Sous Vide Chicken Breast

11 months ago 48

Making this Sous Vide Chicken Breast is so easy, and it leads to the juiciest, tenderest chicken. It’s simply flavored with lemon, thyme, and rosemary for a delicious and healthy dinner that pairs with anything. Don’t overlook this cooking...

Making this Sous Vide Chicken Breast is so easy, and it leads to the juiciest, tenderest chicken. It’s simply flavored with lemon, thyme, and rosemary for a delicious and healthy dinner that pairs with anything. Don’t overlook this cooking method because it leads to perfectly-cooked chicken breast every time, guaranteed!

three-quarters view of 2 sliced sous vide chicken breasts on a white plate with a lemon slice.
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Why We Love This Sous Vide Chicken Recipe

The sous vide method cooks chicken breast to the perfect temperature by cooking it vacuum-sealed in warm water. This process prevents overcooking, so you’ll never end up with dry chicken again!

Juicy. The low and slow cooking time ensures your chicken will never turn out dry. Flavorful. The seasonings and herbs infuse the chicken with so much flavor. Easy. Just vacuum seal the chicken, set it, and forget it! This cooking method is totally hands off.

Variations on Sous Vide Chicken Breasts

There are so many easy ways to change up this simple chicken breast recipe. A dry rub or a marinade can add so much flavor! Try a dry rub using chicken seasoning, Creole seasoning, blackened seasoning, taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, Italian seasoning, or herbs de Provence. For a marinade, try barbecue sauce, honey mustard, Italian dressing, pesto, chimichurri, mustard cream sauce, Buffalo sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or Ranch dressing.

2 raw chicken breasts in a vacuum sealed bag with lemon slices and herbs.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover sous vide chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 140°F sous vide bath for about 1 hour.

How to Freeze

Freeze sous vide boneless chicken breast in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken for meal prep, so make extra and store it for months to come!

Serving Suggestions

This sous vide chicken is the perfect topper for a Caesar salad, green goddess salad, cobb salad, or Italian salad. Add it to chicken Alfredo or pesto mac and cheese for a more filling entrée, or pair it with simple sides, like Instant Pot rice, creamy mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes. Finish it off with some blistered sweet peppers, honey glazed carrots, or Parmesan broccoli for a balanced meal!

Can you sous vide frozen chicken?

Yes! Simply add an extra 30-60 minutes to the sous vide time.

What temperature do you sous vide chicken breast? 

145°F is the ideal temperature to sous vide chicken breasts so that they remain tender and juicy. You can cook them at a higher temperature if you prefer, though!

Is it safe to sous vide chicken at 145°F?

Absolutely! While the FDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F, chicken that is cooked to an exact temperature of 145°F for at least 1 hour is safe to eat. This is because the sous vide process slowly pasteurizes the chicken and kills any bacteria.

How long do you sous vide a chicken breast?

We are cooking our chicken for about 1½ hours to ensure it is nice and soft.

Can you make this without a sous vide machine?

It is possible to make this recipe without a sous vide setup if you have a large enough pot and an instant-read thermometer. You’ll need to continuously monitor the temperature of the water throughout the cook time to ensure it never dips below 145°F.

Do you need vacuum sealer for sous vide?

Nope! You can place the bottom of a Ziplock bag filled with the chicken into the water, then squeeze any remaining air out before sealing. This is called the water displacement method.

Is slightly pink chicken okay? 

It sure is! Because we are cooking this chicken at a lower temperature, it may remain slightly pink in the middle. As long as it is fork-tender and has been cooked for at least an hour, it is cooked through and safe to consume.

Can you overcook in sous vide?

It’s pretty difficult to overcook chicken in a sous vide. As you continue to cook it, the meat will turn softer (and eventually become mushy), but it will not dry out.

Do you need to sear chicken after sous vide?

Nope! I just like to so that it turns out nice and crispy. You can absolutely enjoy this chicken right out of the sous vide.

Can you reheat chicken in a sous vide?

You sure can! Heat the sous vide to 140°F and let it cook for 1 hour (or up to 4 hours).

three-quarters view of 2 seared sous vide chicken breasts on a white plate topped with lemon slices.

More Chicken Breast Recipes To Try

Pan Seared Chicken Breast Poached Chicken Breast Baked Seasoned Chicken Breast Crockpot Chicken Breast Air Fryer Chicken Breast Oven Fried Chicken Breast
three-quarters view of 2 sliced sous vide chicken breasts on a white plate with a lemon slice.
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Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe

Cooking chicken breast with the sous vide method is the best way to get juicy chicken for any meal!
Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 2 chicken breasts
Calories 297kcal

Equipment

Sous Vide (Immersion Circulator)

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breastsKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste2 lemon slices2 sprigs fresh thyme1 sprig fresh rosemary or more thyme2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Fill a large pot or sous vide tank with water. Attach the sous vide machine and set it to 145°F. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 raw seasoned chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board.
Place the chicken, lemon, thyme, and rosemary in a vacuum sealer bag and seal.
2 lemon slices, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 raw chicken breasts in a vacuum sealed bag with lemon slices and herbs.
Once preheated, add the bags to the water and let cook for 1½ hours.
overhead view of a vacuum sealed bag filled with 2 raw chicken breasts, lemon slices, and herbs in a sous vide bath.
Remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry.
2 cooked sous vide chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and butter to the pan. Once melted, add in the chicken and cook on both sides until golden. Serve and enjoy!
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cooked sous vide chicken breasts searing in a cast iron pan.

Video

Notes

Instead of using fresh herbs, you can season the chicken with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. To make more, use another bag with up to 2 chicken breasts. Both bags can cook at the same time. To ensure the chicken breasts cook evenly, do not overlap them in the bag. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, place the chicken breasts and aromatics in a ziplock bag. With the bag open, slowly submerge it into water. The pressure from the water will push out any air. Once the air is removed, seal the bag. You are now ready to sous vide! Ensure the bag does not float during the sous vide process. If it does, unseal it, squeeze the air out (or vacuum seal again), and return to the water bath. Sous Vide Temperature Guide 145°F: Soft, juicy, firm chicken breasts.
150°F: Juicy, tender, and slightly stringy chicken breasts.
160°F: Less juicy but still tender chicken breasts. Have a more similar texture to traditionally cooked chicken. 
Storage: Store sous vide chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1chicken breast | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 715mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

How to Make Sous Vide Chicken Breast Step by Step

Season the Chicken: Fill a large pot or sous vide tank with water. Attach the sous vide machine and set it to 145°F. Pat 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry and season both sides generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper.

2 raw seasoned chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board.

Seal the Chicken: Place the chicken, 2 slices of lemon, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 sprig of fresh rosemary in a vacuum sealer bag and seal.

2 raw chicken breasts in a vacuum sealed bag with lemon slices and herbs.

Cook the Chicken: Once preheated, add the bags to the water and let cook for 1½ hours.

overhead view of a vacuum sealed bag filled with 2 raw chicken breasts, lemon slices, and herbs in a sous vide bath.

Pat the Chicken Dry: Remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry.

2 cooked sous vide chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board.

Sear the Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan. Once melted, add in the chicken and cook on both sides until golden. Serve and enjoy!

2 cooked sous vide chicken breasts searing in a cast iron pan.

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