Sous Vide Chicken Breast (2024)

• ▢ 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 6 ounces each
• ▢ 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2-4 sprigs fresh herb(s) of choice thyme, rosemary, dill, etc.
• ▢ 1-2 cloves garlic peeled, smashed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter or ghee, avocado oil, or refined coconut oil

• Fill large pot or other large, heat-resistant container with water. Insert sous vide immersion circulator and set temperature to 146.5° Fahrenheit.Note: pot must be deep enough that water level falls between minimum and maximum indicators on circulator.

• Place 2 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts on cutting board. Brush or rub 2 teaspoons olive oil evenly over all sides of chicken breasts, then liberally season chicken with salt and freshly cracked black pepper on all sides.

• Place chicken in large sealable food-safe bag. Add 2-4 sprigs fresh herb(s) of choice and 1-2 cloves garlic, then remove as much air as possible from bag using vacuum sealer or water displacement method (see Notes). Seal bag completely.

• Once water bath is preheated to 146.5° Fahrenheit, place sealed bag in water bath. Make sure chicken breasts are fully submerged in water. If needed, use sous vide weights, silverware, or pie weights to keep chicken completely submerged.

• Cook chicken breasts 1 hour. Toward end of 1-hour cook time, heat skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 2 tablespoons butter. Swirl and tilt pan to distribute butter across surface, letting butter melt completely.

• While butter melts, remove bag from water bath. Transfer chicken breasts to large plate and pat chicken completely dry on all sides with paper towels.

• Once butter begins to foam, place chicken breasts in skillet. Sear chicken 1 minute, then flip chicken over and sear 1 additional minute or until chicken is browned on both sides.

• Plate seared chicken with desired sides and serve warm.

• The chicken absolutely MUST be fully submerged in order to cook properly. Weigh the bag down as needed to keep the chicken underwater the entire hour.
• Vacuum Sealer Alternative: If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can use the water displacement method to push the air out of the bag instead. Place the chicken breasts in an appropriately-sized sealable food-safe bag and seal the bag halfway across the top. Slowly lower the half-sealed bag into the heated water. The temperature difference outside the bag will force the air out of the bag – you should see the plastic cling to the meat. Once the food is entirely submerged and the air is all out, seal the bag completely and continue with the recipe.
• Make it Whole30/Paleo: Use ghee, avocado oil, or refined coconut oil instead of butter.

Alternate Seasoning Suggestions

• Instead of fresh herbs, use the chimichurri sauce from our sous vide flank steak recipe.
• Before adding it to the bag, rub the chicken with generous amounts of this simple lemon pepper butter or this incredible garlic herb butter.
• Try a store-bought Cajun seasoning, or make your own with a blend of paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, dried thyme, pepper, and onion powder. For exact measurements, see our blackened shrimp recipe.
• Give the chicken a little BBQ flair with your favorite store-bought dry rub. For a homemade version, use a mix of brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, chili powder, and black pepper. See our smoked chicken legs recipe for exact measurements.
• Start with this easy taco seasoning, then turn your sous vide chicken into shredded chicken tacos.