Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Sous Vide Chicken Breast – make the most tender, moist, flavorful and delicious piece of chicken ever!  The magic is to cook it using sous vide!

I was first introduced to Sous Vide cooking about 4 years ago.  My husband knew what it was and he bought me one for mother’s day one year.  I was skeptical and had no idea what I was getting into.  But oh my, has my world changed!  When you are cooking a full piece of meat, sous vide makes sure whatever you put in there is cooked to the absolute perfect temperature every time.  Not even 1 degree too high, absolutely the perfect medium rare steak every single time.

And you will never over cook a chicken breast or pork chops again! You know those Oven Baked Pork Chop everyone loves?  Use the same seasonings and cook them in the sous vide!  Never dried out and over cooked again. 

 

What is Sous Vide?

It is the process of sealing food in an air tight, usually vacuum sealed bag, and cooking it in a water bath.  You need the sous vide device, as it controls the temperature of the water and circulates the water as the items cook.  This means that the entire piece of meat is cooked evenly, so you don’t get a thin part of chicken that is over cooked, while the thick breast is under cooked.  

The sous vide ensures that everything is cooked evenly.  There is no guess work involved.  You put something to cook to 140 degrees, it will cook to exactly that, no higher and no lower. The constantly circulating water makes sure there are no hot spots or cool spots, everything is the same. 

Sous Vide is a technique restaurants have been using for years. They can perfectly cook your meat, and have it waiting to just sear when you order it.

Is Chicken Good Sous Vide?

Yes! It is my favorite ways to cook chicken.  When you bake chicken or cook it on the stove top you never get a perfectly cooked piece.  The end of the chicken is a little dried out, while the center can be barely cooked.  Even when you pound it thin, it is hard to get it evenly cook and to the perfect temperature. 

This method gives you the juiciest piece of chicken you will ever have.  You will question whether or not you are even eating chicken!  Plus, you can flavor your chicken a million different ways.  You can put your herbs, lemon, garlic…whatever else you want right in the bag while the chicken cooks.  You get tons of flavor throughout and it is so easy to do!  

How Long Does It Take To Sous Vide Chicken Breast?

It really only takes one hour to cook chicken breasts.  You can leave it in there for up to 4 hours before the texture starts to break down.  So it is something you can throw in there and just forget about for a couple hours if you need to. 

Sous Vide Chicken Breast Temp?

I set my sous vide to 147 degrees for cooking chicken.  Because the chicken is being held at that temperature for long enough, it kills the bacteria and is safe to eat.  You will also notice that the chicken is completely cooked all the way through.  There are no pink spots remaining, you just get a super tender, juicy and soft piece of meat.  

Can you Over Cook Chicken in Sous Vide?

Yes, you can.  Really that only happens if you leave it in there longer than 4 hours.  The texture starts to change and will become mushy.  Definitely not the same as overcooking when you are baking or grilling your chicken, but still it can be over cooked.  

What if I don’t have a Vacuum Sealer?

You can use a regular zip top food storage bag that you get most of the air out if you don’t have a vacuum sealer.  You can also invest in those new silicone bags that are reusable, they work well to get the air out. If you do have some air in your bag, you just want to make sure you put something on it to submerge the meat all the way in the water.  

After your chicken is cooked you are going to sear it, same goes for steak and pork chops that you sous vide.  You want to get that nice crust on the outside.  The best oil for searing after sous vide is usually a vegetable oil or avocado oil.  You want something with a very high smoke point that doesn’t burn.  So olive oil isn’t the best.  

Tips for Searing Sous Vide Chicken

• Make sure you pat the meat dry after you take it out of the water bath. As it cooks some of the juices will get into the bag and the meat will be damp.  Use a paper towel and gently press both sides of the chicken to get the moisture off the outside.  Without this you won’t get a nice sear on the meat.
• Make sure your pan is super hot before you start.  Don’t add the meat until the oil and the pan are really hot, or you will have it in the pan too long and you will over cook the meat. 
• Sear for about a minute on each side. You want to get a nice golden crust on the outside, but not actually cook the meat very much longer.  So 1-2 minutes is all you need.  
• Because the juices are all locked in when you cook, you don’t need to let meat rest like you do when grilling or cooking other methods. So serve immediately! 

Sous vide chicken will totally make you rethink the way you cook chicken.  You can season it however you want before cooking and it will be the best chicken you have ever tried!  You can make a sauce to go over it while the chicken is cooking.  Or you could shred the chicken to use for tacos or something later.  

If you don’t have a sous vide machine, now is the time to get one.  It is life changing when it comes to cooking just about any protein!  Plus you can make Sous Vide Egg Bites just like the ones at Starbucks, only better!

I use the Joule by Breville Sous Vide, and I highly recommend it. It works very well, the temperature is accurate and it is reliable. I have used 2 others in the past few years that have not lasted.

Need Side Dish Ideas for with Chicken?

• Parmesan Garlic Roasted Edamame
• Easy Biscuits
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Zucchini Fritters
• Loaded Twice Baked Potato Casserole
• Loaded Baked Potato

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Yield: 4

Sous Vide Chicken Breast

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Sous Vide Chicken Breast - make the most tender, moist, flavorful and delicious piece of chicken ever!  The magic is to cook it using sous vide!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• salt
• pepper
• 1 Tbls vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Vacuum seal chicken in a plastic bag.
3. Set Sous Vide temperature to 147 degrees.
4. Lower bag of chicken into water and cook for 60 minutes.
5. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil and heat until hot.
6. Remove chicken from plastic bag and use a paper towel to blot dry.
7. Add chicken to hot pan and sear for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden.
8. Serve immediately

Notes

You can season your chicken with your favorite marinade, add herbs, garlic, lemon etc. Whatever you favorite way to flavor chicken, season that way before sealing the bag.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 230Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 102mgSodium 234mgCarbohydrates 0gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 37g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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