Sous Vide Parmesan Chicken – A Step by Step Guide to Moist Chicken with a Crispy Parmesan Crust

Cooking chicken breasts or chicken thighs in the sous vide results in perfectly-cooked and moist chicken. Here’s a method to finish the chicken in a skillet to make a crispy parmesan crust to go along with the juicy chicken. Sous Vide Parmesan Chicken is a recipe to add to your weekly rotation.

Ingredients for Sous Vide Crispy Chicken

I love a crispy skin or crispy crust on a piece of chicken. That’s why I love this crispy chicken sous vide recipe with simple ingredients.

The crispy coating comes from a cannister of grated Parmesan cheese. Let’s not get fancy. I’m talking about the cheap Parmesan cheese in the green canister that you buy on the shelf and then refrigerate after it’s open.

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Chicken Thighs
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Parsley
• Salt
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Olive Oil

After the chicken is cooked in the Anova sous vide machine, you have two choices. First and foremost, if you want to eat it right away, then go ahead and finish it out in a skillet of hot olive oil. All you need to do is coat both sides with a nice layer of that parmesan cheese, and fry both sides until crispy and golden brown.

The second option is to refrigerate until later in the week when you need a quick meal. Pull it out of the fridge, coat in grated parm, and then fry in hot olive oil. It will make meal prep easy for a busy night.

How to Sous Vide Parmesan Chicken

Step by Step

1. Season both sides of chicken liberally with garlic powder, dried parsley and salt.
2. Place chicken in either a zip-lock freezer bag or a vacuum sealed bag.
3. Remove air from the bag. If using a zip-lock bag, use the water displacement method. If using a vacuum bag, use a vacuum sealer to remove all air.
4. Set the precision cooker to 145 degrees F for chicken breast or 165 degrees F for chicken thighs.
5. Place bags in the water bath, making sure they are completely submerged.
6. Cook for 1.5 to 2 hours. Remove from water bath, and either finish immediately, or refrigerate for up to 5 days before finishing them to eat.
7. To finish, remove from the sealed bags. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.
8. Sprinkle one side of the cooked chicken liberally with grated Parmesan cheese. Place that side face-down in the preheated olive oil.
9. Cook until golden brown.
10. Sprinkle the other side with Parmesan cheese; flip, and cook in the hot oil in the pan until the other side is golden brown.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool completely. Transfer to a airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for sous vide chicken breast recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Sous Vide Parmesan Chicken

I absolutely love this Sous Vide Parmesan Chicken on it’s own as a protein for a meal. Serve it with some nice steamed broccoli, fresh broccoli, a side salad and some cooked rice or buttered noodles. Or better yet, stick with the Parmesan theme and fix these Parmesan Crusted Potatoes or Parsley and Parmesan Potatoes.

However, it would be so tasty turned into a true Chicken Parmesan. Melt a slice of mozzarella cheese over top, add a dollop of marinara sauce, and serve over noodles for a whole new meal.

For a third option, pound out the chicken thin before cooking in the water bath. Then, once it comes out, it will be more like a traditional chicken Milanese. Before serving, give it a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

There you have it. One easy sous vide chicken recipe with three different options.

Sous Vide Cooking

My summer has been full of easy sous vide recipes. I’ve been determined to conquer this awesome precision cooker, and to find methods of finishing meat recipes to incorporate them into my weekly meal planning.

That’s what’s so cool about sous vide cooking. The time and temperature combinations are simple, and once you have that, it’s about about the finishing step.

This means how what sauces you add, or how you add a little texture in a skillet or on the grill before serving. The sous vide water bath cooks the meat precisely, perfectly but it cannot add that crunchy or grill marks or grill flavor. This is what the “finishing step” accomplishes.

Sous Vide Recipes

• 2 Ingredient Sous Vide Short Ribs
• Blackened Chicken in the Sous Vide Cooker
• Sous Vide BBQ Chicken
• Glazed Sous Vide Carrots
• Sous Vide Teriyaki Chicken
• BBQ Pork Ribs (Sous Vide Recipe)

Recipe FAQS

• Use this recipe for either chicken breasts or chicken thighs in the sous vide cooker.
• I typically use boneless, skinless chicken.
• I use the cheap grated Parmesan in the green canister.
• It’s ok to estimate on the herbs, salt and parmesan cheese.
• Do not leave the chicken in the water bath for more than 4 hours. The texture of the chicken will begin to change.
• This is a great keto-friendly recipe.
• I love using Celtic Sea Salt in my recipes.
• Be sure the chicken pieces are completely submerged in the water. If needed, use a rack or a clip.
• Make a double seal if using a vacuum sealer to be sure it is airtight.

Recipe Variations

• Use garlic salt instead of garlic powder and salt.
• Instead of dried parsley, use any other dried herb you prefer including dried basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, etc.
• Sauté in butter instead of olive oil, if desired.
• Make this a sous vide chicken Milanese by pounding out the chicken thinly before cooking in the anova sous vide precision cooker. Garnish with fresh herbs or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Serve this as Chicken Parmesan by melting mozzarella cheese over the chicken after it’s crispy. Top with marinara sauce, and serve over cooked pasta.
• Season with black pepper, if desired.
• Use bone-in chicken, if desired.

What is sous vide chicken breast?

Sous vide chicken breast refers to a recipe in which chicken breast is cooked via the sous vide method. Sous vide cooking places food in a vacuum-sealed bag and cooks it in a water bath at a precise, consistent temperature. This results in tender, juicy chicken with a perfectly uniform texture throughout.

How do you know when sous vide chicken is done?

With sous vide cooking, it is very important to follow the USDA guidelines for the recommended internal temperature of foods so that it’s safe to eat. The USDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Using a sous vide precision cooker, you can set the water bath to this temperature, and once the chicken reaches that temperature, it is considered done.

Can you sous vide chicken breast from frozen?

Yes, you can sous vide chicken breast from frozen. You just need to add an extra hour or so to the cooking time. The sous vide method is great for cooking chicken from frozen, as it ensures even cooking and juicy results. After cooking, you can finish it in a skillet for a crispy parmesan crust.

Sous Vide Recipes

• Blackened Chicken in the Sous Vide Cooker
• Sous Vide Pulled Pork
• Glazed Sous Vide Carrots
• Sous Vide Teriyaki Chicken
• BBQ Pork Ribs (Sous Vide Recipe)
• 2 Ingredient Sous Vide Short Ribs

How to do the water displacement method?

Place food in a zip-lock freezer bag, partially sealing it. Submerge the bag in a water bath. As the bag is lowered into the water, the pressure pushes the air out of the bag, creating a vacuum seal. Then, finish sealing the bag.

Easy Chicken Recipes

Pan-Seared Chicken

Crock Pot Mock Fried Chicken

4 Ingredient Roasted Chicken Legs

Sticky Glazed Chicken Wings

Kitchen Utensils

• Anova Sous Vide Cooker
• Anova Vacuum Sealer
• Large Skillet
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Parsley
• Olive Oil
• Celtic Sea Salt