Sous Vide Time & Temperature Guide
Pick your protein, cut, doneness, and thickness. Get the exact temperature, minimum cook time, maximum time before texture degrades, and pasteurisation time - adjusted for your thickness. Nothing uploaded.
Cook Settings
Times scale with the square of thickness. A 50mm piece needs 4x the minimum time of a 25mm piece.
Cook Parameters
Select protein and cut above.
Learn more: sous vide time and temperature
The thickness problem most guides ignore
A steak recipe saying "cook at 54°C for 1-4 hours" is calibrated for a piece of around 25mm thickness. A thick 50mm ribeye at the same temperature needs 4 times as long for the centre to reach target temperature and pasteurise. A thin 15mm piece might be done in 20 minutes. Ignoring thickness is the most common source of both unsafe results and overcooked edges. This guide applies the heat diffusion formula to scale times from the base thickness to your actual piece, showing separate minimum times for heat penetration and for pasteurisation at the target temperature.
How to use
First, select protein and cut - beef steak, pork chop, chicken breast, fish fillet, and more. Second, choose doneness: rare, medium-rare, medium, well done, or tender/fall-off-bone for braises. Third, enter thickness by measuring the thickest part of your piece in mm or inches. Finally, read the output - target temperature, minimum time, maximum time, and pasteurisation time shown.
FAQ
What temperature do I set my sous vide for chicken breast?
For juicy chicken breast, 60°C (140°F) for 1.5 to 4 hours is the most popular setting. At 60°C, chicken breast is fully pasteurised (safe) after approximately 25 minutes for a 25mm thick piece, producing a very juicy, slightly unusual texture. For a more traditional cooked texture, use 65°C (149°F). Always ensure the chicken is fully submerged and remains at temperature for the minimum time.
How does thickness affect sous vide cooking time?
Heat diffuses through food according to the square of thickness - so doubling the thickness quadruples the time needed to reach the centre temperature. A 25mm steak needs 1 hour minimum; a 50mm piece needs 4 hours for the centre to reach temperature and pasteurise. This guide scales minimum times automatically when you enter your piece thickness.
Is sous vide chicken breast safe at 60°C?
Yes - 60°C (140°F) is safe for chicken when held for sufficient time. Pasteurisation is achieved by a combination of temperature and time. At 60°C, chicken breast reaches the FDA safe standard (6.5 log10 reduction in Salmonella) after approximately 25-30 minutes for a standard 25mm piece. The USDA 74°C (165°F) guideline achieves the same safety instantly, but lower temperatures held for longer are equally safe.