Sous vide boneless skinless chicken thighs temperature

Count on super juicy and tender chicken every time you make sous vide chicken thighs. No guess work. For this recipe, we’re using bone-in thighs and a 3-ingredient sweet-savory glaze for a simple and delicious finish. Yes, of course there are options 🙂

I love that you can sous vide the thighs several days ahead, then finish them under the broiler for a few minutes when you need them. Weeknight dinner in a flash. 

Most recipes for sous vide chicken thighs focus on the crispy skin. A great goal for sure. I’ll add a link to that option below.

I’m a sauce person though. So I’m offering another alternative sous vide chicken thigh recipe that takes about the same time with a little less hands-on. You can, of course, do both. 

The peach balsamic glaze is made of peach jam, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. Mix together, brush on and broil. That’s it. No peach jam? No worries, you have options. 

More importantly is how the chicken tastes. Soft, moist, sweet-sticky-tangy and beautifully cooked every time. That’s what I love about sous vide cooking. The consistent results. 

Why bother to sous vide chicken thighs?

Dark meat chicken thighs are forgiving and can be cooked successfully with many traditional methods. Here’s my pitch for why I like the sous vide method for chicken thighs:

1. Consistent results for tender juicy chicken thighs with no guess work or constant checking.
2. You can leave the chicken in the water bath for an extra couple of hours of sous vide time without affecting taste and texture if you need to attend to other stuff. (NO other cooking method does that).
3. Easy prep. And with this recipe, easy finish. 
4. You can cook up a batch and store them in the fridge for several days to finish later in the week. 

Tailor to Your Taste

Here are several variations and substitutions you can try.

Chicken options

• You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs – skin on or skinless – for this recipe. Boneless will cook a bit more quickly, but still needs at least 1 hour. My preference is bone in, skin on.
• Chicken breasts will also work fine – bone in or boneless. They need a lower cooking temperature of 144-150F (62-65.6C). Cook them for 1.5-4 hours at the 144F/62C or 1-4 hours at 150F/65/6C).

Crispy Skin

• If you want very crispy skin on your chicken thighs, check out this Serious Eats recipe for sous vide chicken thighs. Kenji suggests a cast iron skillet or non stick pan with a cooking time of 4-5 minutes on the chicken skin side (after cooling the chicken in an ice bath for 10 minutes). Instructions are in the recipe notes.

Glaze substitutes and add-ins

• Instead of peach jam (or preserves), try apricot or raspberry jam. The raspberry and balsamic blend is rich, deep and sensational. We use it in our sous vide pork loin recipe. Try sugar free jam to reduce the calories.
• I love to add a pinch of cayenne to the glaze to give it a kick. Other options are a pinch of cinnamon or fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary
• If you don’t have a good balsamic vinegar, you can use wine vinegar. Check the sweetness of the glaze and add a touch of maple sugar or sugar if needed.

Seasoning options

• I keep it simple with garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper.
• Other options are cumin, curry powder, coriander or a sprig of thyme.

Dig in to tender, juicy thighs.

FAQ

What cook time and temperature give the best results for sous vide chicken thighs?

This is personal preference. I have tried two different temperatures,150F/65/6C and 165F/73.9C. I prefer 165F/73.9C (the final texture of the chicken thighs was a little softer and less stringy), but to be honest, there was not a lot of difference. Cook time is from 1-4 hours. I use 1 1/4 hours and it’s perfect. If you are cooking chicken breasts, see the recipe notes for times and temperature.

Can I sous vide chicken thighs from frozen?

Yes, just add one hour to the cooking time. Since it’s a little harder to season frozen chicken, the best way may be to season it before you freeze it, raw, in ziploc bags. Then they are ready to go straight into the water bath.

What to serve with sous vide bone-in chicken thighs

Almost anything goes! Here are a few side dishes that pair really well.

Potatoes or rice sides: herb potato salad, mashed potatoes, curried rice and raisins, savory rice and roasted veggies.

Salads: peach salad with walnut dressing, panzanella salad recipe with peaches, Thai mango salad, party salad with grilled vegetables and quinoa (3 in 1 side). 

Vegetable sides: grilled cabbage (slaw), roasted baby cauliflower, best green beans with panko crumbs, lemon herb cauliflower rice stir fry, flat green beans (charred), sautéed peppers with caper vinaigrette

Or check out our summer Sunday dinner ideas for other options.

Shortcuts

• Feel free to buy a glaze for the chicken instead of making your own (keeping in mind the one in the recipe is just 3 ingredients to stir together!)

Make ahead or freeze

• Same day: you have a 3 hour window for cooking the chicken thighs sous vide which gives you nice flexibility
• 3-4 days ahead: Sous vide the thighs, cool them in an ice bath for 10 minutes, then store them in the fridge for 3-4 days until ready to use. Rewarm them up in a water bath for 45 minutes at a few degrees less than the temperature our cooked them. Proceed with glazing from there. To shorten the time, bring them to room temperature, then warm them for 15-20 minutes.
• Freeze for several months: Sous vide the thighs, cool them in an ice bath for 10 minutes, then freeze them for up to 3 months. To rewarm them, use the same technique as above but add 30 minutes, So warm for 1 1/4 hours.

Other sous vide chicken and turkey recipes to love

• Sous vide chicken citrus glazed
• Indian butter chicken recipe
• sous vide turkey breast
• sous vide turkey thighs
• sous vide chicken wings (Korean-style)

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Count on super juicy and tender chicken every time you make sous vide chicken thighs. No guess work. For this recipe, we're using bone-in thighs and a 3-ingredient sweet-savory glaze for a simple and delicious finish.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time1 hr 20 mins

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Sous Vide

Servings: 3 (or 2 larger portions)

• ▢

  Sous Vide equipment

• ▢ 2.25 pounds (1kg) bone in, skin-on chicken thighs, Note 1 about 6 thighs
• ▢ seasonings: kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Note 2
• ▢ garnish: chopped fresh parsley optional

Peach Balsamic Glaze

• ▢ 1/2 cup (118ml) peach jam or preserves, Note 3
• ▢ 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (good quality)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

• PREPARE SOUS VIDE BATH: Fill water in the sous vide container as per manufacturers instructions. Set the temperature to 165F/73.9C (for soft, moist tender) and allow water to heat to that temperature. Note 4.

• PREPARE CHICKEN: Generously season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic pepper. Fold back top of sous vide bags about an inch to create a flap (this ensures no food touches the top of the bag where it gets sealed). Insert thighs in sous vide bag, ensuring no overlap. Unfold flap and vacuum seal bag using vacuum sealer. Note 5 for ziploc and displacement method.

• COOK CHICKEN SOUS VIDE: When temperature has been reached, submerge the bag with chicken into sous vide bath. Cook for minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 4 hours. I do 75 minutes.

• MAKE GLAZE: While chicken is cooking, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl.

• GLAZE AND BROIL THE CHICKEN:

  °Prepare pan lined with foil and sprayed with oil.

  °Heat oven to BROIL setting and place oven rack a few inches from heat source (top of oven).

  °Remove chicken from water bath and place in a bowl of ice water for 8-10 minutes. This will cool down chicken and allow more time to broil and glaze it without affecting texture and doneness.

  °Then remove chicken from sealed bag and pat dry well with paper towel. Note 6. Brush on most of glaze on both sides of chicken and place on pan Reserve 2-3 tablespoons for final drizzle.

  °Broil chicken, skin side up, for 3-4 minutes or until slightly browned on top. Add additional glaze if desired. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley.

1. Chicken options: You can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs – skin on or skinless – for this recipe. Same time and temp. Chicken breasts will also work fine – bone in or boneless. They need a lower temperature of 144-150F (62-65.6C). Cook them for 1.5-4 hours at the 144F/62C or 1-4 hours at 150F/65/6C).
2. Seasoning options: You can use any seasoning you like. Good options are cumin, curry powder, coriander or a sprig of thyme (or dried). 
3. Glaze substitutes: Instead of peach jam, try apricot or raspberry jam. Or for a shortcut, buy a glaze like teriyaki. To lower calories, try a sugar-free jam in the glaze. 
4. Sous vide temperature: You can also sous vide the thighs at 150F/65.6C for a meaty texture and a little chewier. 
5. Displacement method using a ziploc plastic bag: Place chicken in ziploc bag. Lower bag into water (which will push air out) just until seal is above water line. Seal bag. 
6. To get crispy skin: Before glazing and broiling, heat cast iron skillet or non stick pan to medium high. Add a teaspoon or two or oil. Place chicken, skin side down and press down with spatula or fingers to allow skin the crisp up for 4-5 minutes. Keep peeking until it’s well browned. Just serve with glaze or brush on glaze and broil for a couple of minutes.
7. Make ahead or freeze:
   • Same day: you have a 3 hour window for cooking the chicken thighs sous vide which gives you nice flexibility
   • 3-4 days ahead: Sous vide the thighs, cool them in an ice bath for 10 minutes, then store them in the fridge for 3-4 days until ready to use. Rewarm them up in a water bath for an hour at a few degrees less than the temperature our cooked them. Proceed with glazing from there. To shorten the time, bring them to room temperature, then warm them for 20 minutes. 
   • Freeze for several months: Sous vide the thighs, cool them in an ice bath for 10 minutes, then freeze them for up to 3 months. To rewarm them, use the same technique as abov

Nutrition values are estimates. To save on calories, use a sugar free jam in the glaze.   

Calories: 739kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 647mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 308IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

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