Easy Sous Vide Pesto Chicken

You will also need the following special equipment: sous vide immersion circulator, resealable plastic bag, large lidded pot, clothes pins.

Put chicken breasts in the bag and sprinkle with the salt and squeeze the lemon over the top. Add 2 tablespoons of the basil pesto and mush the bag around a bit to coat the chicken as evenly as you can. Set the bag aside while you prepare your pot.

Fill pot ¾ full of water and place in a heat-safe place or put a kitchen towel under the pot if it will sit on the counter during cooking.

Place the sous vide circulator in the pot and, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set it to preheat water to 149ºF. Cover pot as best you can with the lid or a small inverted baking sheet. Cover the whole thing with another kitchen towel if you need to, to keep heat inside the pot.

When water has preheated, lower the plastic bag into the pot, letting as much air out of the bag as you can. Clip the top of the bag to the top of the pot to prevent it from floating around.Return the lid to the pot and cook the chicken for 45 minutes.

When it’s finished, heat the avocado oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Remove the chicken from the bag with a pair of tongs and sear it in the hot skillet for just a couple minutes per side. (You don’t want to overcook it!)

Set the chicken on a cutting board and let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining pesto.