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    Home » Sous Vide

    02/15/2023

    Easy Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks (+Video)

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    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are rubbed with simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever!

    This no-fail recipe is one of my family’s favorite sous vide recipes. No brining or marinating is needed. The sous vide method guarantees success EVERY TIME and you can customize it with your favorite seasonings!

    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are seasoned with a simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever! #SousVideChickenDrumsticks #SousVideChickenLegs #SousVideChicken

    I don’t cook a whole chicken very often, as my kids always want the legs. So I usually make these Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks or Sous Vide Chicken Thighs so that everyone is happy. This recipe is so easy and it never fails!

    With sous vide cooking, you can control the temperature precisely, so you’ll get the chicken with unparalleled juiciness without worrying about overcooking or undercooking the meat. 

    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are seasoned with a simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever! #SousVideChickenDrumsticks #SousVideChickenLegs #SousVideChicken

    It’s also low-stress cooking by eliminating short windows of time for perfect doneness, and your chicken will be evenly cooked edge to edge. You’re going to love this one! 

    Table of Contents Show
    What is Sous Vide?
    Seasoning for Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks
    How to Vacuum Seal the Bag without a Vacuum Sealer?
    What Temperature Do You Sous Vide Chicken Legs?
    How Long to Sous Vide Cook Chicken Legs?
    Sear on the Grill or Skillet
    What is a Good Side Dish for Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks?
    More Sous Vide Chicken Recipes For You to Try
    Easy Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks Recipe (+VIDEO)

    What is Sous Vide?

    Sous vide cooking is a water bath cooking method by sealing food in a bag, then cooking to a very precise temperature in a water bath. It means “under vacuum” in French. 

    Raw chicken legs rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

    Seasoning for Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks

    These sous vide chicken drumsticks are really easy and the seasoning blend is perfect: 

    Simply mix together paprika (mild or smoky), garlic powder, salt and black pepper. It’s Keto and goes well with chicken or pork. Y

    ou can also substitute other seasonings or dry rub that you like. A simple salt and pepper seasoning would work too.

    I also like to drizzle with some olive oil for extra flavor before rubbing the seasoning on the chicken. It will help the seasoning to stick on the meat better. 

    Seasoned chicken drumsticks vacuum-sealed in a zip-top bag.

    How to Vacuum Seal the Bag without a Vacuum Sealer?

    If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you can place the seasoned chicken into a zip-loc bag, and vacuum-seal the bag using the water displacement technique: just seal all but one corner of the bag, and then slowly place it into a large pot of water. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water, then seal the rest of the bag.

    What Temperature Do You Sous Vide Chicken Legs?

    I have tested out different temperatures, and 165°F (74°C) is my favorite temp to sous vide chicken drumsticks. If you’d like to have more tender meat, you can cook them at around 150°F. Be aware that there will be some pink hues around the bones, but it’s safe to eat. 

    Sous vide cooking chicken drumsticks in a warm water bath.

    How Long to Sous Vide Cook Chicken Legs?

    Chicken legs need to be cooked slightly longer than chicken breasts. It takes about 2 hours to cook the drumsticks, but it’s ok to leave them in the sous vide warm water bath for an extra 30 minutes. 

    Sear on the Grill or Skillet

    After sous vide cooking, your chicken is fully cooked. It’s ok to serve right away, but I like to finish with a quick sear so that you will have crispy skins around the drumsticks. 

    Heat a grill or skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s very hot, add the chicken and sear for 1 minute on each side until it turns nice and brown.

    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are seasoned with a simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever! #SousVideChickenDrumsticks #SousVideChickenLegs #SousVideChicken

    What is a Good Side Dish for Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks?

    One reason I love this sous vide chicken legs recipe is that it pairs well with almost any side dish out there. Here are some homemade side dish ideas:

    • Sous Vide Potatoes
    • Sous Vide Carrots
    • Steamed Broccoli
    • Fruit Salad

    More Sous Vide Chicken Recipes For You to Try

    • Sous Vide Teriyaki Chicken
    • Sous Vide Shredded Chicken
    • Sous Vide Chicken Breast
    • Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are seasoned with a simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever!

    Easy Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks Recipe (+VIDEO)

    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are seasoned with a simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 6 Drumsticks
    Author: Izzy
    Calories: 165kcal

    Ingredients 

    • 6 chicken drumsticks (fresh or frozen*)
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
    • 1 teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

    Instructions 

    • Pre-heat the water bath: Fill a large container or pot with water. Attach the sous vide precision cooker and set the temperature to 165°F (74°C).
    • Place the chicken drumsticks on a plate and rub 1 tablespoon of olive oil on all sides.
    • In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper until combined. Then rub half of the seasoning evenly over the chicken legs.
    • Place the seasoned chicken legs to a zip-lock bag and arrange in a single layer.
    • Seal the bag using the “water displacement” technique: seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in the cold water. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag. (Feel free to use a vacuum sealer if you have one.)
    • Place the bag in the sous vide water bath and cook for 2 hours. (Make sure the chicken is fully submerged while the seams of the bag are above water. You can add heavy kitchen items to weigh the bag down if necessary.)
    • When the timer goes off, remove the chicken from the bag and pat dry with paper towels. (Be very gentle and not to break the skin.)
    • Sprinkle the rest of the seasoning over the cooked chicken drumsticks.
    • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining oil (if using a grill, you can rub cooked chicken with the oil). When it gets smoking hot, add the chicken drumsticks, cook for about 1 minute each side until nicely seared.
    • Remove the chicken from the heat and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

    Equipment

    Anova Sous Vide Cooker
    Sous Vide Cooker
    Zip-loc Bags
    Kitchen Tongs

    Notes

    • *If you use frozen chicken, add 30 more minutes to the sous vide cooking time.
    • Store cooked chicken legs in an airtight container in the refrigerator and it can last 3-4 days. They’re great for meal prep. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. 

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 199IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author: Izzy
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks, Sous Vide Chicken Legs
    Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking
    Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks are the easiest way to make juicy and tender chicken that’s full of flavor. Only 3 steps: season, sous vide, and sear! These chicken legs are seasoned with a simple seasoning, and then sous vide cooked to perfection. The skin crisps up when seared in the end, making the best chicken drumsticks ever!

    Editor note: Originally published March 23, 2020 and updated June 23, 2020.

    Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Sous Vide Tagged With: chicken drumsticks, garlic powder, olive oil, paprika, pepper, salt

    About Izzy

    I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Beth says

      May 28, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      These pics look mouthwatering! I’ve never heard of sous vide before but you’ve explained it perfectly that I’m excited to give it a try!

      Reply
    2. Taryn says

      May 28, 2020 at 1:35 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe for chicken legs! They came out juicy and flavorful.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        May 28, 2020 at 3:43 pm

        Thanks Taryn.

        Reply
    3. Brent says

      February 04, 2021 at 3:18 pm

      My dad was a cook In the Air Force. Growing up he would make what we called “Army Chicken”. Which was drums, wings and thighs seasoned with Garlic, Pepper, and salt then broiled. Moist meet with a crispy flavorful skin.
      While he can turn a batch perfect every time too often I end up with pieces under cooked. So using your Sous Vide technique to pre-cook the chicken will be perfect!

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        February 04, 2021 at 4:08 pm

        Hi Brent, I like the term “Army Chicken”! Hopefully you can turn this recipe into the perfect Sous Vide Army Chicken. Izzy

        Reply
    4. Nick says

      February 02, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      Great article! Curious if you can refrigerate/freeze prior to adding to skillet. Thanks!

      Reply
    5. Bri says

      June 03, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      This is how I make lazy fried chicken. After removing the chicken from the sous vide I fry it and coat it in seasoned flour and fry till golden brown in peanut oil. The best fried chicken and you don’t have to worry about it coming out with the center being under cooked.

      Reply
    6. 5 says

      August 20, 2022 at 2:32 pm

      Can you souse verde them and then freeze for later

      Reply
      • Izzy says

        August 23, 2022 at 1:41 pm

        Yes, you can definitely do that.

        Reply
    7. Pietro paolo says

      September 05, 2022 at 2:26 am

      5 stars
      Ottimo . Penso si possa utilizzare anche per il petto che normalmente rimane asciutto dopo la normale cottura

      Reply
      • Maria says

        November 29, 2022 at 6:59 am

        Si, Il metodu sous vide e ottimo per il petto di pollo, tenerissimo e con un gusto delicato

        Reply

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