Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Super Moist And Juicy

Love sous vide recipes? Try my sous vide steak, sous vide turkey breast, and sous vide pork belly. I love cooking with chicken thighs and have tried various methods, but nothing comes close to cooking them sous vide style. The meat is consistently juicy, tender, and it’s pretty much hands-off!

Why I love this recipe

Juicer than oven-cooked chicken thighs. Chicken cooked in a water bath and then quickly seared in a skillet turns out juicier than when cooked in the oven. Perfect results every single time. Chicken thighs may come out dry and chewy if they are overcooked or cooked at high temperatures. Cooking them in a sous vide machine helps you avoid these problems and serve flawlessly juicy chicken on all occasions. You don’t need a sous vide machine. No worries if you don’t have one. This recipe works just as well with a pot of water and a thermometer.

Ingredients needed

Chicken thighs. With bone and skin. Boneless and skinless chicken thighs also work, but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time by around 8-10 minutes to compensate for less surface area. Lemon. Lemon slices gives the chicken a hint of bright citrus flavor. Fresh coriander. To add flavor. Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste.

How to sous vide chicken thighs

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Season the chicken thighs. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Step 2- Vacuum seal. Put the chicken thighs in a vacuum bag along with the slices of lemon and fresh coriander. Seal the bag using a vacuum sealer. Step 2- Cook the chicken sous vide. Set the sous vide machine to 75C/167F degrees. Put the chicken in the water making sure it is fully submerged. Cook for 60 minutes. Step 4- Sear and serve. Remove the chicken thighs from the bags and discard the aromatics. Heat butter in a skillet on high heat. Sear the chicken thighs evenly on all sides for a total of 2 minutes.

Arman’s recipe tips and variations

Pat dry the chicken before searing them. Removing any extra moisture from it helps achieve crispier results. You don’t need to thaw chicken thighs if they are frozen. Simply cook them 60 minutes longer to give them time to defrost and cook through. If you don’t have fresh coriander use other herbs. Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil, and parsley will work well for this chicken. Season the chicken thighs with chili powder to make them a little spicy.

Storage instructions

To store: Place leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. The chicken thighs will be good for 3 to 4 days. You can make sous vide chicken thighs without a sous vide machine so long as you have a large pot, a thermometer, and ziplock bags. Fill the pot with water and place a thermometer in it. Heat the water to 167F degrees. Put the seasoned chicken thighs in a ziplock bag along with the aromatics of your choice and remove the excess air. Cook the chicken thighs in your makeshift sous vide machine for an hour. Then remove them from the bags, sear, and serve. To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled chicken in a shallow container and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat: Microwave for 30-40 seconds until hot or in a skillet/oven.