Sous vide cooking chicken below the recommended safe temperature of 165°F is a controversial topic. While some chefs argue that longer cook times at lower temperatures can safely pasteurize chicken, food safety experts caution against this practice due to the risk of salmonella and other pathogens. This article examines the evidence on both sides of the debate over sous vide chicken safety.
What is sous vide cooking?
Sous vide is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags submerged in a water bath at precisely controlled temperatures. It relies on the ability to hold the temperature of the water bath to a very precise degree, which allows food to be cooked for longer periods of time at temperatures below what is typically recommended.
Some of the key benefits of sous vide cooking include:
- Very precise control over doneness and texture
- Ability to cook below traditional temperatures while still pasteurizing food
- Minimizes moisture loss during cooking
- Convenience of sealed pouches for storage
USDA recommendations for poultry safety
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides the following recommendations for safe minimum internal temperatures for poultry:
- Whole chicken: 165°F
- Chicken breasts: 165°F
- Chicken thighs/legs: 165°F
- Ground chicken: 165°F
- Chicken wings: 165°F
These temperatures are based on extensive research on what is required to kill potentially harmful pathogens like salmonella. The USDA does not recommend sous vide cooking chicken below 165°F.
Why 165°F for poultry?
The USDA recommends cooking chicken to 165°F in order to kill any potential pathogens:
- Salmonella is destroyed rapidly at temperatures above 160°F
- 165°F provides an extra safety buffer
- Reaching 165°F at the thickest part ensures no cold spots below 140°F where bacteria can survive
- Ground chicken requires 165°F due to higher risk of contamination
Salmonella is the biggest risk with raw chicken. Chicken can be contaminated during processing and salmonella can penetrate within the muscle tissue. Heating to 165°F rapidly destroys this dangerous pathogen. The extra 5 degrees provides a safety factor.
Arguments for sous vide chicken below 165°F
Despite USDA recommendations, some chefs argue it is safe to sous vide chicken at much lower temperatures when cooked for longer periods. They make the following points:
- Pasteurization can be achieved over time at lower temps
- Temps as low as 136°F will kill salmonella given enough time
- Long cooks tenderize chicken better at 140-150°F
- Moisture and flavor is retained better at lower temps
The key concept is pasteurization over time. While an instantaneous 165°F cook is required for safety with traditional methods, sous vide gradually heats the chicken. Given enough time, it is possible to pasteurize at much lower temperatures.
Some chefs recommend the following for sous vide chicken:
- 140°F for 2.5-4 hours
- 145°F for 1-2 hours
- 150°F for 1-2 hours
Cooking at these lower temperatures can provide a more tender, juicy product with less stringy connective tissue. The chicken has time to gently cook through without drying out.
Key factors impacting pasteurization time
The two key factors impacting required pasteurization time are temperature and thickness. Some guidelines include:
- 136°F: 1 inch thickness needs 4 hours
- 140°F: 1 inch thickness needs 2 hours
- 145°F: 1 inch thickness needs 1 hour
Thicker cuts of chicken need longer cook times to heat all the way through. Going above 1.5 inch thickness starts to become risky.
Warnings about low temperature sous vide chicken
Despite the rationale behind low temp, long cook sous vide chicken, food safety experts warn against relying on this method:
- Margins of error are too low
- Dangerous pathogens other than salmonella
- Inconsistent pasteurization throughout meat
- Recontamination risks after cooking
Even tiny deviations from the required time and temperature guidelines could allow bacteria to survive. And salmonella isn’t the only pathogen that can cause illness. Listeria and some strains of E. Coli are also concerns with chicken.
Additionally, the center of whole chicken breasts and thighs may not reach pasteurization temperatures consistently, even when sous viding for long cooks. And as soon as the chicken is removed from the bags, any bacteria on the surface could recontaminate the meat.
For these reasons, the USDA and other food safety experts caution against sous vide chicken below 165°F without pressure canning afterwards. The risks are seen as too uncertain.
Recommendations for sous vide chicken safety
Based on all the evidence and differing expert opinions, here are some recommendations for how to sous vide chicken safely:
- Use an accurate sous vide device you can trust
- Pre-sear poultry before bagging to kill surface bacteria
- Cook at 165°F for traditional times to be safe
- Only do long, low cooks at your own risk
- Remove immediately from bags and sear after cooking
- Use a digital thermometer to check temps
- Don’t sous vide chicken more than 1.5 inches thick
- Discard if any off colors or odors after cooking
No method is 100% guaranteed. But following food safety best practices and USDA guidelines can help mitigate the risks. If choosing to go below 165°F, it’s extra important to precisely control time and temperature.
Pasteurization tables for sous vide chicken
For those who still wish to experiment with lower temperature sous vide chicken, here are some pasteurization time tables to follow:
Chicken breast/thighs (1 inch thick)
| Temperature | Time |
|---|---|
| 136°F (58°C) | 2.5 to 4 hours |
| 140°F (60°C) | 2 to 4 hours |
| 145°F (63°C) | 1 to 2 hours |
| 150°F (65°C) | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
Whole chicken (4 pounds)
| Temperature | Time (hours) |
|---|---|
| 136°F (58°C) | 8 to 12 hours |
| 140°F (60°C) | 4 to 8 hours |
| 145°F (63°C) | 2 to 4 hours |
| 150°F (65°C) | 1 to 2 hours |
Again, only follow these extended times if you understand and accept the risks. The safest method is to cook sous vide chicken at the USDA recommended 165°F.
Conclusion
Sous vide chicken cooked below 165°F is controversial territory. While some chefs find the results worth the risks, food safety experts caution against it. If attempting lower temperature sous vide, precautions must be taken like minimizing thickness, monitoring time precisely, immediately searing after, and using a thermometer to check doneness. But even then, uncertainties remain. The foolproof method is to follow USDA guidelines and cook chicken sous vide at the recommended safe temperature of 165°F. While less tender, this undeniably destroys any pathogens for safe consumption. In the end, it comes down to your personal risk tolerance. But no matter what temperature you choose, be sure to follow strict food safety practices when handling raw chicken to mitigate risks.