The Ultimate Sous Vide Chicken Guide

By Danielle on January 25, 2024, Updated April 11, 2024 Leave a Comment

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Sous vide chicken in one of the best ways you can make chicken - all cuts of chicken!

Cooking chicken sous vide ensures you get perfect, tender, juicy results every single time. Say goodbye to dry chicken forever!

Once I started cooking chicken sous vide, I never looked back. Not only is it super easy to make, with much of the cook time being hands off, it comes out perfect every time.

I don't know about you, but I have always struggled with chicken breast just being too dry. That's not a problem anymore.

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator (i.e. the sous vide machine). This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking and the benefits of sous vide cooking."

You will also want to check out these posts on the best sous vide containers and the best sous vide bags for more information!

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Like I said, sous vide chicken is the only way to cook chicken, and these reasons explain why:

Because you are able to cook the chicken at a precise controlled temperature, it gets perfectly cooked through without getting dry or overcooked.

It is literally perfectly cooked every time. It's never dry, stringy or bland. It's ALWAYS juicy.

Being able to cook the chicken at a desired (SAFE) temperature allows us to cook it at lower temperatures which is how we get it to stay juicy.

Not only does it come out perfectly cooked, you can make it in advance, which makes it absolutely perfect for meal planning.

You can vacuum seal chicken ahead of time and freeze it until you are ready to cook...OR...you can cook it and store it in the freezer (or fridge) until you are ready eat it.

Just reheat it in a 145°F water bath or very carefully in the microwave for 30 second intervals.

You control what goes in the bag with the chicken, so you can keep it as healthy as you'd like. And because we don't need to sear chicken breast, you don't need oil for searing.

If you are cooking skin on chicken, the skin can come out a bit rubbery in the sous vide so I actually recommend removing it and either cooking it separately on the stove to crisp it, or discarding it if you're looking for a healthier meal.

Heat a sous vide water bath, season your chicken, vacuum seal it and let it cook for a couple hours.

That's how easy it is. No watching it in the oven to make sure it's cooked all the way...or not overcooked...it will ALWAYS be cooked to perfection using sous vide.

If your chicken is frozen, that's ok. Put it in a vacuum seal bag with some seasonings and cook it in the water bath, adding an extra 30 minutes to the cook time.

It's easy if you forgot to thaw it, or you meal prepped and just don't feel like thawing it out before cooking it.

Making sous vide chicken is very easy.

Step 1: Heat the sous vide water bath to desired temperature (see temperature chart below).

Step 2: Season the chicken with desired seasonings.

Step 3: Vacuum seal the chicken in a bag or use a Ziplock bag with the water displacement method.

Step 4: Cook in the sous vide water bath.

Step 5: Remove and either serve immediately, brown the skin in a skillet and serve, or chill to serve later.

You can cook your chicken at a range of different temperatures, depending on your preference. I've included my personal recommendations below as well.

You can use a sous vide water bath to pasteurize chicken. This is what allows us to cook chicken at lower temperatures than the traditional USDA recommendation of 165°F.

The below chart shows when chicken (with 5% fat content) is completely pasteurized. This includes the approximate time it takes for the chicken to reach the recommended temperature internally.

Typically, we recommend chicken breast be cooked for about 1 ½ to 2 hours at 140-145°F, while chicken thighs/legs be cooked for about 3-6 hours (this ensure pasteurization) at 155-160°F.

When cooking skin on chicken, cooking it in the water bath tend to make the chicken skin tough and rubbery. You can still brown it in a pan after cooking and it will add some crisp, but there will still be a slight rubbery feel to it as it soaked up moisture while cooking in the bag.

To get the crispiest chicken skin, remove the skin from the chicken, season is as desired, and cook it in a skillet over medium heat until crisped.

You can also bake it in a 400°F oven for about 20 minutes, or until it gets golden brown and crispy.

Like I said, we love cooking chicken sous vide around here - here are some of the reader favorite recipes:

Because chicken is so versatile, you can use it for so many dishes. Either make it simple (like one of the recipes above), or cook it and use it for one of these ideas:

Sous vide chicken breast is best when cooked between 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, while sous vide chicken thigh/legs are best cooked for 3-6 hours. Cooking for longer won't damage it, it just becomes a little mushier the longer it stays in past the recommended time.

As long as it is cooked long enough for the internal temperature to reach 145°F, and cook at that temperature for at least 10 minutes, it is completely safe to eat. Generally, if the chicken is cooked for 70 minutes at 145°F it is safe to eat.

Sous vide chicken breast can come out rubbery if it is overcooked (too long past recommended times or at too high a temperature). Sous vide chicken thighs/legs can be rubbery if they are not cooked at a high enough temperature (they should be cooked at at least 150°F to properly break down and become tender.

While you technically can sous vide chicken at 135°F, the texture would be slightly rubbery and the inside have a slightly raw texture that may not be desirable. That said, as long as it is cooked for at least 130 minutes, it should be safe to eat as it will be pasteurized.

I think you'll understand now why sous vide chicken is just the best. It's so easy to make, comes out perfect every time, and has so many uses!

What is your favorite way to eat sous vide chicken? Leave a comment below and let us know!