A couple of the biggest complaints about turkey breast are that it’s dry and doesn’t have much flavor. When you cook a turkey breast using the sous vide method, it comes out juicy with plenty of flavors. It’s truly a cooking method that everyone should try.
My sister is the one who got me started with sous vide cooking. We joined her family for dinner one night, and she served turkey breast. It was one of the best turkey breast meals I have ever had. Of course, I had to get her recipe.
The surprise wasn’t the ingredients. They were pretty basic. Her secret was that she had cooked it using a sous vide circulator and a water bath. She had sealed the breast in a heavy-duty bag with some spices and cooked it for a few hours at a low temperature. She finished it off by searing it in a hot skillet to give the skin a crispy texture and extra flavor.
The results are mouthwatering. So, I had to try it for myself. I got myself a sous vide circulator and started playing around with different meats and flavors. This recipe is my take on my sister’s killer sous vide turkey breast.
What Makes a Good Sous Vide Turkey Breast Recipe
Turkey breasts are often the perfect choice when it comes to holiday meals or special occasions. A lot of people won’t eat any other part of the bird. The breast cooks faster than a full bird, which makes it easier to get the meal together.
It’s important to take special care with a turkey breast, however. If you cook it at too high a temperature for too long, the meat can dry out. Slow roasting and slow cooking are both preferred methods to keep the breast meat juicy and tender. Sous vide is a perfect slow cook method for this cut of the bird.
Another way of slow cooking turkey breast is by smoking. I love smoking meat such as chicken thighs, beef brisket, chuck roast, or country style ribs. But for this particular recipe, we’ll stick to sous vide method.
When you go shopping for turkey breast, you will likely find fresh and frozen options. Fresh turkey is definitely the better choice, especially if you are cooking the breast within a day or two. However, frozen turkey breast is a great choice when fresh isn’t available. There’s not much difference in flavor or texture.
The size of the bird does make a difference when it comes to flavor. Smaller birds, usually hens, tend to have more flavor than the larger ones. Look for a smaller breast. This recipe calls for a 3-pound breast, for example.
With boneless turkey breast, plan on about one pound per person. If you plan on serving multiple side dishes, you can plan on a bit less.
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Sous Vide Turkey Breast
Delicious, tender, and juicy sous vide turkey breast.
Ingredients
- 1 piece 3lb Boneless, Skin-On Turkey Breast Half
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Garlic Salt
- 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
Prepare the water bath, using the Sous Vide immersion circulator.
Bring the water bath temperature up to 145°F.
Season both sides of the turkey breast with the garlic salt and pepper.
Place the seasoned turkey breast in a heavy duty, resealable zipper bag.
Add the extra virgin olive oil to the bag.
Seal the bag using the immersion method.
Submerge in water bath and cook for 3 hours.
Remove the bag from the bath and remove the turkey breast.
Pat the turkey breast dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat an iron skillet over high heat.
Put the turkey breast in the hot skillet and sear for 5 minutes until it turns golden brown.
Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.
