This recipe for Sous Vide Whole Chicken provides you with an easy cooking method that results in tender and juicy chicken every time. In just a few hours, you will have melt-in-your-mouth chicken that is moist on the outside AND has crispy skin.
Sous vide is cooking your food in a vacuum-sealed bath in a water bath. It provides complete even cooking while locking in moisture. This spatchcocked chicken cooks low and slow similar to a slow cooker.
This cooking method is very hands-off, so don’t be intimidated by the long cooking time. I promise the flavor explosion you will experience is worth the wait.
If you are searching for more sous vide recipes, you should try sous vide ribs, sous vide pork chops, sous vide pork loin roast or rack of lamb for your next family dinner.
Why You Will Love This Sous Vide Chicken
- Easy Weeknight Meal: This sous vide chicken makes the best set-it-and-forget-it dinner.
- Bursting With Flavor: All the spices bring out the best flavor when cooking sous vide!
- Great Leftovers: You can use the leftovers to make a delicious sandwich the next day.
- Budget Friendly: Buying a whole chicken can save money making it perfect for a tight budget.
Ingredients
These are the star ingredients to making the best spatchcock sous vide chicken ever.
- Whole Chicken Spatchcocked: We will walk you through the whole process of how to spatchcock a chicken. It involves removing the backbone for more even cooking and cutting down on cooking time, too.
- Olive Oil: This is a key ingredient to achieve golden brown, crispy skin. Olive oil is my go but you can use any other oil (vegetable, canola, etc) or even a little butter if you like.
- Spices: The secret to a good spice rub is flavorful spices! I use garlic powder, onion, powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning. There are no rules to what you can use, so feel free to make it your own. Thyme, rosemary, oregano, or your favorite spice blend will work just as great!
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and the exact quantities of each one.
Variations
Here are a few ideas for ways to experiment with more flavorful chicken for the perfect chicken dinner.
- Lemon and Herbs. Add lemon slices and fresh herbs to the bag along with the chicken. Try parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
- BBQ Rub: Use your favorite BBQ spice blend as a dry rub! Rub it generously onto the skin and flesh of the chicken before cooking.
- Marinade: An Asian-style marinade with soy sauce and garlic adds so much robust flavor to the chicken! Try Hawaiian, teriyaki, or your favorite.
- Spicy: Add a bit of chili pepper flakes, our jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the spice mixture for a bit of heat.
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
Using this method, we will remove the backbone of the chicken so it lays more flat for even cooking. Here are super easy instructions to help you spatchcock a whole chicken.
- Place the whole chicken on the cutting board, breast-side down.
- Start at the tail and cut on one side of the backbone with sharp kitchen shears, all the way to the top. Repeat this process on the other side.
- Remove the backbone and flip the chicken over.
- Press down on the breastbone to flatten the chicken.
How to Make Sous Vide Whole Chicken
As long as you have the necessary equipment, cooking a spatchcock chicken sous vide is a breeze!
Before you start prepping the chicken, prepare your precision cooker and set the sous vide temperature to 150 degrees F. Combine all of your spices in a small bowl and mix well.
- Generously rub the spice mixture all over the spatchcock chicken.
- Flip it! Make sure you get the other side too.
- Place the chicken into a large sous vide bag and vacuum seal it. Gently submerge the chicken into the preheated water bath.
- Cook for 2-6 hours.
- Remove the bag from the water bath and remove the cooked chicken from the sealed bag.
- Pat the chicken dry and try to remove as much excess moisture as possible.
- Place the chicken in a cast iron skillet or baking sheet. Brush with olive oil.
- Set your oven to broil. Roast your chicken for 20-30 minutes or until the skin is brown and crispy.
⭐️ Hint: Keep a close eye on your oven-roasted chicken while it is in the oven. Do not roast too long or the skin will burn.
If you love recipes like this spatchcock chicken, you may also enjoy these sous vide chicken thighs, Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken or our Cheesy Baked Salsa Chicken recipe.
Storage
Fridge: Leftovers of this spatchcock chicken sous vide can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze the chicken as well! Cut any remaining meat off the bones and place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Reheat the leftover chicken by placing it in a vacuum-sealed bag and submerging it in a sous vide water bath for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You can also reheat gently in a skillet or air fryer. Just be careful not to cook it too long as the chicken will dry out.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy this whole chicken sous vide recipe.
- This roast chicken dinner goes great with a variety of side dishes. Some great suggestions balsamic green beans, mashed potato casserole, slow cooker brussels sprouts and air fryer corn on the cob. You can also choose other green vegetables or potato recipes to serve as sides.
- Make it ahead of time and use it for potpies, sandwiches, and soups! This chicken tortilla soup recipe is a fantastic example of using cooked chicken.
- You can make this sous vide whole chicken recipe for your next potluck! Serve with easy appetizers like cheesy mushroom toasts, a light mixed green salad for the table, and sweet dulce de leche cookies to complete the meal,
Tips
- Make Ahead. Sous vide the whole chicken ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve or up to 24 hours. Broil in the oven to get that crispy skin before enjoying it.
- Go to a Butcher. If you don’t feel comfortable spatchcocking the chicken, you can ask a local butcher to do it for you.
- Skip the Oven. Try browning your chicken on the grill, in the air fryer, or even with a blow torch.
FAQ
The most important tools to make this whole chicken sous vide recipe are a precision cooker or immersion circulator, vacuum sealer and bags, sharp kitchen shears, and a heatproof dish to hold the water bath.
If you decide to skip spatchcocking, I can’t guarantee the same result. This method gives more skin exposure and allows for a more even cook.
This cooking method minimizes overcooked chicken and locks in moisture in flavor. The result is juicy chicken every time.
The size of your whole chicken will determine the overall cooking time. A 4-pound chicken will take approximately 2-3 hours while a larger one (like 6 pounds) will take a bit longer.
More Delicious Chicken Dishes
Do you like easy chicken dinners? 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 Whole Chicken
Equipment
- Kitchen Shears or a sharp knife
- Immersion circulator for sous vide cooking
- Vacuum sealer and Bags
- Baking Sheet or Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 Whole chicken spatchcocked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
How to Spatchcock a Chicken
- Place the entire chicken on a clean and sturdy cutting board, positioning the chicken breast side down. Identify the backbone, which runs along the back of the chicken.
- Starting from the tail end, use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut along one side of the backbone. Repeat the process on the other side until the backbone is completely removed, leaving you with a spatchcocked/butterflied chicken.
- Turn the chicken over so that the breast side is facing up. Press down on the breastbone using the palms of your hands to flatten the chicken, ensuring even cooking.
How to Cook an Entire Chicken Sous Vide
- Preheat your water bath using a precision cooker, and set the sous vide temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65.5 degrees Celsius).
- In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Mix them well to create a flavorful spice blend.
- Rub the spice mix generously all over the butterflied chicken. Place the seasoned chicken into a large sous vide bag and use a vacuum sealer to seal the bag, ensuring an airtight seal.
- Gently submerge the vacuum-sealed chicken into the preheated water bath. Cook the chicken for a cooking time of 2 to 6 hours, allowing the sous vide process to infuse flavors and ensure perfect doneness.
- When it's done cooking, carefully remove the chicken from the sous vide bath and vacuum-sealed bag and pat it dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Brush olive oil all over the surface of the chicken. This step enhances the skin's crispiness during the final cooking phase.
- Turn your oven to the broil setting. Place the oiled chicken on a Cast Iron Skillet or on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and roast in the preheated oven for approximately 20-30 minutes or until it has golden brown and crispy skin. Keep a close eye on the can use a very hot grill, an air fryer, or the blow torch method to brown your cooked chicken.
Notes
- Make Ahead. Sous vide the whole chicken ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve or up to 24 hours. Broil in the oven to get that crispy skin before enjoying it.
- Go to a Butcher. If you don’t feel comfortable spatchcocking the chicken, you can ask a local butcher to do it for you.
- Skip the Oven. Try browning your chicken on the grill, in the air fryer, or even with a blow torch.
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