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Are you a fan of Carrabba's? We did not have one in Iowa, at least not that I know of, but it has become a family favorite since we got to Arizona. I usually order the Shrimp Scampi topped Filet Mignon, but sometimes you need to change things up a bit and go with chicken. This Chicken Bryan recipe is guaranteed to impress!
Are you wondering what exactly I am talking about? Chicken Bryan is a grilled, butterflied chicken breast topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and a velvety lemon butter sauce that is mind blowingly delicious!!
Now that you know what is in it, how about we make it! I was originally planning to make this a dinner for two meal, but didn't want to be stuck with half a package of goat cheese and almost full jar of sun-dried tomatoes. Making a meal for four just makes more sense, and you get leftovers!!
How to make Chicken Bryan like Carrabba's:
How to butterfly chicken breasts:
Place your chicken breast on a cutting mat/board.
Slice the chicken horizontally through the center of the thickest part of the breast.
Do not go all the way through, stop just before you slice the chicken in half. Unfold the chicken and place on a baking sheet.
Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
Grill the chicken until cooked through, 165 degrees on a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the chicken. Approximately 5 to 8 minutes per side.
While the chicken is grilling, melt two Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute.
Pour in the wine and lemon juice.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce.
Go flip the chicken over while the sauce is reducing.
Add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time whisking to combine. You want the sauce to be emulsified/blended together.
Check on the chicken. When it is just about ready, place the goat cheese on top so it can melt.
Stir the tomato strips into the sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
To serve, place a chicken breast on a plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.
Carrabba's serves their meals with pasta, garlic mashed potatoes or steamed broccoli...so I decided to make mine look like the picture on their menu.
Is this an exact copycat?
No, it is not. I have no idea what is in their grill seasoning, but this is my go-to combination that I use on everything! My chicken breasts were ginormous, so the scale is a bit off.
My version contains more sun-dried tomatoes, because I like them. I also chose to slice my basil leaves, they tear them for the official images and chop them in the restaurant. Do what feels right to you, these are all just guidelines.
Why is it called Chicken Bryan?
Founder Johnny Carrabba dedicated this dish to his grandfather and named it after Bryan, Texas - where the family first moved to from Sicily over one hundred years ago.
Recipe Note and Tips
- Cooking time for the chicken will depend on how thick your chicken is, how cold your chicken is when you put it on the grill, and how hot your grill is.
- If you do not want to use wine, substitute chicken stock.
- Not a fan of goat cheese? It happens. Substitute your choice of cheese.
- Sauces made with butter tend to break if you get them too hot, or sometimes when they start to cool. It may look different, but it will still taste delicious.
More delicious chicken recipes:
- Mediterranean Chicken
- Chinese Orange Chicken
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
- Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Enjoy!!
Chicken Bryan Recipe
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
Seasoning Mixture
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper it's just for background flavor, not heat.
Lemon-Butter Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
- ½ cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 6 Tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
- 3 ounces oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes cut into strips (about 10 whole pieces)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts butterflied
- olive oil to brush on chicken
- 4 ounce goat cheese cut into 8 slices
- ¼ cup fresh basil thinly sliced or chopped
Instructions
How to butterfly chicken breasts:
- Place your chicken breast on a cutting mat/board.
- Slice the chicken horizontally through the center of the thickest part of the breast.
- Do not go all the way through, stop just before you slice the chicken in half. Unfold the chicken and place on a baking sheet.
- Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
- Grill the chicken until cooked through, 165 degrees on a meat thermometer stuck into the thickest part of the chicken. Approximately 5 to 8 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is grilling, melt two Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute.
- Pour in the wine and lemon juice. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce.
- Go flip the chicken over while the sauce is reducing.
- Add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time whisking to combine. You want the sauce to be emulsified/blended together.
- Check on the chicken. When it is just about ready, place the goat cheese on top so it can melt.
- Stir the tomato strips into the sauce. Remove from heat and set aside.
- To serve, place a chicken breast on a plate and spoon the sauce over the top. Garnish with the fresh basil and serve immediately.
Notes
- Cooking time for the chicken will depend on how thick your chicken is, how cold your chicken is when you put it on the grill, and how hot your grill is.
- If you do not want to use wine, substitute chicken stock.
- Not a fan of goat cheese? It happens. Substitute your choice of cheese.
- Sauces made with butter tend to break if you get them too hot, or sometimes when they start to cool. It may look different, but it will still taste delicious.
Nutrition
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