Sous Vide Chicken Thighs

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These Sous Vide Chicken Thighs are the juiciest, most tender chicken thighs you will ever taste! The controlled temperature of the water bath means the chicken stays moist and juicy, while a quick sear in a hot pan before serving results in deliciously crispy skin! 

You guys know how much we love chicken thighs, right?! They’re just such a versatile cut of chicken since the dark meat is so juicy and well suited to so many different recipes. 

We love using thighs in this Instant Pot lemon chicken recipe and these honey garlic chicken thighs are amazingly delicious. Thighs are also perfect in chicken and chorizo paella and chicken and sausage gumbo!

But, my new favorite way to cook chicken thighs is using the sous vide method. It’s foolproof, almost hands off and yields juicier chicken thighs than any other method I’ve tried! Like this sous vide teriyaki chicken.

If you make this recipe, I highly recommend serving them with some coconut jasmine rice and air fryer broccoli. It’s so good for an easy weeknight dinner!

And, if you love your chicken thighs extra juicy and crispy, you’ll also want to try this sous vide fried chicken or even these air fryer boneless chicken thighs. It’s seriously better than fast food fried chicken!

Check out the sous vide chicken thigh story!

Why this recipe works

1. Slow cooking chicken thighs in a sous vide water bath for 4 hours breaks down its connective tissues, resulting in tender chicken and adding flavor to the thighs and the pan sauce!
2. Chicken thighs prepared using the sous vide are perfect for meal prep. You can just cook a batch on the weekend and keep them stored in the vacuum sealed bag in the fridge. All you need to do is pan sear them and you have an easy lunch or dinner ready to go!
3. The bag sauce that the chicken cooks in turns into the most amazing sauce that coats the chicken in a rich white wine and garlic flavor. You’ll want to drizzle it on your side dishes too!
4. You can still get crispy chicken skin even when using the sous vide. Although the chicken skin comes out of the water bath a little soggy, you just need to sear it in a hot pan and it gets deliciously browned and crispy!

What is Sous Vide?

Sous vide is basically a method of cooking using what is called an immersion circulator. This immersion circulator circulates water in a temperature controlled water bath at a certain temperature to perfectly cook your food every time.

Because the temperature doesn't change, and it keeps your meat (or dessert, veggies, etc.) at the same temperature, your risk of overcooking becomes very minimal.

To learn even more about sous vide cooking, head over and read "what is sous vide cooking."

What is the Water Displacement Method?

The displacement method is where you slowly submerge a ziplock bag in water pushing the air out of the top of the bag (the bag should be slightly open at the top to allow air to escape).

Use a clip (I use binder clips) to clip the bag to the side to keep it from floating and getting air and/or water inside.

Tools Used

• Anova Precision Sous Vide Cooker
• 12 quart container
• Vacuum sealer
• Vacuum seal bags

Other sous vide recipes

• Sous Vide Pork Loin
• Sous Vide Short Ribs
• Sous Vide Turkey Breast
• Sous Vide Venison

Ingredients

For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for this recipe. You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but bone-in and skin-on are more flavorful and usually a little cheaper.

The chicken cooks in the vacuum sealed bag in a simple sauce that includes salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, dijon mustard, white wine, worcestershire sauce and garlic.

If you don’t have smoked paprika, any paprika will do. As it’s just ½ teaspoon, the type you choose will not impact the flavor too much.

Dijon mustard adds a sharp, tangy flavor to the sauce so I don’t recommend substituting it for another type of mustard.

For the white wine, you’ll want to use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc. Avoid sweet wines which will alter the flavor of the sauce. Since the wine is an important flavor element in the sauce, I don’t recommend substituting it. In a pinch, however, you can use white grape juice or chicken broth.

Garlic cloves also add lots of flavor to the sauce. You’ll need 2 cloves (smashed) but for extra garlicky flavor, feel free to add an extra clove.

Step by step instructions

Heat a sous vide water bath to 160F degrees.

Combine all the ingredients (except chicken and lemon) in a bowl and mix together to make a sauce.

Pour the sauce in a vacuum seal bag with the chicken thighs and rub it to coat the thighs.

Vacuum seal and cook in the water bath for 4 hours.

Remove and place in an ice bath to cool the chicken.

Remove the chicken from the bag (reserving the sauce) and place on a nonstick skillet, skin side down.

Turn the heat to medium high and cook until the skin has browned, about 2-3 minutes (be careful not to overcook the chicken or it will dry out).

While the chicken is cooking, simmer the bag sauce for 2-3 minutes.

Serve the chicken drizzled with the bag sauce and a touch of fresh lemon juice. 

Expert tips

1. To ensure the chicken thighs cook evenly, seal them in the bag in a flat, single layer. 
2. To keep bacteria out of the sealed bag, make sure the vacuum sealable bag is sealed properly to remove the air.
3. You’ll want to make sure the bag doesn’t float in the water bath. If it does, you can just open it, let the excess air out and reseal it. 
4. To prevent floating, you can also use something heavy like a sous vide sinker weight to weigh down the bag and keep it submerged.
5. When browning the chicken thighs, just do it skin side down so the skin gets crispy. Be careful not to brown them for longer than 2-3 minutes as the chicken may dry out.  
6. For extra crispy skin, pat it dry with a paper towel before placing it in the hot skillet and don’t move the thighs around in the skillet.
7. Don’t throw out the bag sauce! Simmer it in a saucepan and serve it over the chicken thighs.

Common questions

Make ahead instructions

Using the sous vide method, you can cook the chicken thighs in advance and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To do this, once they come out of the ice bath, just keep them sealed and refrigerate them.

When you’re ready to serve, follow the recipe to brown the chicken and make the sauce.

Serving options

These chicken thighs and sauce make the perfect dinner with so many different side dishes. Here are some of our favorites:

• Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Carrots
• Spicy Braised Green Beans
• Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Instant Pot Jasmine Rice

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and let me know how it turned out!