This recipe for Sous Vide Chicken Thighs is the best way to get a chicken thigh that is juicy and tender on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside.
Chicken thighs and chicken legs and drumsticks are rising up as a super food in my opinion. Not only are they cheap and budget friendly, but they also have a higher fat content which is rich in nutrients.
Cooking chicken thighs can be tricky. It can be hard to get the inside tender and fully cooked while still making the skin nice and crispy. Cooking them with the sous vide method is a perfect way to get the best of both worlds.
The chicken thighs are seasoned, cooked in a water bath that is the perfect temperature, then quickly flash cooked on the grill, cast iron skillet or air fryer and that’s it!
What is Sous Vide Cooking?
This technique of cooking is nothing new, but it started gaining popularity for home use in recent years. I recently purchased the Anova Culinary Precision Pro to make all of my Sous Vide recipes since it had great reviews and I know people who have it personally that love it.
Sous vide is a method of cooking for a longer period of time in a temperature controlled water bath. For example, a ribeye steak is marinated and placed in a vacuum sealed bag or ziploc and is submerged to be fully cooked at a temperature that is to your liking. Once it is fully cooked, it just needs to be seared off in a hot cast iron pan while still remaining at the perfect temperature.
How To Pronounce Sous Vide:
Sous vide is French for “under vacuum” referring to the method of cooking in a sealed bag. It is pronounced with a silent S at the end of Sous (Sue-Veede).
Are Ziploc Bags Safe For Sous Vide?
If you use the sous vide to cook often, it may be worth purchasing a vacuum sealer down the line. However, when you’re first starting, you can use ziploc bags to place your food in before cooking. Just make sure they are Freezer Bags and that you take as much air out of the bag as possible.
This can be done by the water displacement method which is dunking the bag with food in the water bath leaving a slight 1 inch opened on one side, once the pressure from the water takes out all the air, seal the bag up fully.
What Is The Best Temperature To Sous Vide Chicken Thighs?
Although you could cook your chicken thighs at a lower temperature, I always cook mine to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to make sure it’s safe according to food safety standards.
Chicken doesn’t follow the same rules as steak in this regard however, you could cook them at 150 to account for any extra cooking that will result in finishing the chicken thighs with a pan sear, grill, or air fry.
Best Temperature: 165 Degrees Fahrenheit – 2 Hours
How Do I Make My Chicken Thighs Crispy:
The first step is to make sure your chicken is FULLY dried by patting down both sides with a paper towel after it is cooked and comes out of the Sous Vide bag. Any moisture on the skin will cause the skin to steam and result in the texture being mushy.
- Pan Sear Chicken Thighs: heat up a cast iron skillet and add in ghee, butter, or avocado oil over high heat until it starts to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin side down for 1-2 minutes or until skin gets brown and crispy. Remove from heat and serve.
- Grill Chicken Thighs: Heat grill to 500 degrees. Brush oil or butter on chicken thighs and place on grill for 2-3 minutes or until skin gets charred to your desired outcome.
- Broil Chicken Thighs: turn your oven to broil setting and brush chicken skin with avocado oil, butter or ghee. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until skin is crispy
- Air Fry Chicken Thighs: preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 400. Brush skin with avocado oil, butter or ghee. Air Fry for 5-6 minutes or until chicken skin becomes crispy
Can I Sous Vide Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Yes! I prefer bone in chicken thighs because I believe the meat is more tender when it’s cooked on the bone, however you can debone chicken thighs or purchase boneless chicken thighs and cook them the exact same way.
Keto Friendly and Whole30 Friendly Sous Vide Chicken Thighs:
- Keto: Make sure whatever seasoning you use does not contain excess sugar or carbohydrates
- Whole30: Use avocado oil or ghee only to cook the chicken thighs and make sure you read the label to make sure your seasoning does not contain sugar or additives that are not Whole30 compliant
Can I Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Thighs?
If you are cooking chicken thighs from frozen, simply add another hour to the cooking time. For this recipe, the chicken will need to be cooked at 165 degrees for 3 hours.
How Long Do They Last?
Once they are cooked, they will last in the air tight bag right out of the sous vide for about 7-10 days since they are fully cooked. Once you are ready to finish them off, let them temp out for about 15 minutes on the counter, then use your favorite finishing method.
Sous Vide Marinated Chicken Thighs:
This recipe uses a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. To change up the flavor to your liking, rub seasonings on both sides of chicken before adding to ziploc or vacuum sealed bag.
- Bbq seasoning
- Curry Powder
- Italian Seasoning
- Greek Seasoning
- Teriyaki Seasoning
- Cajun Seasoning
- Taco Seasoning
- Chipotle Seasoning
- Jerk Seasoning
How To Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
- Bring your water bath to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While water is heating up, pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add seasoned chicken thighs to the freezer bag or vacuum sealed bag.
- Add to the heated water bath and cook for 2 hours or 3 hours if chicken thighs are frozen.
- Remove from the bag and pat dry on both sides with a paper towel.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add in 1 tbsp butter, ghee or avocado oil and wait until it begins to smoke.
- Place dry chicken thighs face down in hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes or until skin becomes crispy.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
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Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
This recipe for Sous Vide Chicken thighs is the best way to get a chicken thigh that is juicy and tender on the inside and nice and crispy on the outside.
Ingredients
- 4 Bone In Chicken Thighs
- 1 tbsp Butter or Ghee
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Bring your water bath to a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- While water is heating up, pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add seasoned chicken thighs to the freezer bag or vacuum sealed bag.
- Add to the heated water bath and cook for 2 hours or 3 hours if chicken thighs are frozen.
- Remove from the bag and pat dry on both sides with a paper towel.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add in 1 tbsp butter, ghee or avocado oil and wait until it begins to smoke.
- Place dry chicken thighs face down in hot oil and cook for 1-2 minutes or until skin becomes crispy.
- Remove from heat and serve hot.
Notes
What Is The Best Temperature To Sous Vide Chicken Thighs?
Although you could cook your chicken thighs at a lower temperature, I always cook mine to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to make sure it’s safe according to food safety standards.
Chicken doesn’t follow the same rules as steak in this regard however, you could cook them at 150 to account for any extra cooking that will result in finishing the chicken thighs with a pan sear, grill, or air fry.
Best Temperature: 165 Degrees Fahrenheit - 2 Hours
How Do I Make My Chicken Thighs Crispy:
The first step is to make sure your chicken is FULLY dried by patting down both sides with a paper towel after it is cooked and comes out of the Sous Vide bag. Any moisture on the skin will cause the skin to steam and result in the texture being mushy.
- Pan Sear Chicken Thighs: heat up a cast iron skillet and add in ghee, butter, or avocado oil over high heat until it starts to smoke. Place chicken thighs skin side down for 1-2 minutes or until skin gets brown and crispy. Remove from heat and serve.
- Grill Chicken Thighs: Heat grill to 500 degrees. Brush oil or butter on chicken thighs and place on grill for 2-3 minutes or until skin gets charred to your desired outcome.
- Broil Chicken Thighs: turn your oven to broil setting and brush chicken skin with avocado oil, butter or ghee. Broil for 4-5 minutes or until skin is crispy
- Air Fry Chicken Thighs: preheat air fryer for 5 minutes at 400. Brush skin with avocado oil, butter or ghee. Air Fry for 5-6 minutes or until chicken skin becomes crispy
Can I Sous Vide Boneless Chicken Thighs?
Yes! I prefer bone in chicken thighs because I believe the meat is more tender when it’s cooked on the bone, however you can debone chicken thighs or purchase boneless chicken thighs and cook them the exact same way.
Keto Friendly and Whole30 Friendly Sous Vide Chicken Thighs:
- Keto: Make sure whatever seasoning you use does not contain excess sugar or carbohydrates
- Whole30: Use avocado oil or ghee only to cook the chicken thighs and make sure you read the label to make sure your seasoning does not contain sugar or additives that are not Whole30 compliant
Can I Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Thighs?
If you are cooking chicken thighs from frozen, simply add another hour to the cooking time. For this recipe, the chicken will need to be cooked at 165 degrees for 3 hours.
How Long Do They Last?
Once they are cooked, they will last in the air tight bag right out of the sous vide for about 7-10 days since they are fully cooked. Once you are ready to finish them off, let them temp out for about 15 minutes on the counter, then use your favorite finishing method.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 222Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 263mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 20g
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