If you haven’t cooked a Sous Vide Chicken Breast, you just have to try it! So flavorful and perfect every single time! Find out how to sous vide chicken breast with this handy guide with tips and recipe.
What’s in this Sous Vide Chicken Recipe?
The first time I had sous vide chicken was a real eye-opener! The chicken was so flavorful and perfectly juicy and I was so stoked when I was able to create this restaurant quality at home!
- Chicken Breasts: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use bone-in, skin-on.
- Olive Oil: Helps the seasoning stick to the chicken.
- Lemon Juice: Adds bright acidity and helps tenderize the meat.
- Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness.
- Salt + Pepper: Enhances the natural flavor of the chicken.
- Italian Seasoning: Adds a delicious herbal flavor.
- Garlic: Adds an earthy flavor.
- Butter: Adds extra flavor to the chicken when it is seared afterwards.
Pro Tip: Marinate the chicken overnight in the refrigerator for even more flavor!
Variations on Sous Vide Chicken Breasts
You can easily change up the flavor of this chicken by using different seasonings or a different marinade. Tandoori chicken marinade, teriyaki marinade, or lemon pepper balsamic marinade would all be delicious.
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When you cook meat sous vide style, you are cooking it at a low temperature for a long time. Meat, in this case chicken breast, is placed in plastic and cooked in a water bath. The temperature of the water is precisely controlled by the sous vide machine.
Yes! No need to defrost it first, simply add an extra 30-60 minutes to the sous vide time.
160°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!
We are cooking our chicken for about 1 hour to ensure it is nice and soft.
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 160°F.
Yes! 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.
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.
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.
How to Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice from ½ lemon
- ½ tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic minced
For Searing
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
Equipment
- Sous Vide Cooker
- Dutch Oven (or large stock pot)
- Vacuum Sealable Bag (or gallon Ziplock bag)
Instructions
- Place the sous vide cooker in a Dutch oven or large pot and fill it with water to the fill line. Turn the machine on and set it to 160°F. Let the water come to temperature while you prepare the chicken.
- To a small bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic clove. Whisk until well combined.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ½ tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 clove garlic
- Add the prepared marinade to a gallon-size Ziplock bag, then add the chicken breasts. Seal the bag, making sure you get as much air out as possible. Move the chicken around so everything is evenly coated with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator until the sous vide is ready.1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Once the water has reached 160°F, place the sealed bag of marinated chicken breast in the pot, and let cook for 1 hour.
- Once the chicken is ready, remove from bag and place on a plate or baking sheet.
- In a cast iron skillet, heat up ½ tablespoon each of butter and olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.½ tablespoon olive oil, ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- Once the butter has melted, place the chicken breast in the skillet and sear on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately.
Notes
- There is no need to let the chicken breast rest after searing. You can slice and enjoy it right away.
- Searing is optional. Once the chicken has cooked in the sous vide for 1 hour at 160°F, it is ready to eat. Enjoy whichever way you prefer.
- Bone-in and/or skin on chicken breast may be used as well. If using skin-on, I recommend searing to crisp up the skin.
- This recipe is easily doubled or tripled. Up to 2 pounds of chicken breast can fit in a 1-gallon Ziplock bag.
- Chicken can be marinated overnight. Just prepare as directed and let sit overnight in the fridge. Add to heated sous vide when ready to cook.
Becky, I’ve been making sous vide chicken since I got my Anova Pro about 4 years ago. Your recipe is spot on, with one exception. You state that the chicken is safe to eat at 160° F. That’s not quite right. According to the USDA, all poultry needs to be a minimum of 165° F, in order to be safe to eat. Please understand that I’m not saying to belittle or berate your talents. I’m telling you this as a retired executive chef from NYC with 60+ years of experience, in order to prevent a tragedy which could actually lead to legal issues, if you know what I mean. However, cooking the poultry at 160° F, then finishing it off in either pan, or broiler as I do, should raise the temperature to 165° F, especially if covered and left to rest for at least 5-10 minutes. All meats, no matter what, continue co cook after they’ve been removed from the heat source; except for sous vide. God bless.
Chris Thomas, please check out Serious Eats (among many other sources) regarding the safety of cooking poultry and other proteins sous vide. Lower temps at longer times make for safe cooking!