Poultry
Sous Vide Chicken Breasts

  • 4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter (optional, for reduction)

    Optional Spices (One or More)

  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

If they're not already trimmed, cut the rib bones off of the chicken breasts, and trim excess fat and skin. Pat dry, season both sides with salt and pepper, and any of the optional spices. Vac-seal individually (or use ZipLock bags, immersing until all the air is out of the bag, then seal).

Preheat sous vide to 150F. Cook the chicken for 3 - 4 hours. Remove and let rest, sealed, for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid into a saucepan, and reduce by 3/4. Whisk in the butter.

While the sauce is reducing, place the chicken, skin side up, about 8 inches from the broiler, until the skin is dark and crispy. Remove to a platter and cover loosely with foil.

Serve with the reduced juices.

Notes

I've experimented with various chicken pieces - bone-in, boneless, skin-on, skinless, thighs, drumsticks, and varying times and temperatures, and discovered that bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts come out the best with this method. They're always juicy and tender, and a few minutes under the broiler crisps the skin perfectly, and the juices make a perfect reduction to use as a sauce.

I typically vac-seal and cook veggies in the same sous vide pot. Fresh corn, broccoli, and cauliflower, tossed with salt, pepper, and olive oil, take about an hour. Zucchini and yellow squash take about 30 minutes. Potatoes work fine, as well, but need to be almost completely cooked (microwaving works well) before going into the sous vide pot.