Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan

December 24, 2023 by Stephanie Manley 73 Comments

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Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan is one of my favorite chicken dishes that you can find in a restaurant. I love the tender chicken drenched in a lemon-basil wine sauce with a piece of tangy goat cheese on top. I love to order this dish with mashed potatoes because to miss any of this sauce is, well, something that is almost criminal.

Homemade Carrabbas Chicken Bryan on a platter.

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Table of Contents

Carrabbas – Home of An Open Kitchen

What’s not to love about Carrabba’s Italian Grill? They are one of the few restaurants where you can enjoy an open kitchen experience.

You can order from Carrabba’s menu, see how your food is cooked, and you get to inhale the tempting aroma of your order while watching your meal being prepared. This makes Carrabba’s one of my favorite places to go for dinner.

How did Chicken Bryan get its name?

The dish Chicken Bryan originated from the Carrabba family, who named it in honor of the town of Bryan, Texas, where they settled after moving from Sicily to the United States in 1890. The Carrabba family opened their first restaurant in Texas in 1986. This establishment marked the beginning of what would become the well-known Carrabba’s restaurant chain.

Chicken Bryan has been a signature dish of Carrabba’s since its inception, and a related dish, Filet Bryan, is also highly regarded for its quality and flavor.

What Makes Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan So Good?

It’s not one single component or cooking method that makes this recipe great, but rather the combination of them all, creating a masterpiece.

The grilled chicken is an excellent base, and when you finish it with fresh basil, creamy cheese, and homemade sauce, it takes it to a new level. You’ll never want to use sauce out of a jar again after enjoying this intricate homemade wine sauce with lemon.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

You might wonder what makes the Chicken Bryan so tasty. The secret lies in the many layers of flavors. It features hints of fresh herbs, citrus, rich butter, and perfectly smoky chicken. Also, one of the most notable characteristics is goat cheese, which accentuates the whole dish.

Combined with fresh basil and sun-dried tomato slices, this chicken tastes unbelievably delicious. But don’t just take my word for it; you need to try this recipe to fully appreciate its complexity!

Moreover, there is room for experimentation. This lemon butter sauce will also go great over some pasta, or you can make Carrabba’s Filet Bryan (minus pounding on the beef) if you want to try that.

Make Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan at Home

You don’t have to go out to dinner to have something that tastes this incredible. You can make my Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan recipe at home. Best of all, you can put this chicken recipe together in about 30 minutes.

While this recipe may take an extra step or two, I think you will find that it’s well worth it to make your dinner extra special.

While you have the chicken cooking, you may want to roast some vegetables in the oven, or perhaps some tasty mashed potatoes would go well with this dish. Make it when you want or for someone’s special birthday dinner.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this copycat Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan recipe:

Chicken breasts
Salt
Black pepper
Olive oil
Goat cheese
Butter
Dry white wine
Lemon juice
Chopped white onions
Chopped garlic
Basil leaves
Sun-dried tomatoes

For a non-alcoholic option, substitute the white wine with chicken broth.

Homemade Carrabbas Chicken Bryan ingredients.

How to Make Chicken Bryan

Here are the simple steps for making Carrabba’s Copycat Chicken Bryan:

Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound it to make it thin. Pat dry.
Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Grill chicken for 3-4 mins on each side until cooked. Place it on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap.
Slice and shape goat cheese into four disks, which you can later place on each chicken piece.
Saute onions and garlic in butter over medium heat until fragrant. Add wine and lemon juice. Reduce heat to simmer and reduce the liquid by half. Add three tablespoons of cold butter and whisk until melted.
Turn off the burner, add the remaining butter, and whisk until the sauce thickens. Strain sauce to remove onions and garlic, return to pan, add half of the basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
Place chicken breast on a plate, top with goat cheese and sauce, and sprinkle the remaining basil over it.

four servings of chicken bryan on a platter

What to Serve This Dish With

Just like at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, you can serve this terrific dish with sides like sauteed spinach, grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes, or parmesan truffle fries! The comforting chicken and sauce are a perfect match for a side of hearty veggies.

I also enjoy this with a simple side salad or Caesar salad when I want something lighter to accompany it.

How to Store Homemade Chicken Bryan

If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator. Try to use them within 3-4 days.

What is The Best Way to Reheat Chicken with Bryan Topping?

I find that the oven works best when reheating this dish. To do so, place the leftovers into a baking dish.

Although you can stick it right in the oven, covering it with foil retains the moisture in the chicken, ensuring it is still juicy after reheating! Bake it in a 350°F oven until the chicken and all components are thoroughly heated.

Love Carrabbas? Check out these copycat recipes

More Italian Food Recipes

Be sure to check out more of my restaurant copycat recipes and easy homemade Italian food.