Smoked Sous Vide Chicken might sound technical, however it is one of the most practical and versatile ways to cook chicken breast that I have shown.
In this recipe, I take simple boneless skinless chicken breast, season it with a balanced blend, give it one hour of smoke on the Woodfire, and then cook it precisely at 145°F for two hours using sous vide.
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The result is tender, juicy chicken with subtle smoke that works in just about anything you want to build during the week.
Smoked Sous Vide Chicken Breast
Equipment
- Pellets
- Elevated Rack
- Immersion Circulator
- Container for water bath
- Vacuum sealer or bag for water displacement method
- Torch
- Pan
- Strainer
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 2 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt Estimated (Get a nice light coat)
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper Estimated (Use as much as you like)
- 2 tablespoon Dad Dust See Note for Recipe
- 1 tablespoon Mushroom umami powder from Trader Joe’s Estimated (Get a nice light coat)
- 2 tablespoon Avocado oil Estimated
For the Pan Sauce
- Reserved purge from the sous vide bag
- 3 cloves Garlic Smashed
- 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice Estimated (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Salt Estimated (adjust to taste)
- 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter Cold
Instructions
Smoke
- Season the boneless skinless chicken breast with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, Dad Dust, and mushroom umami powder. A nice light coat is what you are looking for.
- Set your Ninja Woodfire up for Smoking. Fill the pellet hopper with pellets. Set the Woodfire to 225F(107C) for one hour.
Sous Vide
- Attach the immersion circulator to a container filled with water. Set the temperature to 145°F.
- Once the chicken is done smoking remove it and place the smoked chicken in a bag. Remove the air using a vacuum sealer or use the water displacement method. Watch the video for more information on how to do this.
- Submerge the sealed chicken fully in the water bath, making sure it does not float. Cook for 2 hours.
- Remove the chicken from the bag and reserve the purge. Pat the chicken dry. Spray lightly with avocado oil. Use a torch to sear the exterior until color develops.
Brown Butter Garlic Sauce
- To make the sauce, place a pan over medium high heat. Strain the reserved purge into the pan.
- Add 3 smashed cloves of garlic and 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Add lime juice.
- Allow the butter to melt and lightly brown with the garlic. If needed, strain and return to the pan.
- Add more lime juice if needed. Add salt to taste. Add cold butter to thicken the sauce. If you strained it return the garlic to the sauce.
- Heat gently until glossy.
- Slice the chicken and serve with the brown butter and garlic sauce.
Notes
- 120G Granulated Garlic
- 120G Granulated Onion
- 1 tablespoon MSG
- Place all the items in a shaker and mix well.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?Mention @DadGotThis or tag #DadGotThis!Smoked Sous Vide Chicken might sound technical, however it is one of the most practical and surprisingly elevated ways to cook chicken breast. In this video, I take simple boneless skinless chicken breast, give it balanced seasoning, cold smoke it on the Woodfire for one hour, and then cook it precisely at 145°F for two hours using sous vide. The result is tender, juicy chicken with subtle smoke that works for meal prep, yet can also turn into a plated dish with brown butter, garlic, and lime.
The big idea here is control.
First, the seasoning is intentionally universal. Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, a fifty fifty blend of granulated garlic and granulated onion, a splash of MSG, and mushroom umami powder from Trader Joe's build flavor without overpowering the meat. Nothing is aggressive. Nothing locks you into one cuisine. As a result, the chicken becomes a foundation you can use in salads, tacos, pasta dishes, or just slice and eat.
Then comes the smoke.
The chicken gets one hour of cold smoke on the Woodfire. If your unit does not have a cold smoke function, the lowest smoker setting works for that first hour. The smoke does not dominate. Instead, it adds a subtle background note. You can even smell it through the bag after sous vide. Importantly, it stays restrained. It enhances rather than competes.
Why Smoked Sous Vide Chicken Is Different
Most people associate chicken breast with one number, 165°F. However, as explained in the video, food safety is not only about hitting a single temperature. Holding chicken at a lower temperature for a specific amount of time achieves the same safety result.
In this cook, the chicken is held at 145°F for two hours.
Because sous vide uses a precisely controlled circulating water bath, the temperature remains consistent the entire time. Therefore, the chicken cooks evenly from edge to center. It cannot overshoot the set temperature. Consequently, the texture becomes soft and tender but not mushy. It still has structure. It still has a little give.
That difference is obvious when slicing into it. If you have never had chicken breast cooked this way, it feels different. Juicier. More controlled. More deliberate.
Additionally, sous vide eliminates guesswork. Once sealed and submerged, the immersion circulator maintains precision. Whether using a chamber vacuum sealer or the water displacement method, the chicken cooks in its own juices without losing flavor to the water bath. Everything stays contained.
However, sous vide alone can leave chicken looking pale. There is no browning straight out of the bag. That is where the quick torch sear comes in. A light spray of avocado oil and a fast sear develops color in seconds. You can also use a pan or grill, but the point is simple. The chicken is already perfectly cooked. The finishing step is about appearance and surface flavor.
Smoked Sous Vide Chicken With Brown Butter and Garlic
Here is where the method shifts from practical to impressive.
After cooking, the purge from the bag is reserved. That liquid, which many people discard, becomes the base for a quick pan sauce. It is strained into a hot pan and combined with smashed garlic, unsalted butter, and lime juice. The butter melts and begins to brown lightly with the garlic. A little more lime juice brightens it. Salt brings it into balance. Cold butter is added to thicken the sauce and create a glossy finish. The garlic goes back in.
What you end up with is brown butter and garlic sauce layered with subtle lime brightness. It is simple. It is built directly from what the chicken gives you. And it transforms the plate.
The smoke flavor from the chicken remains subtle. It does not overpower the sauce. Instead, it supports it. The brown butter adds richness. The garlic adds depth. The lime adds lift. Together, they complement the tender texture created by the 145°F cook.
As a result, Smoked Sous Vide Chicken is no longer just meal prep. It is a complete plated dish when you want it to be.
At the same time, the versatility remains.
You can leave the chicken sealed in the bag and freeze it for later use. You can slice it for salads. Chop it for tacos. Toss it into pasta. The balanced seasoning makes it adaptable. The subtle smoke keeps it interesting. The texture holds up.
Moreover, this method is approachable. You need an immersion circulator and a container. You need the Woodfire for the cold smoke. Beyond that, it is about time and temperature. Nothing complicated. Nothing flashy.
Ultimately, Smoked Sous Vide Chicken delivers control, subtle smoke, balanced seasoning, and flexible use. It challenges the idea that chicken breast must be cooked to 165°F to be safe. It demonstrates how holding at 145°F for two hours creates both safety and superior texture. And when finished with brown butter, garlic, and lime, it proves that meal prep does not have to feel like leftovers.
If you have never experienced chicken cooked this way, the texture alone makes it worth trying. When combined with cold smoke and a glossy pan sauce built from the purge, it becomes something even better. Practical when you need it. Elevated when you want it.
That is the power of Smoked Sous Vide Chicken.
Ingredient and Equipment Links:
Use Dad's Affiliate Link & get your own Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect Outdoor Grill:
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Ninja Woodfire Grill Griddle:
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Smokin Pecans Pellets:
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Raised Grates for Ninja Woodfire:
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