Achieve juicy, tender perfection every time with sous vide turkey breast. This foolproof cooking method gently circulates the turkey in a precisely temperature-controlled water bath, locking in all the natural flavors and moisture. A quick sear after sous vide yields an incredibly succulent interior with crisp, browned skin.
In just a few simple steps, you'll master the unmatched texture and juiciness that sous vide turkey promises. Out of all the ways to cook a turkey breast, this is hands down my favorite method. Let's dive into this game-changing technique that has so many benefits.
Benefits of Cooking Turkey Breast Sous Vide
- Unmatched Texture - Sous vide produces incredibly moist, tender turkey breast that's nearly impossible to achieve through other cooking methods. The meat emerges juicy and brimming with natural flavors.
- Foolproof Cooking - Thanks to precise temperature control, there's no risk of overcooking or drying out the turkey. It's an effortless, stress-free process.
- Make-Ahead Convenience - The cooked turkey can be refrigerated in its sous vide bag for up to 5 days. Simply reheat and sear when ready to serve.
- No Brining Needed - As the turkey gently cooks in the seasoned water bath, it becomes deeply infused with those flavors all the way through.
- Consistent Perfection - The controlled sous vide environment delivers perfect results every time with minimal effort.
- Unbeatable Flavor and Juiciness - You'll be amazed at the exceptional juiciness, tenderness, and pure turkey flavor this method produces.
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- Turkey Breast - Either bone-in or boneless breast will work great for sous vide. This one was done with the bone-in, but boneless has the advantage of being able to get it into a nice round shape and is even easier to slice for serving. You can just remove the bone prior to placing it in the bag if you prefer. Save the bone for making turkey stock.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper - You can salt the turkey a day in advance, but it's not totally necessary when cooking it sous vide.
- Neutral Oil for searing and browning the skin, such as canola or vegetable oil.
- For the herb-butter marinade: butter, fresh thyme, rosemary and sage leaves. You can also add garlic, shallot or other herbs if you prefer.
Tools & Equipment
- Sous Vide Machine (Immersian Cirulator)
- A large container for the water bath. A large pot will work great, too.
- Vacuum Sealer - You can either vacuum seal or use the water displacement method to remove the air and use ziplock freezer bags instead.
- Vacuum seal bags (optional) or ziplock freezer bags
- Weighted magnets or bag clips or for keeping the bag submerged
- Searing skillet - I prefer cast iron or carbon steel because of their heat retention and ease of cleaning.
- Slicing knife - A sharp, long knife makes easy work of slicing the turkey.
Jump down to the recipe card for all the details.
Key Temps and Times
Choose your doneness texture and then preheat your water bath to the specified temperature.
Temperature Options:
Super tender and juicy texture (recommended): 145°F (62.7°C)
Firmer and slightly dryer texture: 150°F (65.5°C)
Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours in the water bath for a 2 to 4 lb turkey breast.
How to Sous Vide Turkey Breast - Step by Step
Now that you've got your equipment and ingredients ready, let's go through the simple steps to cook turkey breast sous vide.
Step 1: Set Up Your Sous Vide Cooker
Preheat the water bath with your sous vide machine to 145°F (63°C) for a delicate, juicy texture. Or if you prefer a firmer and slightly dryer texture, preheat to 150° F.
Step 2: Make the Herb-Butter Seasoning
Make an herb-flavored brown butter that is added to the bag to add some great herby flavors to the turkey. Brown the butter in a small skillet with the herbs that will flavor it, and then add that flavor to the turkey as it cooks. Let the butter cool slightly before adding it to the bag.
Step 3: Season the Turkey Breast
Season all sides liberally with Kosher salt and black pepper.
Step 4: Bag the Turkey
Place the turkey breast in a bag (either a vacuum seal bag or a ziplock freezer bag) and then pour in the herb butter, coating all sides of the turkey. Vacuum seal or use a ziplock freezer bag and the water displacement method to remove the air and seal.
Step 5: Cook in the Water Bath for 3 to 4 hours
Fully submerge the turkey in the water. You can use a clip or magnets to secure it in place.
Step 6: Finish With a Sear
The turkey breast comes out of the sous vide bath fully cooked and delicious. Sear it off in a very hot skillet or grill to brown it up — just a minute on each side. You can also use the broiler. It only takes a few minutes, so be careful not to overcook it.
FAQs
3 to 4 hours at 145°F. With sous vide, you can always go longer, as it is essentially impossible to overcook it, though it will continue to get more tender the longer it goes.
Yes, absolutely. Just add 60 minutes to the specified cooking time. It's ideal for it to be seasoned before freezing, but you can still season it before sealing it for the water bath if not.
The beauty of sous vide is that since the turkey breast is already fully cooked, you can leave it sealed in the bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Simply reheat it (still in the bag) in a water bath at 145°F for about 45 minutes.
Pro Tip: Make Your Own Deli-Quality Sandwich Meat
Store-bought turkey deli meat can be pricey and lack freshness. Instead, buy whole turkey breasts when they're on sale and cook them yourself sous vide. You'll have incredibly moist, flavorful turkey for sandwiches at a fraction of the cost.
Simply vacuum seal and chill the cooked turkey breast. Then, whenever you need sandwich meat, just slice off however much you want from the vacuum-sealed turkey. It stays fresh for days!
This trick also works beautifully for making your own sous vide ham, chicken breasts, and even sous vide prime rib for sandwiches. You control the quality of ingredients while saving money over pre-sliced deli meats. Homemade always tastes better!
Serve it Up with Delicious Sides
- Sous Vide Carrots
- Sous Vide Mashed potatoes
- Perfect Green Beans
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Sausage and Apple Stuffing
- Crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Sous Vide Creme brûlée or cheesecake for dessert
And don't forget to try Thanksgiving Leftovers Turkey Eggs Benedict with your leftover turkey.
More Ways to Cook Turkey
- Turkey Roulade
- Smoked Turkey
- Brined and Herb Roasted Turkey Breast
- Honey Glazed Smoked Turkey Breast
- Spatchcock Smoked Turkey
- Smoked Turkey Breast Texas Style
Sous Vide Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2-4 pound boneless, skin-on turkey breast (bone-in works too)
- 2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola or vegetable (for searing)
Herb Marinade
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme
- 4 sage leaves, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Prepare Water Bath: Preheat the sous vide water bath to 145°F (62.7°C).
- Make Herb Butter: In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped rosemary, thyme and sage. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, then remove from heat and let cool. This lightly cooks the herbs and infuses the butter.
- Season the Turkey: Pat the turkey breast dry and generously season all over with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Vacuum Seal: Place the seasoned turkey breast in a vacuum bag or ziplock bag. Pour the herb butter evenly around the turkey. Vacuum seal the bag or use the water displacement method to remove all air and seal.
- Sous Vide Cook: Once water bath is heated, add the sealed turkey bag and cook for 3 to 4 hours.
- Rest the Turkey. Remove the bag from the water bath and let rest for 15 minutes on the counter to cool slightly so it doesn't overcook during the sear.
- Remove the breast from bag and pat dry with paper towels.
- Sear. Heat 2 tablespoon neutral oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over high heat. Sear the skin side down for 1 minute until browned. Flip and sear the other side for 1 minute.
- Slice & Serve: Transfer turkey to a cutting board and slice against the grain. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make-Ahead Option: The turkey breast can be fully cooked sous vide ahead of time. Once done, immediately chill the sealed bag in an ice bath, then refrigerate. When ready to serve, simply reheat the bagged turkey in the 145°F water bath for 45 minutes before searing and slicing.
- Texture Preference: For a slightly firmer turkey breast texture, increase the sous vide water bath temperature to 150°F.
- Cooking From Frozen: You can sous vide cook a frozen turkey breast by adding 1 hour to the total cook time in the recipe.
- Searing Options: In addition to searing in a hot skillet, you can also brown the turkey skin under a broiler, on an outdoor grill, or even use a kitchen torch for a quick sear. Just be cautious not to overcook the breast in the oven.
MJ says
When do you add the butter mixture? Is it a rub?
justin says
The butter mixture goes into the bag with the turkey breast before you seal it.
Hedy says
When I sous vide the turkey breast Can i add another bag of chicken breasts or vegetables to the water bath? Or do I have to add more cooking time to the whole pot?
justin says
Yes, you absolutely can add more. Your circulator should maintain the temperature. Just start your timer when it reaches the desired temp.
And for veggies, it depends on what you are wanting to cook. A lot of veggies will cook at a higher temperature than the turkey breast. Cheers!
Jeremy says
Greetings! Giving this a try for the first time. Have you tried to incorporate smoking it into the recipe? I wonder if a hot smoke at a high temp could add some smokiness while crisping up the skin. Or perhaps cold smoke with no heat for an hour and the searing it? Looking forward to giving this a try.
justin says
Hi Jeremy! I haven't tried sous vide and smoking with turkey breast yet, but I have done it with a lot of other things with great success. I would first sous vide it, then fully chill it down. Smoke it at a low temp ~ 200° F or less (if you smoker can do it) until the internal temperature gets up to about 120° or so to basically warm it through and give it smoke flavor. Then I would give it a quick sear to crisp up the skin.
Not sure if those temps are perfect, but now I want to try it too. 🙂
Definitely let me know if you try it. Thanks!
Emma says
Hi there,
I am new to sous vide cooking,I've had a 5.5 pound stuffed turkey breast sous vide cooking at 145 degrees for about 7 hours, the juices are still running a little pink & the internal temperature is not reaching 165 degrees. what should I do.I have put it in an ice bath to cool it down & have put it in the fridge overnight, as it is now 10pm Australian time. Should I put it back in the sous vide in the morning at a higher temperature or into the air fryer for 45 minutes?
justin says
Hi Emma! Sorry for not being able to get back to you right away. If you wen for 7 hours, then it should be fully pasteurized. it doesn't actually need to reach 165° F to pasteurize it because of the much longer time at 145°. You can always heat it up in a 145° F water bath to warm it through before serving. Then you can put it in the air fryer to crips the skin, but I wouldn't heat it up in the air fryer as that could dry it out since it's already fully cooked. Hope that helps. 🙂
Richard Mandell says
How much time should I sous vide a 6.5. Lb turkey breast. Most recipes are 2-4 lb.
justin says
It's more about the thickness of the breast rather than the entire weight. Is it a double breast? If so, you can go with the same timing or go for the top end of the time. You can always add some more time and be just fine.
Josh L says
This was the best turkey I’ve ever had. I’m sold on sous vide.
justin says
Glad you gave it a try, Josh. You are going to love experimenting with sous vide.
Michele says
Best.Turkey.Ever. Easiest, too. Luscious, moist-- juicy, even. I always wanted dark meat, so we always had a whole turkey. This year, there were only three of us, so I just couldn't justify it. Wow--never going back. White meat with dark meat juiciness and so much easier than a whole turkey. Was able to use herbs from my garden to flavor it. Perfection. The pan sear afterwards was a piece of cake and made a beautiful presentation. Thanks, Justin.
justin says
So glad to hear it, Michele. You reminded me how great this is so I just bought a turkey breast to make it again. 🙂