This Chicken Bryan recipe is a Carrabba’s copycat that deliverers juicy chicken breast in with a rich garlic lemon butter sauce, covered in sun-dried tomatoes, creamy goat cheese and fresh basil. Serve your pan grilled chicken with pasta, mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables for the perfect Carrabba’s meal made at home.

Chicken Bryan Recipe

Ask my husband what is favorite dish is when we go out for a night on the town and hands down he will say Chicken Bryan at Carrabba’s Italian Grill every time.

I mean, what’s not to like about perfectly grilled chicken topped with Carrabba’s lemon butter sauce on top and smothered in goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and fresh herbs? 

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.

Why This Copycat Carrabba’s Recipe Works

• Easy – When it comes to easy chicken recipes, this sun dried smothered chicken needs to be at the top of the list. No crazy ingredients or techniques needed to deliver this amazing plate of food. Just make an easy garlic lemon sauce for your pan grilled chicken and pile on the rest of the ingredients on top.. Done!
• Flavor – Tender, juicy perfectly seasoned chicken smothered in a lemon basil butter sauce then covered with creamy goat cheese, fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes. Heart, bursting with robust flavor and perfect to serve over pasta, mashed veggies or just on it’s own.
• Home – The best of this Chicken Bryan recipe for me is that I can make it any time I want in the comfort of my own home.. often wearing yoga pants and a messy bun but you get my drift. Learning how to make this authentic copycat of Carrabba’s chicken in your own kitchen is a game changer!

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. Move to a large bowl and move bowl to the refrigerator for at least 30 minute all the way up to 1 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!

Recipe Tips

• Marinade: I am pretty sure Carrabba’s doesn’t marinate their chicken like this but I love the extra lemon flavor that it provides.
• 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. 
• Grilled: If you prefer, you can cook your chicken using an outdoor grill for super juicy chicken breasts. Just be sure to grill your chicken for about 5 minutes each side and reach your safe temperature of 165 degrees.
• Serving: If you prefer, serve this copycat Chicken Bryan recipe up on a beg of mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, roasted vegetables or parmesan rice. There are no wrong answers.

Storage and Reheating

• Storage – Store any leftover Chicken Bryan in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheating – Butter sauces will break when cooling so when you reheat your leftovers, the sauce will appear to be very buttery. It will still be delicious so reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring half way through.

An exact copycat Carrabba’s recipe?

No, I’m sure this is not exactly how Carrabba’s makes their famous chicken dish. I have no idea what their exact grill seasoning mix is and I am sure they don’t add Parmesan cheese to their lemon butter sauce, but this is my interpretation of their Chicken Bryan dish and I get no complaints from the hubby

More Easy Chicken Dinners

• Chicken Parmesan
• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
• Sweet and Spicy Thai Chicken
• Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Copycat Carrabba’s Chicken Bryan

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This Chicken Bryan recipe is a Carrabba's copycat that deliverers juicy chicken breast in with a rich garlic lemon butter sauce, covered in sun-dried tomatoes, creamy goat cheese and fresh basil. Serve your pan grilled chicken with pasta, mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables for the perfect Carrabba's meal made at home.

Heather

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Serving Size 4

Ingredients

Lemon Marinade

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 lemon, juiced

Chicken Bryan

• 3 chicken breasts, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon each Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder
• 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons oil from sun dried tomatoes
• 6-7 leaves fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 4 ounces goat cheese, sliced

Pasta

• 1 pound fettuccini

Instructions

• 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. Move to a large bowl and move bowl to the refrigerator for at least 30 minute all the way up to 1 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!

Notes

Recipe Tips

• Marinade: I am pretty sure Carrabba's doesn't marinate their chicken like this but I love the extra lemon flavor that it provides.
• 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. 
• Grilled: If you prefer, you can cook your chicken using an outdoor grill for super juicy chicken breasts. Just be sure to grill your chicken for about 5 minutes each side and reach your safe temperature of 165 degrees.
• Serving: If you prefer, serve this copycat Chicken Bryan recipe up on a beg of mashed potatoes, mashed cauliflower, roasted vegetables or parmesan rice. There are no wrong answers.

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 582.3kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.3g | Protein: 34.1g | Fat: 46.2g | Saturated Fat: 23.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18.2g | Cholesterol: 146.8mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 200.9mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 1.9g | Vitamin A: 1480IU | Vitamin C: 12.6mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in August of 2015 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in April of 2024.