Sous Vide Style Chicken Wings Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it worth it to sous vide chicken wings? ›

Compared to wings made using our preferred double-fry method—cooking the wings first in oil at a lower temperature, like confit, and then a second time at a higher one—the sous vide–then-fried wings were slightly more silky, tender, and juicy. It wasn't a radical difference, but it was there.

After a 2 hour water bath in the sous vide, the wings are ready to eat. Because wings are always best served with a crispy skin on the outside, I recommend using an air fryer, or broiling the wings in the oven, after the sous vide. It only takes about 5 minutes, and the result is delicious!

Between 140 and 145°F (60 and 63°C) is my preferred temperature range for chicken served hot (and I generally aim for the hotter end of that scale).

If you're not careful about cooking times (as specified by the product manufacturer), your food can become contaminated. In addition, if your food is not properly vacuum sealed, or your food becomes contaminated during prep, cooking sous-vide poses an additional threat.

Another thing to note is that cooked meat doesn't absorb marinades, and the outside of meats cook in roughly 5 to 10 minutes sous vide, so you always want to marinate first before sous vide cooking — even if you leave the marinade in the bag.

Poultry, including chicken, should be cooked to 165 degrees to be safe for consumption. Why is my sous vide chicken breast rubbery? Overcooking sous vide chicken breast is the main reason why it turns out rubbery.

The secret solution to this is boiling water! Just pour boiling water over the skin until it contracts before you cook it in any way. This works for sous vide and non-sous vide cooking! After cooking it crisps up MUCH faster and more evenly and doesn't leave any creepy pieces.

You can get those flavors back two ways. Either you can sear the meat first, then seal it and finish cooking sous vide, or you can cook sous vide then let it rest long enough to cool by 30 degrees or so (or all the way to fridge temperature), then finish by high-heat cooking.

For an accurate reading, insert the meat thermometer into the thickest area of the wing being careful to avoid the bone. If the wings are below the minimum safe internal temperature of 165 °F, return to the oven or submerge again in the hot oil.

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, the 10 wings should be fully crisped and cooked in about 30 to 45 minutes. An instant read thermometer inserted into the meat (but not touching the bone) should read at least 165 degrees F.

What is the best method of cooking chicken wings? ›

Food stylist Richmond Flores' go-to method is marinating the wings and then steaming them before frying. This method, he says, imparts tremendous flavor and tenderizes the meat, but more importantly, the steaming helps render the fat from the skin which then allows the wings to crisp up perfectly.

Chicken is one of the best candidates for sous vide cooking because of the recommended cooking temperature of 165ºF. There's such a small window of error between undercooked and overcooked, especially with chicken breast. With sous vide, not only can we cook with surgical precision, we can also increase the window.

Tools like immersion circulators and Sous Vide Supreme baths do make the process faster and easier, but they are not a requirement. You can sous vide without the machine—all you need is a digital thermometer and some plastic freezer bags.

The Precision

This is where sous vide really comes into its own, allowing chefs an unparalleled level of control over their dishes. With a traditional oven or grill, the temperature will invariably vary by a couple of degrees throughout the cooking process.