Want to know the trick to tender, perfectly juicy chicken thighs? Sous vide cooking makes an easy way to create mouthwatering, tender dishes, and chicken thighs are no exception. These sous vide boneless chicken thighs deliver moist, tender, and flavorful chicken each and every time.
Why You Will Love Sous Vide Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Perfectly Cooked Chicken. It's nearly impossible to overcook your chicken with sous vide. So you end up with chicken thighs that are tender and juicy every time.
- Easy To Make. The perfect cooking method for both beginners and experienced home cooks.
- Use Your Favorite Chicken Thighs. This recipe works for both bone-in or boneless chicken thighs.
This sous vide recipe was inspired by my sous vide whole chicken, sous vide lamb rack, sous vide ribs, and sous vide tri tip and goes great with any of these starch side dishes.
Ingredients
These flavorful chicken thighs only require a few simple ingredients to make. Everything you need is listed here, but you can find the exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Chicken Thighs: Chicken thighs are tender and flavorful and don't dry out as easily as chicken breasts.
- Lemons: Lemon slices infuse the chicken with a bright citrus aroma and flavor. Feel free to try oranges or limes, too!
- Fresh Rosemary: Rosemary is a classic chicken pairing. You can use thyme or sage if you don't have rosemary.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil helps keep the chicken tender and moist during the long cooking time.
- Garlic and Garlic Powder: An easy way to add classic flavor to the chicken without the need to chop or mince garlic cloves.
Substitutions and Variations
Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this sous vide boneless chicken thighs recipe.
- Change Up the Seasonings: Experiment with a variety of seasonings like paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, or even things like jams, balsamic vinegar, and Dijon mustard to give the chicken a glaze while it cooks.
- Instead of Water: Try chicken broth or white wine in place of water inside the sous vide bag.
- A Hint of Spice: Add a bit of chili pepper flakes, jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the marinade for a bit of heat.
How to Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
Sous vide cooking is a simple straightforward process, so this is an easy recipe to make. The highlights are listed here, but you can find the exact instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Brush the chicken with oil and sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the seasoning mixture.
- Add all the ingredients to a bag and vacuum seal it or use the water displacement method to remove the air.
- Cook the chicken in the water bath until it's cooked through and tender. Remove the chicken from the bag and dunk them in an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Sear the chicken in a skillet over high heat until crispy and golden.
⭐️ Hint: Be sure to pat your chicken thighs dry before searing them.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these baked chicken thighs, baked teriyaki chicken thighs recipe, Crockpot BBQ Chicken Thighs or check out these kid friendly chicken thigh recipes!
Storage
- Storing Leftovers: Store the chicken once it's cool in an air-tight container for up to four days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Reheat: Reheat the chicken in a sous vide bath set to 165 degrees for an hour or until heated through. You can also bake the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes at 150 degrees until heated through.
- Make Ahead: Season your chicken and add all the ingredients to your vacuum-sealed bag just as you would if you were going to cook it immediately. Then, freeze the chicken until ready to cook. When ready to cook, use the method in the directions in the recipe card, adjusting the time to 3 hours to cook from frozen.
What to Serve with Chicken Thighs
- Roasted Vegetables: Carrots, air fryer brussels sprouts, slow cooker brussels sprouts, air fryer baby potatoes, sweet potatoes, or any of your other favorites will work well.
- Mashed Potatoes or Rice: Always a classic chicken side dish. Try this coconut ginger rice or air fryer garlic potatoes.
- Green Salad: A green leafy salad with vegetables and a light vinaigrette complements the rich flavors of the chicken.
- Simple Veggies: Sautéed spinach and veggies or zucchini and onions are both popular favorites..
Tips
- Seasoning the Chicken. Be liberal with it for the best flavor.
- Remove the Air. Be sure you either vacuum seal the bags completely or get as much air out as possible with the water displacement method.
- Sous Vide Machine. Invest in a quality sous vide machine for even cooking.
- Preheating. Always preheat the sous vide water bath before adding the chicken thighs.
- Even Cooking. Leave space between each piece of chicken in the sous vide bag for even cooking.
FAQ
Do you have questions about sous vide chicken thighs? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about these sous vide boneless chicken thighs.
Sous vide is a method of cooking that uses a water bath to cook meat at a precise temperature for a long period of time. The meat is placed in a resealable bag and then cooked in hot water.
The ideal temperature for cooking chicken thighs in a sous vide bath is 165 degrees F.
Yes, you can! Simply add an extra hour of cooking time.
It generally takes about an hour and a half to cook chicken thighs using the sous vide method.
You need to use vacuum seal bags or high-quality, heavy-duty resealable bags.
More Chicken Thighs Recipes
Do you like chicken thighs? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Recipe
Equipment
- Sous vide precision cooker
- Large container for the water bath
- Vacuum sealer (or resealable freezer bags if using the water displacement method)
- Skillet for optional searing
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken thighs
- 2 lemons thinly sliced
- 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot or sous vide container with water and set the sous vide machine to 167 degrees F, matching the desired internal temperature for the chicken.
- Brush the skinless chicken thighs with oil and then season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can do this on a flat surface or directly in a large sous vide bag or ziplock bag.
- Place a few lemon slices in the bottom of the vacuum-sealable bag. This will infuse the chicken with the lemon flavors as it cooks.
- Lay the seasoned chicken thighs in a single layer on top of the lemon slices. Add more lemon slices and rosemary sprigs on top of the chicken thighs.
- Carefully seal the bag, ensuring there are no wrinkles or air pockets. Use a vacuum sealer, or the water displacement method to remove any remaining air bubbles.
- Gently submerge the vacuum bag in the preheated sous vide bath. Make sure it's fully submerged. Cook the chicken thighs at 167 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The longer cooking time will result in even more tender and juicy chicken.
- After the cooking time is up, remove the plastic bag from the water bath and carefully open it. Remove the chicken thighs from the bag and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Discard the lemons as well as the rosemary. If you like, you can make a pan sauce with the chicken juices.
- Place the cooked chicken in an ice bath after sous vide cooking. This step is optional and will help to stop the cooking process and prevent the chicken from becoming overcooked.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet with oil over medium-high heat until it becomes hot.
- Pat the chicken thighs with a paper towel and give then each a quick sear in the hot skillet for about 1-3 minutes per side until they develop a golden brown crust. This step is also optional but adds a nice texture and flavor to the chicken. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees F (74°C) or above. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.
- Plate your tender chicken thighs and garnish with fresh rosemary and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The flavors will be incredibly infused, and the meat will be incredibly tender and juicy.
Notes
- Seasoning the Chicken. Be liberal with it for the best flavor.
- Remove the Air. Be sure you either vacuum seal the bags completely or get as much air out as possible with the water displacement method.
- Sous Vide Machine. Invest in a quality sous vide machine for even cooking.
- Preheating. Always preheat the sous vide water bath before adding the chicken thighs.
- Even Cooking. Leave space between each piece of chicken in the sous vide bag for even cooking.
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