Sous Vide Fried Chicken

Last Updated on July 21, 2025 by Lisa Keys

The best sous vide fried chicken is perfectly cooked with a juicy interior and crispy exterior. Have you tired using an immersion circulator? It takes the worry out of serving raw chicken or chicken that is dried out.

Sous vide chicken is cooked to a precise temperature that you have complete control over. The biggest benefit is that you can cook the chicken longer and at a lower temperature. The meat is more moist and tender and cooked equally throughout. It is completely safe to eat as the long cook pasteurizes the meat.

How to make sous vide fried chicken

Immersion Circulator Cooking Tips

• Set your water bath up on an insulated hot pad or trivet to avoid heat transfer to your counter.
• Fold the top half of the cooking bag down before adding food. This keeps the bag clean and ensures a tight vacuum seal.
• Place food in bag in a single layer with some space between the pieces for even cooking.
• Submerge the bag completely in the water.
• Attach the bag to the vessel so water is circulating around it.
• Place a cover over the water bath vessel to avoid water evaporation.
• You can find more cooking tips here.

There are many ways to serve sous vide fried chicken. Are you ready to give it a try? It makes a fabulous family dinner with a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Or, try it drenched in your favorite hot Nashville sauce on top of a crispy waffle. However, if you want to know my personal favorite? It's this recipe for an Asian inspired steam bun sandwich. I hope you like it.

Sous Vide Fried Chicken Steam Bun with Gingered Slaw & Pickled Red Onions

Lisa Keys

The best sous vide fried chicken is perfectly cooked on the inside and so crispy on the outside. Use it to make this amazing Asian inspired chicken sandwich.

5 from 3 votes

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

sous vide cooking time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 23 minutes mins

Course main dish, sandwich

Cuisine Asian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 738 kcal

Equipment

• 1 immersion circulator

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6 boneless chicken thighs, skin-on
• Salt and pepper seasoning I use Trader Joe's Umami
• 2 cups tempura mix
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce of your choice optional
• Peanut oil for frying
• 6 Asian steam buns plain sandwich size
• 6 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 cup pickled red onions
• fresh cilantro

Ginger Slaw

• ½ cup mayo
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Mom's Mala Sichuan chili sauce or other hot sauce of your choice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
• ½ tablespoon packed grated fresh ginger
• 1 bag rainbow or broccoli slaw mix
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• few grinds fresh black pepper

Instructions

 

Sous Vide Chicken

• Prepare water bath for sous vide cooking to 148F. Set timer for 3 hours.
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper or your choice of seasoning; arrange in single layer in vacuum seal bag; seal.
• Sous vide chicken for 3 hours.
• Immediately place sealed chicken in 50/50 ice water bath; let chill for 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from bags, pat dry with paper towels.

Sous Vide Fried Chicken

• Whisk tempura mix and salt on a plate.
• Whisk buttermilk, egg and hot sauce in a bowl.
• Dredge chicken in dry tempura mix then drop in buttermilk mixture to coat.
• Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of buttermilk mixture into remaining dry tempura mix and stir with a fork forming small clumps.
• Dredge chicken again in tempura mixture pressing so clumps adhere.
• Heat oil to 375F. in large skillet.
• Fry chicken until golden brown and crispy; about 2 to 4 minutes.

Assemble Sandwich

• Cook buns in steamer basket until soft and heated through, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Open buns and spread inside with hoisin sauce. Top with gingered slaw, chicken, pickled onions and cilantro.

Ginger Slaw

• Whisk dressing ingredients; toss with broccoli slaw. Season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 738kcalCarbohydrates: 74gProtein: 25gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 13gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 1203mgPotassium: 378mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22gVitamin A: 217IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 2mg

Keyword buttermilk, fried chicken, immersion circulator, sous vide, steam bun

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

I love everything about sous vide cooking. If you are in to meal prep this method of cooking is an absolute must to save you time. In addition, one of the greatest gifts of sous vide cooking is that you can turn inexpensive cuts of meat into culinary masterpieces. For instance, this pot roast is my most popular blog recipe. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions in the comments.