Sous vide chicken breasts are an absolute game changer. Cooking sous vide allows you to make perfectly juicy and tender breasts, every single time. Time to say goodbye to the days of dry chicken, and hello to juicy breasts cooked exactly how you want it.
In this recipe, we will walk you through everything you need to know to make the best chicken breast of your life. From selecting how long to sous vide a chicken breast, to whether you should sous vide boneless chicken breast or bone in, this recipe has it all.
Bone in or Boneless Chicken Breast?
The first step is determining whether you should purchase bone in or boneless chicken breasts for this recipe. The quick answer, either cut will result in tender, juicy meat. Also, either can be used interchangeably for most sous vide recipes.
That being said, we prefer to sous vide boneless skinless chicken breast. This cut is leaner and more versatile, and is equally as juicy thanks to the sous vide.
Packaging
An essential part of cooking sous vide is putting ingredients in an air-tight bag or container. The two most common techniques to package your ingredients are vacuum sealing and using the water displacement method.
A vacuum sealer removes all the air and seals the contents of a plastic bag through a vacuum. This process ensures the food is airtight and properly sealed, and prevents the bag from floating which can result in uneven cooking. If you are in the market for a vacuum sealer, I'd recommend the Anova sealer.
The displacement method is a technique where you first place your food and marinades in a sous vide bag. Next, submerge the bag in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag. Once all the air is out, zip up the top and you're all set!
Either method works for chicken breasts. Note that if you are adding a marinade in the bag, please make sure your vacuum sealer is capable of sealing liquids. If not, please use the displacement method.
Time and Temperature
The time and temperature guide below is the product of years of extensive testing, and will take the guesswork out of cooking sous vide. Simply select a temperature based on your desired doneness, then determine the length of the cook based on the cut of the breast.
Sous Vide Chicken Breast Temperature
| Doneness | Range | Our Favorite |
|---|---|---|
| Tender and Soft | 140 – 149F / 60 – 65C | 140F / 60C |
| Tender and Stringy | 150 – 159F / 65.5C – 70.5C | 150F / 65.5C |
| Firm and Juicy | 160 – 167F / 71 – 75C | 165F / 74C |
Chicken Breast Sous Vide Time
| Cut | Range | Our Favorite |
|---|---|---|
| Boneless Chicken Breasts | 1 to 3 hours | 1 ½ hours |
| Bone-in Chicken Breasts | 2 to 4 hours | 3 hours |
Our personal favorite is cooking chicken breasts at 60C/140F for 1 ½ hours. Cooking the meat for this duration results in a tender, juicy bird that Thomas Keller would be proud of. Furthermore, cooking them at a temperature of 140F ensures that the chicken is fully cooked with great texture.
Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule).
Although this combination of time and temperature is our favorite, we recommend you explore different combinations to find your personal favorite. Our cooking guide can always help you find your perfect time and temperature.
Can You Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast?
The quick answer is, absolutely! Cooking frozen foods sous vide is an ultra convenient, safe way to prepare your protein. Just take the food directly from the fridge, repackage it (unless you know the bag is sous vide safe) and let the sous vide work its magic.
The only thing you'll need to adjust is the cook time. If you are cooking frozen chicken breast sous vide we recommend adding an additional hour to the cook time, so two hours and 30 minutes total for breasts.
Recommended Searing Methods for Chicken Breast
Searing is by far the most important step in cooking sous vide. If want your food to look like it is Michelin star quality, you are going to have to get a rich sear on it. Failing to do so will make your dinner guests wonder why they let you cook again.
If you want an amazing sear, you’ve got to:
1. Pat the meat completely dry with a paper towel
2. Season generously with salt or seasoning of your choice
3. Sear at extremely high temperatures.
At this point you want to determine the best searing method. For chicken breasts, we suggest pan searing, grilling or using a searing torch. The trick is getting the pan, grill or torch extremely hot, then searing for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. This results in a quick, high-quality sear without drying out the breast.
Top Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipes
Chicken with Herbed Butter Sauce - In this dish, it is all about the sauce. The combination of chicken juice, butter and herbs united harmoniously to create a brilliant sauce. Put the heavenly sauce on succulent sous vide chicken breast, and you have yourself a meal that will please the masses.
Shredded Chicken - This recipe uses the sous vide for an ultra easy, delicious way to make shredded chicken. Cooking the chicken breast sous vide takes away all the guess work. You will have tender, juicy shredded chicken for all your needs, every single time.
- Chicken Parmesan - This is our twist on an Italian classic, chicken Parmesan. This recipe has every delicious element you’d want in a dish. Breaded chicken breasts, tomato sauce, pasta and cheese. In my opinion, almost nothing is better than that.
Special Equipment
Sous Vide Machine – This one is obvious. To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule.
The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you can only control the device by using your mobile device. Either way, both sous vide machines are top class and you can’t go wrong with either choice.
12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.
Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for hours care-free.
Cast Iron Skillet – If you are looking to take your searing game to the next level, we recommend investing in a cast iron skillet. By using a cast iron in this recipe, you’ll achieve a deep sear on the protein. Cast irons are also extremely handy for searing just about any and all sous vide meat. Lodge offers the best quality and price, which is why it is our favorite cast iron brand.
Next Level Sous Vide –Looking to take your sous vide skills to the next level? The Next Level Sous Vide eCookbook will push your culinary boundaries with 65 delicious recipes that are equally approachable and tasty. With pro tips and a detailed explanation of the sous vide process, you will be on your way to maximize your sous vide skills.
Check out our full list of recommended gear here.
Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper (or seasoning) to taste
Instructions
Preparation
Set sous vide machine to 60C/140F.
Season chicken breasts lightly with salt or a seasoning of your choice. Place chicken in sous vide bag with thyme, and remove the air through a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop the bag in the bath for an hour and a half.
Finishing
Remove bag from bath. Take chicken out of the bag, pat dry and season with salt and pepper (or seasoning) to taste.
Heat up large skillet on high and add oil. Sear chicken breasts for 60 seconds on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan, and place on a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Once rested, serve and enjoy!
Cooking for Geeks (a book you would enjoy)
..excellant ecepies. finally someone who actually understands the chemistry
I used your chicken thigh and breast sous vide recipes and it came out perfectly. Thank you.
I'll never cook chicken breasts on a pan ever again! These were so juicy and easy to make.