Category: using Sous Vide

Peppered Shrimp using Sous Vide

Perfectly cooked shrimp. Fantastic, flavorful dipping sauce. What else could you ask for? These peppered shrimp, cooked using sous vide, didn’t last long at all around here. Nice and peppery, the shrimp are super tasty. The sauce is buttery and herbaceous. You might have a bit of the sauce left over, so serve the shrimp with some grilled or toasted bread for soppin’.

Peppered Shrimp using Sous Vide

I searched and searched my pantry and could not find allspice berries. Then it struck me! There’s allspice berries in pickling spice! Boom! So I just picked a few out and off I went to make my sous vide peppered shrimp. If you don’t have any allspice berries, don’t fret. The shrimp will still be great. And peppery.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!
Peppered Shrimp using Sous Vide
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Peppered Shrimp using Sous Vide

If you don't have any allspice berries, don't fret. The shrimp will still be great. And peppery.
Course Appetizer or Main
Cuisine American
Keyword shrimp, sous vide
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8
Calories 62kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set up your immersion circulator for 140 F.
  • Toss shrimp with the salt in a large bowl.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper, lemon juice, basil, oregano and cayenne. Whisk together and bring to a simmer.
  • Add the butter, 1 pat at a time, whisking until melted.
  • Remove from heat and let cool slightly before stirring in the shrimp, bay leaves and allspice.
  • Transfer to a vacuum-sealable bag and spread out evenly. Seal. NOTE: I put the bag into the fridge for 1 hour so that the liquid set up before sealing. This made it much easier to seal the bag.
  • Transfer to the immersion circulator and sous vide for 50 mins.
  • Remove and open bag. Transfer liquid to a bowl for dipping. Serve shrimp garnished with sliced green onion.

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 71mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Sous Vide Grilled Chicken Breast

Salad week was coming. Every few weeks we switch to making salads for a while. Our favorite protein for salad is sous vide grilled chicken breast. My worst fear is that the chicken will not impress. That it’ll be chew and as dry as the desert. Well, no tough, dry chicken here. This chicken comes out crazy juicy, super tender and big-time packed with flavor. Perfect for salads, thanks to a slow cooking process using an immersion circulator. It’s also got a lightly smoky flavor with a great light char. That’s thanks to a few minutes on a hot grill.

Sous Vide Grilled Chicken Breast

I used fresh thyme sprigs when I made this sous vide grilled chicken breast. The thyme flavor isn’t over-powering (I used 2 sprigs per breast). If you want a pronounced herb flavor, add more. You can also use any other fresh herb that you like. You can also leave it out and still have wonderfully tasty chicken. Just don’t be shy with the salt and pepper. This is the time to add flavor, before it’s cooked.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

You can use this same recipe for cooking bone-in chicken breasts instead.

Sous Vide Grilled Chicken Breast
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Sous Vide Grilled Chicken Breast

The perfect chicken for sandwiches or salads.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword chicken, sous vide
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 534kcal
Author Inspired by a recipe from 40 Aprons

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Fill a container with water. Add your immersion circulator and get the temperature to 146.5 F.
  • Brush the chicken breasts with the oil.
  • Season well with salt and pepper. Get the seasoning on all sides and don't be shy with it.
  • Transfer the chicken to a sealable vacuum bag. Add the sprigs of thyme on top.
  • Seal the bag using a vacuum sealer.
  • Transfer the bag to the heater water and cook for 1 hour.
  • Remove the bag from the water.
  • Remove the chicken. Discard the thyme and pat the chicken dry with the a paper towel.
  • Fire up your grill for direct cooking over high heat. We're not looking to cook the chicken (it's already fully cooked). We just want to get some grill marks on it and add some texture.
  • Lightly spray the chicken with non-stick spray (you could also use more olive oil if desired) and transfer to the grill. Grill for just a minute or two and rotate 90 degrees and cook another minute or two.
  • Flip and repeat on the other sides to get grill marks.
  • Remove and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 96g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 289mg | Sodium: 678mg | Potassium: 1701mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 364IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Country-Style Ribs using Sous Vide

I’m very new to using sous vide as a cooking technique. It’s been a learning, but rewarding experience. My goal was to get the basics down well, then start to re-create my favorite recipes using my new-found knowledge (and learn more, of course!). These country-style ribs are my first attempt at converting a childhood favorite recipe of mine, made often by my mom, from cooking solely in the oven to using a combination of sous vide and the oven.

Country-Style Ribs using Sous Vide

These country-style ribs have the same great flavor as my mom’s classic. Seared seasoned ribs cooked over a bed of kraut, with a little carrot for crunch. Instead of cooking the ribs in the oven I sous vide them for a long time, until the pork is so completely fall apart you can barely pick it up. I then season it heavily with paprika and sear it beneath the broiler. The end result was absolutely delicious and by far the best I’ve ever had (sorry mom!).

I’m always learning when I cook, be it using sous vide, a grill, or any other tool or technique. If you’re into sous vide too, feel free to drop me a comment in the section below to offer up suggestions on how I might make my country-style ribs even better.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Also try my grilled sweet-and-sour country style ribs.

Country-Style Ribs using Sous Vide
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Country-Style Ribs using Sous Vide

These country-style ribs are my first attempt at converting a childhood favorite recipe of mine, made often by my mom, from cooking solely in the oven to using a combination of sous vide and the oven.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword ribs, sous vide
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 341kcal

Ingredients

For the sous vide

For the final dish

  • 8 medium carrots peeled, sliced
  • 32 ounces kraut rinsed, drained
  • caraway seed to taste
  • paprika to taste

Instructions

For the sous vide

  • Bring a sous vide bath to 165 F.
  • Season the ribs on all sides. Don't be shy with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a vacuum bag (or two) and seal. Submerge and sous vide for 8 hours.
  • Remove the bags from the water. Open the bags, drain, and pat the ribs dry.

For the final dish

  • Place carrots in a small microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes or until just starting to soften. Carefully remove from the microwave and drain.
  • Place drained and rinsed kraut in a 9" x 13" deep baking dish (you can use a 9" x 9" but it might be a bit crowded).
  • Stir in the caraway seed.
  • Add the carrots.
  • Turn on your oven's broiler.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Sprinkle the ribs liberally on all sides with the paprika. Do not be shy with it.
  • Place in the oven under the broiler and broil, turning every few minutes, until lightly seared.
  • Remove ribs from oven. Set oven temperature to 350 F.
  • Transfer ribs to the baking dish, on top of the kraut and carrot mixture.
  • Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, cover in foil, and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the kraut is warmed through and the carrots are completely tender.
  • Serve hot.

Notes

Instead of placing the ribs under the broiler, you can sear them in a hot skillet with a small amount of oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1148mg | Potassium: 986mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 13627IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Turkey Breast Roast using Sous Vide

Butterball sells a 3 pound turkey breast roast that you can find in your grocery’s frozen section. They’re very convenient and tasty. I usually roast mine, which comes out great, but not always as tender and juicy as I’d hoped. Well, sous vide to the rescue and then some! In no time at all, sous vide cooks up the turkey roast just flat out perfectly. Tasty. Juicy. Tender. You cannot beat it, whether you slice it thick to serve with gravy and mashed potatoes ala Thanksgiving or slice it thin for (out of this world!) sandwiches.

Turkey Breast Roast using Sous Vide

There are a few key (but simple) things to keep in mind when making turkey breast roast using sous vide.

First, you have to remove the gravy packet. It doesn’t go into the sous vide. Now, removing it is easy if the turkey breast roast is defrosted, but if it’s frozen you’ll have to run it under cold water for a few minutes until you can pull it away.

Second, keep the turkey in the mesh bag that it comes in until you are ready to sear it at the end. Remove it carefully once the breast is sous vide or you’ll end up removing a lot of the seasoning.

Last, season the roast liberally. If you think you put too much on you probably nailed it perfectly. There’s a lot of turkey that needs to be seasoned. Don’t be shy with it and you’ll get that flavor in every bite.

If you own a smoker, you can skip the searing step and instead place the roast on a smoker for 30 minutes or so to let that great smoke flavor absorb into the turkey.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Also try my sous vide corned beef.

Turkey Breast Roast using Sous Vide
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Turkey Breast Roast using Sous Vide

Tasty. Juicy. Tender. You cannot beat it, whether you slice it thick to serve with gravy and mashed potatoes ala Thanksgiving or slice it thin for (out of this world!) sandwiches.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword sous vide, turkey
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings 8
Calories 172kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Set up your immersion circulator for 138 F.
  • Note: Keep the turkey in the mesh packaging until you are ready to sear it.
  • Remove the gravy packet. Note: If using a frozen breast, run briefly under cold water long enough to loosen and remove the gravy packet.
  • Sprinkle the breast with paprika and plenty of the seasoning. Don't be shy with it.
  • Transfer to a bag and vacuum seal.
  • Transfer bag to sous vide setup and cook for 5 hours if frozen, or 3 hours if defrosted.
  • Remove bag from water and cut open, draining off any juices. Remove breast (carefully so it stays intact) from mesh bag.
  • Sear the breast on all sides in a large skillet with a few tablespoons of oil over high heat. Or sear on a hot grill or under a broiler. You'll want to sear for about 1 minute per side.
  • Slice as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal | Protein: 37g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 350mg | Potassium: 412mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 34IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Corned Beef using Sous Vide

I’m very new to the world of sous vide. But, making corned beef using the technique is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Usually, I smoke my corned beef to make ‘fauxstrami’, or as it is sometimes called, ‘cheater pastrami’. This time I was going for just classic corned beef flavor and super tender meat. And that’s what I got.

For 48 hours all I could think about was a Reuben sandwich. Sous vide corned beef on pumpernickel with a homemade Thousand Island dressing, kraut and Swiss cheese. Lunch was fantastic!

Corned Beef using Sous Vide

I don’t think that the spice packet added much flavor to the corned beef. So, I would actually consider it borderline optional. I did learn that if you are using it don’t place it directly on the meat. As the vacuum seals the bag, the spices get embedded in the corned beef. And there they will stay until you scrape them off, which isn’t fun. So I pour it into a corner of the bag. It does get mixed in with the liquid from the meat, so perhaps it did add a little flavor. It certainly was not overwhelming.

I think the technique I used for sous vide corned beef can be used as a starting point for making pastrami, so that’s the next thing I will try. After the 48 hour sous vide, I will prepare the corned beef as I do my homemade pastrami, then smoke it just long enough to get a little smoke flavor to it. I will certainly post my results!

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Also try my sous vide turkey breast roast.

Corned Beef using Sous Vide
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Corned beef using Sous Vide

I was going for just classic corned beef flavor and super tender meat. And that’s what I got.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword corned beef, sous vide
Cook Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days
Servings 2 pounds
Calories 1347kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 pound corned beef with the spice packet

Instructions

  • Bring your sous vide setup to 140 F.
  • Remove the corned beef from the packaging and rinse well several times under cold water.
  • f you want to use the spice packet, open it and pour it into one corner of a large sealable bag.
  • Transfer the corned beef to the bag. Seal well. I prefer to double seal for long cooks.
  • Add the bag to the sous vide and cook for 48 hours.
  • Remove corned beef from water and let cool slightly before opening and slicing against the grain.

Nutrition

Calories: 1347kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 100g | Fat: 101g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 367mg | Sodium: 8280mg | Potassium: 2021mg | Vitamin C: 184mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 12mg

Nutritional values are approximate.