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Carrabba’s has a special place in my heart. I worked there for many years, as did my husband and our siblings. I have so many memories of sharing meals with friends & family out on the patio or in booths after-hours. Breaking bread with family is one of my favorite things.
However there was a downside to all those wonderful memories … I didn’t have any idea of how to balance my diet when I worked there, and ended up gaining a lot of weight. I mean – have you had their bread? Very addicting.
So now that I’m in a “balanced diet” mindset, I had to recreate my favorite chicken dish: Chicken Bryan. I wanted to make a lighter & healthier version so I could reminisce without all the calories.
The original dish has a lemon-butter sauce that is totally dreamy. It’s a great splurge when you’re out to eat, but it’s a little over the top for everyday cooking. This seemed like the logical thing to cut out to lower calories & make it healthier, so my recipe doesn’t include a ‘sauce’.
The chicken is seared in a good amount of butter to lock in the juicy flavor. Then the goat cheese is added for the last few minutes in the oven. Once the chicken is cooked & the goat cheese is melty, the final touches go on. Fresh squeezed lemon, sun-dried tomatoes & their oil, plus a few leaves of fresh basil.
Simple, easy, & so delicious.
What to serve with Chicken Bryan…
- Side Salad, I recommend a Caesar or Italian
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato
- Steamed Green Beans or Broccoli
- Sangria!
What equipment do I need?
You’ll need an oven proof skillet. I use the 10.25″ Lodge Cast Iron Skillet for this recipe. If you haven’t used cast iron before – don’t worry!
It’s a great buy (inexpensive) & easy to maintain. After cooking, rinse the skillet completely with hot water. Don’t use soap or any aggressive scrubbers. If food is stuck on, use coarse salt and a gentle scrubber to exfoliate away the stuck on bits. Heat on the stove top for 2-3 minutes to make sure all moisture has evaporated. Store with a paper towel in the skillet to protect from moisture.
To season the skillet: simply massage all over with a high heat oil (vegetable oil works well) & bake for an hour at 350. Bake upside down with a sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Let cool in oven after turning off. Season the skillet every time you use it for the first dozen or so times. Once there is a good non-stick surface built up, you can season it whenever it looks like the non-stick glaze is starting to wear down.
You’ll also need a Meat Thermometer like this one. It’s important that the thermometer can stay in the oven while the chicken cooks, so it should have wired probes like the one linked above. I will also include the link in the recipe notes.
If you make this, please leave a comment below! I’d love to see how it turns out too – tag @aLittleBiteofThisandThat on Instagram or Facebook
Lighter Chicken Bryan
Equipment
- Oven Proof Skillet
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 T Butter (unsalted preferably)
- 1.5 lbs boneless/skinless Chicken Breast *see note
- Garlic Powder to taste
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 oz Goat Cheese log
- 4 oz Sun-dried Tomatoes plus oil from the jar
- Small bunch of Fresh Basil
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Pat chicken breast dry with a paper towel. Generously season both sides with garlic powder, salt, & pepper.
- Preheat cast iron skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in pan.
- Lay chicken in skillet & sear, undisturbed, for 2 minutes per side. Turn heat off. Set meat thermometer to 145F & poke into the thickest part of the chicken. Put the skillet in the preheated oven.
- While the chicken is cooking, prep the toppings. Slice the goat cheese into thin coins; cut the lemon in half; prep the basil (rinse, dry, cut stems off).
- When chicken is 145, take skillet out of the oven & top each breast with the coins of goat cheese. Set thermometer to 165F & return skillet to oven. *see note
- When chicken is done, remove skillet from oven. Squeeze the lemon halves all over the chicken. Top with sun-dried tomatoes & sprinkle some extra oil from the tomato jar over the goat cheese. Add basil evenly over the chicken.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- 10.25″ Cast Iron Skillet … with Silicone Handle Cover
- For the chicken in this recipe, I do not recommend the thin sliced chicken breasts. The thicker breasts make for a juicer & more tender end-result. If you prefer thin-sliced, sear for one minute per side.
- I actually set my Meat Thermometer to 163 & keep the thermometer in after removing from the oven. It continues cooking for a few minutes & always reaches 165+.
- Do not replace dried basil for fresh in this recipe. The flavor is not the same.
- Did you know you can freeze lemons? The one used for this recipe & the background prop were both frozen at their peak freshness. Thaw for a few minutes in lukewarm water or in the microwave in :30 increments. Roll the whole fruit between your hand & the counter to loosen the fibers up before cutting in half & pressing through a handheld juicer.
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[…] Fresh Basil is one of my favorite summer-time foods. Living in Michigan means fresh basil is hard to come by year round so I try to get my fill while I can! If you also love basil, then you’ll love this meal plan. It includes a few of my favorite dinners that use fresh basil … Easy Margherita Pizza, Sheet Pan Chicken Bruschetta, & Lighter Chicken Bryan. […]