Learn how to make the PERFECT Sous Vide Chicken Breast. This fail proof recipe results in perfectly tender & juicy chicken every time. Plus, it provides tips on flavoring your chicken breasts in several different ways. You can even sous vide a frozen chicken breast.
Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique is amazing because it makes it virtually impossible to overcook your food.
Making it perfect for cooking tender & juicy chicken breasts.
I’ve used my immersion circulator in the past to make a delicious sous vide filet mignon and sous vide ribeye, but today I’m taking on chicken.
I’ve developed what I consider to be the BEST sous vide chicken breast recipe.
Why is this the best sous vide chicken breast recipe?
- It’s perfectly cooked every time.
- You can switch up the seasonings in so many different ways. More on that below.
- It’s perfect for meal prep, as you can just leave your cooked chicken in sealed bags in the fridge.
How to season your sous vide chicken breast
I prefer using a dry rub or thick sauce to season my chicken. The reason being that you need to vacuum seal the bag before the sous vide cooking process.
Marinades with excess liquid tend to make that sealing process difficult. If seasoning from the onset, here are some of the flavor combinations that I like to use.
Or, keep reading, to find my method that seasons the chicken breasts after they come out of the sous vide.
Dry rub options
- Chicken Dry Rub
- Lemon Zest + Oregano
- Orange Zest + Rosemary
- Taco Seasoning
- Italian Seasoning
- Cajun Seasoning
- Seasoning Salt
Wet sauce options
Tip: When using a wet sauce, I find it works best to use the water displacement method for sealing your bags.
- BBQ Sauce
- Peruvian Green Sauce
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Honey Mustard
- Italian Dressing
- Pesto
- Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- Mojo Sauce
- Chimichurri Sauce
- MORE → 25+ tasty sauces for chicken
My favorite method for seasoning a Sous Vide Chicken Breast is a simple one.
I like to sprinkle it with salt and pepper, add a couple sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley) and a few lemon slices.
Then, once it’s done cooking, I pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and sear it in a hot skillet with some compound butter.
You can season your butter in so many different ways. My favorite add-ins are garlic, lemon zest and fresh herbs. You can also add a bit of heat by adding in a pinch of cayenne, or some horseradish.
How to make compound butter
- Combine softened butter with garlic and fresh herbs.
- Place on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and roll into a log.
- Refrigerator for 1 hour, or place in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up.
How to sous vide chicken breasts
Season your chicken and place in a plastic bag. Remove the air from the bag and seal using a vacuum sealer or the water displacement method.
Place the sous vide machine in a vessel that’s large enough to hold enough water for your bag to be fully submerged and deep enough to ensure that the water level falls between the minimum and maximum level indicators on your sous vide circulator. Cook at your preferred temperature for at least 1 hour, up to four hours. Use immediately, or sear according to the recipe card below.
Sous vide chicken breast temp
145-degrees is the ideal temperature for sous vide chicken breasts that are tender, juicy and perfectly cooked! However, you can cook it at a higher heat according to your personal preference.
How long do you sous vide a chicken breast?
- Sous vide chicken for at least 1 hour. Once an hour is up, it will keep in the sous vide bath for up to 4 hours without losing its texture.
Sous vide chicken breast from frozen
- If you’d like to sous vide frozen chicken breasts, simply add 30 minutes to the cook time. So, sous vide the chicken for at least 1 ½ hours.
Recipe FAQs
It’s OK to your chicken breasts in the water bath for up to 4 hours. After that, the meat may break down too much and become mushy. Your chicken will never actually “overcook” as the meat will be held at the correct temperature.
While the FDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165-degrees, chicken that is cooked to an exact temperature of 145-degrees for at least an hour is safe to eat. This is because the sous vide process actually pasteurizes the chicken and kills any bacteria.
Because the sous vide process cooks chicken at a lower temperature, your chicken may still be a little more pink than what you are used to. But, if it’s tender, and falls apart easily with a fork, it’s done!
You can use your precision cooker to sous vide marinated chicken. However, when using a wet sauce, I find it works best to use the water displacement method for sealing your bags, rather than a vacuum sealer.
It’s not necessary to sear chicken after the sous vide process. Especially if you are cutting the chicken up to use for something like chicken salad or a soup or chili recipe. However, for presentation purposes, it’s best to sear the chicken so that it gets a nice color on the outside.
You do not need a vacuum sealer to cook food sous vide. You can also use the water displacement method for sealing your ziplock bag. Simply lower the bag into a container of water to remove as much air as possible.
Yes! One of my favorite parts about sous vide is that you can reheat leftovers with it. It’s the perfect way to reheat a chicken breast or other cut of meat because it will never overcook it.
Heat your water to 140-degrees. Reheat for 1 hour (up to 4 hours).
What to serve with it
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Easy Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction & Cranberries
- Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Miso Cauliflower
- Arugula Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad
- Click here for MORE side dishes to serve with chicken
Wine pairings for chicken
- A Viognier or unoaked Chardonnay would pair nicely with this dish.
- If you would like to go the red route, I’d suggest a Pinot Noir, or other light bodied red. Avoid hard, oaky tannic reds and they can overwhelm the delicate flavors of the chicken.
- MORE → the 8 BEST Chicken Wine Pairings.
More Chicken Guides
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Air Fryer Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
More Sous Vide Recipes
- Sous Vide Shredded Chicken
- Sous Vide Pork Chops
- Sous Vide Lamb Chops
- Sous Vide Homemade Limoncello
- Sous Vide Filet Mignon
- Sous Vide Infused Vodka
- Sous Vide Ribeye with Compound Butter
- Sous Vide Corn on the Cob
- Sous Vide Vanilla Extract
Did you Make This Sous Vide Chicken Recipe?
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Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2-4 sprigs fresh herbs
- 2 thin slices lemon
For Finishing:
- 2 Tablespoons butter (or compound butter – see recipe below)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt & pepper
Compound Butter:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic grated or minced
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 teaspoons fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, tarragon, basil, thyme)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Set the sous vide to 145-degrees.
- Vacuum seal the chicken breasts using your preferred method. 2 breasts per bag, along with salt and pepper, fresh herbs and lemon slices.
- Cook for 1 hour, up to four hours.
- Remove chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Season with additional salt and pepper.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add oil and butter. Sear chicken breasts 1-minute per side, tilting skillet and spooning butter over them as they cook. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Thanks for sharing! This looks really good. Going to try it out with the Voignier recommended!
Wow! This looks amazing. I really need to try it. You can tell the chicken is super tender. I didn’t know about this way of cooking but can’t wait to try it myself. Thank you!
Can I use bone-in chicken breasts? How long would I cook them?
You can use bone in! Cook time should be the same.
Made this tonight for our Sunday night family dinner, and it was great! It was our first time making chicken in the sous vide. Now that we’ve done it, I don’t know why we would ever make it another way! Knowing the exact temperature, not having to have it done exactly on time to match all the sides, and how flavorful – and beautiful this chicken was… It will now be our go-to way to make chicken! So good! Thanks a lot for the great recipe!
I’m so happy it was helpful Kristin! It’s my favorite way to make chicken breasts now too!
Just saw this and pretty new to the Sous Vide world. I am going to try this and thank you for such a thorough and detailed recipe.
Juicy tender chicken EVERY time!! We have tried 8-10 different rubs and love them all! Thanks for great instructions!
You’re welcome Carol! Isn’t sous vide chicken such a game changer?!
Hello, what rubs have you used?
I’m new to sous vide, and am really excited to use this method of cooking. I’ve tried making sous vide chicken a couple of times. I use my Anova to get the water to 140 degrees and then cook for 2 hours. But I notice that when I check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer, it never gets above 140 or 145 degrees, even if I leave it in the water for longer. Is the chicken supposed to reach 160/165 degrees while it’s in the water, or do you take it out of the water at the end of the cooking time and then sear it in the skillet until it reaches 160/165 degrees?
I thought 160 is a rule of thumb for regular cook methods because 5 seconds at 165 kills all bacteria. You can kill all bacteria at 145 but you have to keep it there for much longer. Without a sous vide machine this is nearly impossible with regular cook methods hence overcooked dry chicken.
Wonderful method of cooking chicken and everything perfect everytime!
Thank you Gina! The sous vide makes chicken so easy and foolproof!
This is fantastic way to cook chicken breast. We meal prep for my son. 32 breasts, 3 per bag which different rubs and herbs. What doesn’t get used in meal per the first week are frozen in the bags for use in subsequent weeks. This has really helped in meal prepping and the chicken is flavorful and not dry. Thanks!!
Thank you so much Kay! I love it too!
Hi Erin, I just got a sous vide and can’t wait to try this recipe! One question – does it matter if I use skinless or skin on chicken? Thanks for sharing!
Hi Cara – You can sous vide either! I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Just looking for ideas here and I see lots! However, I jumped in blind with just learning temperatures and safety first with sous vide. I’ve only been using salt/pepper which is just amazing enough.
With beef or chicken and just a simple salt/pepper seasoning I save the liquids. Don’t throw them away! It makes the most perfect gravy by adding a little corn starch, in a pot on a good medium high heat for a few minutes.
Your mashed potatoes will love it!
Do you melt the compound butter and drizzle over your chicken after it’s cooked? Or, do you add it to the bag before sous vide?
Hi Bekka – You finish of your cooked chicken in a skillet with some oil and the compound butter. Hope that helps!