What is Sous Vide Turkey and Why You Should Try It

Sous vide turkey is a revolutionary new way of cooking turkey that results in juicy, tender meat and crisp, flavorful skin If you’ve struggled with dry, overcooked turkey in the past, sous vide is here to save Thanksgiving!

What Exactly is Sous Vide?

Sous vide simply means “under vacuum” in French. It refers to the process of vacuum sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to an exact temperature in a water bath. This technique gives you precise control over the finished texture of the turkey.

With traditional roasting methods, it’s difficult to cook turkey breast meat evenly without drying it out. The white breast meat ideally needs to reach around 145°F while the dark leg meat should get up to 165°F for food safety. Trying to properly finish both in one go in the oven leads to compromises.

Sous vide lets you nail the perfect temperature for moist tender meat every time. The vacuum sealed bags also retain all the delicious juices and moisture during the cook.

Benefits of Sous Vide Turkey

Here are some of the biggest benefits of sous vide turkey:

• Juicy and tender meat – Sous vide ensures the turkey breast is cooked perfectly moist, not dried out. Temperatures under 145°F are possible.

• Consistent doneness – No more dry ends or undercooked parts. Sous vide cooks the meat evenly from edge to edge.

• Frees up your oven – With the turkey in the sous vide bath, the oven is free for sides and pies.

• Holds food safely hot – Sous vide turkey can be kept warm in the water bath for hours before serving.

• Easier crispy skin – The skin is cooked separately in the oven for max crispness.

• Lower temperature = more flavor – Cooking at a lower temp keeps more moisture and flavor.

• It’s foolproof – Much harder to overcook sous vide turkey compared to roasting.

How to Cook a Sous Vide Turkey

Cooking sous vide turkey involves just a few simple steps:

1. Season – Generously season the turkey breast all over with salt, pepper, and any other spices.

2. Bag – Seal the turkey breast in a vacuum bag, removing as much air as possible.

3. Submerge – Cook the bagged turkey in a sous vide water bath at 140-145°F for 2-4 hours.

4. Torch or sear – For crisp skin, remove and torch or sear the skin side with oil in a hot pan.

5. Serve – Slice the tender turkey and serve it with the crispy sous vide turkey skin on the side.

The skin can be cooked low and slow on a baking sheet in the oven until super crispy. Alternatively, deep fry the skin for extra crunch.

Making a rich turkey gravy is also easier with sous vide, as you can use the bone and trimmings to fortify the gravy stock.

Should You Sous Vide a Whole Turkey?

While it is possible to cook a whole turkey sous vide, the breast and leg meat ideally need different temperatures and cook times.

For best results, it’s recommended to break down the bird into parts. The legs can then be confit cooked, while the breast gets the sous vide treatment.

If cooking a whole bird, spatchcocking or removing the backbone can help the meat cook more evenly.

Time and Temperature for Sous Vide Turkey

Here are some recommended time and temperatures for sous vide turkey breast:

• 130°F for 2-4 hours – Very tender and juicy but with a rosy medium-rare color
• 135-140°F for 2-4 hours – Juicy white meat with a more traditional appearance
• 145°F for 2-3 hours – Moist meat with a texture closer to roasted
• 150°F+ for 1-2 hours – Firm, sliceable texture, less juice

The final temperature you choose is a matter of preference. Sous vide gives you flexibility to fine tune the texture you desire.

For food safety, the USDA recommends holding the turkey for at least 1 hour at 135°F or higher before serving.

How to Get Perfectly Crispy Sous Vide Turkey Skin

Achieving crackling crisp turkey skin to go with your tender sous vide breast is easy. Here are some good options:

• Oven roasting – Roast the skin flat on a sheet pan at 400°F until browned and brittle.

• Deep frying – Fry the skin in 375°F oil for 1-2 minutes until blistered and crispy.

• Blow torch – Use a cooking torch to blister and bubble the surface.

• Pan searing – Sear the skin side in a hot skillet with oil to crisp it up.

Cooking the skin separately from the sous vide turkey meat lets you get both perfect moisture and crunchy texture.

Take Your Sous Vide Turkey to the Next Level

Here are some tips to maximize flavors and presentation with your sous vide turkey:

• Brine the breast overnight before bagging to boost moisture and flavor. A salt, sugar, and herb brine works great.

• Rub spices like smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, or herbs under the skin before cooking.

• Infuse aromatic flavors in the sous vide bag like rosemary, sage, citrus, or garlic.

• Make a show-stopping platter with slices of turkey fanned out, surrounded by shards of crispy skin.

• Serve the turkey with rich giblet or thyme gravy and your favorite holiday sides.

Is Sous Vide Turkey Worth It?

If you’ve struggled to properly roast or deep fry turkey, sous vide can help you nail perfect results every time. It takes a lot of the guesswork and stress out of cooking turkey for Thanksgiving or other occasions.

The ability to cook the breast meat exactly how you want it makes sous vide a game changer. While it does require an extra piece of kitchen equipment, it delivers moist, flavorful meat worth the investment.

This Thanksgiving, give sous vide a try for your best turkey yet!