Sous Vide Turkey Breast Recipe with Time and Temp Chart

Turkey is probably the driest, toughest meat I’ve ever eaten, especially turkey breast. Traditionally, it’s been incredibly difficult to cook to a juicy, tender, and flavorful state, until I stumbled upon sous vide cooking. It’s literally the perfect way to prepare a holiday roast, as it guarantees a moist and tender result, while allowing you to cook it unattended. Once you try it, you might not just want to cook turkey for Thanksgiving but also for a simple, light fall dinner. Without further ado, let’s take a look at this sous vide turkey breast recipe, which includes a handy time and temperature chart for different levels of doneness.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole boneless, skin-on turkey breast, about 5 pounds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons oil with a high smoke point like avocado, corn, canola, or peanut oil
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig of fresh sage

Equipment:

• INKBIRD Sous Vide Immersion Circulator
• INKBIRD Vacuum Sealer and bag
• Large container
• Spatula
• Cast-iron skillet

Why Sous Vide Turkey Breast?

I have to say, dry turkey is the bane of my existence, and I bet many of you feel the same way. Growing up, Thanksgiving was always a bit of performance for me. I would pretend to enjoy the turkey, only to push it aside after a few bites. It wasn’t until I took up cooking that I truly wanted my family to savor every dish I made. So, I started experimenting, and after I used sous vide cooking, my family was so impressed that they started requesting turkey more often than just on Thanksgiving.

The reason is that, unlike in the oven or on the grill, a sous vide turkey breast maintains a consistent temperature from edge to edge, without the risk of a burnt exterior. Furthermore, with this method, the meat can retain its own juices, ensuring every bite is tender and juicy. And, my biggest draw is that it barely requires any supervision and has a long overcooking window, which means I could leave it in the water bath for even two extra hours, and it would still come out very tender. 

Bone-in or Boneless Turkey Breast?

I like to use a whole boneless, skin-on turkey breast. Deboning is purely for convenience and easy to serve, unless you prefer to gnaw on it like a KFC Original. Some say it's better to keep it bone-in, as it holds the potential for juices that might enhance the flavor. However, this isn’t a significant factor when cooking sous vide. In fact, leaving the bones in can be problematic, as they might puncture the vacuum bag and ruin the whole meal. On the other hand, keeping the skin on is essential because it crisps beautifully during the final high-temperature searing, adding a richness to the sous vide turkey breast.

Sous Vide Turkey Breast Time and Temp Chart

The USDA recommends that poultry should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption, which is based on traditional high-temperature cooking methods. In fact, cooking a turkey at 140°F for 30 minutes is just as effective in killing harmful bacteria as cooking it at 165°F for 10 seconds. This opens up the possibility of using a sous vide cooker, allowing us to lower the cooking temperature while still ensuring food safety - it’s just a matter of time.

However, to keep things completely safe, it’s best to use a leave-in-probe thermometer so you can monitor the internal temperature of the turkey breast without removing it from the bag.

Now that we’ve covered the all-important safety side, let’s consider the taste. So, what’s the optimal temperature for sous vide turkey breast? Personally, I prefer cooking at 145°F for 3 hours. This results in a turkey breast that’s close to the texture of traditional oven-roasted turkey, but noticeably moister and more tender. This is just my personal preference, but you can serve it as a good starting point and refer to the sous vide turkey breast time and temp chart below to find the one that suits your taste best.

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How to Sous Vide Turkey Breast?

The process for almost all sous vide cooking is pretty much the same, with the most important thing being the time and temp chart above. But in case anyone might be just starting out, I thought I’d outline the complete cooking process to help you get started.

Step 1: Prepare Turkey for Sous Vide

First things first, preheat a water bath to 145°F (63°C), or to your preferred doneness.

Remove the turkey breast from its packaging. If you have a whole turkey and need to debone it, there are plenty of helpful tutorials available on YouTube, but that’s not the main focus here. You can also ask your butcher to handle it for you when you buy the turkey.

Once you have the breast ready, season it with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Then, place it in a vacuum bag with thyme, rosemary, and sage, and seal it using a vacuum sealer. If you don’t have one, you can also use the water displacement method to get the air out of the bag.

Step 2: Cook Turkey Breast Sous Vide

Place the bagged turkey breast in a preheated water bath and cook sous vide for 3 hours. While breasts vary in size, 3 hours is generally enough for most.

You can cook it longer and it will still remain tender, but the minimum cooking time is more important to ensure proper pasteurization. Even then, it’s best not to exceed 6 hours.

Once done, take the turkey breast out of the bag. Don’t discard the accumulated liquid, which is great for making gravy.

Step 3: Sear for Crispy Skin

Pat the turkey breast extremely dry on all sides.

Next, heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in your cast-iron skillet over high heat until just smoking. Place the turkey breast skin-side down, pressing it gently with a spatula, and sear each corner for about 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Flip the breast and sear the other side for another 1-2 minutes.

After searing, let the turkey breast rest for 5 minutes, then slice it horizontally against the grain and serve.

Can You Sous Vide Frozen Turkey Breast Directly?

Yes, you can sous vide turkey breast from frozen directly, which is another benefit of it. The process remains the same as for thawed breast, just increase the cooking time by 50% to account for the frozen state. For example, in this recipe, I recommend cooking turkey breast sous vide at 145°F (63°C) for 3 hours, but if you’re starting with a frozen piece, you’ll need to extend the cooking time to a total of 4.5 hours.

What to Serve with Sous Vide Turkey Breast?

If you’re preparing sous vide turkey breast for Thanksgiving, the leftover gravy, paired with cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes, can be a very good option. For a quick weeknight dinner, slice the breast and serve it alongside roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, or mix it with a hearty vegetable quinoa pilaf for a filling and nutritious meal. Any leftovers can easily be turned into delicious sandwiches or shredded for a comforting turkey pot pie.