How Long to Sous Vide Turkey Breast for Juicy, Tender Results

For most people, turkey just comes out once or twice a year. But once you taste sous vide turkey youll be looking for excuses to eat it year round.

Once you discover how to cook turkey with sous vide its hard to go back to the bland, dry roasted version.

Sous vide allows you to avoid the high temperatures you normally have to use, making it the best way to consistently create succulent turkey. This sous vide turkey guide will give you all the info you need for a great bird.

Sous vide turkey breast is hands down one of the best ways to cook turkey breast. It results in turkey that is incredibly moist, tender, and flavorful – far better than oven roasted turkey breast. But to get the best results, it’s important to sous vide the turkey breast for the right amount of time.

So how long should you cook a turkey breast using the sous vide method? The cooking time depends on a few factors

Thickness of the Turkey Breast

The thickness of the turkey breast greatly impacts the sous vide cooking time. Thinner breasts will cook faster, while thicker pieces require more time

1-2 inch turkey breasts: Cook for 2 to 4 hours
3 inch turkey breasts: Cook for 4 to 6 hours
4 inch or thicker turkey breasts: Cook for 6 to 8 hours

Desired Tenderness and Texture

Cooking turkey breast sous vide for a longer period of time will break down the proteins more, resulting in more tender meat. If you prefer your turkey on the rarer side with a firm, dense texture, use shorter cook times. For fall-off-the-bone tender turkey, go with longer cook times.

Pasteurization for Food Safety

To fully pasteurize sous vide turkey breast and make it safe to eat, you need to cook it for a certain amount of time based on the thickness and temperature.

Here are the recommended pasteurization times:

At 136°F (58°C)

1 inch thick – 2.5 hours minimum
2 inches thick – 5 hours minimum
3 inches thick – 8 hours minimum
4 inches thick – 12 hours minimum

At 140°F (60°C)

1 inch thick – 1.5 hours minimum
2 inches thick – 3 hours minimum
3 inches thick – 5 hours minimum
4 inches thick – 8 hours minimum

At 145°F (63°C)

1 inch thick – 1 hour minimum
2 inches thick – 2 hours minimum
3 inches thick – 3 hours minimum
4 inches thick – 5 hours minimum

At 150°F (66°C)

1 inch thick – 45 minutes minimum
2 inches thick – 1.5 hours minimum
3 inches thick – 2.5 hours minimum
4 inches thick – 3.5 hours minimum

Always make sure to chill the cooked turkey within 1 hour after cooking if not eating right away. This helps prevent bacteria growth.

Key Considerations for Cook Time

Here are some other important factors to keep in mind regarding sous vide turkey breast cook time:

Brining the turkey breast before cooking will allow you to use slightly shorter cook times while still keeping the meat moist. A basic brine of salt, sugar, and aromatics works great.
Pre-searing the turkey breast will kill off surface bacteria, allowing you to use cook times on the lower end of the time range.
Using higher temperatures like 150°F vs lower temps like 140°F will speed up cook time. But higher temperatures may result in drier meat.
Turkey breasts that still have the bone in and skin on will require more time than boneless, skinless breasts. The bones act as insulation, slowing down heat penetration.
Packaged pre-brined turkey breasts with a solution injected into the meat also require slightly longer cook times than unbrined, unenhanced turkey.
Doubling the thickness requires nearly quadrupling the cooking time. A 2 inch breast takes roughly 4 times longer than a 1 inch breast.
After cooking, chill the turkey breast quickly and promptly refrigerate leftovers within 1-2 hours to prevent bacteria growth.

Doneness Temperatures for Sous Vide Turkey Breast

While time is important, temperature plays a huge role in achieving properly cooked sous vide turkey as well.

Here are some common sous vide turkey breast temperatures and what texture/doneness they yield:

136-140°F (58-60°C) – Very tender and juicy, with a soft, gelatinous texture. Ideal for those who like their poultry cooked medium-rare or less.
141-145°F (61-63°C) – Juicy with a smooth, silky texture. Most people’s favorite doneness for tender, fully cooked turkey breast.
146-150°F (63-66°C) – Firm yet still quite moist, similar to properly cooked traditional roasted turkey breast. Best for those who prefer well done poultry.
150-155°F (66-68°C) – Dense, dry texture with a more pronounced chicken-like flavor. Use only if you like very well done turkey.

For beginners, 145°F (63°C) is a safe bet which yields a nice medium doneness breast with great moisture. But feel free to play with different temperatures to find your personal preference. The benefit of sous vide is it allows you to customize doneness very precisely.

Finishing for Crispy Skin

One downside of sous vide turkey breast is that the skin doesn’t get crispy and browned. To remedy this, quickly broil, pan fry, or torch the skin after cooking to crisp it up. You can also remove the skin before sous viding, then brown it separately for ultra crispy roast turkey skin.

Sample Time and Temperature Guidelines

Here are some sample time and temp cook settings for different turkey breast sizes:

1 inch thick, 140°F – 2 hours
2 inches thick, 145°F – 4 hours
3 inches thick, 145°F – 5 hours
4 inches thick, 145°F – 7 hours

Keep in mind that sous vide turkey breast cooled promptly after cooking holds up great for meal prepping and reheating throughout the week while maintaining moisture and texture.

how long to sous vide turkey breast

Sous Vide Supreme Turkey for Thanksgiving

A nice look at sous vide turkey especially for Thanksgiving time. Also addresses the sous vide vegetables you could make as well. Give you a nice time line for approaching Thanksgiving dinner.

Time.com did a nice article on sous vide turducken. If you really want to go all out you can replace your Thanksgiving turkey with a turducken. This steps you through the setup and cooking of the sous vide turducken.

Best Simple Sous Vide Turkey Master Recipe

Sous vide turkey is one of my favorite meals, not just at Thanksgiving. This recipe cooks the breast perfectly every time and pairs great with stuffing, mashed potatoes and some gravy!

Published: 2021-10-31
Prep Time: 28 Minutes
Cooktime: Pasteurized by Thickness
Total Time: 3 to 4 Hours
Serves: 4
Calories: 400 Calories
Tags: sous vide turkey, sous vide turkey breast, turkey breast, turkey, sous vide, easy, simple

For the Turkey Breast
2 pounds turkey
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoons spice rub or herbs (optional)
To Assemble
Sides (optional)
Sauces (optional)
Garnishes (optional)

Preheating: Preheat the sous vide machine to 140ºF (60ºC) for white meat or 150°F (65.6°C) for dark meat.

Trim and Season turkey: Trim off any fat or gristle. Salt the meat then coat with any spices.

Seal in Sous Vide Bag: Place the turkey in a sous vide bag and then seal.

Sous Vide the breast: Place the sealed turkey in the sous vide water bath and cook until pasteurized, which is usually 3 to 4 hours, depending temperature used, but can go several hours longer.

Dry the Turkey: Take the sous vide bag out of the water and remove the cooked meat. Dry it off thoroughly using paper towels or a dish cloth.

Sear the breast: Sear the meat for 1 to 2 minutes per side over high heat. It should just start to brown but the core temperature shouldnt rise. Remove it from the heat.

Plate the Turkey: Plate the turkey like you would a traditionally cooked version.

Sous vide turkey breast (a delicious sous vide Thanksgiving dish) with cooking temperature + time!

FAQ

How long should you sous vide turkey breast?

Cook until the turkey reaches 145 degrees when checked in the center with a meat thermometer, 2½ to 3 hours. Once the turkey is at 145 degrees, leave it in the bag in the water for an additional 15 minutes to pasteurize it.

Is turkey breast done at 145?

Regardless of the size of your turkey, it’s safe to eat once its internal temperature reaches 165°F, which you can gauge using a meat thermometer.Nov 20, 2024

How many hours per pound of turkey breast?

Generally speaking, a good rule of thumb is 20 minutes per pound of turkey breast at 350°F.

Is turkey safe to eat at 130 degrees?

First thing first: The Agriculture Department says that the safe internal temperature for a turkey is 165 degrees Fahrenheit.Nov 17, 2023

How long do you cook a turkey breast in a sous vide bag?

Seal in a Bag: Place the turkey breast in a sous vide bag then seal the bag. Sous Vide the Turkey Breast: Cook the turkey until pasteurized. That depends on the thickness and temperature but is usually 2 to 4 hours for a 1″ to 2″ thick piece. Remove From Pouch: Remove the sous vide bag from the water bath.

How long does it take to cook a Turkey in a sous vide?

The exact length of time to cook turkey using a sous vide will depend on the temperature of the sous vide bath. But generally, a minimum of 2 hours at 145F water should do the trick. What can I serve with this recipe?

How long does it take to cook a turkey breast?

Season the Breast: Lightly salt the turkey then coat with the spices. Seal in a Bag: Place the turkey breast in a sous vide bag then seal the bag. Sous Vide the Turkey Breast: Cook the turkey until pasteurized. That depends on the thickness and temperature but is usually 2 to 4 hours for a 1″ to 2″ thick piece.

How long does a sus vide turkey breast take to cook?

Sous vide turkey breast needs to be cooked a minimum of 2.5 hours and a maximum of 4 hours, whether you’re using a boneless turkey breast roast or bone in turkey. We’ve seen some recipes recommend up to 6 hours, but we find the meat to be less juicy defeating the purpose of cooking it this way.

How do you cook a turkey breast in a sous vide machine?

Preheat the Water Bath: Preheat the sous vide machine to 141ºF (60.6ºC) for my ideal texture or up to 150°F (65.6°C) for a more well done version. Season the Breast: Lightly salt the turkey then coat with the spices. Seal in a Bag: Place the turkey breast in a sous vide bag then seal the bag.

Can You sous vide turkey breast?

Thankfully, making sous vide turkey breast ensures the meat is cooked to the exact temperature you prefer. This sous vide turkey breast recipe cooks the meat low and slow to allow for moist and juicy turkey slices. This turkey marinade compliments the meat and lets the natural flavors shine.