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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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)
How to make sous vide chicken:
- Preheat sous vide precision cooker to 150º Fahrenheit.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Place chicken breasts in a Ziptop bag along with olive oil and/or other seasonings in the bag.
- Vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to force out the air in the bag as you lower it into the water bath.
- Cook for 1 -4 hours. After cook time, remove the bag from the bath and discard the purge and the bag.
- Remove chicken breasts and pat very dry with paper towels.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
- 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
Pin to Pinterest:
Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Equipment
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.
- Place chicken breasts in a Ziptop or food saver bag along with olive oil and/or other seasonings in the bag.
- Vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to force out the air in the bag as you lower it into the water bath.
- Cook for 1 -4 hours. (see notes)
- After cook time, remove the bag from the bath and discard the purge and the bag.
- Remove chicken breasts and pat very dry with paper towels.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot.
- Sear 1 minute per side or until nicely browned.
Notes
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.
Nutrition
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.