Sous vide has become one of my favorite ways to prepare chicken thighs. I prefer bone-in, skin-on because they have so much flavor but boneless are excellent, too, and great for throwing into dishes. This recipe covers times and temperatures for both bone-in and boneless chicken thighs.
For bone-in, I love chicken thighs that are just starting to pull away from the bone but still juicy. 165 degrees F for 6 hours is my favorite when I have the time!
Marinades and Seasoning Options
To make sure your chicken thighs have plenty of flavor, you’ve got options!
- Add the chicken thighs to a marinade in a bag. I have tons of marinade recipes like this BBQ Chicken Marinade, and in my cookbook Sous Vide Meal Prep! Remove the air and seal. Yes, you can cook the chicken thighs in the marinade! In fact, the marinade makes a great sauce.
- Season with a seasoning blend or rub. Homemade or pre-made will work! Trader Joe’s has some of my favorites. Remove the air and seal.
- Simply season with salt and pepper, then remove the air and seal.
Time and Temperature for Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
There are a number of ways to approach your cook times for chicken thighs. I love chicken thighs that are just starting to pull away from the bone but still juicy. 165 degrees F for 6 hours is my favorite when I have the time!
When cooking bone-in chicken thighs, your minimum time should be 2 hours.
| Result | Temp | Time | Time (Frozen) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very juicy and firm | 150 degrees F 65 degrees C | 2-4 Hours | 3-4 Hours |
| Juicy, mostly tender | 155 degrees F 68 degrees C | 2-4 Hours | 3-4 Hours |
| Juicy and completely tender | 165 degrees F 74 degrees C | 2-4 Hours | 3-4 Hours |
| Fall off the bone texture (bone-in only) | 165 degrees F 74 degrees C | 6 hours | 6 hours |
Bonus tip to make bone-in thighs easier to serve and eat: remove the bone after cooking with a pairing knife and slice the thighs.
Get the Recipe:
Sous Vide Chicken Thighs (Bone-In or Boneless)
Ingredients
- Bone-in or boneless chicken thighs
- Seasoning of choice or salt and pepper
Equipment
- Sous Vide Machine
- Sous Vide Bags
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat a water bath using an immersion circulator to a temperature from the time and temperature options listed below.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning blend.
- Vacuum seal chicken thighs or use another air removal method.
Time and Temperature Options
- Very juicy and firm: 150 degrees F: 1-4 Hours (2-4 if frozen or bone-in)
- Juicy, mostly tender: 155 degrees F: 1-4 Hours (2-4 if frozen or bone-in)
- Juicy and completely tender: 165 degrees F: 1-4 Hours (2-4 if frozen or bone-in)
- Somewhat juicy, fall off the bone texture: 165 degrees F: 4-8 Hours
To Finish
- Searing is optional with boneless chicken thighs. To sear, heat a skillet over high heat until smoking. Add butter or oil and sear skin side down until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Sear for 1 minute on the other side.
Notes
- Always season the chicken thighs before sous viding.
- Always keep the chicken fully submerged while cooking. To do this, I like to use sous vide magnets and/or place a ceramic plate or bowl on top of them in the water.
- To make them easier to serve and eat, after cooking and searing bone-in thighs, I like to remove the bone with a pairing knife and slice the chicken thighs.
I tried this recipe/technique last night. I used thawed boneless/skinless thighs. I had them in the sous vide for about 3 hours. They were certainly tasty, but I thought they were a little dry. I don’t know if this is an indicator or not, but when I removed the chicken from the sous vide bag there seemed to be a lot of liquid. I assume that that liquid was why the chicken was a bit dry.
I made this last night as the first meal with my sous vide machine. After dinner, my dad said that was the best chicken he has had in his life, and in his 65 years, the man has eaten a LOT of chicken.
I loved it as well. Flavorful and juicy, with a crispy skin from the cast iron sear. I am definitely looking forward to leftovers!
Oh, thank you for the grammar lesson! I had no idea that the success of a cookbook relied solely on the correct spelling of a kitchen utensil. Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe despite the shocking error.
If you’re printing and selling a cookbook, make sure the spelling and grammar are correct. It’s pretty simple!!!!
Ok, Gene. If you’re going to make a comment, make sure it’s productive and professional. Kindness really is that simple!!!
Worked out great
with 2 frozen thighs used bay leaf ,frozen garlic,tarragon,extra virgin olive oil
Salt black pepper
This sounds delicious!!!
Do you feel better about yourself now? Did it make you feel good to point that out? Grow up.
Deeeelish. Used thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic, balsamic, butter and olive oil. The sear in cast iron was the trick. I boiled down the marinade and used as a sauce. To die for!
Thanks for the explanation of cooking temps and pasteurization. I had been leery of such a low temp for chicken but your tips really helped. I did bone in thighs @165 for 5 hours and they were perfect! Thanks
I’m so glad, Deb!
Very dry. Skin came off when searing. Disappointing.