How to Cook Sous-Vide Salmon & Steak

If you’ve never used a sous-vide circulator before, allow us to blow your mind with the culinary genius of this little machine. Similar to a pressure- or slow-cooker, sous vide is a set-it-and-forget-it method of cooking. The first step is to place your ingredients in a pouch or glass jar and then fully submerge it in water. Allow the water to push the excess air out of the pouch before sealing it (“sous vide” means “under vacuum” in French). The water slowly and evenly cooks the food at a precise temperature. The result? Restaurant-worthy entrées straight from your own kitchen.

In this episode of Prep School, Megan Mitchell shares her favorite Whole30®-approved, sous-vide recipes for steak and salmon, both of which are ready in an hour or less.

Sous-Vide Salmon

A hands-off salmon recipe? The low and slow sous-vide cooking method makes it possible to achieve perfectly moist and tender fish without constant check-ins. Sriracha is optional but adds a kick if you’re so inclined. To serve the salmon with crispy skin, sear the fish skin-side down in a hot pan after removing from the sous-vide pot.

Yield: 1 serving
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 (6-ounce) Thrive Market Wild-Caught Sockeye Salmon fillet, defrosted
Quart-size reusable storage bag
3 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
¼ cup Primal Kitchen No Soy Teriyaki Marinade
1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Fill a large stock pot with water and attach the sous-vide cooker to the side of the pot. For tender and flaky fish, preheat water to 120°F degrees before adding the salmon.

Place salmon into bag and add mushrooms, marinade, and sriracha (if using). Gently massage marinade over the salmon; do not seal bag. Lower bag into stock pot, allow the water to push the air out of the bag, and seal the bag. Use a clip or weight to hold bag under the water. Set timer for 45 minutes. Remove salmon, mushrooms and sauce to plate, top with green onions and serve with rice.

Sous-Vide New York Strip

Elevate steak night by using the sous-vide method to cook your meat. If you want to plan ahead, sous-vide steaks can stay in the pot for up to 4 hours without affecting the internal temperature. Simply sear quickly on both sides right before dinnertime. Unlike steaks cooked on the grill, there’s no need to rest them before serving.

Yield: 2 servings
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 (10-ounce) Thrive Market Grass-Fed New York Strip Steaks, about 1-inch thick
2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Half-gallon reusable storage bag

Instructions

Fill a large stock pot with water and attach the sous-vide cooker to the side of the pot. For medium-rare steaks, preheat water to 129°F-130°F degrees before adding the beef.

Sprinkle steaks generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Place steaks into bag and add 1 thyme sprig on each side of each steak (4 sprigs total). Do not seal the bag. Lower bag into stock pot, allow the water to push the air out of the bag, and seal the bag. Use a clip or weight to hold the bag under the water. Set timer for 1 hour.

Remove the steaks from the bag and place on a paper towel-lined plate; pat both sides dry. Heat a cast-iron skillet with avocado oil until smoking. Place steaks in the pan and sear until crust forms, about 3 to 4 minutes. Before flipping, add butter and remaining 4 sprigs of thyme. Allow butter to melt, then flip the steak and baste with the butter. Once both sides are seared, move the steak to a cutting board. Season again with coarse salt and pepper before slicing.

Recipes by Megan Mitchell