Why Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan was worth the wait
If you love Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan as much as my family does, you already know this sun-dried tomato goat cheese chicken is the one to order. A lot of copycat versions have you marinate the chicken and fire up the grill, but mine happens in ONE skillet from start to finish.
I first shared this recipe back in 2017, and when a reader told me it had too much oil and butter, I went back to the stove. The new version skips the extra tablespoons of olive oil the old sauce called for, and the chicken gets pounded and cut into pieces so it cooks faster and more evenly.
This time around, I’ve added a quick salt check (salted butter, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese all bring their own!) plus easy fixes if the sauce goes sideways mid-cook. One reader’s husband told her “you couldn’t get a better meal in a restaurant,” and that’s exactly the goal.
Carrabba’s was THE restaurant I requested for my birthday dinner when I was 8, but it wasn’t until my adult years that I finally ordered the Chicken Bryan. One bite and I realized what I’d been missing all along.
Now I get that birthday-dinner feeling at home in about 30 minutes. (And if copycat night is your thing too, my Olive Garden Chicken Marsala is next on the list.)
Fun fact: it’s named after Bryan, Texas, right next door to College Station, where I lived during my Texas A&M years. (Gig ’em!)
Absolutely delicious, you would think we brought it home from Carrabbas, and quite simple! The whole family loved it:)
– Cindi C.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless breasts are the most authentic pick for this one. Pound them to no more than 1 inch thick, then slice them into 5 pieces.
- Butter and broth: I use salted butter and regular-sodium broth. If yours are unsalted or low-sodium, you’ll probably want a little extra salt at the end (the taste test before the last pinch of salt will tell you).
- Lemon juice: Fresh-squeezed from whole lemons is the way to go here, since that’s where you get the most flavor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Look for a jar near the canned vegetables at the grocery store. Pre-cut julienne strips save you a step, or slice whole ones yourself, but either way drain them well and pat them dry.
- Fresh basil: Stack the leaves, roll them up, and slice them into thin ribbons right before serving so they stay bright green.
- Goat cheese: Grab a plain log and skip the flavored ones. If goat cheese isn’t your thing, cream cheese or Boursin will give you a similarly creamy, tangy finish.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Pound and sear the chicken.
Pound the chicken to an even 1-inch thickness, slice it into 5 pieces, and season it with salt and pepper. Sear it in a hot skillet until it’s golden on both sides and almost cooked through, then set it aside on a plate.
Pro Tip: Pound the chicken inside a zip-top bag or between plastic wrap. Cleanup is a breeze, and the even thickness means every piece finishes cooking at the same time.
Sauté the onion and garlic.
Turn the heat down to medium and melt a little butter in the same skillet. Cook the onion and garlic for about 2 minutes, just until the onion softens.
Pro Tip: Don’t wash that skillet! The browned layer the chicken leaves on the bottom of the pan melts right into the sauce once the broth goes in, and that’s where a TON of the flavor comes from.
Make the lemon butter sauce.
Whisk in the broth and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan as you go, and let it simmer until it reduces by about half. Turn the heat to low, whisk in the rest of the butter one tablespoon at a time, then taste it before adding the last ½ teaspoon of salt.
Pro Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer. The sauce thickens without evaporating too fast, and keeping the heat low when the butter goes in keeps it silky instead of greasy.
Add the tomatoes, chicken, and goat cheese.
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, nestle the chicken back into the skillet, and top each piece with goat cheese. Cover and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes, until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through.
Finish with fresh basil.
Spoon that lemon butter sauce right over the top and sprinkle with fresh basil. Dinner is served (and it looks SO much fancier than 30 minutes of work).
Oops! What did I do wrong?
My sauce tastes too salty. Can I fix it?
Yes! Squeeze in a little more lemon juice and whisk in a splash of water or unsalted broth, then taste again.
Next time, taste the sauce before that last ½ teaspoon of salt goes in, since the butter, broth, tomatoes, and goat cheese all bring salt of their own.
My sauce looks greasy or separated. What happened?
The heat was probably a little too high when the butter went in. Pull the skillet off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold broth until it comes back together, then keep the heat on low from here on out.
My chicken came out dry.
Spoon plenty of that lemon butter sauce over the top before serving and it’ll help a lot. Next time, pound it to an even thickness and only sear it until it’s almost cooked through, since it finishes cooking in the sauce.
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Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan (Copycat Recipe)
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil avocado or olive
- 1 ¼ pounds chicken breast pounded to 1-inch thick and cut into 5 pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup butter salted, divided
- ¼ cup sweet onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¾ cup chicken broth regular sodium
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 7 ounces sun-dried tomatoes julienned, drained
- ⅓ cup fresh basil chiffonade
- 4 ounces goat cheese log
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper over all of the breasts. Once the oil is heated, place the chicken in a single layer. Cook for 7–8 minutes, flipping halfway through. You want the chicken to almost be fully cooked and seared on both sides. Remove the chicken and place on a plate until ready to use.2 tablespoon oil, 1 ¼ pounds chicken breast, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add garlic and onion. Saute over medium heat for 2 minutes, or until the onion is tender.½ cup butter, ¼ cup sweet onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Pour in the broth and lemon juice. Whisk well to scrape up any bits that might be stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half. This should take about 5-7 minutes. Once reduced, turn the heat to low and add the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter one tablespoon at a time. Stir well after each addition. Taste the sauce, then mix in up to ½ teaspoon salt (salted butter, broth, and sun-dried tomatoes all add salt, so you may not need it all) and the drained sun-dried tomatoes.¾ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup lemon juice, 7 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
- Place chicken back in the skillet and top each breast with equal amounts of the goat cheese. Cover skillet with a lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.4 ounces goat cheese log
- Pour sauce over chicken for serving and sprinkle with additional fresh basil leaves, if desired.⅓ cup fresh basil
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Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What to serve with Chicken Bryan
This one’s rich and buttery, so I like to pair it with something to catch every drop of that lemon butter sauce and something green to balance it out.
My go-to is a big scoop of Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes with the sauce spooned right over the top. Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes, or Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes are great too, and a plain bowl of pasta works for the same reason.
For something green, Air Fryer Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus, or Green Beans Almondine all round out the plate. Or keep it light with a simple salad tossed in homemade Caesar Salad Dressing, Lemon Basil Vinaigrette, or Balsamic Vinaigrette.
More Delicious Copycat Recipes
It’s so fun to recreate restaurant favorites at home. Here are a few delicious dinners to try next:
More Easy Chicken Dinners
Still have chicken breasts in the fridge? These are a few more easy chicken dinners worth a spot in your rotation.
Had this at a restaurant this past week and I had to make it home. Thank you for putting this into a recipe for me!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Karen! You’re so welcome. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Made this tonight. Husband said “you couldn’t get a better meal in a restaurant.” Thank you for sharing!
Woohoo!! That’s a HUGE win! Thanks so much for letting me know and for taking the time to leave a comment/rating, Sally! 🙂
This is SO flavorful holy moly! Meal prepped this for the week and I already can’t wait to have this for dinner again tomorrow!!
Yay, Warner! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe so much. Thanks for your comment and rating 🙂
Can I just say yummmm! This just became a family favorite and saved in our book of best recipes! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Yay!! So happy you and your family enjoyed it, Jamie. Thanks so much for your comment and rating 🙂
Excellent recipe. The recommendations on the goat cheese, etc. are very helpful. My family stopped short of licking their plates.
So happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe, Kim! Thanks so much for your comment!
What do you eat this with? What sides are best?
Hi Missie! Your options are endless! I would try a few of the Roasted Broccoli or Cauliflower recipes on the site for a lighter side or some Baked Potato Wedges.
After reading Alison Kifer’s comment, I decided to make this without any added salt. None on the chicken or in the sauce, because my sundried tomatoes, chicken stock, goat cheese, and butter were all already salted. I put extra lemon just in case to tamper down the salt. And since I had no fresh basil, I used the dried leaves all over the chicken and chopped spinach into the sauce just to get that beautiful fresh green look. It turned out great! Very decadent.
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed it and am happy the salt level came out to your preference. Thanks for your comment and rating!!
I made this yesterday and it was extremely salty. Couldnt eat it.. Cant figure out why. Double checked the recipe and my measurement tools and i was accurate
Not totally sure what happened either, Allison? My only guess is that the butter or goat cheese could have had an extra bit of salt that took it over the edge for you. Sorry for the saltiness!
This was amazing! We made it last week and have plans of making it again this week. Instead of butter we used coconut oil and it tasted amazing 🙂
Yay, Kelly!! So happy you enjoyed it. Coconut oil sounds incredible! Will definitely have to try that soon. Thanks for the comment and rating 🙂
This recipe was really good! Added spinach ravioli to it and it was perfect. Even my picky husband enjoyed it,
Yay!! So so happy you both enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the review and rating!