25 Of The Best Recipes Using A Sous Vide

A sous vide can be a dependable method of cooking meat to keep in the moisture and create a tender, delicious dish.

You can put away the slow cooker if you want to cook meatloaf, pulled pork shoulder but also more complex meals like stew, pork tenderloin, even poached eggs. 

Here we will detail 25 of the best recipes using a sous vide and provide a bonus section for desserts.

1. Apple & Rosemary Pork Chops

In-bone pork chops should be treated well, and they will be in a sous vide. Apply a dry rub of nutmeg, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper then seal in a vacuum bag to cook at 140°F (60°C) for two hours.

Sear the pork chops in a skillet over a medium-high heat with the sliced apples and rosemary then allow to rest. Serve with the apples and rosemary as a topping and enjoy. 

2. Chicken Caprese

Flavorful and moist chicken is ideally prepared in a sous vide like this Chicken Caprese.

In vacuum bags, add whisked salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to the chicken breasts with three basil leaves.

Seal the bags then cook at 170°F (77°C) for two hours while you prepare the topping. Combine tomatoes, salt, olive oil, pepper, garlic, basil, and mozzarella cheese to pour on top of the cooked chicken with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. 

3. Chicken Breast

Perfectly moist chicken breasts can come from your sous vide. Set the water to 145°F (63°C) and vacuum seal the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag with seasoning, lemon slices, and your favorite fresh herbs.

Cook for between an hour and four hours then pat dry and add more seasoning. Sear the chicken breasts in oil and butter then serve immediately.

4. Chicken Breast With Lemon And Herbs

You can create a simple, flavorful meal like a Chicken Breast With Lemon And Herbs by easily using a sous vide. Season each chicken breast and seal in a Ziploc bag with lemon slices, thyme, and rosemary sprigs.

Cook at 145°F (63°C) for between one and a half and four hours then pat dry and brown in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Allow to rest then slice diagonally to serve with more lemon, herbs, and capers.

5. Pesto Chicken

With just five ingredients, you can create moist and flavorful Pesto Chicken. Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken breasts in a vacuum bag and sprinkle on salt then add basil pesto to create a coating.

Set the sous vide to 149°F (65°C) and cook for 45 minutes before searing in a hot skillet. Allow the chicken to rest and then serve with the rest of the pesto sauce. 

6. Balsamic Chicken

Flavorful, moist chicken is a meal to savor and can be created in a sous vide. Start by pre-heating the water bath to 140°F (60°C) and seasoning the chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag then adding thyme sprigs.

Remove the air from the bag and cook for between an hour or two while you simmer together mustard, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, and brown sugar until thick.

Take out the chicken breasts and pat them dry. Sear both breasts in a skillet over a medium-high heat then remove and toss in chopped tomato.

Pour in the balsamic glaze and simmer before adding thyme and returning the chicken to the skillet and serving with the balsamic sauce.

7. Chuck Roast

With a big enough Ziploc bag, you can cook an entire Chuck Roast in a sous vide to create a juicy and succulent piece of meat.

Pat dry the meat and sprinkle on your favorite spices such as a dry meat rub, Cajun spices, or simply paprika to create a crust.

Seal in the roast with some butter and set the sous vide to 138°F (59°C) for a medium-sized roast. 

Submerge and cook for between 18 and 36 hours then allow to rest. Pour the cooking juices into a bowl while you sear the roast in a skillet over a medium-high heat. Slice the roast and serve with the jus. 

8. Turkey Roulade

That’s right, an entire Turkey Roulade in a sous vide. Start by blitzing together a paste from parsley and cilantro leaves with brown sugar, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, oil, and chili flakes.

Butterfly the turkey breast and rub on the paste then roll it up, wrap with turkey skin and plastic wrap with twine. 

Leave in the refrigerator overnight then set the sous vide to 150°F (66°C). Pat dry the roulade then rub on butter and sprinkle with seasoning before placing in a vacuum bag to seal it in.

Cook for five hours then leave to cool and pour the cooking juices into a jug for a jus. Sear the skin in a hot skillet until caramelized and then serve in half-inch slices. 

9. Garlic Herb Butter Steaks

Filet Mignon is a delectable piece of meat, when cooked well, which can be achieved in a sous vide. Season the steaks and add garlic powder before sealing in a vacuum bag to cook for an hour at 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare.

Prepare the garlic butter by combining soft butter with salt, parsley, and garlic. After an hour, sear the steaks in a hot skillet then top with the garlic butter.

10. Meatloaf

To create a moist Meatloaf, cook it in a sous vide. Set the water bath to 153°F (67°C) and combine some breadcrumbs with milk then allow to soak.

Sweat some celery and onion then add garlic before removing from the heat and stirring in tomato paste and seasoning.

In a separate bowl, mix together the soaked breadcrumbs with beef, sausage, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Throw in the celery and onion then create two rounded and rectangular loaves.

Place each sideways into a vacuum bag with an end sealed and the other cut about four inches from the loaf, set the sealer to moist mode before sealing it in.

Submerge the meatloaf for 75 minutes until firm and only clear juices come out.

11. Salmon With Asian Sauce

Of course, a sous vide is great for cooking fish. Set the sous vide to 120°F (49°C) for medium cooking while you mix together oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, grated garlic, and grated ginger.

Brush on the sauce then place the salmon in a vacuum bag and remove the air then seal. Cook for between 45 minutes and an hour then serve, though you can sear to crisp up the skin in a hot skillet. 

12. Scallops

If you find pan-frying scallops tricky then cook them in a sous vide. Season the batch and apply olive oil in a Ziploc bag then seal it and cook at 123°F (51°C) for 30 minutes.

Leave the bag to chill then pat dry the scallops and sear in a skillet over a medium-high heat with oil and butter. Fry for a golden crust then remove to a plate and cook off the oil and butter with lemon juice to toss the scallops.

13. Brisket

You could use a slow cooker for brisket yet a sous vide is so much better for meat that falls apart.

Apply a meat rub of pink salt, Kosher salt, and pepper then add the brisket to a vacuum bag with liquid smoke and seal to cook at 155°F (68°C) for 24 to 36 hours.

Remove and leave to cool in an ice bath then pat dry and season with more of the meat rub. You can finish the brisket on a smoker at 225°F (107°C) for three more hours.

14. Steak

For a delicious medium-rare steak, just use the sous vide. Set the temperature to 130°F (54°C) and seal your steak in a vacuum bag with your favorite flavorings.

Cook for around half an hour for each half an inch of thickness. Pat the steak dry then sear in a skillet over a medium-high heat then leave to rest before slicing. 

15. Guinness Beef Stew

Enhance the flavors of this delicious Beef Stew by cooking it with a sous vide.

Pat the beef cubes dry and season them before searing in a Dutch oven and removing. Sauté the onions, carrots, garlic, and tomato paste then dust with flour, add a bay leaf and stir to coat. 

Splash in the Guinness to deglaze the pan then add all the ingredients, including the remaining beef stock and Guinness to a Ziploc bag to cook for 24 hours at 185°F (85°C).

Pour the cooking juices from the bag and thicken in a skillet. Return the sauce to the meat and vegetables then combine for a delicious stew.

16. Carnitas Tacos

Tender and moist with a crispy edge, these Carnitas are well worth trying.

Rub a dry seasoning of Kosher salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika, and oregano onto the pork shoulder then place in a vacuum bag with a mix of lime juice, orange juice, and beer.

Cook at 160°F (71°C) for 18 hours then shred the meat with a cup of the cooking juices.

Broil at a high heat for five to ten minutes under crispy, add some more juices then serve warm in tacos (see also ‘16 Great Recipes For Your Leftover Taco Meat‘). 

17. Pork Chops

For the most succulent pork chops, set the sous vide to 140°F (60°C) and place the pork chops in a Ziploc bag with chopped herbs, olive oil, and seasoning.

Seal the bag and give it a shake then remove as much air as you can before lowering it in. Submerge the bag and cook for an hour or maybe longer depending on whether the bones are included then sear on the grill.  

18. Pork Tenderloin With Ginger, Honey, And Rosemary

With lemon juice, fresh herbs, and ginger, you can create a delicious Pork Tenderloin. Preheat your sous vide to 145°F (62°C) and cover the tenderloin in seasoning.

In a bowl, combine the olive oil, honey, ginger, lemon juice, and garlic then pour into a Ziploc bag to coat the tenderloin with rosemary sprigs. Remove the air and cook for between 90 minutes and four hours.

Pat the tenderloin dry then discard the rosemary while keeping the cooking juices. Sear the tenderloin in a pan and leave to rest under foil. Reduce the cooking juices for your sauce and add rosemary and seasoning.

Chop up the tenderloin and pour over the sauce then garnish with more rosemary. 

19. Pulled Pork Shoulder

You can use a slow cooker for Pulled Pork Shoulder yet a sous vide works equally well.

Apply a spice rub of paprika, Kosher salt, dark brown sugar, mustard seeds, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, coriander seeds, and red pepper flakes then place the pork shoulder in a vacuum bag. 

Cook at 165°F (74°C) for between 18 and 24 hours then pat dry and finish in the oven at 300°F (149°C) with more spice mix for around one and a half hours. You can use the cooking juices with barbecue sauce as a glaze.

Leave the shoulder to rest on a chopping board then shred, season, and serve with barbecue sauce. 

20. Mustard And Molasses Pork Belly Strips

Good food takes time, as demonstrated with these Mustard And Molasses Pork Belly Strips. Allow the strips to marinate in molasses, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and black pepper overnight in a Ziploc bag.

Cook in the sous vide for four hours at 170°F (77°C), season with salt, and then crisp them up on a hot grill.

21. Cheesy Egg Bites

For versatile and airy Cheesy Egg Bites, use your sous vide as a convenient cooking method. Preheat the water to 172°F (78°C) and grease some mason jars before adding a layer of shredded cheese then pouring in whisked eggs and milk.

Fill each jar up to three-quarters full then add seasoning and screw on the lids. Cook for around an hour and allow to cool. 

22. 24-Hour Ribs

Prepare ahead for these ribs and you will not be disappointed. Preheat the sous vide to 152°F (67°C) and apply a dry rub to the prepared ribs then seal into vacuum bags.

Set the timer for the full 24 hours then discard the cooking juices and pat dry the ribs then add more dry rub and a layer of barbecue sauce. Finish on a hot grill until you get a charred edge and allow to rest.

23. Poached Eggs

Not anyone can get poached eggs just how they like them and using a sous vide can make it so much easier. Set the sous vide to 167°F (75°C) and set the eggs at the base of the container.

Cook the eggs for around 13 minutes then remove and run under cold water for half a minute until cool. Crack the eggs into small bowls or straight onto toast.

24. Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

You can create your own juicy and delicious chicken dish with a sous vide , so begin by preheating it to 165°F (74°C). Season the chicken with salt and pepper before placing in a bag in a single layer and sealing.

Cook for an hour then sear after patting dry over a medium heat in a skillet with oil and butter.

Crisp up the skin then remove while you create the sauce from garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, and the cooking juices from the chicken to drizzle over. 

25. Potatoes

These potatoes are so good as a side dish that they may overshadow the main.

Preheat the sous vide water bath to around 194°F (90°C) and layer a pound of baby potatoes in a single layer in a bag then add butter, fresh herbs, and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Vacuum seal the bag and place in the sous vide for an hour and check their softness before browning in a hot skillet or in the oven.

Bonus: Desserts

A sous vide is not just for meat as these desserts prove. If you have a few sealable jars then get creative with cheesecakes and a Crème Brûlée that can be really easy to prepare.

Grasshopper Cheesecake

Jars are ideal for portion control and cooking in a sous vide so try them for this Grasshopper Cheesecake. Create a base layer of chocolate graham crackers combined with melted butter then beat together cream cheese and sugar.

Incorporate eggs with mint extract and green food coloring for your second layer then seal on the lids (see also ‘28 Big Green Egg Recipes You Need To Try‘). Cook at 176°F (80°C) for an hour, allow to cool in the refrigerator then add a ganache from warmed cream mixed with chocolate chips. 

Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée can be a tricky dessert to create but not in a sous vide. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt, bourbon (optional), and vanilla extract then combine with cream.

Allow to rest until any bubbles have vanished then pour into jars to seal with lids but not too tight. 

Preheat the sous vide to 179°F (82°C) and cook for an hour before removing and allowing to cool. Sprinkle on sugar then use a blow torch to create a caramelized layer which you can leave to cool and harden. 

Strawberry Cheesecakes

If you have some eight-ounce jars with lids then you can create Strawberry Cheesecakes in a sous vide. Preheat it to 176°F (80°C) then press in a layer of graham cracker crumb with sugar and melted butter into each jar.

Beat the cream cheese then add vanilla extract and sugar until incorporated then add the egg to blend in. Add this as your second layer then secure the jars with lids.

Lower the jars into the water and cook for an hour and a half. Allow the jars to cool then leave to chill in the refrigerator for half an hour then leave for the same amount of time at room temperature.

Add a final layer of chopped strawberries and strawberry jam then serve.  

Final Thoughts

If you have the time then consider using a sous vide to create delicious dishes that are cooked perfectly.

That could be for preparing meats such as steak or seafood like scallops so all you need to worry about is searing for a delectable crust. Cheesecakes, poached eggs, and Crème Brûlée can also be mastered by using a sous vide. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Use A Sous Vide?

It could be a juicy steak, tender chicken, flaky fish, or even a fruit dish. Whatever it is, a sous vide is well-loved by professional chefs and amateurs alike. The name of the cooking technique is translated from the French term for ‘under vacuum’. 

Essentially, food is sealed in a bag and then immersed in a water bath so that it cooks slowly at a somewhat low temperature.

This method of cooking locks in the moisture and allows food, especially meat, to remain tender and keeps in the juices which can be used for sauces.

A rich flavor can be created from the food cooking and simmering in its own juices. 

Why Do Sous Vide Recipes State A Cooking Time Of Between One And Four Hours?

The recommended cooking time of between one and four hours is down to the desired texture, typically in meat. For thicker meat, you will want to cook it for a longer time.