Sous Vide Chicken Thighs with Pan Sauce
Perfectly tender chicken thighs cooked sous vide, then seared skin-side down for crispness. A bright pan sauce made from reduced rosé wine, garlic, and the strained cooking juices ties everything together. Make-ahead friendly, freezer-ready before cooking.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin
- ½ cup dry rosé wine, or white wine
- cooking juices, strained through coffee filter or fine mesh strainer
- fresh thyme sprigs, a couple
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, for pan sauce
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, for pan sauce
Instructions
- 1
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- 2
Seal thighs in a single layer in a large vacuum bag.
- 3
Sous vide at 176°F for 4 to 8 hours, or at least 6 hours if frozen.
- 4
Remove thighs from bag and strain cooking juices through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter.
- 5
Pat skin side of thighs dry with paper towels.
- 6
Preheat a frypan over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
- 7
Place thighs skin side down in pan and sear until skin is browned and crispy, about 3 minutes.
- 8
Transfer thighs to a serving platter.
- 9
Add garlic slivers to pan and cook until fragrant and starting to brown, about 1 minute.
- 10
Pour in wine and scrape browned bits from pan bottom.
- 11
Add strained cooking juices and herb sprigs.
- 12
Increase heat to high and simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 5 minutes.
- 13
Discard herb sprigs and stir salt and pepper into sauce.
- 14
Transfer sauce to serving bowl and serve with chicken.
Tips
Vacuum-seal thighs before cooking if you prefer to freeze for later; they keep for up to six months.
Pat skin dry after sous vide to ensure optimal crispness when searing.
Strain cooking juices carefully to remove any particles that could cloud the sauce.
Good to Know
Refrigerate chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a low oven or skillet.
Assemble seasoned chicken in vacuum bag and freeze for up to 6 months before cooking. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before sous vide if preferred, or cook from frozen, increasing time to at least 6 hours.
Plate warm chicken thighs and pass pan sauce at the table in a serving bowl or gravy boat.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip patting the skin dry after sous vide to avoid soggy, non-crispy skin.
Do not discard the strained cooking juices; they add essential flavor to the pan sauce.
Do not over-reduce the sauce; stop at about half volume to avoid over-concentration.