Sous Vide Temperature Guide
350°F = 177°C
Reference Table
Temperature Scale
Context & Usage
Sous vide cooks food at a precise, consistent water temperature, which is why the target temperature also becomes the food's final internal temperature.
Unlike conventional cooking, there's no risk of overcooking past the water bath's set temperature, only undercooking if held for too short a time.
Vacuum-sealing food before its water bath isn't strictly required for shorter cooks, though it does improve heat transfer and prevents the bag from floating, which can otherwise disrupt even cooking.
A Worked Example
Say you want a steak cooked to a precise medium-rare throughout, not just at the center. Setting the water bath to 131°F and holding it there for at least an hour (longer for a thicker cut) ensures the entire steak reaches that exact temperature edge to edge, something difficult to achieve with a pan or oven alone.
Standards and Sources
Sous vide cooking relies on precise water bath temperature control, typically accurate to within 0.5°F on quality immersion circulators, a level of precision not achievable with conventional stovetop or oven cooking.
Because sous vide holds food at a set temperature for an extended time, USDA pasteurization guidelines for time-and-temperature combinations allow some sous vide temperatures below traditional safe-cooking minimums, provided the food is held long enough.
Professional test kitchens including those at Serious Eats have extensively documented sous vide temperature-to-doneness relationships for steak, since the technique allows for doneness levels not achievable with traditional cooking methods.
Where This Shows Up
Home cooks investing in a sous vide immersion circulator use this chart to dial in a precise doneness level, like a perfectly edge-to-edge medium-rare steak, that's difficult to achieve consistently with traditional methods.
Meal-prep cooks batch-cooking proteins for the week rely on sous vide's consistency to guarantee every portion reaches the exact same doneness regardless of thickness variation.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing sous vide's lower safe temperatures with unsafe undercooking, when the extended cook time is what makes those lower temperatures safe through pasteurization.
- Not searing meat after the sous vide bath, skipping the step that develops browning and flavor the water bath alone can't produce.
- Overcrowding the water bath, which can prevent even water circulation around each sealed bag.
Sous Vide vs Traditional Cooking
| Sous Vide | Traditional (Pan/Oven) | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature control | Precise, ±0.5°F | Variable, harder to control |
| Overcooking risk | Minimal past set temperature | High if unattended |
| Requires finishing step | Yes, usually a sear | No |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature is sous vide medium-rare steak?+
131°F (55°C), which produces a consistent edge-to-edge medium-rare.
Can food overcook in a sous vide bath?+
Not past the water temperature, though texture can change with very long cook times.
What temperature is sous vide chicken breast?+
150°F (66°C) is a common target for juicy, fully cooked chicken breast.
Is sous vide cooking safe at lower temperatures than traditional cooking?+
Yes, when held for the appropriate time, since pasteurization depends on both temperature and duration together, not temperature alone.
Can I sous vide frozen food directly?+
Yes, though it typically needs roughly 50% more cooking time compared to starting from a thawed state.