Sous Vide Whole Chicken
Sous Vide Whole Chicken – This method solves a frequent problem that many people have when preparing a whole chicken: the breast meat dries out before the breast is cooked, and the thigh meat is underdone. A whole, chicken can be successfully prepared with this technique every time.
Can you sous vide a whole chicken? Yes! Sous vide cooking is a great way to slow cook a whole chicken so the meat is tender, juicy, and flavorful.
The problem with roasting a whole chicken in the oven is that it can be difficult to cook the breast meat all the way through without overcooking the thighs, legs, or wings. Using sous vide eliminates this problem, helping you achieve perfect results every time.
Sous vide cooking is a method of cooking vacuum-sealed food in a water bath to cook food at very accurate temperatures. This helps you achieve perfect results every time, so no more overcooked or undercooked chicken!
Most sous vide recipes require you to spatchcock your chicken before cooking it. This method does not have you cut the chicken this way. You’ll simply remove the giblets and stuff the cavity with lemons and onions in order to fill the air cavity.
Once it’s cooked through, the chicken is seasoned and then put under the broiler for crispy skin to create a roasted chicken taste while keeping the meat tender and moist.
🤔 Why sous vide a whole chicken instead of roasting?
- Whole chickens are a great cut of meat to cook sous vide. They not only produce juicy and tender meat, but you can also make it into different meals throughout the week.
- Sous vide cooking whole chicken is easy and you don’t have to worry about overcooking or drying out your chicken like when you roast in the oven.
- There’s no need to babysit the chicken as it slowly cooks. Simply let it cook in the immersion circulator for 6 hours while you go on with your day.
- You can still achieve a crispy skin on the chicken by letting it broil for a few minutes in the oven after it’s cooked.
🌡Best Temperature To Sous Vide A Whole Chicken
The ideal temperature to sous vide a whole chicken is 150-155 F. As it approaches 165 F, the breast meat becomes denser, making it harder to chew through.
Even though the preferred internal temperatures for whole chickens are 165 F for the breasts and 180 F for the thighs and legs, that is only when it’s being roasted. Salmonella is killed by heating it to 131 F for one hour, 140 F for a half-hour, or by heating it to 167 F for 10 minutes. The whole chicken will cook at 155F for nearly 2 hours which will kill any harmful bacteria.
Cooking times for this whole chicken will vary depending on the size of the bird you started with. A three to five-pound bird should take between one hour and an hour and a half to cook all the way through.
⏲How Long Does It Take To Sous Vide Chicken?
The amount of time it takes to cook a whole chicken sous vide is based on the size of the bird. Generally, a 3-5 pound chicken will need to cook for 6 hours in the sous vide.
🐔 Can You Sous Vide Frozen Whole Chicken?
You can sous vide a whole frozen chicken if it is spatchcocked BEFORE it’s frozen. Or you can cook from frozen if you have access to the cavity and can stuff it with lemons or onions. If the cavity is left open with air, the chicken may not cook safely, and evenly.
📖 How To Sous Vide Whole Chicken
- Fill up a large pot with water and add your immersion circulator to the side. Set the temperature to 155F and let the water come to temperature.
- While the water is heating, prepare the chicken. Trim off any excess fat from the top of chicken and remove the giblets from inside. Reserve those for later use in chicken stock, if desired. Rinse your chicken in cold water if desired (but not necessary) and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Stuff the cavity with lemons, onions, and garlic if desired. Make sure the cavity is completely full so that as little air stays inside as possible. Tie the legs with kitchen twine to hold everything.
- Place the chicken into a sous vide bag large enough to hold it so it can be sealed properly. You can also use a large vacuum sealer bag.
- Seal your bag using the water displacement method (instructions in video). Submerge the chicken into the temperature controlled water bath. Use a weight such as a heavy kitchen utensil to make sure it is fully submerged. Add a layer of foil to the top of the pot to keep the heat in. Cook it for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the water and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it open to check doneness. The liquid may still be pink inside but it will be fully cooked through if the internal temperature is at least 155F.
- Add the chicken to a baking dish and pat dry with paper towels. Season with dry seasonings. Place under the broiler until the skin crispy and golden brown. You may have to rotate the pan to get an even crisp.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with your favorite side dishes.
🧊 Storing & Freezing
Storing: Transfer the sous-vide chicken to a sealed container, refrigerating for 3-4 days. After four days, freeze or cook within 48 hours.
Freezing: Freeze the chicken in a heavy-duty sealed zip-lock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating and serving.
❔FAQ
After the sous vide cooking is finished, let your chicken sit for at least 10 minutes. This allows it to come up to equilibrium with the environment to keep it tender. The chicken will be cooked through if the breast meat is white and opaque. The legs and wings may have pink spots around the edges but are safe to eat unless raw. Use a kitchen thermometer to determine if the meat is 155F for safety.
Chicken does not need to be rinsed or washed in your sink before cooking. It can be dangerous to rinse chicken in the sink as water droplets that splash can harbor bacteria that stay in the sink. The cooking process will kill all of the bad bacteria in the chicken.
No, sous vide cooking is very gentle and it’s impossible to overcook. This allows the chicken to cook evenly without drying out.
The cooking time is longer than pan-frying but the end result is that there are less calories because there’s no oil being used.
If you’re cooking a frozen chicken, add one hour to the cooking time to allow it to thaw and cook at the same time.
No, because the salt in the brine would draw out too much of the juices from the slow sous vide cooking. Instead, the chicken is seasoned after its cooked and before it goes in the oven to crisp up the skin.
More Sous Vide Recipes
- Sous Vide Frozen Steak
- Sous Vide Chicken Breast (Fresh or Frozen)
- Sous Vide Pot Roast
- Sous Vide Corned Beef
Sous Vide Whole Chicken
Equipment
- Sous Vide (Immersion Circulator)
- Large Pot
- Freezer Safe Ziploc Bag or Vacuum Sealer
Ingredients
- 5 lbs Whole Chicken
- 1 Lemon sliced
- 1 Onion roughly chopped
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Fill up a large pot with water and add your immersion circulator to the side. Set the temperature to 155F and let the water come to temperature.
- While the water is heating, prepare the chicken. Trim off any excess fat from the top of chicken and remove the giblets from inside. Reserve those for later use in chicken stock, if desired. Rinse your chicken in cold water if desired (but not necessary) and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Stuff the cavity with lemons, onions, and garlic if desired. Make sure the cavity is completely full so that as little air stays inside as possible. Tie the legs with kitchen twine to hold everything.
- Place the chicken into a sous vide bag large enough to hold it so it can be sealed properly. You can also use a large vacuum sealer bag.
- Seal your bag using the water displacement method (instructions in video). Submerge the chicken into the temperature controlled water bath. Use a weight such as a heavy kitchen utensil to make sure it is fully submerged. Add a layer of foil to the top of the pot to keep the heat in. Cook it for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the water and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing it open to check doneness. The liquid may still be pink inside but it will be fully cooked through if the internal temperature is at least 155F.
- Add the chicken to a baking dish and pat dry with paper towels. Season with dry seasonings. Place under the broiler until the skin crispy and golden brown. You may have to rotate the pan to get an even crisp.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving with your favorite side dishes.
