Name: Sous Vide Chicken Breasts Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts; Salt and pepper; 2-4 sprigs fresh herbs; 2 thin slices lemon; 2 Tablespoons butter (or compound butter - see recipe below); 1 Tablespoon olive oil; Kosher salt & pepper; 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

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Learn how to make the PERFECT Sous Vide Chicken Breasts. 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 frozen chicken breasts.

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 sous vide in the past to make a delicious filet mignon and ribeye, but today I’m taking on chicken.

I’ve developed what I consider to be the BEST sous vide chicken recipe. Not only because it’s perfectly cooked, but because you can switch up the seasonings in so many different ways.

How to season sous vide chicken breasts:

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. But keep reading, I have another method that seasons the chicken breasts after they come out of the sous vide.

Dry rub options:

Lemon Zest + Oregano
Orange Zest + Rosemary
Taco Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning
Seasoning Salt

Wet sauce options:

When using a wet sauce, I find it works best to use the water displacement method for sealing your bags.

Uncooked chicken breast on small white plated topped with thyme sprigs and lemon slices.

Two chicken breasts in vacuum seal bag with lemons and herbs.

But my favorite method for seasoning Sous Vide Chicken Breasts is a simple one. I like to sprinkle them with salt and pepper, add a couple sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley) and a few lemon slices. Then, once they’re done cooking, I sear them 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.
Slice into rounds and enjoy on chicken, steaks, bread or vegetables.

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 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. Heat it to 145-degrees and place your bag in the water.

Bag of chicken breasts in sous vide water bath.

How long does it take to sous vide chicken breasts?

Sous vide chicken for at least 1 hour. Once an hour is up, it will keep in the sous vide bath for up to four 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.

Can you overcook in sous vide?

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.

Can you reheat chicken sous vide?

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.

How do you reheat chicken sous vide?

Heat your water to 140-degrees. Reheat for 1 hour (up to 4 hours).

Two whole chicken breasts cooked sous vide after browning in skillet.

What to serve with chicken:

Sliced sous vide chicken breast on small white plate with lemon wedges and fresh herbs scattered about.

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.

If you loved this Sous Vide Chicken recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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