Sous Vide Chicken

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

Lightly seasoned with fresh lemon and rosemary, this sous vide chicken recipe will become a staple for your weeknight meals!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 45

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 167kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

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