Sous-Vide Chicken (White & Dark Meat)

After multiple questions about Chicken Breasts, I have created a concise and straightforward post to help. This post will cover boneless Chicken only.

Organic vs. Non-Organic. For the record, I am not against Non-Organic Breasts, but if you want consistent results, you gotta go with Organic Chicken. 

I Sous-Vide Boneless Chicken (dark or white) between 135-150℉ at 3 hrs (if frozen add 30 minutes). And I am doing a 1/4 chicken I iwll do it this way. At those T/T's the chicken will be pasteurized. I chose 3 hours because it works for chicken which measures between 1-2 inches thick. Just trying to keep things simple for most people. 

For those folk that wants specificity click link ahead. Take a look at the pasteurization table HERE if you have any questions. If you shock in ice-water, keep vac sealed, and refrigerate. It will keep for a few weeks. 

How do you choose the temperature? It's all about the finished product. What do I mean? If I plan on eating a Chicken breast straight out of the bag let's say for lunch I will pick 150℉. If I plan on searing quickly in a pan without any coating, I might choose 140℉. If I plan on frying with starch, I will pick 135℉. These lower temps mitigate overcooking and gives me wiggle room. 

Note: When I choose to fry I select higher temps because I am not concerned about cooking but the Maillard Reaction. 

For thighs & Wings, I might choose 150℉ if I am going to eat right away without a hard sear. Naturally, if I am going to fry in oil, I will select something lower. Use your imagination..... Don't forget about smoking too. When I smoke, I always use an internal thermometer.

NOTE- DO NOT RETHERM OR REHEAT BEFORE FINISHING. THE PROTEIN WILL REACH A SERVING TEMP WHEN YOU FINISH THEM. This works great for breasts. For Bone in Thigh and Leg you might need to retherm based on how you will finish. 

Organic Chicken Breasts from Costco lightly trimmed. 

I prefer to season my proteins between 12-24 hours in advance. Why? Flavor, and moisture retention. This is called dry-brining. 

I will either use .60% of Kosher Salt based on the weight of the protein (1000 grams will need 6 grams of salt) or 1% of Fish Salt by Red-Boat (Ignore if you keep Sakana). You can also use a commercial rub that contains salt. It just takes some practice to dial in what you like. 

Vac seal............wait up to 24 hours.

These were SV'd at 145℉. After the bath, I routinely shock in an ice bath and refrigerate until ready to eat or finish. (SEE UPDATE)

Out of the bag and dried off......

Although they were fried, I still cooked them at 145℉, so my daughter could pull one out and bring it to work. Just be aware of the SV temp and how you are going to finish. 

(SEE UPDATE)