Sous Vide Whole Chicken with Sweet Soy Marinade | Ultra Juicy

If you’ve ever struggled with dry chicken breasts or unevenly cooked thighs, sous vide is about to change your life.

This whole chicken is marinated in a sweet, savory soy-based marinade, cooked low and slow in a sous vide bath for perfect tenderness, then blasted in a hot oven to crisp the skin.

The result?

• Insanely juicy meat
• Even doneness from edge to center
• Deep marinade flavor
• Golden, crispy skin

This is not basic roasted chicken. This is controlled, intentional, foolproof chicken.

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Want to learn more about Sous Vide? Download my FREE guide

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Why Sous Vide a Whole Chicken?

Traditional roasting can easily overcook the breast while waiting for the dark meat to finish.

Sous vide solves that problem.

By cooking the chicken at a precise temperature — 145°F for 4 hours and 30 minutes — the meat becomes pasteurized and safe while staying incredibly tender.

Then we finish it at high heat to create texture.

Tender inside. Crispy outside.

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Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (3½–4 lb)
• ½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ cup olive oil (or avocado oil)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup white distilled vinegar
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 2 tsp black pepper

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Prep & Cook Time

• Marinate: 4–24 hours
• Sous Vide: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Oven Finish: 15–25 minutes
• Total Active Time: About 30 minutes

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How to Make Sous Vide Whole Chicken

Step 1: Make the Marinade

In a large bowl, whisk together:

• Onion
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Dijon mustard
• Brown sugar
• Olive oil
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Salt
• Black pepper

This marinade is sweet, tangy, and savory — perfectly balanced.

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Step 2: Marinate the Chicken

Place the whole chicken in a large bowl or bag.

Pour marinade over the chicken, coating inside and out.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours — overnight is ideal for deeper flavor.

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Step 3: Vacuum Seal

Place the marinated chicken into a vacuum seal bag.

Pour the excess marinade into the bag as well.

Seal tightly.

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Step 4: Sous Vide

Preheat your water bath to 145°F.

Submerge the sealed chicken completely.

Cook for 4 hours and 30 minutes.

This temperature + time combination pasteurizes the chicken while keeping it incredibly tender.

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Step 5: Remove & Dry

Remove the chicken from the bag.

Instead, pat it very dry with paper towels.

Dry skin is critical for crisping.

You can spoon some of the bag marinade back over the chicken before roasting — just don’t leave excess liquid pooling on the skin. Light coating only.

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Step 6: Spatchcock & Crisp

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Spatchcock the chicken (remove backbone and flatten).

Place on a rack over a sheet pan. Add the marinade from the bag back on top of the chicken.

Roast until browned and crispy, about 15–25 minutes.

Watch closely — the sugars in the marinade can caramelize quickly.

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Let It Rest

Rest 10 minutes before carving.

This keeps the juices inside.

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Is 145°F Safe for Chicken?

This is where people panic — so let’s clear it up.

Traditional guidelines say chicken should reach 165°F. That is true for instant cooking methods.

But sous vide works differently.

Food safety depends on time AND temperature.

• At 165°F, bacteria die almost instantly.
• At 145°F, bacteria die more slowly — but they still die.

Holding chicken at 145°F for 4+ hours fully pasteurizes it.

That’s why this method is safe.

The chicken is:

• Fully pasteurized
• Evenly cooked
• Much juicier than 165°F oven roasting

This is the beauty of sous vide — controlled precision.

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What to Serve With It

• Coconut rice (see my recipe here)
• Roasted vegetables
• Simple green salad
• Garlic mashed potatoes
• Flatbread and fresh herbs

Leftovers are incredible in sandwiches and bowls.

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WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOUS VIDE? Download my FREE guide

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