You may be wondering why you need to bother cooking chicken thighs sous vide. After all, if you cook them using conventional cooking methods they still come out pretty juicy don’t they?
Well, here as the Sous Vide Wizard we are perfectionists. We want more than just average chicken thighs! Using the sous vide will give you more control and enable you to get that perfect internal temperature. This recipe has to be the most delicious chicken thighs on the web.
Now I do want to talk about bone-in vs boneless. This recipe uses boneless, but you can just as easily use bone-in as well. You will probably even get a better flavor with the bone, but possible a little less meat for the price.
Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Cooking Times and Temperature
Unlike when cooking chicken breast, chicken thighs can withstand longer cooking times because they have higher ratios of connective tissue. This means that if you want to cook your chicken breasts for up to 24 hours, you can do this with sous vide cooking.
We don’t advise cooking chicken thighs at a lower temperature than 150°F, or you will end up with tough chicken that is very difficult to chew. At a cooking temperature of 165°F you will achieve more tender chicken, and you can change the cooking times to achieve chicken thighs that really fall apart because they are so tender.
If you want your chicken thigh to be cooked almost like a steak then set your machine for 150°F (66°C) for between one and four hours.
If you prefer the texture to be close to pan fried chicken, then cook at 165°F (74°C) for between one and four hours. This will be juicier than the pan cooked method.
For chicken thighs that are so tender they pull off the bone, you will need to cook at 165°F (74°C) for between four and eight hours. The longer you cook for, the less juicy the chicken will be, but it will still taste great.
Equipment
- Sous Vide Machine – our favorite right now is the Anova or the Joule.
- Container – not necessary, but nice to have for bigger cuts of meat. We recommend the Lipavi as it is large and sturdy. You can also use a pot.
- Vacuum sealer and bags, or a freezer Ziploc bag. You can find our favorite vacuum sealers here – 5 Best Sous Vide Vacuum Sealers (Reviews Updated 2021)
Best Sous Vide Chicken Thighs Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 sprigs thyme
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
- Firstly you will need to pre heat your sous vide machine until the temperature is at your desired setting (either 150°F or 165°F).
- It is time to season the chicken thighs with freshly ground pepper and salt. Now you will need to use sous vide bags and place the thighs, skin down, into a large bag or individual bags. Then add thyme, butter and garlic into the bag(s).
- Using a sous vide vacuum sealer is recommended to remove all of the air. Cook the chicken for the desired time in the water bath (1 – 4 hours or 4 – 8 hours). Once cooked, remove the bags and then the chicken thighs and put them into the fridge.
- Just prior to serving, either use a sous vide torch or put a skillet on medium heat and sear using the oil. Place each thigh skin side down to create a really crisp effect. This can be done for around 10 minutes. Make sure that the thighs are warmed through and serve.
If you are interested in a fried chicken recipe with the sous vide, be sure to check this one out! – Sous Vide Fried Chicken Recipe
Enjoy!
I must say, this is one of the most comprehensive and detailed chicken thigh recipe I have come across online. Thank you very much and keep up the good work.