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If you’re here for the quick answer, yes, you can sous vide a frozen steak.
It’s super convenient because you don’t have to plan ahead and defrost it.
Simply pop it in the sous vide bath, and add around 60 minutes of cooking time. This should remove the ice and ensure your steak isn’t undercooked.
If you’re looking for a more detailed answer, keep reading. Below, I’ll talk about the benefits of cooking frozen sous vide steak and how you can do so in three easy steps.
Why should you cook frozen steak sous vide?
Here are some reasons why I looking cooking my steak in the sous vide bath while it’s still frozen:
- It saves time
- It’s convenient
- It’s more affordable
It saves time
The biggest reason why I’m a fan of cooking frozen steak sous vide style is because it saves time.
A few years ago, I never cooked frozen steak and I’d fill a large bowl with water and submerge my steak in it for 45 minutes so it could thaw. I always felt this part of the sous vide process was annoying, but I can now skip this entire process and thaw it in the bath.
When you’re finished, put your steak on the skillet with some butter, and you’re good to go.
It’s convenient
Another reason why I love sous viding frozen steak is because it’s convenient. If I know I’ll spend all day at work or I need to run some errands, I’ll put the steak in the sous vide bath, and since sous vide keeps the meat at the temperature it’s supposed to be at, there’s no risk of overcooking.
When I come back, all I have to do is give it a quick sear and dig in.
This is perfect for meal preppers because you’re minimizing your time in the kitchen.
It’s more affordable
Most people that use sous vide will buy a few pieces of steak and eat it on the same day. However, this is expensive, so I suggest buying in bulk, freezing it, and popping a piece of steak in the bath whenever you need to prepare a meal.
Pro tip: Most butchers will occasionally have clearance sales. Go to your butcher, try to find out when they are having a sale, and buy your steak then.
What prevents people from cooking frozen steak in the sous vide?
The biggest misconception that I came across is that putting a frozen steak into a sous vide bath will affect the texture.
In my experience, this is false. If you give your steak some extra time to cook, there shouldn’t be any difference compared to a room-temperature steak.
And you can test this for yourself: The next time you sous vide 2 inch frozen steak, defrost one steak in the microwave and leave the other frozen. Give the frozen steak around 60 minutes more cooking time, sear it and do a taste test.
After preparing steak sous vide style for almost a decade, I’ve never noticed a significant difference.
Now that we have this misconception out of the way, let’s look at how you can sous vide frozen steak in three easy steps.
Here’s how to sous vide frozen steak in three easy steps
Sous viding frozen steak is my favorite meal prep strategy. When I’m too busy to cook, I’ll take a steak out of the freezer and leave it in the sous vide bath for a few hours.
So I can just come home from work, sear my steak for two minutes, and enjoy a perfect meal.
Below, I’ll be sharing my three-step process for cooking frozen steak sous vide style:
- Prepare your steak
- Set up your sous vide
- Sear your steak
Step 1: Prepare your steak
The first step is preparing your steak by marinating it in your favorite sauces and spices and vacuum-sealing it in a sous vide bag.
To do this, you can buy a vacuum sealer, which costs around $100 or use the water displacement method.
The water displacement method works by filling a large bowl with water and slowly dipping your sous vide bag into it while closing the zip. Leave about an inch of the bag open, and when it’s almost fully submerged, close it.
Step 2: Set up your sous vide
Once your steak is sealed, store it in the freezer and when you’re hungry, set up your sous vide bath.
Fill your sous vide container with water and preheat it by turning up the immersion circulator to its desired temperature.
If you don’t know how long to leave your frozen steak in the sous vide bath, follow our sous vide frozen steak time chart:
| Temperature | Time | |
| Rare | 125 degrees Fahrenheit | 3 to 4 hours |
| Medium rare | 130 degrees Fahrenheit | 3 to 4 hours |
| Medium | 135 degrees Fahrenheit | 3 to 4 hours |
| Well done | 145 degrees Fahrenheit | 3 to 4 hours |
Step 3: Sear your steak
When your steak is complete, it’ll have a gray color. But don’t worry because a good sear will give it that famous golden crust.
Pro tip: Always pat your steak dry with a few paper towels as soon as you remove it from the sous vide bath. This will dry it out, preventing it from boiling in the pan.
After about 1 minute on each side, remove your steak, and enjoy!
How long to sous vide frozen filet mignon
I will usually add one hour to the normal cooking time if it is frozen.
My sous vide frozen steak temperature will depend on how well I’m cooking my steak. I prefer my sous vide frozen steak medium rare, so I’ll set my immersion circulator to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can you sous vide frozen chicken?
You can sous vide frozen chicken because it’ll defrost in the sous vide bath and you won’t have to wait hours for it to defrost.
But always add around an hour to your cookbook recipe time as it’ll remove all the ice and give your chicken some extra time to cook.
Final Word On Sous Vide Cooking Frozen Steak
If you’re worried that placing a frozen steak directly into the sous vide bath will ruin the texture, rest assured that there aren’t significant differences compared to a room temperature steak.
Just add 60 minutes of extra cooking time to ensure your steak is properly cooked, and you’re good to go.
