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Lightly seasoned with fresh lemon and rosemary, this Sous Vide Chicken recipe will become a staple for your weeknight meals! For extra color and a slightly crisp coating, just sear or grill the meat for a minute before serving.

I rely on this dish when the days are hectic, and I don’t have time to babysit dinner.

Chicken breast, cooked sous vide method, on a plate with green beans and rice. Chicken is garnished with a lemon slice.
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If you’re new to the sous vide method of cooking, then this is a great place to start. I mean, what’s more versatile than chicken? 

This method is incredibly precise, cooking meat evenly through to the center. And because it isn’t in contact with air or the water, it’s easy to lock in plenty of flavor with a few simple ingredients.

No messy marinades or standing over the stove – just seal it up and let the water bath do the rest! Plus, it’s naturally free of most allergens and will fit into any low carb diet.

Key Ingredients

ingredients to make chicken the sous vide method.
  • Chicken breasts – This recipe is for boneless skinless chicken breasts, you can cook other forms of chicken, but we’ll cover that in another post. If they are particularly large, slice them in half, lengthwise (butterfly style).
  • Fresh rosemary – This adds fresh herb flavor. Other herbs that work well are fresh thyme or fresh basil. If you don’t have fresh, dried herbs are good too.
  • Lemon slices – Add a couple to each gallon size Ziploc bag (or use a sous vide bag ) and save the rest as garnish. The acid helps break down the meat fibers, leaving you with tender and juicy bites. Plus, citrus is delicious too!

For this recipe, you’ll need a large stock pot and sous vide wand to make the water bath. Or use a sous vide oven instead. I’ve included plenty of tips below so your sous vide boneless chicken breasts come out just right. You can

also find more general info here in my asparagus recipe post, or check out my youtube video.

I know, it seems a little daunting at first. I promise you’ll do just fine! The results just don’t compare to any other cooking method. In fact, you’ll probably want to try all kinds of meats and vegetables this way!

How to Make Sous Vide Chicken Breasts

This is an overview of the instructions, be sure to see the recipe card for all the details.

4 image collage showing the steps to cooking chicken by the sous vide method.

Before you begin, start heating the water with your sous vide wand. Temperature guide follows.

  1. Prep the chicken. Drizzle the meat with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer it to the bags, two breasts in each, and top with a rosemary sprig and a lemon slice.
  2. Squeeze out the air (as much as possible) before sealing the bags shut.
  3. Carefully lower the bags into the water and set your timer. You’ll find exact times and temps further down in the post.
  4. Sear each side in some butter or toss them on the grill. 30 seconds per side is enough to get them crisped and browned. This last step is optional, but I recommend it for eating it as-is. If you’re going to use it for chicken salad or something where you shred the meat, then just skip it.

Whip up a side or two while your main course is cooking! I love to pair sous vide boneless chicken breasts with Instant Pot Wild Rice, or Quinoa and my Easy Roasted Vegetables. Not in the mood for extra cooking? Throw together a seasonal salad instead!

Expert Tips

  • If the meat wants to float, weigh it down with a spoon or two. It should remain fully immersed during its cooking time. You can also purchase special sous vide weights if you prefer. 
  • To finish the sous vide chicken breasts, you can sear it in a pan or grill. But only for 30 seconds per side! You just want to crisp it up and give it texture, not cook it further.
  • As long as the meat is in a single layer with ample room for circulation, you can sous vide boneless chicken breasts in any amount you’d like.
  • Forget to thaw your meat? No problem!! You can safely cook frozen meat with the sous vide method.
  • Use chip clips to clip the bags to the side of your pan. This holds it in place and makes it easier to remove the bag from the water bath.
Cooked boneless chicken breast garnished with a lemon slice on a bed of rice with green beans on the side.

Preparation Guidelines

Times and temps will vary widely depending on thickness and preferred texture. I’ve compiled an easy-to-follow guide below, divided by whether you’ll be using fresh or frozen meat. My personal recommendation is the Tender and Juicy option, but feel free to experiment for yourself!

For fresh chicken:

1-inch thick

  • Soft texture – 140° for 1 hour & 20 minutes 
  • Tender and Juicy – 149° for 45 minutes
  • Springy – 158° for 45 minutes
  • Fibrous – 167° for 45 minutes
  • Firm – 176° for 45 minutes

1 ½-inch thick

  • Soft texture – 140° for 2 hours
  • Tender and Juicy – 149° for 1 hour & 30 minutes
  • Springy – 158° for 1 hour & 30 minutes
  • Fibrous – 167° for 1 hour & 30 minutes
  • Firm – 176° for 1 hours & 30 minutes

For frozen chicken:

1-inch thick

  • Soft texture – 140° for 1 hour & 45 minutes
  • Tender and Juicy – 149° for 1 hour & 10 minutes
  • Springy – 158° for 1 hour & 10 minutes
  • Fibrous – 167° for 1 hour & 10 minutes
  • Firm – 176° for 1 hour & 10 minutes

1 ½-inch thick

  • Soft texture – 140° for 2 hours & 25 minutes
  • Tender and Juicy – 149° for 1 hour & 55 minutes
  • Springy – 158° for 1 hour & 55 minutes
  • Fibrous – 167° for 1 hour & 55 minutes
  • Firm – 176° for 1 hour & 55 minutes

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Prep in minutes. Then drop it in the pot and walk away.
  • Just 3 simple ingredients, plus a little oil, salt, and pepper
  • Delicious with sides or sliced for salads and pasta

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should I sous vide chicken breasts?

That all depends on the thickness, whether they are fresh or frozen, and even what texture you prefer! I like to cook mine at 149 degrees so they come out tender and juicy. However, I also came up with a handy guide for you to follow – find it above!

Are Ziploc bags safe for sous vide?

Yes! Any food-safe zippered storage bag works fine, so there’s no need to splurge on a vacuum sealer. Just be sure to use the gallon size since the plastic is a bit sturdier.

Why is my sous vide chicken rubbery?

Usually, it’s because too much air was removed from the bag (especially when vacuum packaging). Squeeze out just enough for the bag not to bubble. If it still floats, use the displacement method to keep it under the water.

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to three days. You can reheat your chicken sous vide method as well.

To reheat it, use the same method you did for cooking, but set the temperature 10-15 degrees cooler than what you cooked it at (with your sous vide machine).

Reheating your food in the microwave can overcook it and leave it with an unfavorable texture. But this way, your meal will be just as good the second time!

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📋 Recipe

Chicken breast, cooked sous vide method, on a plate with green beans and rice. Chicken is garnished with a lemon slice.

Sous Vide Chicken

Lightly seasoned with fresh lemon and rosemary, this sous vide chicken recipe will become a staple for your weeknight meals!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American, French
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 167kcal
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • Sous Vide Wand or Sous Vide Oven
  • gallon size zip lock bag or sous vide bags
  • large pot

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 inch thick
  • 4 lemon slices
  • 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • Start the water bath by filling a large pot with water, place the sous vide wand in and set the temperature to 149°. Prepare the chicken while the water heats up.
  • Drizzle olive oil over the chicken breasts and season generously with salt and pepper.
  • Place 2 chicken breasts in each gallon size bag, place a sprig of rosemary and a lemon slice on each chicken breast. The chicken should not be overlapping.
  • Seal up the bags getting as much air as possible out.
  • Put the bags of chicken in the water bath, use the displacement method if there is still excess air in the bags. Cook 1 inch fresh chicken breasts for 45 minutes at 149°. See temperature guide in the notes for other options.
  • When the chicken is finished cooking sous vide, heat a skillet to very hot over medium high heat. Add a bit of olive oil or butter, then remove your chicken breasts from the bag, and place in the skillet (or grill). Cook 30 seconds, flip over and cook 30 seconds more.
  • Garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.

Notes

Preparation guidelines:
1-inch thick fresh chicken:
  • Soft texture – 140° for 1 hour & 20 minutes
  • Tender and Juicy – 149° for 45 minutes
  • Springy – 158° for 45 minutes
  • Fibrous – 167° for 45 minutes
  • Firm – 176° for 45 minutes
1 ½-inch thick fresh chicken:
  • Soft texture – 140° for 2 hours
  • Tender and Juicy – 149° for 1 hour & 30 minutes
  • Springy – 158° for 1 hour & 30 minutes
  • Fibrous – 167° for 1 hour & 30 minutes
  • Firm – 176° for 1 hours & 30 minutes
Note: You can also use frozen meat, but it will take longer to cook. Use the same temperature guides above, but increase each cooking time by 25 minutes.
  • If the meat wants to float, weigh it down with a spoon or two. It should remain fully immersed during its cooking time. 
  • As long as the meat is in a single layer with ample room for circulation, you can sous vide boneless chicken breasts in any amount you’d like. 
  • Displacement method (for zip lock bags): leave a corner of the bag open, gently immerse the bag in the water, leaving the top out, the extra air in the bag will escape through the opening as you push the contents down. Once the air is out, finish sealing the bag. 
  • Use chip clips to clip the bags to the side of your pan. This holds it in place and makes it easier to remove the bag from the water bath.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 713mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 68IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
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