Making this Sous Vide Chicken Breast is so easy, and it leads to the juiciest, tenderest chicken. It’s simply flavored with lemon, thyme, and rosemary for a delicious and healthy dinner that pairs with anything. Don’t overlook this cooking method because it leads to perfectly-cooked chicken breast every time, guaranteed!
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Why We Love This Sous Vide Chicken Recipe
The sous vide method cooks chicken breast to the perfect temperature by cooking it vacuum-sealed in warm water. This process prevents overcooking, so you’ll never end up with dry chicken again!
- Juicy. The low and slow cooking time ensures your chicken will never turn out dry.
- Flavorful. The seasonings and herbs infuse the chicken with so much flavor.
- Easy. Just vacuum seal the chicken, set it, and forget it! This cooking method is totally hands off.
Variations on Sous Vide Chicken Breasts
There are so many easy ways to change up this simple chicken breast recipe. A dry rub or a marinade can add so much flavor! Try a dry rub using chicken seasoning, Creole seasoning, blackened seasoning, taco seasoning, fajita seasoning, Italian seasoning, or herbs de Provence. For a marinade, try barbecue sauce, honey mustard, Italian dressing, pesto, chimichurri, mustard cream sauce, Buffalo sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or Ranch dressing.
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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. This is one of my favorite ways to cook chicken for meal prep, so make extra and store it for months to come!
Serving Suggestions
This sous vide chicken is the perfect topper for a Caesar salad, green goddess salad, cobb salad, or Italian salad. Add it to chicken Alfredo or pesto mac and cheese for a more filling entrée, or pair it with simple sides, like Instant Pot rice, creamy mashed potatoes, or baked potatoes. Finish it off with some blistered sweet peppers, honey glazed carrots, or Parmesan broccoli for a balanced meal!
Yes! Simply add an extra 30-60 minutes to the sous vide time.
145°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!
Absolutely! While the FDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F, chicken that is cooked to an exact temperature of 145°F for at least 1 hour is safe to eat. This is because the sous vide process slowly pasteurizes the chicken and kills any bacteria.
We are cooking our chicken for about 1½ hours 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 145°F.
Nope! 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.
It’s pretty difficult to overcook chicken in a sous vide. As you continue to cook it, the meat will turn softer (and eventually become mushy), but it will not dry out.
Nope! I just like to so that it turns out nice and crispy. You can absolutely enjoy this chicken right out of the sous vide.
You sure can! Heat the sous vide to 140°F and let it cook for 1 hour (or up to 4 hours).
More Chicken Breast Recipes To Try
- Pan Seared Chicken Breast
- Poached Chicken Breast
- Baked Seasoned Chicken Breast
- Crockpot Chicken Breast
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Oven Fried Chicken Breast
- Panko Chicken
Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 lemon slices
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or more thyme
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (¼ stick)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Recommended Equipment
- Sous Vide (Immersion Circulator)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot or sous vide tank with water. Attach the sous vide machine and set it to 145°F. Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Place the chicken, lemon, thyme, and rosemary in a vacuum sealer bag and seal.2 lemon slices, 2 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Once preheated, add the bags to the water and let cook for 1½ hours.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and butter to the pan. Once melted, add in the chicken and cook on both sides until golden. Serve and enjoy!2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Instead of using fresh herbs, you can season the chicken with ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning.
- To make more, use another bag with up to 2 chicken breasts. Both bags can cook at the same time.
- To ensure the chicken breasts cook evenly, do not overlap them in the bag.
- If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, place the chicken breasts and aromatics in a ziplock bag. With the bag open, slowly submerge it into water. The pressure from the water will push out any air. Once the air is removed, seal the bag. You are now ready to sous vide!
- Ensure the bag does not float during the sous vide process. If it does, unseal it, squeeze the air out (or vacuum seal again), and return to the water bath.
- Sous Vide Temperature Guide
- 145°F: Soft, juicy, firm chicken breasts.
- 150°F: Juicy, tender, and slightly stringy chicken breasts.
- 160°F: Less juicy but still tender chicken breasts. Have a more similar texture to traditionally cooked chicken.
Nutrition Information
How to Make Sous Vide Chicken Breast Step by Step
Season the Chicken: Fill a large pot or sous vide tank with water. Attach the sous vide machine and set it to 145°F. Pat 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry and season both sides generously with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
Seal the Chicken: Place the chicken, 2 slices of lemon, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 sprig of fresh rosemary in a vacuum sealer bag and seal.
Cook the Chicken: Once preheated, add the bags to the water and let cook for 1½ hours.
Pat the Chicken Dry: Remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry.
Sear the Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pan. Once melted, add in the chicken and cook on both sides until golden. Serve and enjoy!
