Two Kooks » COOKING METHODS » Sous Vide Recipes » 31 Best Sous Vide Recipes (With Beginner Tips) 2024
ByCheryl Avrich
Our best sous vide recipes embody a stress-free cooking method that results in juicy, tender, perfectly cooked dishes every time. We also included lots of basic tips for best results and quick reference times and temps on each recipe for your convenience.
The sous vide technique is fabulous for beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken, fish and more.
I’ve been experimenting for many years now with cooking sous vide and I am hooked.
There are a few downsides such as longer cooking times, but the guarantee of tenderness and the correct done-ness are a cook’s dream.
What is sous vide?
For those who are unfamiliar with this cooking method, here’s a good definition from Cedarlane Culinary.
Sous vide is a culinary technique in which vacuum-sealed food is immersed in a water bath and cooked at a very precise, consistent temperature. The precise temperature control allows you to cook food to perfection, while the forgiving nature of this cooking method also eliminates concerns about overcooking.
Beef, Lamb and Veal Recipes
Korean Beef Short Ribs (Sous Vide)
You will knock it out of the park with these mouthwatering sous vide Korean beef short ribs (also called Kalbi). Tender meat infused with complex sweet, salty, garlicky, savory flavors. No sous vide equipment? No worries – you have options.
Temp: 135F/57.2C.
Time: Cook for 24 hours (variations in the recipe)
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Sous Vide Prime Rib (for 3-4)
Sous vide prime rib achieves a perfect melt-in-your-mouth medium rare with no guessing and no constant temperature checking. Zero stress!
Temp: 132F/55.6C for medium rare.
Time: Cook for 3 1/2 to maximum 6 hours (2 inches/5 cm thick)
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Sous Vide Flank Steak
Tender, succulent, flavourful meat cooked to perfection and drizzled with a rich, velvety sauce is guaranteed with Sous Vided Flank Steak. Impress your guests!
Temp: 132F/55.6.
Time: Cook for 1 1/2 hours if 1/2 inch thick. If meat is thicker, cook for 2 to 3 hours.
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Sous Vide Short Ribs (Boneless Beef)
If you own a sous vide machine or are planning to get one, do not miss these boneless beef Sous Vide Short Ribs. Beyond easy and mouth watering! Definitely worth the 48 hour cook time.
Temp: 135F/57.2C.
Time: Cook for 48 hours (not a typo) for approximately 1 inch/2.5 cm thick meat.
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Best Sous Vide New York Strip Steak
Sous vide steak is exceptional. Melt in your mouth tender, perfectly cooked to the temperature you choose, easy to make, fantastic flavor and stress free.
Temp: 132-133F/56C for medium-rare steak.
Time: If steak is 1 inch/2.5 cm thick, cook for 1-3 hours. If 1.5 inches/3.8 cm thick, cook for 2-3 hours. If 2 inches/5 cm thick, cook for 3-5 hours.
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Sous Vide Chuck Roast (for French Dip Au Jus)
Sous vide chuck roast is magical. You can achieve a super flavorful, tender, medium rare cook with a normally very tough cut of meat. It's perfect for delicious sous vide French dip sandwiches au jus or just plain with gravy.
Temp: 135F/57C (see other options in recipe)
Time: 24 hours in sous vide (or total of 2 days if you dry brine meat ahead of sous vide for another 24 hours)
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Sous Vide Hamburger
With a bit of experimenting and research, we've come up with some great tips for making a sous vide hamburger. We're aiming for juicy, great texture and the medium to medium-rare temperature we like. Nailed it!
Temp: 137F/58C-138F/59C for medium.
Time: Cook 45 minutes to a maximum of 3 hours.
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Sous Vide Beef Ribs (Mouthwatering!)
If you are the one who reaches for the bones when eating a prime rib of beef, these sous vide beef ribs are for you. Rich, succulent, tender meat with incredible flavor. They take little effort to make and a long time to cook.
Temp: 155F/65C for medium-ish (slightly on the medium-rare side)
Time: Cook for 20 hours (from 18 to 36 hours max)
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Sous Vide Tri Tip
Perfectly cook a beef tri tip roast to the exact temperature you chooseevery single time. That's what you can expect withsous vide tri tip. Remarkable consistency, excellent texture and definitely delicious.
Temp: 132F/55.6C for medium rare.
Time: Cook for 6-10 hours (I do 8 hours) – about 2 inches/5 cm thick
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Easy Mongolian Beef (Sous Vide or Grill)
Serve your next steak dinner with an Asian flare. This appealing and easy Mongolian beef is bathed in the typical sweet and salty sauce, but skips the frying by cooking the steak sous vide or on the grill.
Temp: 132F/55.6C for medium rare.
Time: Cook 1-5 hours depending on thickness of meat.
Hamburger Steak With Onion Gravy (Sous Vide or Pan Fry)
Sink into a hamburger steak with onion gravy for pure and simple delicious comfort food. Moist and tender with beefy flavor in a rich oniony sauce. Sous Vide or pan fry method.
Temp: 137F/58C for medium rare-ish. See other temps in recipe.
Time: 45 minutes with a maximum of 90 minutes.
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Steak Crostini with Horseradish Aioli (Sous Vide)
Sous vide your steak ahead of time to a guaranteed medium rare to make these simple steak crostini with horseradish aioli appetizers. Elegant and delish!
Temp: 132F/55.6C for medium rare.
Time: If steak is 1 inch/2.5 cm thick, cook for 1-3 hours. If 1.5 inches/3.8 cm thick, cook for 2-3 hours. If 2 inches/5 cm thick, cook for 3-5 hours.
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Sous Vide Leg of Lamb (Boneless)
Imagine a boneless sous vide leg of lamb, exceptionally tender and succulent, cooked to the exact temperature of your choosing. The sous vide method of cooking is a game changer for melt-in-your-mouth lamb.
Temp: 134F/57C for medium rare (see other temperature options in recipe)
Time: 5 1/2-8 hours.
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Sous Vide Lamb Chops with Mint Chimichurri
Check out these little beauties. Sous vide lamb chops cooked to perfection. Moist, tender and no stress about over cooking. Worth the extra cook time if you have it.
Temp: 131F (55C)for medium rare. 138-140F (59-60C)for medium. 145-148F (63-64C)for medium well.
Time: Cook for 2-3 hours
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Sous Vide Veal Chops with Mushroom Sauce
If you're looking for a veal chop recipe that is guaranteed to be tender and boosted with a delicious sauce, check out these no-fail sous vide veal chops with mushroom sauce. Easy and impressive.
Temp: 134F/56.6 for medium-medium rare.
Time: Cook for 3.5-4 hours
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Sous Vide Corned Beef Recipe
Once you find your sweet spot texture, this 2-inredient sous vide corned beef recipe is pretty much foolproof. Pile it in reuben sandwiches, serve it with cabbage for St. Patrick's Day or make a corned beef hash for brunch. All delish.
Temp: 155F/68.3 (see other options in post)
Time: Cook for 24-36 hours
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Chicken and Turkey Recipes
Sous Vide Turkey Breast
Perfection! Sous vide turkey breast is impossible to beat for moist, tender, succulent turkey – EVERY time. Amazing results with this method – guaranteed.
Temp: 145F/62.8C for tender juicy, little to no pink.
Time: Cook for 2 3/4-5 hours.
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Sous Vide Turkey Thighs
You can't argue with tender, moist, flavorful and stress-free. That sums up sous vide turkey thighs glazed with maple syrup, Balsamic, Dijon and orange zest.The hands on time for this dish is about 20 minutes. The rest is hands free. What a pleasure. Even white meat lovers will love this sous vide recipe.
Temp: 150F/65.6C.
Time: Cook for 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours (mine are perfect at 3 1/2 hrs)
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Easy Sous Vide Chicken Breast (Citrus Glazed)
This tender, juicy citrus glazed sous vide chicken breast is bursting with flavor from a sweet, tangy glaze of maple syrup, orange, lemon and lime. Company worthy.
Temp: 143F/61.7C.
Time: Cook for 90 minutes to maximum 4 hours.
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Sous Vide Chicken Thighs
Count on super juicy and tender chickenevery timeyou make sous vide chicken thighs. No guess work. For this recipe, we're using bone-in thighs and a 3-ingredient sweet-savory glaze for a simple and delicious finish.
Temp: 165F/73.9C for juicy tender thighs.
Time: Cook 1-4 hours.
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Indian Butter Chicken (Sous Vide or Regular)
The star of this scrumptious Indian Butter Chicken is a rich, creamy, Indian-spiced sauce with tomatoes, onions, garlic, cream and butter. You can cook the chicken with any method including Sous Vide.
Temp: 145F/62.8C.
Time: Cook for 1 hour to maximum 3 hours.
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Sous Vide Chicken Wings (Korean-style)
Sous vide chicken wings are moist and tender and a great way to make these sweet, spicy, umami Korean style wings. Is the sous vide method worth it? Check out the pros and cons.
Temp: 156F/69C
Time: 1 1/2-2 hours
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Pork Recipes
Sous Vide Pork Chops with apple chutney
You will not believe how moist and tender these sous vide pork chops are. Pair them with tangy-sweet apple chutney for amazing flavor and a knock-out presentation.
Temp: 140F/60C for medium.
Time: Cook for 2 hours for about 1 – 1 1/2 inches (2.5-3.8 cm) thick.
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Sous Vide Pork Chops (Vietnamese-style)
The sous vide cooking method is simply fantastic for pork chops. It keeps them moist and juicy and tender. The Vietnamese marinade and glaze takes them over the top with umami, sweet, salty flavors. So good.
Temp: 142F/61.1C for medium with minimal pink.
Time: Cook for 1.5-4 hours. (I cook thick chops for 2.5 hours and thinner ones for 1.5-2 hrs).
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Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin (with Maple Mustard Sauce)
Expect moist, tender delicious pork with this simple sous vide pork tenderloin – stress free. The easy maple mustard sauce adds a delicious tangy-sweet flavor boost.
Temp: 140F/60C for medium (slightly pink, tender, moist but not too juicy) or 135F for closer to medium rare (pinkish-red, soft, moist, juicy). Or 137F for somewhere in between.
Time: Cook for 1 1/2 – 4 hours.
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Sous Vide Pork Loin with Raspberry Balsamic Sauce
The sous vide method delivers with tender, moist pork loin. The rich, bold and beautiful raspberry balsamic sauce lends a simple elegance. Happily, the total hands on time for the entire dish is under 8 minutes!
Temp: 140F/60C for medium (slightly pink, tender, moist but not too juicy) or 135F/57.2C for closer to medium rare (pinkish-red, soft, moist, juicy) or 137F/58.3C for somewhere in between and if you want to brown the roast after sous vide cook.
Time: Cook for 1 1/2 – 4 hours.
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Sous Vide Ribs
Sous vide ribs take a lot more time compared to traditional methods of cooking ribs. They are succulent, tender and melt-in-your-mouth.But are they worth it? Is the difference in taste and texture noticeable?
Temp: 165F/73.9C.
Time: Cook for 6-8 hours.
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Best Pork Roast Sous Vide
Tender, succulent and perfectly cooked the way you like itevery time. That's the beauty of the sous vide cooking method.This recipe for pork roast sous vide uses a bone-in pork loin rib roast – sort of like the prime rib of pork (yum!)- and can be served two ways.
Temp: 140F/60C for medium.
Time: Cook for 4-6 hours
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Fish and Seafood Recipes
Sous Vide Cod (With Bechamel Sauce Your Way)
How aboutguaranteedmelt in your mouth cod every single time you cook it? That's what you get with sous vide cod. No more stressing about dry, rubbery and over cooked.
Temp: 130F/54.4C (for moist, melt in your mouth, just beyond translucent).
Time: 30 minutes (for 1 inch/2.5 cm thick), 45 minutes (for 2 inch/5 cm thick)
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Sous Vide Salmon with Caper Sauce
How aboutguaranteedmelt in your mouth cod every single time you cook it? That's what you get with sous vide cod. No more stressing about dry, rubbery and over cooked.
Temp: 129F/53.9C (for slightly above medium rare).
Time: If salmon is 1/2-1 inch (1.3-2.5 cm) thick, cook minimum 20 -30 minutes; if salmon is 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) thick, cook 30-40 minutes.
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Easy Sous Vide Lobster Tail Recipe
Enjoy this easy, impressive and succulent butter-poached sous vide lobster tail recipe for a special occasion. Perfectly cooked every single time with just 3 simple ingredients. A decadent treat!
Temp: 137F/58CC for juicy, tender, succulent lobster
Time: Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Others sous vide recipes
Sous Vide Poached Eggs (with easy Hollandaise)
Oh perfect poached egg. No swirling in vinegar water. No standing over the stove worrying about over cooking. And no wispy whites floating in the water. Sous vide poached eggs are simply little miracles, every time. Top them with an easy sous vide hollandaise – yum!
Temp: 167F/75C (see other options in recipe)
Time: 13 minutes
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Tips for sous vide cooking of meat, poultry, fish
The tips below come from several sous vide experts (Chef Kenji López-Alt from Serious Eats, Doug Baldwin, and Chef Helen Rennie), sous vide cookbooks and lots of our own research and testing.
Note to beginners: You will find clear step-by-step instructions for all our sous vide recipes. So don’t procrastinate – dive in! Sous vide cooking requires some experimentation to find your ideal time and temperature combination. Once you’ve tried it a couple of times, you will nail your favorite dishes.
Equipment
You will need the following sous vide equipment:
- A sous vide machine: The most affordable and commonly used is an immersion circulator which is used to heat and maintain the precisely controlled water bath. You can also buy a self-contained box-like machine or sous vide oven. Some instant pots contain a sous vide function (apparently not quite as accurate for temperature)
- A container for a hot water bath: I use a regular soup pot for smaller amounts of food and a large plastic container with a lid for larger amounts and long cooking times (e.g. 24-48 hours).
- A vacuum sealer: This is optional for most sous vide cooking. Good grade plastic bags work well (see bagging below).
Sous Vide Process
The basic process is simple. There are a few optional steps if you choose such as brining or marinating beforehand. You may find these options in some recipes.
- Heat the water bath using the sous vide machine to the desired water termperature.
- Season the protein and place it in a vacuum bag or plastic bag.
- Cook sous vide for the specified amount of time.
- Pat protein dry, re-season, and then brown the protein for a minute over high heat.
Preparation Tips
Sous vide is extremely easy to prep. Just season the meat, seal it in a bag, heat the water bath and drop in the food.
Seasoning tips
It’s best to experiment with seasonings. I found that you have to season meat both before and after the sous vide cook unless you are using a bold sauce in the final stage of the dish.
Certain seasonings are not appropriate while cooking such as raw garlic cloves and acidic condiments. Olive oil or butter is not needed in the bag (except for fish).
Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and fresh herbs are the go-to’s. You will find different opinions on seasonings though.
Tips for set up
- Start with hot water from the tap in your tub or pot to speed up the water bath coming to the correct temperature.
- Bagging:
- The two options are vacuum sealing (you need a machine and separate bags) or a plastic bag (a freezer-grade ziploc bag or similar).
- I use Ziploc freezer bags (or other quality brands). It’s quicker, requires no special equipment and allows you to include some marinade in the bag (the more expensive vacuum sealers enable this too). The exception is for temperatures over 158F/70C where the bag can break down and release chemicals for longer cook times.
- When adding food to the sous vide bag, fold over the top of the bag first to create a wider opening and avoid food interfering with the seal of the bag.
- I put more than one steak, chicken pieces, fish fillets, chops or turkey breasts in the same bag if they fit.
- There is a debate on whether to sear meat after cooking or before. Most chefs believe after is better (so do I).
- In my experience, starting with good-quality meat makes a difference, but the beauty of the sous vide method is that it can transform a tough cut of meat into tender juicy meat.
Temperature and Timing Tips
In general
- Timing depends on thickness (not weight) and the cut of meat (lower-end cuts like chuck, short ribs, and sirloin take longer than ribeye for example)
- Temperature depends on how well done you like your protein (medium rare will need a lower temperature than well done)
Set the temperature according to a cooking chart guideline to achieve the EXACT temperature and texture you choose for the thickness and type of food you are cooking.
Ultimately, you will have to experiment with different temperatures and times to find your sweet spot your personal preference for texture, juiciness and temperature (level of doneness). We’ve gathered a few good charts for your convenience:
- Anova – chart/tips
- ChefSteps – time and temperature guide
- SousVide Tools – a sous vide app for cooking time calculator
Here are a few rules of thumb for timing:
- If meat or chicken is less than 1.5 inches/3.8 cm thick, about 1-2 hours of sous vide cooking is fine.
- Fish and shrimp will take 20-30 minutes, but don’t leave it in for more than 15 minutes extra.
- You often get a window of 1-3 hours for many recipes where the meat will still be the exact medium rare, for example, without overcooking.
- Food can be overcooked. It will be more tender, but less juicy. At a certain point, the texture will break down and become mushy.
- Most meats can be cooked from frozen, often with an extra 45-60 minutes of cooking time, depending on the thickness of the meat.
Finishing Tips
The sous vide method requires an extra step of making the meat look pretty and browning the surface – and I grumbled about this initially – but it only takes a few more minutes, so no big deal.
- Use high heat for the oven, grill or a quick sear in a cast iron skillet (or equivalent). I grill whenever possible – less smell and no clean up.
- Given the window you have for timing, many recipes can be made ahead and then finished or browned in a few minutes before serving.
You should only sear the protein for a maximum of 1 minute per side if you want to maintain the temperature you like. In some cases, it’s hard to achieve a nice brown crust with this timing.
- To extend the amount of time to about 2 minutes per side, you can cool the protein first. One way is to cool the meat in the fridge in or out of the bag for 10 minutes. Out of the bag will create a dryer surface for searing which is good.
- Or, even quicker, drop the bag into an ice bath for a few minutes. In all cases, make sure to pat the meat dry with paper towels before searing with a little bit of oil.
Safety Tips
- Whenever possible, cook meat at a temperature of 130F/54.4C or more for safety reasons. If cooking less than that, don’t cook the protein for more than 3 hours and don’t use a cooling method. Eat right away.
- Use bags that can withstand heat e.g. quality freezer zipper bags or bags designed for sous vide cooking. Check the labels.
Make Ahead Tips
- According to Chef Helen Remmie, here’s how to make chops, steak and chicken breasts that are maximum 1.5 inches/3.8 cm thick ahead of time:
- Cook sous vide for 1-2 hours.
- Place bag in fridge for up to 2-3 days once cooled down at room temperature or in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes.
- To rewarm, place in sous vide in a bag for 30 minutes at 10 degrees less than cooking temperature. Chicken can be reheated directly in a skillet.
