Sous vide turkey is revolutionizing the way we cook holiday birds This innovative technique delivers ridiculously moist, tender meat unlike anything you’ve tasted from a traditional roasted turkey
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explain everything you need to know to cook the perfect sous vide turkey at home. You’ll learn about:
- The benefits of sous vide turkey
- Key equipment needed
- Turkey prep and seasoning tips
- Time and temperature guidelines
- Finishing for crispy skin
- Serving suggestions
- Common FAQs
After reading, you’ll be fully prepared to make the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ve ever tasted using the sous vide cooking method Let’s get started!
What Is Sous Vide?
Sous vide is a precise, low-temperature cooking technique that utilizes an immersion circulator to hold water at an exact temperature.
The food, usually vacuum sealed in plastic, cooks gently in the temperature controlled water over an extended time This allows food to cook evenly from edge to edge without over or undercooking
Sous vide yields incredibly tender and moist results by cooking at much lower temperatures than other methods. The ability to precisely control temperature unlocks options not possible with oven roasting.
Benefits of Sous Vide Turkey
Cooking turkey with sous vide offers major advantages over traditional roasting:
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Juicy, succulent meat – The low temperatures prevent moisture loss. Meat stays remarkably juicy and tender.
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Ideal doneness – Cook white and dark meat perfectly without overdoing the breast.
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Very forgiving – Nearly impossible to overcook. Turkey holds safely at temperature when done.
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Enhanced flavor – Less protein denaturation retains more natural turkey flavor.
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Convenience – Just season, bag, and cook. Minimal hands-on time needed.
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Safety – Pasteurization makes lower temperatures safe over longer cooks.
Sous vide truly delivers the best possible turkey – moist, tender, packed with flavor, and cooked to ideal doneness.
Equipment You’ll Need
Successfully cooking sous vide turkey requires some key gear:
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Immersion circulator – Precisely maintains water temperature during extended cooks. The Anova Precision Cooker and Breville Joule are top choices.
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Vacuum sealer – Removes air and seals in juices. The FoodSaver is a popular mid-range option.
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Plastic bags – Food safe bags are required. Gallon freezer bags work well.
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Large container – Need a pot or bin big enough to hold turkey and water bath.
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Meat thermometer – Essential for checking doneness and safety. Thermapen makes a great instant read.
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Kitchen torch – For getting crispy, browned skin after cooking sous vide.
Turkey Prep Tips
Proper preparation helps maximize moisture and flavor:
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Spatchcock – Flattening out the bird promotes even cooking. Ask your butcher to spatchcock.
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Dry brine – Rubbing with salt improves moisture retention and flavor.
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Aroma liquids – Add broth, wine, cider or citrus juice to bag for extra flavor.
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Pat dry – Removing excess moisture prior to bagging prevents excess water in bag.
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Double bag – Use two bags or one very thick bag to prevent punctures.
Sous Vide Process Step-By-Step
Follow these simple steps for sous vide turkey success:
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Prep – Spatchcock, dry brine, and rub aromatics over turkey. Pat very dry.
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Preheat – Heat water bath to 145-150°F with your immersion circulator.
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Seal – Place turkey in bags, removing as much air as possible before sealing.
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Cook – Lower sealed bags into preheated bath and cook 1-2 hours per pound.
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Chill – Plunge bags into an ice bath once cooking is complete.
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Finish – Dry turkey, then quickly brown skin in a hot oven or with a torch.
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Rest – Let turkey rest 10-15 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
Time and Temperature Guidelines
The two keys factors for sous vide turkey are:
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Temperature – Lower temps around 145-150°F prevent moisture loss while still being safe.
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Time – Cook for 1-2 hours per pound until the inner breast reaches your target temp.
Here are suggested time and temperatures to try:
- 135°F for 4 hours – Very pink and tender
- 145°F for 2.5 hours – Moist, tender, with white meat
- 150°F for 2 hours – Traditional texture, juicy
- 155°F for 1.5 hours – Firm, sliceable turkey meat
Always use a meat thermometer to confirm safe doneness after resting. The thickness of the breast impacts overall cooking time.
Getting Crispy Skin
The sous vide process alone won’t render crispy browned turkey skin. After cooking, the skin will be pale and soft.
Here are two options for crisping it up:
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High heat oven – Roast at 450°F for 15-30 minutes until skin browns and crisps. Watch closely to avoid burning.
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Culinary torch – Quickly pass a cooking torch over the skin. Works great but takes time for a whole turkey.
Be sure to thoroughly pat the turkey dry before crisping the skin, as excess moisture will inhibit browning.
Serving Suggestions
Beyond standard roast turkey fare, here are some fun ways to serve sous vide turkey:
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Slices on sandwiches and wraps
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Diced or shredded in casseroles, soups, and salads
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Pair with BBQ sauces for turkey sliders
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Top turkey meat pies or pot pies
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Use for turkey tetrazzini or turkey divan
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Make turkey salad with leftovers
The tender, juicy turkey meat takes well to all sorts of dishes beyond holiday meals.
Common Sous Vide Turkey Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions:
Is it safe to sous vide turkey at less than 165°F?
Yes, the extended low temp cooking pasteurizes the meat, so temperatures as low as 135°F are safe when held for sufficient time.
How long does it take to cook a turkey sous vide?
Cook times range from 1-2 hours per pound. A 15 lb turkey takes around 15-30 hours at 150°F.
Can you overcook turkey with sous vide?
It’s very difficult to overcook sous vide turkey. Once it reaches temp, it holds there without drying out.
Should you brine or marinate turkey before sous vide?
Dry brining improves moisture retention. Marinades don’t penetrate as well with sous vide.
Does sous vide turkey taste better than roasted?
Sous vide turkey is much more forgiving and reliable. But roasted can have superior crispy skin.
Takeaways
The sous vide technique delivers ridiculously moist, tender turkey by cooking low and slow. With proper preparation and finishing, you can achieve amazing holiday birds with this innovative cooking method.
Sous vide takes the guesswork and stress out of cooking the perfect turkey. Follow the tips in this guide, and your next holiday turkey will be a huge success!
Wild Turkey Breast – Sous Vide with Jezebel Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 Turkey breast (2-3 lbs.)
- Fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage)
- Spritz of lemon Traeger Fin and Feather Rub
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 3 tablespoons whole butter
- Sea salt and cracked pepper
Directions:
- Fill a pot with water and set your sous vide cooker to 140 degrees. Add all ingredients to a vacuum sealed bag, including the turkey breast.
- When the water temperature reaches 140 degrees, place the vacuum sealed bag with turkey in the pot. Clip the side of the bag to the pot and and cook for 6 hours. You may need to add more water to the pot at some point.
- When done, remove the turkey breast from the bag and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat and pour in a little olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add the turkey breast and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let the turkey breast rest for at least 10 minutes prior to slicing.
- 1⁄2 cup apricot preserves
- 3 tablespoons Zatarain’s creole mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1 tablespoon apple jelly
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Mix all ingredients together in sauce pot on stove
- Cook on low for 15-20 minutes
Photo by Tess Rousey
This wild turkey sous vide recipe with spinach salad is sure to be a hit at your dinner table this season.
Photo by Tess Rousey
In the south, there are duck hunters, and deer hunters – and then there are turkey hunters. Spend a few minutes talking to a turkey hunter and it will have you beside yourself, wondering what it is that makes these birds so special. What is it about the pursuit of turkeys that makes people go absolutely mad come springtime?
This past spring, I had the opportunity to find out for myself. Shoot Like A Girl and Beretta invited me on a women’s-only turkey camp to cook and hunt with them at Midwest Whitetails in Clay Center, Kansas. Finally, I would get a chance to see firsthand what all the hype was about.
Each day we ventured out to hunt and by day three we had two women kill their very first wild turkeys, along with several other turkeys killed by members of our group. I hunted relentlessly in hopes of harvesting my first turkey, but unfortunately didn’t get a shot at a longbeard. I went home with a grateful heart for the camaraderie shared, but still had hopes for an opportunity to tag my first turkey.
Photo by Tess Rousey
Not long after, I received a call from a friend who had also been on the SLG Kansas hunt with me. She invited me to come to her home state of Nebraska and give it another shot. Without hesitation, I jumped at the chance. Advertisement
On day two it all came together, and I was finally able to harvest my first turkey. It took me three years, traveling to three different states, along with patience, resolve and relentlessness to finally kill a bird. I’m not quite sure if this makes me a bonafide turkey hunter or not, but now I certainly get what all the hype is about.
With my first turkey in the freezer comes the fun part. Taking it from field to plate.
Photo by Tess Rousey
Turkey is an incredibly lean meat. In other words, handle it with care to prevent it from drying out. Cooking wild turkey via sous vide is a perfect way to prepare it due to the cooking method’s ability of to retain moisture and impart flavors, all the while cooking the meat evenly throughout. Advertisement
How to Sous Vide a Turkey with Chef Michael Voltaggio Part 1 | Williams-Sonoma
FAQ
How long does it take to sous vide a turkey?
Cook until the turkey reaches 145 degrees when checked in the center with a meat thermometer, 2½ to 3 hours.
Is sous vide turkey worth it?
By essentially pasteurizing meat, sous vide cooking also allows you to safely cook turkey to temperatures that are lower than what can be achieved in a standard oven, and lower temperatures make for moister meat. This opens up new worlds of possibility when it comes to the texture and flavor of your finished dish.
Is turkey safe at 140 degrees?
A food thermometer should be used to ensure a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F has been reached to destroy bacteria and prevent foodborne illness.Oct 22, 2019
What is a disadvantage of sous vide?
The main drawback of sous vide cooking is the need for specialized equipment, such as a sous vide machine (discover our professional sous vide machines).
Can You sous vide a whole turkey?
This sous vide turkey is moist, tender, juicy, and sure to be a party pleaser. Our aim was to have a semi-traditional whole turkey that we could carve at the table. Of course, you can get better results if you were to separate the turkey (white and dark meat) and cook it at the desired temperature for each. But that’s not what we’re going for here.
How do you cook a Turkey in a sous vide cooker?
Set Anova Sous Vide Precision ® Cooker to 150°F / 65.5°C. Place sous vide turkey in water bath for 6 hours. Remove bag of turkey and place in an ice bath for 30-60 minutes. From here, you can store in fridge for up to 5 days prior to finishing and serving. If serving immediately, proceed to next step.
How to cook a 2 lb turkey breast sous vide?
Choose your doneness texture and then preheat your water bath to the specified temperature. Cook Time: 3 to 4 hours in the water bath for a 2 to 4 lb turkey breast. 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
What is the difference between a roasted turkey and a sous vide Turkey?
Sous vide turkey is much more forgiving, reliable, and moist. But roasted turkey has superior crispy skin. Sous vide delivers tender, juicy turkey by cooking at precise low temperatures for extended times. Proper preparation like spatchcocking, dry brining, and aroma liquids are key to maximizing moisture and flavor.
What temperature should a sous vide Cook a Turkey?
Sous vide machines can maintain temperatures within ±0.1°F, which ensures consistent results. The keys to sous vide cooking are precision temperature and longer cook times. For turkey, low temperatures around 145-150°F are used to gently cook the meat without drying it out.
Can you cook a turkey without air in a sous vide bag?
For the sous vide process to work, the meat needs to be in a sous vide bag with no air. If there is air in the sous vide bag, the turkey will not heat at the right temperature and will not cook evenly. But you can’t remove all the air if there is that big cavity in the middle of the turkey.