✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano is thin chicken cutlets in a golden, cheesy Romano and Parmesan crust, served over angel hair in a buttery tomato sauce. The crust is a cheese and egg batter, not breadcrumbs, and that's the whole trick.
How Do You Make Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano? (Quick Answer)
Pound 4 chicken cutlets to 1/4 inch. Dust them in seasoned flour, dip in a batter of 3 eggs, 3/4 cup grated Romano and 1/4 cup Parmesan, then pan fry in oil and butter over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and 165°F. Serve over angel hair tossed with a quick garlic, butter and tomato sauce.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Cook over medium heat, not high. The cheese crust browns fast, and medium heat gives the thin chicken time to cook through.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Romano
- Cheese crust Romano and Parmesan fry up into a savory golden coat.
- Quick cooking thin cutlets cook in under 8 minutes.
- Simple tomato sauce 15 minutes from a can of crushed tomatoes.
- Restaurant portion a full plate of pasta and chicken for four.
- Kid approved salty, cheesy and crunchy.
What Is Crusted Chicken Romano?
Crusted Chicken Romano is one of the Cheesecake Factory's comfort food classics: a thin chicken breast coated in a crisp crust of Romano and Parmesan cheese, served with pasta and tomato sauce. It's like chicken Parmesan, but the cheese is in the crust instead of melted on top.
My test for any copycat is simple: does it taste like the original, can a home cook make it reliably, and is there a shortcut? The shortcut here is skipping the breadcrumbs. A thick egg and cheese batter fries into a lacy, golden crust that's faster and tastier than a three-step breading.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: sliced into thin cutlets, or buy thin-sliced cutlets.
- Pecorino Romano: sharp, salty sheep's milk cheese. Buy a wedge and grate it finely.
- Parmesan: rounds out the Romano with a nutty flavor.
- Eggs: bind the cheese into a batter.
- Crushed tomatoes, garlic, butter and basil: the quick, mellow tomato sauce.
- Angel hair: thin pasta that cooks in a few minutes.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Grate the cheese finely. Use the small holes of a box grater or a rasp. Coarse shreds won't stick to the chicken in an even crust.
- Flour first. A thin dusting of flour gives the cheese batter something to grip, so it stays on in the pan.
- Pound evenly. Even 1/4 inch cutlets cook through before the crust gets too dark.
- Don't flip too soon. Leave the cutlets alone until the crust is set and golden, about 3 minutes, or it will tear.
- Romano is salty. Taste the sauce before adding more salt, since the cheese crust brings plenty.
- Our name for it. Lucy calls this cheese chicken, and she's always first to the stove to steal the lacy bits of crust that fry off at the edges of the pan.
Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano
4
servings20
minutes25
minutes780
kcal45
minutesA copycat version of the Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano: thin chicken cutlets dipped in a Romano and Parmesan egg batter, pan fried until golden and crisp, and served over angel hair pasta in a buttery tomato sauce. Serves 4.
Ingredients
- For the Tomato Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
6 leaves fresh basil, torn
- For the Chicken
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 large eggs
3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
- To Serve
12 oz angel hair pasta
extra grated Romano and chopped parsley
Directions
- Make the Sauce
- Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the butter and basil and keep warm.
- Make the Chicken
- Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/4 inch thickness.
- Mix the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the Romano and Parmesan into a thick, cheesy batter.
- Dust each cutlet in the seasoned flour, shake off the extra, then dip it in the cheese batter so it is fully coated.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the cutlets 2 at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden and an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F. Drain on a rack.
- Serve
- Meanwhile, cook the angel hair until al dente, drain and toss with about two-thirds of the tomato sauce.
- Plate the pasta, lay a cutlet on top, spoon over a little more sauce and finish with grated Romano and parsley.
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Storage
Store the chicken and pasta separately in covered containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce keeps for 5 days and freezes for up to 3 months.
What to Serve It With
Start with a simple green salad and finish with a slice of Cheesecake Factory pumpkin cheesecake. If you like a cheese-crusted chicken, also try my BJ's Parmesan crusted chicken. You'll find more favorites in my Cheesecake Factory copycat recipes roundup.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cheesecake Factory Crusted Chicken Romano?
It's a chicken breast with a golden Romano and Parmesan cheese crust, served with thin pasta and tomato sauce. Menu wording changes over time and by location, so check your local menu for the current version.
What is the crust made of?
My copycat uses a batter of eggs, finely grated Pecorino Romano and Parmesan over a light dusting of flour. There are no breadcrumbs.
Can I use only Parmesan?
Yes, but Romano is sharper and saltier, which is what gives the dish its name and its flavor. A mix tastes closest.
Can I bake it instead of frying?
Pan frying gives the best crust. You can bake the coated cutlets on an oiled sheet pan at 425°F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping once, until golden and 165°F, but the crust is softer.
What pasta goes with chicken Romano?
Angel hair or thin spaghetti, tossed in the tomato sauce.
How do I reheat leftovers?
Reheat the chicken on a rack in a 400°F oven or air fryer until hot and 165°F inside, and the pasta separately in a pan with a splash of water.
