3 Best Sous Vide Recipes for Beginners - Sous Vide Wizard (2024)

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Sous Vide cooking can be as complicated or as simple as you want! With that said, some recipes are more “fool-proof” than others and require less equipment.

When you are just getting started in your Sous Vide journey you probably don’t yet have a torch, container, or even vacuum sealer.

Not to worry, there are plenty of great recipes that you can whip up!

Below I am going to share some of my favorite recipes and types of foods that are basic, easy to make, and perfectly suited for budding Sous Vide enthusiasts.

Steak

3 Best Sous Vide Recipes for Beginners - Sous Vide Wizard (1)

In my kitchen, steak is the foundation of my Sous Vide and what I tend to use it for most of the time! Not only is steak healthy, natural, and full of protein, it’s also super flavorful and easy to make!

Hopefully you are sourcing quality, grass-fed meat from local farmers and ranchers, but if not, any steak will do!

Steak happens to be perfect for the beginner Sous Vide cook since it’s so simple and does not require much in the way of equipment or ingredients.

We have plenty of in-depth articles on steak recipes and cooking times throughout our website, so in this article I am going to share the simplest way to sous vide steak.

All you need is your Sous Vide, a plastic bag, container or pot, piece of meat, and Salt!

You can cook ribeyes, strips, skirt steaks, prime ribs, chuck roasts, there are so many options! Below is a NY strip recipe.

Best Beginner Sous Vide Steak Recipe

Print Recipe

Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 1 lb NY Strip Steak
  • 1 Pinch Salt

Instructions

  • Place your Sous Vide in the container and set the temperature to 134 Degrees F.

  • Place your NY Strip in your plastic bag or vacuum seal, and once the water comes to temp insert the bag in the container.

  • Cook in the Sous Vide for 1-2 hours.

  • Remove from bag, and dry the steak thoroughly.

  • Heat up a cast iron over high heat on the stove.

  • Salt your steak liberally on both sides.

  • Sear for 30 minutes per side. Enjoy!

Chicken Breast

3 Best Sous Vide Recipes for Beginners - Sous Vide Wizard (2)

I must confess I was never a fan of chicken breast until I tried it Sous Vide style. Using traditional cooking methods, I was never able to cook a standard chicken breast without it coming out dry and bland.

My only alternative was to fry them, which was tasty! But far from healthy!

That is, until I tried it in the Sous Vide. Sous Vide chicken breast cooks the chicken to the perfect temperature while retaining its juices, and it is extremely simple, basic, and great for a new Sous Vide cook.

Best Beginner Sous Vide Chicken Breast Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Place your Sous Vide Machine in the container and bring the temperature up to 150 Degrees F

  • Season breasts with salt and pepper

  • Bag your chicken breasts in plastic bags or using a vacuum sealer

  • Insert into container and cook for 2 hours

  • Optional - Sear in Pan for 20 seconds per side. Enjoy!

Salmon

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This article wouldn’t be complete without including some seafood! Salmon is one of those types of fish that can be a little tricky to cook correctly.

Oftentimes in the oven or on the pan salmon will come out just a little over or undercooked for my liking. The Sous Vide takes all the guesswork out and you are left with a perfectly cooked piece of fish every time!

There are many different ways to cook Salmon in your Sous Vide, but since today is focused on the new and beginner Sous Vide user, we will stick with the simplest.

Best Beginner Sous Vide Salmon Recipe

Simple, but oh so good!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 2 6 Oz Salmon Filets
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil

Instructions

  • Cover your filets on both sides with kosher salt and let rest in fridge for 20 minutes

  • Insert Sous Vide in container and bring water to a temperature of 130 Degrees F

  • Remove Filets, wash off the salt and pat dry, then season again with salt and pepper

  • Insert filets in Sous Vide Bag and then place bag into the container

  • Cook for 45 minutes

  • Remove from bag carefully. Optional - sear in pan with olive oil. Enjoy!

I hope you find this article helpful.

Once you begin to get more comfortable with the Sous Vide, your opportunities are endless! Feel free to browse our site for many other recipe ideas, or check out our best cookbook round up here!

3 Best Sous Vide Recipes for Beginners - Sous Vide Wizard (2024)

FAQs

What is the easiest thing to sous vide? ›

But if you're just starting out, here are 15 of the easiest and most straight-forward sous vide recipes to dip your toes into!
  • Sous vide meatballs. ...
  • Steaks cooked sous vide. ...
  • Sous vide lamb leg steaks. ...
  • Basic sous vide chicken breast. ...
  • Sous vide chicken soup. ...
  • Sous vide chicken wings. ...
  • Sous vide halibut.

What are the best foods to sous vide? ›

The Best Foods To Cook Sous Vide
  • Tougher Cuts of Meat. What's important to remember here is that a 'tougher' or 'cheaper' cut of meat, doesn't necessarily mean a 'worse' cut. ...
  • Eggs. Eggs are one of the most popular foods to cook sous-vide for a couple of reasons. ...
  • Pork. ...
  • Lamb. ...
  • Carrots. ...
  • Filleted Fish. ...
  • Liver. ...
  • Fillet Steak.

What should not be sous vide? ›

Produce that no longer looks completely fresh or already smells strange is, of course, no longer suitable for the sous vide procedure. This particularly applies to fish and meat that is cooked at relatively low temperatures.

Can you use Ziploc bags for sous vide? ›

Ziplock and Glad brand bags are made from polyethylene plastic, and are free of BPAs and dioxins. A good rule of thumb is that when a bag is rated as microwave safe (which requires FDA approval) you can use it for sous vide. Even Dr. Schaffner agrees.

Do I need to sear immediately after sous vide? ›

We should sear the steak after. Searing it prior would take you much longer time to get the char compared to 1–2 minutes right after sous vide. It's also more practical because you would not want to put hot steak in sous vide pouch, which might melt.

What is the best meat to sous vide? ›

The best meat to sous vide for 48-72 hours at 135°F (57°C) is beef brisket, while pork shoulder can be cooked between 24-36 hours at 165°F (74°C). Results are always tender and juicy, making for perfect leftovers in sandwiches, tacos, or any other dish calling for shredded meat.

Does Gordon Ramsay use a sous vide? ›

He doesn't seem to be an especially outspoken proponent of sous vide cooking, possibly due to a long-ago scandal where patrons of his restaurants felt cheated when they found out that their meals had been prepared in advance and heated up via this "boil in a bag" technique, but he does have a pretty dramatic method for ...

Does meat get more tender the longer you sous vide? ›

Turning Tough Cuts Tender: Collagen proteins unwind into moisture-holding gelatin at temperatures as low as 122°F/50°C. Sous vide cooking allows us to hold tough, collagen-heavy cuts of meat at lower temperatures for longer periods of time and get the same tenderizing effect as braising.

Do major steakhouses use sous vide? ›

Do Steakhouses use Sous Vide Cooking Methods? Pre-cooking juicy steaks using sous vide is common in steakhouses across the United States. This might come as a surprise to frequent steakhouse customers, but using the technique allows chefs to cook great tasting steaks every time.

What are the best vegetables to sous vide? ›

Parsnips, rutabaga, beets, potatoes, carrots, turnips—this seasonal stunner maximizes the flavor of fall vegetable favorites.

Can you put frozen meat in a sous vide? ›

Cook using your sous vide machine either defrosted or straight from frozen at the required time and temperature, adding on 60 minutes if cooking straight from frozen. Sear as usual if desired.

Can I use tap water for sous vide? ›

Fill your sous vide water bath with hot tap water.

What are the side effects of sous vide cooking? ›

Is Sous Vide Cooking Safe? If you follow good food safety practices, sous vide risks are low. But because harmful bacteria that cause spoilage and food-borne illnesses can be found in raw foods, they must be cooked to certain temperatures and for adequate time to kill the bacteria.

What is the best protein to sous vide? ›

Almost anything is good to cook sous vide. I tend to cook pork, beef, chicken, eggs and I've also cooked beets and artichokes. I've done shell eggs as well as “egg bites” from the anova library. I do shorter methods with chicken usually, but I also will do a 36 hour cook for a beef chuck roast or pork butt.

Is it better to sear before or after sous vide? ›

When to Sear After Sous Vide. If you want good flavor and crust on your food, you will always want to sear it when it is done cooking. Even if you do a pre-sear, the crust itself will go away and can only be established by searing it after the sous vide process is over.

Do you start sous vide with hot or cold water? ›

Starting with warm water will help the sous vide circulator bring the water to the right temperature more quickly. Try a square vessel. Square is a much more space efficient shape than a circle. So with a square container, you'll have an easier time fitting both the circulator and the food.

What's the best meat to sous vide? ›

The best meat to sous vide for 48-72 hours at 135°F (57°C) is beef brisket, while pork shoulder can be cooked between 24-36 hours at 165°F (74°C). Results are always tender and juicy, making for perfect leftovers in sandwiches, tacos, or any other dish calling for shredded meat.

How do you start sous vide cooking? ›

  1. Season Your Meat. As with all successful meat cookery, the first step is to season your protein, and season it well. ...
  2. Bag It (with Aromatics) ...
  3. Get a Good Seal. ...
  4. Set Your Temperature, Set Your Time, Start Cooking. ...
  5. Rest, Dry, and Sear (If You Need to) ...
  6. Serve (or Save)
Jan 24, 2018

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