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    Home » Recipes » Poultry

    The Best Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Recipe

    Mar 3, 2020 · 8 Comments

    Sous vide chicken thighs are an absolute game changer. Cooking sous vide allows you to make perfectly juicy and tender thighs, every single time. Time to say goodbye to the days of dry chicken, and hello to juicy thighs cooked exactly how you want it.

    best sous vide chicken thighs with rosemary

    In this recipe, we will walk you through everything you need to know to make the best chicken thighs of your life. From selecting a perfect time and temperature, to whether you should use bone in or boneless chicken thighs, this recipe has it all.

    Bone in or Boneless Chicken Thighs?

    The first step is determining whether you should purchase bone in or boneless chicken thighs 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 using bone-in chicken thighs. They tend to be juicer and more flavorful, and the meat around the bone is to die for.

    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, submerge the bag in a container of water, and allow the pressure to force all the air out of the bag.

    Either method works for chicken thighs. 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 thickness of the protein.

    sous vide chicken thigh cut open

    Sous Vide Chicken Thigh Temperature

    DonenessRangeOur Favorite
    Firm and Juicy160 – 167F / 71 – 75C165F / 74C

    Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Cooking Time

    CutRangeOur Favorite
    Chicken Thighs1 to 4 hours1 ½ hours

    Our personal favorite is cooking chicken thighs at 74C/165F 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 165F ensures that the chicken is fully cooked to the bone. 

    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 Thighs?

    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 thighs sous vide we recommend adding an additional hour to the cook time, so two hours and 30 minutes total for thighs.

    Recommended Searing Methods for Chicken Thighs

    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 thighs, 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 thighs.

    Top Sous Vide Chicken Thigh Recipes

    sous vide chicken piccata in a cast iron skillet

    • Chicken Piccata -A sous vide twist on a timeless classic - chicken piccata. In this recipe, we wanted to focus on making two things great – the sauce and the chicken. We kept the sauce simple with only fresh ingredients. However, the flavors of the sauce emulsify in the sous vide to create a heavenly, tangy sauce.

    • Pollo Asado - This recipe uses a delicious marinade of citrus juices and a blend of herbs and spices. We decided to kick it up a notch by using chicken thighs, which are incredibly tender cooked sous vide.

    • Chicken Paprikash - In this dish the heavenly sauce is creamy and bursting with flavor. The chicken is juicy and tender. It is the perfect homey meal.

    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 72 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.

    best sous vide chicken thighs with rosemary
    5 from 2 votes
    Print

    Sous Vide Chicken Thighs

    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword best, chicken thigh, sous vide, sous vide chicken thigh
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Hands-On Cook Time 5 minutes
    Sous Vide Time 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings 4 people

    Ingredients

    • 4 bone-in, skin-on or boneless chicken thighs
    • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    Preparation

    1. Set sous vide machine to 74C/165F.

    2. Season chicken thighs with salt to taste. 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

    1. Remove bag from bath. Take chicken out of the bag, pat dry and season with salt and pepper to taste.

    2. Heat up large skillet on high and add oil. Sear chicken thighs 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!

    « The Best Sous Vide Steak Recipe
    Sous Vide Shredded Beef Recipe »

    About Jason Veselak

    Jason is a home chef with a passion for preparing perfectly-cooked, gourmet meals at home - so naturally he became obsessed with cooking sous vide. This obsession led to a quest to find the perfect cooking time, temperatures and techniques for every type of food he puts in the bath. Jason is excited to share his pro-tips and favorite recipes to help make cooking sous vide an unforgettable experience for everyone. Follow his culinary adventures at @sousveezy on Instagram to learn more!

    This post may contain affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. melissa says

      April 01, 2020 at 10:51 am

      Thank you for your in-depth recipe. I did this yesterday and it turned out wonderful.

      Reply
      • Jason Veselak says

        April 01, 2020 at 11:45 am

        Thank you so much, Melissa! So glad it turned out great.

        Reply
    2. Paul Costello says

      April 01, 2020 at 7:25 pm

      Would it add flavor to brine the thighs first ?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Jason Veselak says

        April 02, 2020 at 9:32 am

        I've done a few tests with brining thighs and found that the difference is almost negligible. If you've got the time on your hands, you might be able to tell the slightest difference, but to me it's not worth the extra time/effort.

        Reply
        • Josh says

          March 18, 2022 at 5:31 am

          Normally brining is used to help keep thing moist and add flavor. When using souse vide retaining moisture is less important but brining can still add flavor. This can be especially helpful with chicken. Any recipe can use a brine if you plan ahead. Just use the same spices and herbs you use for your sauce. When making a brine you want to use more spices and herbs than you would for a sauce, remember your just cold soaking the meat so flavor takes longer to penetrate the meat. When I brine before souse vide I cut out the salt entirely and use broth instead of water. I also get rid of the sugar and substitute a little honey. Then I use a tone of fresh spices and herbs.

          Reply
    3. Joe L says

      April 05, 2020 at 10:57 am

      The recipe is really comprehensive and helped make me make really good chicken thighs. Thanks!

      Reply
    4. Lily says

      March 16, 2021 at 10:44 am

      Great write-up. Used the recommended time and it went beautifully.
      Just so you know though, there is someone using your work under their name, with a few words changed here and there... and incorrect information (they cut the 1 in "1 1/2 h" while changing the sentence I guess lol

      Reply
      • Jason Veselak says

        March 16, 2021 at 10:57 am

        Thank you so much, Lily! I appreciate that. And thank you for bringing that to my attention, definitely looks like they copied and pasted my work with some minor changes :(. I'll definitely reach out.

        Reply

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