Sous Vide Chicken Breasts

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If you’ve been curious about sous vide cooking, this recipe is the easiest way to start. With this Sous Vide Chicken Breast recipe, you’ll get juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breast every single time. The water bath keeps it tender, and the quick skillet sear adds that golden, flavorful crust. It’s simple, reliable, and makes you feel like a pro.

 

Ingredient Notes + Variations

This recipe uses simple, fresh ingredients that pack a ton of flavor. Each one plays a role in making the chicken tender and downright craveable.

• Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – The star of the show. Choose evenly sized breasts so they cook at the same rate.
• Fresh Lemon Slices – Bright, fresh flavor that balances the richness of the chicken.
• Fresh Thyme + Rosemary – Fresh herbs give the chicken a fragrant, restaurant-quality flavor.
• Butter + Olive Oil – Used for the quick sear at the end, creating that golden, crispy exterior.
• Garlic – Smash a clove to infuse the butter and oil with just the right amount of garlicky goodness.

How to Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Making sous vide chicken is easier than you think and takes all the stress out of cooking chicken. Just follow these steps and finish with a quick sear for the best flavor. For full details about using this method, see the printable recipe card down below. Here is step-by-step how to set up and use the sous vide method for juicy chicken breasts.

Step 1: Preheat Water Bath

You will need a large tall pot or container (like this one). Fill container or pot with hot tap water. Attach the sous vide machine and set temperature to 145° F. It will take some time for the water to come up to the specific temperature, depending on how efficient your machine is. Starting with hot water will help the sous vide machine bring the water to the exact temperature more quickly.

Step 2: Season + Bag

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add lemon slices and herbs on top, then place everything into a vacuum-seal bag and seal it. Alternately, place in gallon-size zip top bags, remove all the air and seal.

Step 3: Cook Sous Vide

Place vacuum-sealed bag in sous vide water bath and set timer for 1 hour. Make sure the chicken is completely submerged in water. The purpose of removing all the air out of the bag is to ensure the chicken sinks in the water. If you still find your bag floating, simply weight it down with something like a small plate. They make all kinds of things to help with this. I just put these sous vide magnets on my wish list. 🙂

Step 4: Quick Sear

Chicken Breasts are not fully cooked at 140° F, so we will give it a quick sear in a hot pan. We also want the chicken to have a bit of color and brown it up a bit.

Heat skillet over medium high heat and add butter, olive oil, and smashed garlic.

Remove chicken breasts from bag, pat dry with paper towels, and sear in skillet, flipping once.

Step 5: Let Chicken Rest + Serve!

When chicken is nice and browned and has reached 165° F, remove and let rest for about 5 minutes.

Serve warm, whole or sliced… spooning pan juices over chicken.

Recipe Tips for Success

• Don’t skip the sear — it adds flavor and that irresistible golden crust.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before searing so it browns instead of steaming.
• Let the chicken rest for a couple of minutes after searing so the juices redistribute.

What to Serve with Sous Vide Chicken

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts– Crispy edges, caramelized centers… these might be the veggie that converts the sprout haters.
• Fondant Potatoes– Golden on the outside, buttery and soft on the inside. Pure potato magic.
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes– Creamy, garlicky, and the ultimate sidekick for any chicken dinner.
• Oven Roasted Asparagus– Tender-crisp asparagus with just the right amount of char. Simple and elegant.
• Famous Butter Rice– Rich, buttery rice that goes with absolutely everything.

This sous vide chicken breast is about to become your go-to method for perfectly cooked chicken every time. Easy, flavorful, and guaranteed to impress. The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day! 🙂

Variations

As aforementioned, this is just a cooking METHOD and you can add whatever seasonings, spices and aromatics you wish to your sous vide chicken breasts. Here are some more ideas:

• Cilantro and lime – make it Mexican inspired by also adding Oregano, Chili Powder and/or Cumin.
• Earthy herbs – Use Rosemary and Thyme like I did or try other earthy herbs like Sage, Tarragon or Marjoram
• Dried spices – Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cayenne and more!
• Give it some tang: Marinate with Mustard, Vinaigrette or Lemon
• Make it Asian inspired – Soy Sauce, Fresh Ginger, and Garlic. Add Brown Sugar for a sweet and tangy version.
• Give it a Greek twist – Cucumber, Mint, Garlic, Dill and plain Greek Yogurt

FAQs

Using a Sous Vide Machine

I found my sous vide machine (immersion circulator) on Amazon for a reasonable price. I have the Anova Culinary Sous Vide Nano and it works extremely well. This water displacement method works even better when you invest in a vacuum sealer. This allows you to vacuum seal the chicken which removes the air, preventing it from floating. You want the chicken fully immersed in the water to have it cook evenly and safely. Another option is to use a sous vide bag. These reusable bags come with a pump to remove the air and are fairly inexpensive. A zip top plastic bag with all the air removed manually also can work, as long as you have something heavy to place on top of the bag to hold the chicken down in the water.

More Recipes to Try

• Sous Vide Steak
• Sous Vide Spatchcock Chicken
• Smothered Pork Chops in Oven
• Air Fryer Turkey Legs
• Air Fryer Ribeye Steak

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.