Margarita Chicken Sous Vide

[oldsmokerdude]

I finally pulled the plug and bought a sous vide "cooker" this weekend. I read more reviews than I care to think about, got lots of input from "all you all" here on the forum, and decided on the Anova WiFi model. Was even able to find one available locally.

My first attempt was, um, a bit underwhelming. Maybe some of you more experienced sous vide-ers can help me out.

PROCESS:

1. Marinated boneless skinless chicken breast in margarita mix and garlic powder for about 6 hours in the fridge (speaking of marinating, what do you think of vacuum marinading?)
2. Pulled from fridge and dusted all sides with black pepper
3. Sous Vide for about 2 hours at 150
4. Seared in a cast iron skillet with Canola oil for a few moments each side.

OUTCOME:

1. Chicken was very juicy but was almost "mushy", though it did "firm up" after sitting for about 30 minutes
2. Not as much flavor as I would have liked.

MY THOUGHTS:

1. Maybe should have cooked at 155 to get a "firmer" texture
2. While I've used margarita mix before, then grilled the chicken, maybe the sous vide process some how detracted from or minimized the flavor?
3. Not fond of searing in a skillet. Seems like it's difficult to get to the correct temp; it's either too hot or too cold. And then there's the splatter problem (no matter how much you dry off your meat.) When it's a bit warmer will do over the sear portion of my pellet pooper or over a chimney of charcoal.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[bregent]

I do chicken breast at 140 for 1.5 - 2 hours. Any higher and it gets stringy - which isn't necessarily bad - but I prefer the texture at 140. Not sure if the marinade had any effect on texture. Remember that the only thing that really penetrates from marinade is salt - most of the other ingredients sit on the surface. I usually just season with salt, pepper and maybe some herbs, and then make a sauce if I want other flavors.

 

[chopsaw]

I do boneless breast 145 for 1 1/2 hours . I'm thinking you don't need the 6 hour marinade if cooking SV .

 

[Jaysandalfoot]

I have the same Anova and love it. Especially big tough cuts of meat.
After many attempts, I have settled on 147 for 2 hours for chicken to get the consistency I like.
You are correct in that it needs to rest for at least 20 minutes or it appears undercooked until it settles down. I usually do garlic powder and a sprig of rosemary in the bag and make a sauce to serve with the chicken since it doesn’t like to absorb much flavor in the bag.. I’ll sear the chicken, let it sit 10 minutes, then slice it and let it sit another ten then serve it.