Sous vide turkey breast is a delicious way to serve a smaller portion for Thanksgiving, or to get in a turkey dinner any time. Rolled with a delicious herby filling, this turkey breast is even better than the standard bird.
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Why should you cook a turkey breast instead of a full turkey?
- You won’t have leftovers for the rest of your life
- Cooking the dark meat and the light meat separately allows you to cook each better
- Rolling it up with herby goodness in the middle makes for the tastiest turkey you’ll ever eat
Aaand why should you sous vide turkey breast?
- You’re going to cook it perfectly. It won’t be overdone, it won’t be underdone: it’ll be literally perfect.
- You can sous vide it in advance and just warm + finish before serving, freeing up the big day!
- You keep your oven free for all of the other things
Convinced yet? Okay, let’s go!
Time and Temp for Sous Vide Turkey Breast
I recommend doing 145 degrees F for 4-6 hours. This makes for a juicy turkey breast with a traditional texture (well, a traditional texture if you’ve done it right ;)). If you like yours on the drier side, you can bump it up to 150 degrees F.
You’ll want to do 4-6 hours because this is a pretty big roast. Think 1 hour per inch of thickness, with some wiggle room. Don’t stress it too much.
What you need to make sous vide turkey breast
Good news: you don’t need anything too out of the ordinary! In terms of equipment, all you really need is an immersion circulator. I recommend Vesta Precision‘s Imersa Elite.
You’ll also need some butcher’s twine!
Some nice to haves:
- A vacuum sealer (I recommend Vesta Precision‘s Vac n Seal Elite)
- A designated container to keep your stock pot free (I like Everie containers)
- A good skillet for searing (I like to use cast iron)
How to make sous vide turkey breast
The video is the easiest way to see how to butterfly, score, roll, secure, etc. so make sure to watch it!
Start by making the herby filling. In a food processor, blend:- Sage
- Thyme
- Fennel
- Red pepper flakes
- Salt
- Olive oil
Remove the skin from the turkey breast using a super sharp pairing knife, then butterfly it so it lays flat. Score the inside of the turkey breast and rub it up with the herb mixture.
Roll it up and secure it with butcher’s twine. Vacuum seal it if you have a vacuum sealer. If not, add to a freezer zipper top bag and remove as much air as possible.
Then cook using sous vide at 145 degrees F for 4-6 hours. (Wondering what sous vide is? Learn more here!)
Remove the bag from the water. At this point, you can refrigerate the turkey breast if you’ve cooked in it advance. When you’re ready to cook, put it on the counter about an hour beforehand to let it come to room temp.
Hang on to the juices and gelatin in the bag! It’s GREAT for gravy!
Pat the turkey SUPER dry with paper towels. Completely dry. Oh SO dry. This will allow you to get a better sear.
Sear in a nice and toasty skillet in butter until all sides are a deep golden brown. If you’re feeling feisty, you can also deep fry the whole roast.
Tips and Tricks for Sous Vide Turkey Breast
- Can I freeze this?
- Yes! I recommend freezing before after vacuum sealing and before sous viding. The herbs might get a little darker, but they’ll taste fine.
- Other ideas to finish it:
- Roast high heat (450 degrees F) until golden. An especially good option if you refrigerated after sous viding.
- On the smoker! 150 degrees F for 3-5 hours.
- Deep fry! Coat it in seasoned flour first.
- Can I use the skin?
- Yes! If the piece of skin is big enough, you can wrap the roast in it before securing with butcher’s twine. Alternatively, cook it in the oven at 425 degrees F on a piece of parchment until crispy and golden, and top slices of the breast with it.
What to serve with sous vide turkey breast
Sous Vide Turkey Breast with Herby Filling
Ingredients
- 1 whole boneless turkey breast
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup sage leaves
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter for searing
Instructions
- Preheat water bath using immersion circulator to 145 degrees F.
- Prepare the turkey breast. Using a sharp pairing knife, remove the skin (you can save this and put it to use if you want!). Trim any fat. Butterfly the thick part of the breast so it lays flat. Score the inside of the turkey breast (see video for this process). Season both sides with kosher salt.
- In a food processor, add all remaining ingredients except butter and pulse until a paste is formed.
- Spread the paste all over the scored side of the turkey breast, rubbing it into all the nooks and crannies. Roll up the turkey breast and secure it with butcher’s twine (again, reference video for help with this!).
- If you have a vacuum sealer, add to vacuum seal bag and vacuum seal. If not, add to gallon sized zipper top freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
- Cook in preheated water bath for 4-6 hours, then remove from the water bath. At this point, you can refrigerate until ready to serve if desired. If you choose to refrigerate, remove from the fridge one hour before serving.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter. Sear on all sides until deep golden brown.
- Slice and serve with gravy if desired.
Video
Notes
- Can I freeze this?
- Yes! I recommend freezing before after vacuum sealing and before sous viding. The herbs might get a little darker, but they’ll taste fine.
- Other ideas to finish it:
- Roast high heat (450 degrees F) until golden. An especially good option if you refrigerated after sous viding.
- On the smoker! 150 degrees F for 3-5 hours.
- Deep fry! Coat it in seasoned flour first.
- Can I use the skin?
- Yes! If the piece of skin is big enough, you can wrap the roast in it before securing with butcher’s twine. Alternatively, cook it in the oven at 425 degrees F on a piece of parchment until crispy and golden, and top slices of the breast with it.
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