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Sarah Mock· February 27, 2020 · Last Modified: February 9, 2021

Easy Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe

Chicken Recipes, Sous Vide

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Sous vide chicken breast will give you the juiciest chicken breast you have ever eaten. The controlled time and temperature of sous vide cooking will give you tender chicken that is easily adapted to so many chicken breast recipes. 

2 sous vide chicken breasts sliced and fanned out on a white rectangle serving plate

What are the advantages of using sous vide to cook chicken breasts?

When you sous vide chicken breast the meat will be amazingly moist, tender and texture that you can’t get with any other cooking method. There is no loss of flavor and you can cook without any fat if you are looking for a truly fat-free chicken breast. Meal prepping has never been simpler when you batch cook chicken breasts with sous vide.

Cooking sous vide chicken breasts is a totally hands-off approach to cooking. No need to tend to a hot skillet or babysit a grill. Set the temperature of the cooking water and your chicken breast will be ready when you are ready to eat. 

sous vide chicken breast sliced on a white rectangle serving plate with a serving fork

How long do you cook chicken breast in sous vide?

Cook chicken breast in the sous vide for a minimum of 1 hour. The beauty of sous vide cooking is there is not only wiggle room in the cooking time but there are hours of wriggle room in the cooking time. Cook chicken breasts for up to 4 hours. When you see a cook time listed as 1-4 hours, it means just that. Cook it for 1 hour but up to 4 hours. After 4 hours the meat will become so tender it will start to mush. 

chicken breasts in a bag with olive oil, salt and peper

Is it safe to cook chicken breast below 165?

We all know that it is best to cook chicken breast to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). When the temperature hits 165 foodborne bacteria are killed INSTANTLY. But if you hold chicken at 155 for 60 seconds it will kill the same foodborne bacteria. SOOOO if you cook the chicken to 150 for a minimum of 1 hour the same foodborne bacteria dies but it is a slow death. 

When cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165 the outer layers of the breast will have to reach a temperature higher than 165. The higher temperature will make the meat tough and dry. Sous vide cooking solves all these problems. Check out this chicken safe temperature chart.

raw chicken breasts in a sous vide bag cooking in a sous vide circulator

What is the best sous vide chicken breast temperature?

For me, I like 150 for 1 hour. But other people like 145 for 2 hours. What is the difference? The difference is texture. 150 will give you a super juicy piece of meat, juicier than a piece cooked to 165, but closer to the texture of a 165 cook.

The 145 will give you a softer, yet juicier piece of meat. If you are used to the chicken being cooked at 165, I would start out at 150 and then ease yourself down to 145.

pre seared chicken breast in a small zip top bag, post sous vide cooking with purge in the bag

Do I have to defrost chicken breasts before cooking them sous vide?

Another advantage of cooking chicken breast sous vide is that there is no need to thaw a frozen chicken breast before cooking it. The only thing you will have to adjust is your cooking time. Add an additional hour of cook time for frozen chicken. 

3 ways of bagging up chicken breast for sous vide cooking

Do you have to vacuum seal the bag to cook chicken breast?

Chicken breasts are one of those food items that are fine to not to vacuum seal before lowering into the water bath. As long as you remove as much air as possible, keeping the chicken breasts in a single layer the pressure of the water should force out the rest of the air if you leave a corner of the zip top bag open as you lower it into the water. Close the zip top as the air is completely out. 

sous vide chicken breast in a food saver sealed bag

Is it safe to cook individually wrapped chicken breast in the original plastic packaging?

This is totally my opinion but I would not be cooking individually wrapped chicken breast in their original plastic packaging. I have trust issues and I don’t trust those seals. It is safer to repackage those chicken breasts into another sous vide safe plastic bag that you can vacuum seal or just use the water displacement method to get the air out of the bag. 

2 raw chicken breasts on a cutting board seasoned with salt and pepper in preparation to be sous vide

To season or not to season?

I like to season with just a bit of salt, pepper and olive oil in the bag but you are welcome to season up your chicken as you like. Keep in mind you just need about a tablespoon of marinade or a pinch of herbs per chicken breast. Here are some suggestions:

  • Lemon slices and thyme
  • Salsa
  • Thyme, rosemary and lemon slice
  • Poultry seasoning mix
  • Roasted garlic or garlic confit
  • Italian seasoning
  • Lemon Pepper
  • Ranch Dressing powder (Check out my seasoned ranch cheese crackers if you love ranch as much as I do)
showing the difference between pre sear, post sear and no sear chicken breast with sous vide cooking

Pre sear, post sear or no sear?

Once again the answer is, it is up to you! Pre searing is when you sear the chicken in a hot pan to give it a bit of color before it goes into the sous vide bag. In my opinion, pre searing adds another layer of flavor for the chicken to cook in. Post searing is when you remove the chicken from the cooking bag, pat it dry with paper towels and sear it in a hot pan to give it color and crisp the outside. 

searing a chicken breast in a screaming hot cast iron pan

I will not do a sear at all if I am making something like chicken for chicken salad or chicken tacos. All the extra flavors of those recipes will give the chicken all the flavor it needs. I am sure you will find a technique that is perfect for you and your recipes.

chicken breast seared in a cast iron skillet.

Recipes tha use sous vide chicken breast:

  • Chicken salad
  • Chicken Tacos
  • Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (use shredded sous vide chicken breasts)
  • Dorito Chicken Casserole (sous vide the chicken and add it to the recipe)
  • Cheesy Chicken Casserole (batch cook the chicken in the beginning of the week for this recipe)
sous vide chicken breast sliced open to see the moisture and texture on a dark surface, horizontal image

How to make sous vide chicken:

  1. Preheat sous vide precision cooker to 150º Fahrenheit.
  2. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
  3. Place chicken breasts in a Ziptop bag along with olive oil and/or other seasonings in the bag.
  4. Vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to force out the air in the bag as you lower it into the water bath.
  5. Cook for 1 -4 hours. After cook time, remove the bag from the bath and discard the purge and the bag.
  6. Remove chicken breasts and pat very dry with paper towels.
  7. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
  8. Sear 1 minute per side or until nicely browned. 

Sous vide equipment and accessories used:

  • Sous vide immersion circulator such as a Joule or an Anova
  • Heat safe container such as a pot or a sous vide container with lid
  • Cast iron pan
  • Gallon Zip top bag, freezer safe
  • Tongs

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sous vide chicken breast sliced open to show texture, square image

Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Sarah Mock
Sous vide chicken breast will give you the juiciest chicken breast you have ever eaten. The controlled time and temperature of sous vide cooking will give you tender chicken that is easily adapted to so many chicken breast recipes. 
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 2 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Additional Time 2 mins
Total Time 1 hr 4 mins
Prevent your screen from going dark, toggle to button to the right to turn GREEN
Course Chicken Recipes
Cuisine French
Servings 2
Calories 261 kcal

Equipment

  • Joule Sous Vide
  • Anova Culinary Sous Vide Cooker
  • LIPAVI 19 Qt Sous Vide Water Bath
  • LIPAVI Sous Vide Rack 7.8 x 6.4 Inch
  • Lid for Sous Vide Container, with precision cut-out

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat sous vide precision cooker to 150º Fahrenheit.
  • Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
    2 raw chicken breasts on a cutting board seasoned with salt and pepper in preparation to be sous vide
  • Place chicken breasts in a Ziptop or food saver bag along with olive oil and/or other seasonings in the bag.
    chicken breasts in a bag with olive oil, salt and peper
  • Vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to force out the air in the bag as you lower it into the water bath.
    sous vide chicken breast in a food saver sealed bag
  • Cook for 1 -4 hours. (see notes)
  • After cook time, remove the bag from the bath and discard the purge and the bag.
    sous vide chicken breast in a zip top bag with purge in the bag, post sous vide cook
  • Remove chicken breasts and pat very dry with paper towels.
    patting a sous vide chicken breast dry with a paper towel after cooking in preparation of searing
  • Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
  • Sear 1 minute per side or until nicely browned. 
    Chicken breast seared on both sides in preparation for sous vide

Notes

chicken breast seared in a cast iron skillet.
Pre searing is when you sear the chicken in a hot pan to give it a bit of color before it goes into the sous vide bag. In my opinion, pre searing adds another layer of flavor for the chicken to cook in. Post searing is when you remove the chicken from the cooking bag, pat it dry with paper towels and sear it in a hot pan to give it color and crisp the outside. 
patting a sous vide chicken breast dry with a paper towel after cooking in preparation of searing

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 261kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 37gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 380mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sarah Mock of savoringthegood.com headshot 2018

Sarah Mock

CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger

Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

    About Sarah Mock

    Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.

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