This Chicken Bryan recipe is a copycat of Carrabba’s. It has sun-dried tomatoes, creamy goat cheese, fresh basil, and a rich garlic lemon butter sauce on top of a juicy chicken breast. Serve your pan grilled chicken with pasta, mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables for the perfect Carrabba’s meal made at home.
When we go out for a night on the town, if you ask my husband what his favorite dish is, he will always say Chicken Bryan at Carrabba’s Italian Grill.
What’s not to like about perfectly grilled chicken covered in goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh herbs and topped with Carrabba’s lemon butter sauce?
Throw in some mashed potatoes, a vegetable or even your favorite pasta and you have an amazing meal headed your way.
The thing is, sometimes you can’t break away from your life to head out for a night on the town. What’s a girl to do? You got it.. learn how to make Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan at home.
There are a ton of other Copycat Chicken Bryan recipes out there but this is my take on their classic family favorite chicken dish.
Chicken Bryan is a delicious Italian chicken dish that has become famous thanks to the restaurant chain Carrabba’s. This pan-seared chicken breast topped with a lemon garlic sauce sun-dried tomatoes basil, and goat cheese has people flocking to Carrabba’s to get a taste. But what exactly is Chicken Bryan and how did it become so popular?
The Origins of Chicken Bryan
No one knows for sure where Chicken Bryan came from, but it’s thought that Carrabba’s Italian Grill came up with it. Johnny Carrabba and Damian Mandola opened the first Carrabba’s restaurant in Houston, Texas, in 1986. They now have restaurants all over the country.
In the 1990s, Chicken Bryan was added to their menu for the first time. It quickly became one of their most popular dishes. It stood out on the menu because of the tasty mix of tastes and textures. It’s likely that the restaurant named the dish after a friend or family member named Bryan, but no one knows for sure.
Even though Carrabba’s didn’t invent chicken seasoned with lemon, garlic, and herbs, they managed to create a proprietary recipe that people couldn’t get enough of The chain has over 250 locations across America today, and you can find Chicken Bryan on the menu at every single one.
How Chicken Bryan is Made
However, the exact recipe for Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan is kept secret. You can make a tasty version of it at home. Even though the ingredients are pretty basic, the way the chicken is cooked and the lemon garlic sauce is made are what make this dish stand out.
Here are the key steps to making chicken bryan:
-
Season and pound the chicken breast. Put the chicken breast on a rolling pin or meat mallet and gently pound it until it’s about 1/2 inch thick all over. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian herbs.
-
Pan sear the chicken – Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
-
Make the sauce – In the same pan, melt butter and cook minced garlic briefly. Then add chicken stock, lemon juice, chopped basil, and seasonings. Let the sauce reduce down slightly.
-
Simmer the chicken in the sauce – Add the seared chicken back to the pan and let it simmer in the lemony garlic sauce for 2-3 minutes, spooning the sauce over the top.
-
Finish with toppings – Place the chicken on a plate or pasta dish. Top with sun-dried tomatoes, sliced goat cheese, and chopped basil.
The magic of this dish lies in the garlic lemon butter sauce. When it coats the chicken and mingles with the basil, tomato, and goat cheese, you get an explosion of Italian flavors in every bite. It’s tangy, savory, and ultra-satisfying.
What Makes Chicken Bryan So Popular
There are several reasons why Chicken Bryan has reached such popularity on Carrabba’s menu:
-
Universal appeal – With its blend of Italian flavors, Chicken Bryan is a crowd-pleaser that appeals to many palates. Both kids and adults enjoy it.
-
Unique flavor combinations – The mix of ingredients is original and gives this chicken dish a signature taste not found elsewhere. The tart lemon, woodsy basil, creamy cheese, and umami tomatoes is hard to replicate.
-
** Juicy and tender chicken** – When properly cooked, the chicken comes out perfectly moist and tender, enhancing the flavors of the sauce and toppings. No dry chicken here!
-
Endless serving possibilities – Chicken Bryan tastes amazing on top of pasta or risotto, next to garlicky mashed potatoes, or over fresh greens for a satisfying meal.
-
Addicting flavor – Once people try Chicken Bryan, they crave that tangy and sweet garlic sauce. It’s hard not to want to order it again and again.
-
Celebrity status – As it gained fame, Chicken Bryan took on an almost mythical, celebrity status. People felt they had to try it to see what all the hype was about.
How to Make Chicken Bryan at Home
You can absolutely recreate this famous Carrabba’s dish in your own kitchen. Here is an outline of the steps:
- Pound 4 thin chicken breast cutlets
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian herb blend
- Pan sear chicken in olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side
- Make lemon garlic sauce: melt butter, cook minced garlic, add chicken stock, lemon juice, basil
- Simmer chicken in sauce for 2-3 minutes
- Plate chicken and top with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and basil
- Enjoy immediately with sides like pasta or mashed potatoes
The keys are using high-quality ingredients, properly searing the chicken, and letting the sauce reduce to intensify the flavors. With practice, you can come extremely close to the Carrabba’s version.
Some tips for best results:
- Use fresh, boneless chicken breasts pounded thin
- Allow chicken to marinate for added flavor
- Cook garlic briefly so it doesn’t burn
- Use both lemon zest and juice
- Simmer the chicken in the sauce only briefly
- Use high-quality creamy goat cheese
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves
Making this at home lets you enjoy this Italian favorite any night of the week. Just don’t forget to serve it with crusty bread for dipping in that incredible sauce!
Why Chicken Bryan is a Must-Try Dish
Chicken Bryan offers a taste sensation that keeps people coming back for more. With its savory and bright flavors, juicy texture, and easy customization, it’s no wonder Carrabba’s has a best-seller on their hands.
While many Italian chicken dishes exist, Chicken Bryan stands out for its unique blend of ingredients that create a flavor profile all its own. The combination of seasoned chicken, zesty lemon garlic sauce, herbaceous basil, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy goat cheese is sheer genius.
This is a chicken dish that satisfies all the senses. The aromas from the garlic, basil and lemon will make your mouth water. The textures from the tender chicken, smooth sauce, cheese, and tomatoes entice you to take another bite. And the bright, savory flavors dance on your palate. It’s an all-around delight.
Chicken Bryan manages to strike the perfect balance between comforting, crave-worthy and elegant. You feel like you’re dining at a fine Italian restaurant, but it’s still accessible and family-friendly. Kids and adults alike will clean their plates.
If you haven’t experienced Chicken Bryan yet, it’s time to remedy that. Look for it next time you dine at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, or try making it at home for a taste of their famous garlic lemon chicken. Just one bite and you’ll understand why this dish has earned its popularity and staying power on menus nationwide. It’s Italian comfort food at its finest.
Why This Copycat Carrabba’s Recipe Works
- Easy—This sun-dried smothered chicken should be at the top of your list of easy chicken recipes. This amazing plate of food doesn’t need any strange ingredients or cooking methods. Make a simple garlic-lemon sauce and pour it over your pan-grilled chicken. Then add the rest of the ingredients on top. Done!.
- Taste: Tender, juicy chicken with just the right amount of seasoning smothered in a lemon basil butter sauce and topped with goat cheese, fresh basil, and sun-dried tomatoes. Heart, which is full of strong flavors and great on its own, over pasta, mashed vegetables, or even pasta.
- Home – For me, the best thing about this Chicken Bryan recipe is that I can make it whenever I want in my own home. most of the time in yoga pants and a messy bun, but you get the idea. It changes everything when you learn how to make this authentic copycat of Carrabba’s chicken in your own kitchen!
Making Chicken Bryan at Home
Marinade Chicken – I prefer to use thin chicken breasts for this recipe so I will take a thicker chicken breast and slice the chicken in half lengthwise so i have two thinner chicken cutlets. Add olive oil, Italian seasoning, lemon juice and chicken to a large zip-top bag, push out the excess air, seal and move the ingredients around until your chicken is completely coated in the lemon marinade. Spoon into a large bowl. Put the bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to a whole day.
Pan Grill Chicken – When you are ready, remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Season with a light dusting of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Add olive oil to a large skillet over Medium High heat and when oil has heated, add your chicken breasts. Cook for 4-5 minutes each side until golden brown and chicken is no longer pink. Your chicken cutlets needs to reach a temperature of at least 165 degrees. Once cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
Garlic Lemon Sauce – Wipe out your skillet with a paper towel and start making your lemon basil sauce by reducing the heat to Medium Low before adding butter and garlic to the pan. Cook garlic for about a minute and then add the lemon juice, sun dried tomato oil and basil and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Simmering Chicken – Add in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir and cook for another minute. Add your chicken breasts to the lemon basil sauce and let simmer for a minute or two.
Topping Chicken Bryan – I like to serve my Chicken Bryan over a big plate of fettuccini pasta… but you do you. I add my chicken breast to my pasta, spoon on some extra garlic lemon sauce and then top with a generous slice of goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and a sprinkling of fresh basil. Serve immediately and ENJOY!.
- Marinade: I think Carrabba’s doesn’t marinate their chicken this way, but I love the extra lemon flavor it gives.
- Chicken: For this recipe, I like to use thin chicken breasts, so I cut a thicker chicken breast in half lengthwise to make two thinner cutlets.
- Grilled: If you’d rather, you can cook your chicken on an outdoor grill to make chicken breasts that are very juicy. Just make sure the chicken is 165 degrees for at least five minutes on each side before taking it off the grill.
- This recipe is a copycat of Chicken Bryan. You can serve it with mashed potatoes, cauliflower, roasted vegetables, or parmesan rice. There are no wrong answers.
- Storage: Any extra Chicken Bryan can be kept in the fridge for up to three days in an airtight container.
- Heating Up: Butter sauces separate when they cool, so the sauce will look very buttery when you heat up your leftovers. It’s still tasty, so heat it up in the microwave for one to two minutes, stirring every now and then.
Chicken Bryan Better than the Restaurant! | Chef Jean-Pierre
FAQ
What is chicken bryan from Carrabba’s?
Carrabba’s Italian Grill Menu – Chicken Bryan. Wood-grilled and topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, basil and our lemon butter sauce. Served with your choice of side.
Why is it called chicken bryan?
The name “Chicken Bryan” comes from Bryan, Texas, where the Carrabba family lived after moving to the US from Sicily. It was named after the city where Johnny Carrabba’s parents grew up. Johnny Carrabba is one of the founders of the Carrabba’s Italian Grill restaurant chain.
Is chicken bryan healthy?
It’s not only tasty, but it’s also better for you because it has less carbs and more lean protein. Indulge in the vibrant flavors and satisfying textures of Chicken Bryan—it’s a delightful meal that brings a taste of Italy right to your plate!.
What is the purpose of velveting chicken?