My sous vide chicken thighs are super moist and juicy, and come together in minutes! This method can also be used without the sous vide machine. 

I love cooking with chicken thighs and have tried various methods, but nothing comes close to cooking them sous vide. The meat is consistently juicy and tender, and it’s pretty much hands-off!

If you’re new to sous vide cooking, chicken thighs are one of the best proteins to cook in it. There’s really a small margin for error, and I’ve broken this recipe down into an easy-to-follow process to make it as uncomplicated as possible.

The best part? I tested a version that doesn’t need the official sous vide machine, so you can try it out first before committing to buying the actual gadget.

Table of Contents

1. Key Ingredients
2. How to sous vide chicken thighs
3. Arman’s recipe tips
4. Storage instructions
5. Frequently asked questions
6. Sous Vide Chicken Thighs (Recipe Card)
7. More sous vide recipes

Why I love this recipe

My partner and I love sous vide chicken thighs for a high-protein dinner option or meal prep. Here’s why you will also enjoy them:

• Extra juicy. I love chicken thighs cooked in the oven, air fryer, and Instant Pot, but there’s something special about how they turn out when cooked this way.
• 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.
• 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.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to cook chicken thighs sous vide. Measurements and a step-by-step recipe video are in the recipe card below.

• Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Boneless and skinless chicken thighs also work, but you’ll need to reduce the cooking time by about 8-10 minutes to compensate for their smaller surface area.
• Lemon. Lemon slices add a hint of bright citrus flavor to the chicken. 
• Fresh coriander.  To add flavor. 
• Kosher salt and black pepper. To taste. 

How to sous vide chicken thighs

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 75 °C/167°F. 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

• Pat the chicken dry before searing them. Removing any excess moisture helps achieve crispier results. 
• Don’t skip the sear. The chicken is fully cooked after the sous vide bath, but a quick sear adds the golden exterior and savory flavor that make it taste like traditionally cooked chicken. 
• Cook from frozen. You don’t need to thaw frozen chicken thighs. Cook them 60 minutes longer to give them time to defrost and cook through. 
• Don’t leave the chicken in for too long. Sous vide is forgiving, but after over 8 hours, the texture can become overly soft. Through testing, I found that 1 to 4 hours yields juicy, tender results, while cooking them for 5 to 8 hours makes them slightly less juicy and better for shredding

Frequently asked questions

More sous vide recipes

Sous Vide Egg Bites

Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Sous Vide Turkey Breast

Sous Vide Salmon

Originally published December 2022