Sous Vide Recipes for Beginners

Sous vide cooking has become increasingly popular in recent years as more people discover its benefits. Sous vide, which means "under vacuum" in French, is a cooking method that involves cooking food in a precisely controlled water bath at a consistent temperature. It’s an absolute game changer for cooking meats — ensuring edge to edge perfection every time.

The Anova Precision® Cooker is one of the bestselling sous vide devices on the market. It is a versatile, easy-to-use device that allows home cooks to achieve professional-level results without any prior experience. In this blog post, we’ll discuss sous vide recipes for beginners using the Anova Precision® Cooker, plus helpful tips for people trying sous vide for the first time.

Before we get started with easy sous vide recipes, let's take a look at some helpful tips for using the Anova Precision Cooker:

• Get a good seal on your bags. To ensure that food cooks evenly, it’s important to remove as much air as possible from your sous vide bags. A vacuum sealer is the best tool for this, but if you don't have one, you can use the displacement method. Simply place your food in a zip-top bag, seal it most of the way, and then lower the bag into the water bath until all the air pushes out. Seal the bag the rest of the way and you're good to go.
  
  
• Don't overcrowd your cooking container. It’s important to leave enough room in the water bath for the water to circulate around your food. If you try to cook too much at once, you may end up with unevenly cooked results.
  
  
• Use a lid or plastic wrap to reduce evaporation. If you’re cooking for an extended period of time, you may notice that the water level in your water bath decreases. To prevent this, use a lid or plastic wrap to cover the water bath.
  
  
• Don't be afraid to experiment. Sous vide cooking is all about testing and finding what works best for you. Don't be afraid to try new things. Adjust cooking times and temperatures as needed to achieve your desired results.

Now that we’ve covered some basic tips, let's check out some easy sous vide recipes that you can make using the Anova Precision® Cooker:

Sous Vide Ribeye Steak

• 1-2 steaks (ribeye, sirloin, or filet mignon)
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt per pound of steak
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper per pound of steak
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil, such as vegetable or canola

Instructions:

Preheat the water bath to the desired temperature based on your desired level of doneness. For rare steak, cook at 125°F (52°C). For medium-rare, cook at 130°F (54°C). For medium, cook at 135°F (57°C).

1. Season the steaks with salt and pepper.
   
   
2. Place the seasoned steaks in a sous vide bag and seal using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method.
   
   
3. Place sealed steaks in the preheated water bath and cook for 1-2 hours. (Large and bone-in steaks may be cooked for up to 4 hours.)
   
   
4. Once the steaks are done cooking, remove them from the water bath and the sous vide bag and pat them dry with paper towels.
   
   
5. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat until smoking hot. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet.
   
   
6. Sear the steaks for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side until a crust forms.
   
   
7. Serve the steaks immediately with your choice of sides.

Sous Vide Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

• 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions:

1. Preheat the water bath to 145°F (63°C).
   
   
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
   
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried oregano.
   
   
4. Rub the olive oil mixture all over the chicken breasts.
   
   
5. Place the seasoned chicken breasts in a sous vide bag and seal using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method.
   
   
6. Place the sealed chicken breasts in a preheated water bath and cook for 1-2 hours.
   
   
7. Once the chicken breasts are finished cooking, remove them from the water bath and sous vide bag, then pat dry with paper towels.
   
   
8. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet.
   
   
9. Sear the chicken breasts for 1-2 minutes on each side until browned and crispy.
   
   
10. Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
    
    
11. Shred and serve in enchiladas or pasta.

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 1 pound pork tenderloin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the water bath to 145°F (63°C).
   
   
2. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper.
   
   
3. In a small bowl, whisk together one tablespoon of the olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, and dried thyme. Rub the mixture all over the pork tenderloin.
   
   
4. Place the seasoned pork tenderloin in a sous vide bag and seal using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method.
   
   
5. Place the sealed pork tenderloin in the preheated water bath and cook for 2-3 hours. This will produce between medium and medium-well results.
   
   
6. Once the pork tenderloin is done cooking, remove it from the water bath and sous vide bag, then pat it dry with paper towels.
   
   
7. Heat a skillet over high heat and add the second tablespoon of oil. Sear the pork tenderloin on all sides until browned.
   
   
8. Let the pork tenderloin rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
   
   
9. Sous vide pork tenderloin can be served with roasted vegetables or mashed
   potatoes.

Sous Vide Salmon

Ingredients

• 4 salmon filets
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh dill

Instructions:

1. Preheat the water bath to 125°F (52°C).
   
   
2. Season the salmon filets with salt and pepper.
   
   
3. Place each salmon filet in a sous vide bag with a slice of lemon and a sprig of dill.
   
   
4. Seal the sous vide bag using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method.
   
   
5. Place the sealed salmon filets in the preheated water bath and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
   
   
6. Once the salmon is done cooking, remove it from the water bath and sous vide bag, then pat dry with paper towels.
   
   
7. Heat a skillet over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Sear the salmon filets on the skin side for 1-2 minutes until crispy.
   
   
8. Serve the salmon immediately with a side salad or roasted vegetables.

Soft–Boiled Sous Vide Eggs

Ingredients:

• Eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste before eating.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the water bath to 145°F (63°C).

2. Crack an egg into a sous vide bag and season with salt and pepper.

3. Seal the bag using a vacuum sealer or the displacement method.

4. Place the sealed egg in the preheated water bath and cook for 1 hour.

5. Once the egg is done cooking, remove it from the water bath.

6. Serve the egg immediately on toast or with bacon. No finishing steps required.

By following these recipes, you can create delicious, restaurant-quality meals from the comfort of your own home.

The Anova Precision® Cooker is a great device for beginners, proving easy to use without any prior experience. By following these simple tips, you can easily get started cooking beginner-friendly sous vide recipes to impress friends and family with your culinary skills. So go ahead, give it a try, and see for yourself just how easy and delicious sous vide cooking can be.

Related Posts:

• Sous Vide Beginners Tips & Tricks with #anovafoodnerds Carmen and Kevin
• 5 quick & simple sous vide recipes with five ingredients or less
• Top 5 Tips for Perfect Sous Vide Food