Sous vide is a cooking technique used by professional and home chefs all over the world. It involves sealing food in a vacuum bag before cooking it in low-temperature water for a long time. Cooking food this way results in incredibly even cooking, allowing the food to retain moisture and develop deep, consistent flavour.
Certain foods, like steak, salmon and even vegetables, respond exceptionally well to sous vide. That’s because it delivers precise temperature control, avoiding overcooking and preserving textures.
What Does it Mean to Cook Sous Vide?
Sous vide translates to “under vacuum” in French, which describes the technique itself. You season your food, vacuum-seal it in a bag, and then place it in a temperature-controlled water bath for slow, even cooking.
The result? Perfect doneness, every single time.
How It Works
- Season – Add your favourite herbs and spices, or follow a recipe.
- Seal – Use a vacuum sealer to seal your food in a vacuum bag.
- Water bath – Submerge the bag in a pot maintained by a sous vide immersion circulator.
- Cook – Leave the food to cook gently for the recommended amount of time.
- Serve – Finish meats with a quick sear in a pan, then enjoy your perfectly cooked food.
What Equipment is Required for Sous Vide Cooking?
To master sous vide cooking, you’ll need:
- A sous vide immersion circulator to heat the water to a precise temperature
- A container or pot to hold the water
- A vacuum sealer
- High-quality vacuum bags
Top Foods to Sous Vide
1 – Sous Vide Steak
Cooking a perfect steak is a skill some people can only dream of nailing. If you find yourself stressed in front of the hob, or unable to decide on just the right amount of butter, a sous vide steak could be the solution. Choose your cut of meat, we recommend ribeye, fillet or sirloin and season generously to your taste before vacuum sealing.
Prepare your hot water bath using an immersion circulator. Aim for 54°C for a delicious medium-rare cook. The suggested cooking time will depend on your desired doneness. For example, 1–2 hours for a medium-rare steak.
The final step for a perfectly cooked steak is to sear it very quickly in a pan (around 30-60 seconds) to give it a delicious crust.
2 – Sous Vide Chicken Breast
If there’s one thing most people can agree on, it’s that juicy chicken always wins. Sous vide cooking is a great solution for preserving moisture as you cook. By using the water bath to cook the meat at a consistent temperature, you avoid overcooking the outer layers and will never risk having to serve dry chicken again.
The optimal temperature range for perfect texture is between 63°C and 68°C, and we recommend seasoning with garlic, lemon, fresh herbs, salt and pepper for a delicious taste.
3 – Sous Vide Salmon
Salmon is full of nutrients and offers a huge range of health benefits, from supporting brain function to bone health. Packed with protein, vitamins and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, learning how to cook to perfection is a great hack for eating healthier meals.
To preserve its delicate texture and moisture, cook your salmon at 52°C for 45 minutes. Try a teriyaki marinade for an Asian-inspired dish, or go Mediterranean with olive oil, dill, lemon and capers.
An added bonus is that by using this cooking method, you eliminate some (not all) of the fishy smells that take over the kitchen when pan-frying or baking salmon.
4 – Sous Vide Pork Chops
Sous vide cooking will ensure you’re never faced with a chewy pork chop again. To eliminate toughness while keeping flavour, seal the chop in a heavy-duty vacuum bag before cooking in a water bath at 58°C for medium-rare or slightly hotter for medium.
We recommend cooking for around an hour before searing the edges in a pan for a final finish.
5 – Sous Vide Short Ribs
Sous vide ribs are rich and full of flavour. They require a longer cooking time than some other meats in order to achieve a tender finish, with most short rib sous vide recipes suggesting a cooking time of over 24 hours.
One of the fun things about this cooking method is the experimenting you can do over time to learn which sous vide technique helps you enjoy perfectly cooked meat, specific to your personal taste.
6 – Sous Vide Duck Breast
Duck breast is best enjoyed medium rare, making it an ideal option for sous vide cooking. The recommended cooking time and temperature are around 54°C for 1.5 to 2 hours.
For an extra treat of crispy skin, after cooking, place it in a heated pan and allow the fat to render out until it turns crispy; this should take around 5 minutes.
7 – Sous Vide Lobster
If you really want to impress the next time you’re hosting, treat your guests to some perfectly cooked lobster.
To achieve tenderness without rubberiness, cook in a 54-60°C water bath for 45 minutes, depending on whether you prefer a delicate or firmer texture. Serve with drawn butter and a sprinkle of chives for an elegant touch.
8 – Sous Vide Pork Belly
Pork belly becomes incredibly tender in a sous vide bath, with melt-in-your-mouth layers of meat and fat.
Cook at 77°C for 10–12 hours. Afterwards, crisp the skin in a hot pan or under the grill for an irresistible crackle.
9 – Sous Vide Beef
To achieve juicy, tender, and perfectly cooked beef every single time, vacuum the meat before cooking in a 54°C water bath. Remove the beef from the bag, pat it dry and quickly sear in a hot pan to boost the flavours even more.
10 – Sous Vide Chuck Roast
Sous vide cooking can help you achieve an extremely tender cut from a tougher joint of meat. For a steak-like finish, cook at 58°C for 24-36 hours. If you prefer your meat to be extra tender, use a 74°C water bath with a reduced cooking time of 18-24 hours.
Bonus: Sides to Sous Vide
You can chef up an entire banquet using the sous vide cooking method, not just the meaty centrepiece.
Consider sous vide herby potatoes, sweet carrots or other vegetables to accompany the meat.
Sous Vide Potatoes
For tender potatoes ready to eat alongside your perfectly done meat, cook them sous vide for about an hour at 90°C. An added advantage is that you can cook them ahead of time and fry them in a little bit of oil when you’re ready to eat to save some time on a busy hosting day.
Sous Vide Carrots
Using the sous vide method for vegetables like carrots helps them retain their sweetness and vibrant colour.
Place your carrots, some butter, sugar and salt in a vacuum bag before cooking sous vide for an hour at 84°C for a delicious taste.
Sous Vide Eggs
Eggs are already a versatile food, so paired with the ease and convenience of sous vide cooking, they can become a staple in your everyday cooking. The method here is different to other foods as no vacuum sealing is required.
Once the water has been heated by the precision cooker, carefully lower the eggs into the water bath and cook for 15 minutes at 74°C for a perfectly done egg white with a creamy, runny yolk.
Sous Vide Crème Brûlée
It’s not all about the savoury food either; enjoy a sous vide sweet treat such as crème brûlée. The water bath ensures silky-smooth custard every time.
Preheat the water bath to 82°C. Whisk five egg yolks and 100g of sugar until smooth before warming 480ml of heavy cream and adding it to the mixture.
The cooking method for this dessert involves glass jars rather than vacuum-sealed bags. Be careful not to fasten the jar too tightly and always lower it into the water bath slowly to avoid any breakages. Cook for one hour before leaving it to cool for 30 minutes and refrigerating for 4 hours before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best food to sous vide?
Tender cuts of meat like steak, chicken breast, pork chops, and salmon are all excellent options for sous vide cooking.
What should not be sous vide?
Foods such as soft cheeses, breaded meats, or delicate fish don’t typically suit sous vide cooking, as they may lose texture or structure in the water bath.
What is the first thing I should sous vide?
We recommend starting with a steak or chicken breast because they’re easy to season, don’t take too long and offer delicious results.
Ready to Make the Most of Your New Sous Vide Machine?
Not sure where to start? Grab a steak or chicken breast and give it a go. Experiment with times, temperatures, and flavourings to find the perfect technique for your taste.
From high-quality vacuum-sealed bags to sous vide immersion circulators, at Pac Food, we have all the equipment you need to become a sous vide pro. Check out our range of products today to begin your journey to perfectly tender food every single time.