Compared to other cooking methods, sous vide cooking:
- makes it easy and reliable to cook meats exactly the way you like
- cooks food evenly from edge to center, with no gray ring around the edges and no raw center
- makes meats juicier – moisture loss in meat is largely determined by temperature. With most cooking methods, the outside gets hotter than the middle, so it loses more moisture as the center reaches the desired doneness
- allows tougher cuts like chuck roast to cook for long periods, by breaking down collagen without overcooking the edges
- simplifies scheduling – you can cook food to the desired doneness ahead of time, then finish it in a few minutes
- is easy to clean – most of the cooking happens in a bag, which you can also use to store leftovers
There are a few downsides:
- food doesn’t brown – you often need to finish on a grill or skillet to create the browning (Maillard reactions) that develop flavor and texture.
- it requires planning – cooking at low temperatures takes more time to bring the center of food up to the desired doneness.
- you can experiment with sous vide using a cooler, but to fully benefit you’ll need an immersion circulator. They are relatively affordable now. The model I use costs less than $100.
- you can use the water displacement method instead of vacuum sealing, but some people prefer using a vacuum sealer.
Sous vide works by holding food at a precise temperature, so it never overcooks past your target. This is what allows for even cooking and long cook times without drying out.
Most sous vide recipes follow this pattern:
- Preheat the water bath to the desired temperature.
- Trim and season the food.
- Vacuum-seal the food, or place it in a bag and use water displacement to push the air out.
- Place the sealed food in the water bath and cook for the desired time.
- Heat a skillet or grill to high heat.
- Remove the food from the bag, dry it, and add additional seasoning if desired.
- Finish quickly on the skillet or grill.
Steps 5–7 can be skipped or delayed.
For example, here are the instructions for my southwest chicken:
- Preheat sous vide to 142°F
- Mix the seasonings
- Pat the chicken dry, then sprinkle liberally with the seasoning mix
- Vacuum-seal, or place the chicken in a zip-top bag and use the water displacement method to remove the air
- Cook at 142°F for 1½ to 4 hours
- Optionally, dry and sear on high heat, or brown with a torch
- Store leftovers in the same bag you used to cook the chicken
You might wonder if it’s safe to cook chicken to 140°F. Safety comes down to time and temperature. Even at lower temperatures, food can be pasteurized if it’s held there long enough. Following tested time and temperature guidelines ensures safe results. See sous vide chicken safety at seriouseats.