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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.
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So why sous vide chicken?
Like I said, sous vide chicken is the only way to cook chicken, and these reasons explain why:
It's never dry
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.
Easy for meal prep
Not only does it come out perfectly cooked, you can make it in advance, which makes it absolutely perfect for sous vide 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.
Can be healthier
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.
It's super easy to make
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.
You can cook it straight from frozen
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. Check out this sous vide frozen chicken breast recipe.
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Steps to make sous vide chicken
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.
Sous vide chicken temperature chart
You can cook your chicken at a range of different temperatures, depending on your preference. I've included my personal recommendations below as well.
| Temperature | Time | Result | |
| Chicken Breast | 140°F-145°F | 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours | Soft and juicy (recommended) |
| Chicken Breast | 150°F-155°F | 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours | Juicy, tender, slightly stringy |
| Chicken Breast | 160°F+ | 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours | Firm and stringy |
| Chicken Thighs/Legs | 150°F-155°F | 3-6 hours | Juicy and firm |
| Chicken Thighs/Legs | 160°F | 3-6 hours | Juicy and tender (recommended) |
| Chicken Thighs/Legs | 165°F+ | 6 hours | Fall-off-the-bone tender |
How to pasteurize chicken
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.
| Temperature | Time |
| 136°F (58°C) | 2 hours, 10 minutes |
| 140°F (60°C) | 1 hour, 28 minutes |
| 145°F (63°C) | 1 hour, 10 minutes |
| 150°F (66°C) | 1 hour, 3 minutes |
| 155°F (68°C) | 1 hour, 1 minute |
| 160°F (71°C) | 1 hour |
| 165°F (74°C) | 1 hour |
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.
How to get crispy chicken skin
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.
Sous vide chicken recipes
Like I said, we love cooking chicken sous vide around here - here are some of the reader favorite recipes:
How to use sous vide chicken
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:
- Chop up chicken breast to use in a salad.
- Chop chicken breast or thigh meat up and use it in tacos with this yummy tomatillo green chili salsa.
- Use it in this sweet corn and chicken soup, sizzling rice soup or this spicy chicken ramen.
- Make a chicken chili, chicken and dumplings, or chicken soup.
- Make a chicken sandwich with this amazing spicy Cajun remoulade.
- Chop it up and use it in Chinese sausage fried rice, or even on top of pizza.
Frequently asked questions
Chicken breast is best when cooked between 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, while 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.
Chicken breast can come out rubbery if it is overcooked (too long past recommended times or at too high a temperature). 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 cook 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.
Conclusion
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!
Danielle says
Great guide! This has been really helpful in my cooking.