can omit the prosciutto, as well — there's plenty else going on in this dish, and it won't be missed too much.

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