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    Home » Sous Vide

    05/18/2023

    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breasts

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    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast is one of the best features of a sous vide machine. It’s easy, convenient, healthy and the sous vide chicken always turns out tender and juicy EVERY TIME! I almost never take the time to thaw chicken again after I discovered this method.

    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast is one of the best features of a sous vide machine. It’s easy, convenient, healthy and turn out so well EVERY TIME! I never take the time to thaw chicken again after I discovered this method. #SousVideChickenBreast #SousVideFrozenChickenBreast

    Every sous vide lover needs to have this frozen chicken recipe in their back pocket. Got fresh ones? Try our Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe. 

    Table of Contents Show
    What Is Sous Vide?
    Cooking Frozen Chicken Sous Vide Without Thawing
    Benefits Of Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breasts
    How To Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast (Step-by-Step Instructions)
    Tips And Tricks For Sous Vide Chicken
    What Temperature Should I Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breasts?
    How Long Does It Take To Sous Vide Chicken Breasts From Frozen?
    How To Seal The Bag Without A Vacuum Sealer?
    Best Way To Sous Vide Frozen Chicken: Add Seasoning Before Freezing
    How To Finish Sous Vide Chicken Breasts (Searing Vs Grilling)
    More Sous Vide Chicken Recipes
    FAQs
    Will my chicken come out less delicious if I cook it from frozen?
    Do I need to add seasonings?
    How long does frozen chicken breast last in the freezer?
    Can I sous vide other frozen chicken parts (wings, thighs, or whole chicken)?
    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe

    What Is Sous Vide?

    Sous vide is a French cooking technique where the food is vacuum-sealed in a bag, and then cooked for a long time to a precise temperature in a warm water bath. 

    Cooking Frozen Chicken Sous Vide Without Thawing

    If you’re wondering whether you can sous vide frozen chicken, you’re in luck. You’ll never need to take out the meat ahead of the time, waiting for it to thaw before cooking. Cooking frozen chicken has never been easier and simpler. It’s completely a game changer!

    We are back on the Sous Vide bandwagon again today with one of my favorite recipes: Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast. This is my go-to recipe as it’s versatile and you can use the cooked chicken for sandwiches, tacos, salads, casseroles, or quesadillas. 

    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast is one of the best features of a sous vide machine. It’s easy, convenient, healthy and turn out so well EVERY TIME! I never take the time to thaw chicken again after I discovered this method. #SousVideChickenBreast #SousVideFrozenChickenBreast

    Benefits Of Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breasts

    You’ll be amazed at how well your chicken breasts come out of that magic sous vide water bath – especially straight from the freezer! It’s tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked edge-to-edge! That’s why I rarely take chicken out of freezer to thaw before cooking.

    I’m totally obsessed with the Sous Vide Method like so many other people, as it guarantees the result, producing restaurant-quality food. If you’re looking for more sous vide chicken recipes, try our Sous Vide Shredded Chicken and Sous Vide Fried Chicken, from fresh or frozen!

    How To Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast (Step-by-Step Instructions)

    • Preheat the sous vide circulator to 149°F (65°C).
    • Place the frozen chicken in a zip-top bag.
    • Arrange in a single layer and vacuum seal the bag using the water displacement method.
    • Cook for 1.5 hours.
    • Remove the chicken breasts from the bag and enjoy!

    Tips And Tricks For Sous Vide Chicken

    Frozen chicken breasts vacuum-sealed in a zip-top bag.
    • Prepare the chicken before freezing: After you bring the fresh chicken breasts home, season them with your favorite spices, and arranging them in one single layer in a zip-top bag. Vacuum seal using water displacement method and then store them in the freezer. This allows you to drop the bag into the sous vide water bath directly without any preparation later! (It also helps to avoid the freezer burn.)
    • Make sure your chicken is arranged in one single layer in the vacuum-sealed bag. I cannot stress enough how important it is to place them in a single layer. If your frozen breasts are frozen on top of each other, they cannot get cooked properly. (You won’t have this problem if you freeze them in a single layer as mentioned above, but if you do need to separate them, you can place them under running water).
    • Don’t discard the juices in the bag. They’re great for making soup.
    • If you want to jazz up your chicken, try this Sous Vide Teriyaki Chicken recipe – you won’t regret it!
    • Looking for an easy side dish to go along with it? Try this Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes – so easy and delicious!

    What Temperature Should I Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breasts?

    I recommend cooking them at 149°F (65°C), which produces super tender and juicy meat. If you’d like to try another doneness, below are the guidelines: 

    TemperatureTexture
    140°F / 60°CVery soft, tender and juicy
    149°F / 65°C        Tender and juicy
    165°F / 74°C    Traditional tender and slightly chewy
    Preheat the sous vide machine to 149°F (65°C).

    How Long Does It Take To Sous Vide Chicken Breasts From Frozen?

    The chicken breasts are ready after 1.5 hours, but it’s ok for you to leave them in the sous vide water bath for as long as 4 hours. (They can get mushy if you cook them longer than that.)

    How To Seal The Bag Without A Vacuum Sealer?

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

    If your vacuum-sealed chicken tends to float, you can use a heavy kitchen item to weigh it down. Make sure all the meat is fully submerged while the seams of the zip-top bag are above the water.

    Best Way To Sous Vide Frozen Chicken: Add Seasoning Before Freezing

    If you are going to sous vide frozen chicken, you want to rub seasonings all over the meat before placing into a sous vide bag and freezing. Why? You’ll get far better flavor penetration than trying to do so when the meat is frozen hard. Then you can proceed to sous vide directly from the freezer.

    How To Finish Sous Vide Chicken Breasts (Searing Vs Grilling)

    After the sous vide process, you’ll want to sear the chicken breasts to develop caramelized flavors on the outside and create an attractive serving presentation. You can do this in a skillet or on the grill.

    More Sous Vide Chicken Recipes

    • Sous Vide Boneless Chicken Breasts
    • Sous Vide Chicken Wings
    • Sous Vide Chicken Drumsticks
    • Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
    Cooking frozen chicken breasts in a sous vide water bath.

    FAQs

    Will my chicken come out less delicious if I cook it from frozen?

    Not at all! Your chicken will taste the same as the ones cooked from fresh. Just make sure it doesn’t get freezer burn. 

    Do I need to add seasonings?

    You can add the seasoning before you freeze the chicken, or it’s ok to cook it unseasoned, especially when you are going to add it to other dishes.

    How long does frozen chicken breast last in the freezer?

    Raw chicken breasts can last up to 9 months in the freezer, but it depends on how well wrapped they are. You can get the full 9 months when properly vacuum-sealed, but perhaps only 6 months in a ziptop freezer bag.

    Can I sous vide other frozen chicken parts (wings, thighs, or whole chicken)?

    Yes, sous vide works well for any kind of frozen chicken including wings, thighs and an entire chicken. Note that for a whole chicken, you will need larger sous vide bags than for chicken pieces.

    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast is one of the best features of a sous vide machine. It’s easy, convenient, healthy and turn out so well EVERY TIME! I never take the time to thaw chicken again after I discovered this method.

    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast Recipe

    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast is one of the best features of a sous vide machine. It’s easy, convenient, healthy and turn out so well EVERY TIME! I never take the time to thaw chicken again after I discovered this method.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Izzy
    Calories: 194kcal

    Ingredients 

    • 1 ½ lb chicken breasts (frozen, you can use skinless boneless, or bone-in skin-on)
    • Optional seasoning such as salt pepper, and garlic powder

    Instructions 

    • Fill a large container or pot with water. Attach the sous vide precision cooker and set the temperature to 149°F (65°C). If you’d like to try other temperatures, see the temperature guide in the post.
    • Place frozen chicken breasts to a zip-top bag in a single layer. (If they’re stuck on top of each other, you’ll need to separate them first.)
    • Season with optional spices if using any.
    • Seal the bag using the “water displacement” technique: seal all but one corner of the bag, and slowly place it in cold water. Make sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. Then seal the rest of the bag. (You can use a vacuum sealer if you have one).
    • Place the bag in the water bath and cook for 1.5 hours. (Make sure the meat is fully submerged while the seams of the bag are above water.)
    • When the timer goes off, remove the chicken from the bag. They’re ready for salads, sandwiches, tacos, etc.
    • Save the juices for soup.

    Equipment

    Anova Sous Vide Cooker
    Sous Vide Cooker
    Zip-loc Bags

    Notes

    • Store: refrigerate in an airtight container and they can last for 4-5 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 194kcal | Protein: 36g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 629mg | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
    Author: Izzy
    Course: Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: Sous Vide Frozen Chicken, Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast
    Tried this recipe?Follow or tag us on Pinterest @izzycooking
    Sous Vide Frozen Chicken Breast is one of the best features of a sous vide machine. It’s easy, convenient, healthy and turn out so well EVERY TIME! I never take the time to thaw chicken again after I discovered this method. #SousVideChickenBreast #SousVideFrozenChickenBreast

    Editor note: Originally published May 18, 2020 and updated Feb 3, 2021.

    Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes, Sous Vide Tagged With: frozen chicken breasts

    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. Ana Cadena says

      December 20, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you. Perfect chicken to then brown for my favorite, a chicken quesadilla with green chiles.

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        December 20, 2020 at 2:38 pm

        Hi Ana, great to hear that you like the recipe. Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    2. Ashley says

      February 27, 2021 at 10:42 am

      Can you season the chicken when frozen?

      Reply
      • izzycooking says

        February 27, 2021 at 1:40 pm

        You can season the frozen chicken but the seasoning won’t stay on as well. It’s best to season the chicken and vacuum-seal it before freezing. So when it’s time to cook, you can place the bag into the water bath directly.

        Reply
        • Kim says

          October 14, 2021 at 12:59 pm

          Does seasoning the chicken BEFORE freezing tend to dry out the chicken or change the texture like it can with beef?

          Reply

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