Sous Vide Chicken Thighs - Went Here 8 This

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 - even if you're cooking boneless chicken thighs sous vide! It’s foolproof, almost hands off and yields juicier chicken thighs (or sous vide chicken drumsticks) than any other method I’ve tried! Like this sous vide teriyaki chicken.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Other sous vide recipes
• Ingredients
• Step by step instructions
• Expert tips
• Common questions
• Make ahead instructions
• Serving options
• Recipe
• 💬 Comments

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!

And for more in depth information, check out this complete sous vide chicken guide!

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!

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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

What is the best temperature to sous vide chicken thighs? How long does it take?

For tender and juicy chicken thighs, the best temperature and cooking time is 160F degrees for 4 hours. If you prefer a more shreddable, fall-off-the-bone texture, you can cook it for a few extra hours. I don’t recommend cooking it past 8 hours as the chicken will start to get too soft and mushy.

Can you use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe?

You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of bone-in and skin-on. Just note that the chicken will not be as flavorful and may cook a little faster. You’ll also need to reduce the time to brown the chicken as it will not have the skin on it to protect it from the hot skillet.

Can you substitute another cut of chicken in this recipe?

Different cuts of chicken require different sous vide water bath temperatures and cooking times. If you have different cuts of chicken, you might want to check out these recipes for sous vide chicken breast, sous vide chicken wings or sous vide whole chicken.

Can you overcook chicken thighs using the sous vide method?

It’s difficult to overcook chicken using the sous vide as the water bath is set to a precise temperature. With that said, the longer you leave it in the water bath, the softer the texture will get.

Can you sous vide chicken thighs from frozen?

Yes, just add another 2 hours to the cooking time in the water bath.

Do you need to brown the thighs before serving?

The chicken skin will get soggy in the water bath, so browning the thighs before serving will crisp up the skin. If you don’t care for the skin, you can just remove it and skip the browning step.

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

If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂

Recipe

Sous Vide Chicken Thighs

Sous Vide Chicken Thighs are the most tender chicken thighs you will ever taste with moist and juicy meat and deliciously crispy skin!  4.67 from 9 votes Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Print Rate Course: DinnerCuisine: American Prep Time: 15 minutes minutesCook Time: 4 hours hours 3 minutes minutesTotal Time: 4 hours hours 18 minutes minutes Servings: 4 people Calories: 261kcal Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon smoked paprika substitute any paprika
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons white wine
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves smashed
• ▢ fresh lemon slices for serving

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 sauce) and place on a nonstick skillet, skin side down.
• Turn the heat to medium high and cook until 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 1889mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 217IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg Tried this recipe?Mention @went_here_8_this or tag #wenthere8this!