Sous Vide Meal Prep: Cook, Chill, Store, Reheat
Sous vide meal prep follows the cook-chill method in Douglas Baldwin's guide. It has four steps: cook the food in its bag until it is pasteurized, chill the sealed bag in ice water, store it in the refrigerator or freezer, and reheat it. USDA FSIS says leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Baldwin's guide allows less than 10 days below 41°F (5°C) for food that was pasteurized, left sealed and chilled rapidly.
Food cooked at 130°F (54.4°C) and below is not suitable. The calculator's warning for those settings says to serve the food right away and not chill it to reheat later.
Step 1: Cook at a setting that pasteurizes
Douglas Baldwin's guide to sous vide cooking calls this method cook-chill. In his description the food is vacuum sealed, pasteurized, rapidly chilled, and then refrigerated or frozen. Pasteurizing comes first, so pick a setting where the Pasteurized line of the calculator result reads "Yes".
Chicken breast is one of those settings at every thickness. The default is 145°F (62.8°C):
| Thickness | Minimum time | Best window | Do not exceed | From frozen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 in (1.3 cm) | 45 min | 45 min to 1 hr 45 min | 4 hr | 1 hr 15 min |
| 1 in (2.5 cm) | 1 hr 30 min | 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 30 min | 4 hr | 2 hr 30 min |
| 1.5 in (3.8 cm) | 2 hr 30 min | 2 hr 30 min to 3 hr 30 min | 4 hr | 4 hr 15 min |
| 2 in (5.1 cm) | 3 hr 45 min | 3 hr 45 min to 4 hr 45 min | 4 hr 45 min | 6 hr 15 min |
| 2.5 in (6.4 cm) | 5 hr 30 min | 5 hr 30 min to 6 hr 30 min | 6 hr 30 min | 9 hr |
Pasteurized at the minimum time at every thickness listed.
A breast 1.5 in (3.8 cm) thick needs at least 2 hr 30 min. The minimum time covers pasteurization for this temperature and thickness, so do not shorten it. The chicken breast guide has the other doneness settings.
Other foods split four ways:
- Pork. On every recommended result the minimum covers pasteurization. A 1.5 in chop at 140°F (60°C) needs at least 2 hr 30 min, as the pork chops guide shows.
- Turkey breast. The same holds for a turkey breast roast that is not frozen. A rolled roast 3 in (7.6 cm) across at 145°F (62.8°C) needs at least 5 hr 15 min, and the turkey breast guide covers chilling and reheating a cooked roast.
- Tough cuts. Chuck roast, pork shoulder, short ribs and corned beef are pasteurized at their default settings. Their minimum times are 18 hr or longer. The pork shoulder guide has the times for that cut.
- Steak. At 131°F (55°C) the minimum time heats a steak through but does not pasteurize it. For meal prep, cook to the pasteurization time shown in the result: at least 3 hr for a 1 in (2.5 cm) steak and 3 hr 45 min for a 1.5 in steak. Both are inside the 4 hr maximum. At 140°F (60°C), steaks 1 in and thicker are pasteurized at the minimum time. The steak guide has both tables.
Settings that are not suitable for chilling and reheating
The calculator prints a warning on every meat, fish and shellfish setting at 130°F (54.4°C) and below. On a result that is still recommended it reads:
Warning
This temperature is below 131°F (55°C), the lowest temperature in the pasteurization tables this calculator uses, so the food is not pasteurized. Keep the total time in the water bath to the maximum shown or less, serve it right away, and do not chill it to reheat later. Do not serve it to pregnant women, children under 5, adults 65 and older, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
That covers:
- Rare beef and lamb at 125°F (51.7°C).
- Salmon, tuna, halibut and cod at 130°F (54.4°C) and below, which includes the default salmon setting of 120°F (48.9°C).
- Lobster tail at 120°F (48.9°C) and 130°F (54.4°C), scallops at 122°F (50°C), and shrimp at 125°F (51.7°C) and 130°F (54.4°C).
Baldwin's cook-chill description starts from pasteurized food. A result whose Pasteurized line reads "No" at a higher temperature does not meet it either. Examples are a steak taken out at the minimum time, shrimp at 135°F (57.2°C) and soft eggs at 145°F (62.8°C). The explainer on whether sous vide is safe covers what pasteurization does and does not do.
Step 2: Chill the sealed bag in ice water
Leave the bag sealed and move it from the bath to ice water.
Baldwin's guide specifies an ice water bath that is at least half ice, and says the pouch stays in it for at least the time in his cooling table. The table gives the time for food to drop from cooking temperature to 41°F (5°C):
| Thickness of a flat piece | Time in ice water (Baldwin, Table 1.1) |
|---|---|
| 25 mm (about 1 in) | 50 min |
| 40 mm (about 1.5 in) | 1 hr 45 min |
| 50 mm (about 2 in) | 2 hr 45 min |
Rapid chilling matters because of spores. Baldwin's guide states that spores of Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus survive pasteurization. If the food is not chilled fast enough or is refrigerated for too long, the spores can grow and multiply to dangerous levels.
USDA FSIS gives the same instruction in general terms. Its page on leftovers and food safety says to cool food rapidly to 40°F (4°C) or below, because bacteria grow rapidly between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C). It names an ice or cold water bath as one way to do that.
Portion before you cook. Baldwin's guide notes that food kept sealed in its pouch cannot be recontaminated after cooking, so one meal per bag means nothing is opened until it is eaten. His cooling table also shows that thinner pieces chill faster.
Step 3: Store
Dry the bag and label it. Anova's post on frozen meal prep says to write the dish and the preparation date on the bag. Add the thickness, because the reheating time depends on it.
The sources give different storage limits.
| Source | Refrigerator | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| USDA FSIS, leftovers | 3 to 4 days | 3 to 4 months |
| FoodSafety.gov chart, cooked meat or poultry | 3 to 4 days | 2 to 6 months |
| Baldwin, pasteurized food chilled in its sealed pouch | Less than 5 days below 44.5°F (7°C). Less than 10 days below 41°F (5°C). Less than 31 days below 38°F (3.3°C). Up to 90 days below 36.5°F (2.5°C) | Up to a year |
The limits in Baldwin's guide depend on the temperature of the refrigerator, and they apply only to food that was pasteurized, stayed sealed in its pouch and was chilled rapidly. His plain-language summary says to store the food in the refrigerator "for a few days" or freeze it.
The USDA figure is the shorter one and it is the government's guidance. FoodSafety.gov says a refrigerator should be set to 40°F (4°C) or below and a freezer to 0°F (-18°C) or below. Its cold storage chart adds that the freezer times are for quality only, and that frozen food kept continuously at 0°F (-18°C) or below can be kept indefinitely.
Baldwin's storage times are for food sealed in a pouch. For egg bites cooked in jars, the egg bites guide has the storage time and the reheating temperature.
Freeze bags flat in a single layer, so the thickness stays the same as when the food was cooked. The reheating time depends on it. Anova's post notes that a vacuum seal makes an airtight barrier against freezer burn. A zipper-lock bag sealed with the water displacement method is the alternative.
Step 4: Reheat
The two sources give different instructions here as well.
Baldwin. His guide reheats chilled food in a water bath at or below the temperature it was cooked in. For meat it typically uses a 131°F (55°C) bath for the times in his heating tables, because he puts the best serving temperature for meat between 120°F and 130°F (49°C and 54°C).
Those heating tables give a time by thickness, and the calculator's heat-through time is built on them. For a steak in a 131°F (55°C) bath the calculator's heat-through time is 1 hr 15 min at 1 in and 2 hr 15 min at 1.5 in from the refrigerator. From the freezer it is 2 hr at 1 in and 3 hr 30 min at 1.5 in. The guide to cooking from frozen explains the frozen rule.
USDA FSIS. Its leftovers page says leftovers should reach 165°F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer, and that frozen leftovers can be reheated without thawing. The FoodSafety.gov chart of safe minimum internal temperatures lists the same 165°F (73.9°C) for leftovers of any type.
These do not agree, and this site does not choose between them. A bath at or below the cooking temperature does not bring the food to 165°F (73.9°C). Food reheated to the USDA figure ends up hotter than any steak, pork chop or chicken breast setting in the calculator. The highest of those is 160°F (71.1°C), which the calculator describes for steak as no pink, firm and dry.
After reheating, take the food out of the bag and pat it dry. The calculator's note for steak says to sear it in a very hot skillet or on a hot grill.
A prep session in order
- Choose settings whose Pasteurized line reads "Yes" and note the minimum time for the thickest piece.
- Season and bag the food in single-layer, single-meal portions.
- Cook for at least the minimum time. Keep the bags in a single layer, fully under the water and not overlapping.
- Move the sealed bags to ice water that is at least half ice, for at least the time in Baldwin's cooling table.
- Dry and label the bags. Refrigerate or freeze them flat.
- Reheat by one of the two instructions in step 4, then dry and sear.
Frequently asked questions
How do you meal prep with sous vide?
Cook the food in its bag at a setting that pasteurizes it, chill the sealed bag in ice water, then refrigerate or freeze it. To reheat, Douglas Baldwin's guide uses a water bath at or below the cooking temperature, and USDA FSIS says leftovers should reach 165°F (73.9°C).
How long does sous vide food last in the fridge?
USDA FSIS says leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Douglas Baldwin's guide gives less than 10 days below 41°F (5°C) for food that was pasteurized, kept sealed in its pouch and chilled rapidly in ice water.
How do you reheat sous vide food?
Douglas Baldwin's guide reheats chilled food in a water bath at or below the temperature it was cooked in, typically 131°F (55°C) for meat. USDA FSIS says leftovers should reach 165°F (73.9°C) as measured with a food thermometer.
Can you chill and reheat a rare sous vide steak?
No. Food cooked at 130°F (54.4°C) and below is not pasteurized, and the calculator's warning says to serve it right away and not chill it to reheat later.
Can you freeze sous vide cooked food?
Yes. Baldwin's guide says pasteurized food chilled in its pouch can be refrigerated or frozen. FoodSafety.gov lists 2 to 6 months for cooked meat or poultry in the freezer, a limit for quality only.
How do you cool sous vide food quickly?
Douglas Baldwin's guide chills the sealed bag in ice water that is at least half ice. His cooling table gives 50 minutes for a slab 25 mm thick and 1 hr 45 min for one 40 mm thick to reach 41°F (5°C).