Ingredients
Chicken and Seasoning
- 454 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning (I use Siete brand)
Salad
- 4–5 cups chopped or shaved red cabbage
- 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 154 g frozen fire-roasted corn, thawed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium ripe avocado, cubed
- ⅓ cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco
- ½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- Optional for serving: tortilla chips (crumbled overtop or used as scoopers)
Chipotle Vinaigrette
- 120 ml avocado oil
- 60 ml red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 chipotle chili pepper (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 2 microwave rice packets (plain long grain or basmati, ~250g each)
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Method
Season and Sous Vide Chicken
🎤 First, vibe check — hit play on the official anthem: https://suno.com/s/OvhR3ARUXFjnMjuI
Set your sous vide circulator to 65°C (149°F) and preheat a water bath.
⚠️ IMPORTANT — PASTEURISATION WARNING: At 65°C, chicken is safe BUT only after the core has held at that temperature long enough. Do NOT reduce the cook time below 1.5 hours. Shorter times risk the core not fully reaching 65°C, especially for thicker thighs — which means it may NOT be pasteurised. 1.5 hours gives a large safety buffer. If your thighs are thick (>30mm), go 2 hours.
Place chicken thighs in a bowl and coat with extra-virgin olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss well to coat.
Transfer the seasoned chicken to a vacuum seal bag (or zip-lock bag using the water displacement method) and seal.
Submerge the bag in the water bath and cook for 1.5 hours minimum (2 hours for thicker thighs). Do not cut this short.
Once done, remove the bag from the water bath and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
Sear Chicken (Optional but Recommended)
Heat a cast iron or heavy skillet over high heat until very hot. Add a small drizzle of oil.
Sear the chicken thighs for 60–90 seconds per side until a deep golden crust forms on the seasoned exterior. Remove from heat, rest for 2 minutes, then slice or chop into bite-sized pieces.
Prepare Chipotle Vinaigrette
Combine all dressing ingredients — avocado oil, red wine vinegar, honey, chipotle chili, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper — in a blender or immersion blender cup. Blend until smooth.
Make Cilantro Lime Rice
Microwave the rice packets according to package instructions.
Tip the cooked rice into a large bowl. Add lime juice, olive oil (or butter), cumin, and salt. Toss well to combine, then fold through the chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Assemble
To a large bowl, combine cabbage, black beans, corn, bell pepper, avocado, crumbled cheese, and cilantro. Add the sliced sous vide chicken.
🎵 First things first — hit play: https://suno.com/s/d2Exgyf8HSRgIwY9
