Two boneless breasts, about an inch and a half thick, bagged with a little oil and salt, held at 145F for four hours because I was out and could not pull them earlier. They were not undercooked at all, but the texture was chalky and the fibres pulled apart like string cheese. Everything I read said 145 keeps chicken juicy. What did I get wrong?
Also check your circulator against an independent thermometer. Mine read 145F and was actually running at 152F, which would produce exactly the texture you describe. Ten dollar probe, five minute test, worth doing once for every unit you own.
One more variable: dry brine before bagging. Salt the breasts and leave them uncovered in the fridge for an hour or overnight, then bag. It changes how much moisture the muscle holds and the difference in a lean cut is not subtle.
On the safety side, since people worry about 145F chicken, the pasteurisation tables are based on time at temperature rather than a single number, and an inch and a half breast held at 145F is well past what those tables ask for. Look up a proper reference table rather than trusting a forum comment though, including mine, and if you are cooking for someone with a compromised immune system take the conservative route.
Agreed, and print the table once and stick it inside a cupboard door. Beats trying to remember whether it was 12 or 30 minutes at a given temperature.
@coldsoak_kim · 2mo ago · 3 replies
The temperature was fine, the four hours was the problem. Sous vide is only forgiving on time for tough cuts with connective tissue to break down. Lean chicken breast has none of that, so past a couple of hours you are just slowly turning the muscle fibres mealy.
For an inch and a half breast at 145F I would pull at 1 hour 30, and I would not go past 2 hours 30 for texture reasons. If your schedule is unpredictable, drop the temperature to 140F, which buys you a bit more slack, or plan to chill the bag in ice water when the timer goes and reheat later.
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@sear_after_sam · 2mo ago
So the whole set and forget thing does not apply to breast at all. That is useful and slightly annoying.
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@krausen_line · 2mo ago
Thighs are the set and forget cut. Two to four hours at 165F and they genuinely do not care when you get home.
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