Hi, I'm Earl. Product Manager at Simple sous-vide chicken breast
So after a long hiatus from cooking anything sous-vide, I broke out my portable constant temperature water bath and got to work. The reason I decided to cook chicken sous-vide rose more out of convenience than desire for the perfectly cooked chicken breast—though the latter certainly was an incentive. Knowing I would have to cook for myself this month, I stocked up on a ton of healthy ingredients: frozen chicken breasts, broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce, red onions, garlic, blackberries, grapefruit, greek yogurt, whole-wheat tortillas, quinoa, fat-free feta cheese, peanut butter, agave nectar, and Peter Luger sauce (not really healthy, but it’s my favorite steak sauce).
Besides those ingredients, I have a handful of spices, such as red pepper and pure cocoa, and a few auxiliary “snack” foods—Kellogg’s FiberPlus snack bars, ProMax LS protein bars, Detour protein bars, and whey protein. By limiting your food choices to healthy ones, you’re bound to eat healthy. Getting fit and staying healthy occurs primarily in the kitchen, but if you dig deeper, it’s the grocery store aisle that makes up your diet, so shop only for healthy foods.
Frozen chicken breasts usually come individually sealed in a sous-vide wrap, which make them incredibly easy to cook sous-vide. I literally just flip a switch and through the pre-wrapped chicken breast into the water bath. One to two hours later, I take the chicken breast out and eat it—or, in most cases, pan sear it and prepare it as a part of a larger recipe. Now, don’t take this as a recommendation to buy frozen chicken breasts if you’re searching for the finest meal, but if you live a fast-paced lifestyle and don’t always have much time to cook, these pre-wrapped chicken breasts can be a lifesaver.
I decided to create a simple, protein-rich meal so only added sautéed red onions, lightly fried garlic, and reduced Peter Luger sauce. However, the possibilities are endless. After all, it’s a chicken breast.
Recipe: Simple, sous-vide chicken breast
- 10 oz chicken breast
- 0.5 red onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 0.5 tbsp olive oil (8 g)
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tbps Peter Luger sauce
- Set your constant temperature water bath to 142ºF. Once the water reaches 142ºF, drop the sous-vide chicken breast into the water bath. Wait between least 0.5 to 3 hours. Note: The exact time to leave your chicken breast in the water bath varies depending on the thickness of the breast. 1.5 inch chicken breasts will take 2 hours. 1 inch chicken breasts take 1.5 hours. Refer to this chart for exact times.
- With about 20 minutes left before your chicken breasts are done. Dice the garlic with a generous pinch of salt sprinkled overtop.
- Slice the onions into strips.
- Toast the garlic on a pan with olive oil until the pieces start turning brown. Remember to let the pan and oil heat up first, before adding the garlic.
- Remove garlic from pan. Throw in the red onions and a drizzle of olive oil. Sautée the onions lightly until slightly soft.
- Remove red onions from pan.
- By now, your chicken breasts should be fully cooked. Take them out of the sous-vide wrap and sear them on the pan. Remember to let the pan heat up again, and add more olive oil.
- Each side will take about 1-3 minutes. When both sides are seared, pour Peter Luger sauce onto the pan and let it reduce/thicken.
- Plate the Peter Luger sauce-covered chicken breasts, and top with sautéed reunions and garlic.
