By Sous Vide Guy Chicken Sous Vide
March 30, 2017
Let’s face it, chicken thighs are nothing without a crispy, crunchy, salty, skin. Sous vide chicken thighs are incredibly moist and tender, however the outer layer of skin is lacking desire. That’s why, when cooking sous vide chicken thighs, the most important part is searing. This recipe is for chili lime chicken thighs, which uses San Francisco Salt Co.’s amazing Chili Lime sea salt. You can change up the seasonings and marinades as you like; the rest of the cooking steps remain the same.
Tip: Find a long sleeve shirt and some oven mitts, because you’ll need lots of oil in that hot pan!
4 Bone-in Chicken Thighs
SF Salt Co.'s Chili Lime Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Avocado oil (or another high smoke point oil)
Marinade (optional)
Store-bought mojo marinade
3 Chilis
2 Limes
Temperature:
155F: Moist, tender
165F: Traditional (my preference)
PREPARE IT
1Marinate chicken thighs for 24 hours prior by combining the chicken, Mojo sauce, slices chilis, and sliced limes, into a large bowl.
2Pre-heat water bath to your ideal temperature (see chart on the side). I prefer 165°F, since I like these more traditional.
3Generously season with Sf Salt Co.'s Chili Lime sea salt and cracked black pepper.
4Vacuum seal the chicken thighs or place them in a heavy duty Ziploc bag using the water displacement method.
COOK IT
1Place bagged chicken thighs in water bath and cook for 1 - 2 hours.
2Remove chicken thighs from the water and pat dry with paper towels very well. The surface must be very dry in order to obtain a good sear on the skin.
SEAR IT
1Pre-heat cast iron pan on medium-high heat and add avocado oil (or another high smoke point oil).
2Sear chicken thighs SKIN SIDE DOWN on hot cast iron pan until golden brown. If the chicken does not move easily when you go to flip, that means it's likely not ready to flip. Don't rip the skin off!
3(Optional) Break out the searing torch if you're feeling adventurous for a perfect sear.
SERVE IT
1Before serving, top the chicken thighs with more Chili Lime sea salt.
Stephen
December 19, 2018
Delicious recipe, I cooked it at a 190 – 200F to make the skin a little crisper! Made all the difference.