Baked, roasted, mashed, fried, or served as a salad the humble potato can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways. Chances are though that you’ve yet to try this starchy veggie cooked using sous vide. The sous-vide cooking process is a great way to prepare potatoes. The slow and gentle cooking process results in tender tubers that retain all their delicious flavors.
Follow this simple guide to prepare perfectly cooked potatoes every time.
Temperature and cooking times for potatoes
| Device | Temperature | Time |
| Suvie | Slow Cook: Low | 1 Hour |
| Immersion Circulator | 190°F | 1 Hour |
In general, vegetables require higher cooking temperatures than meats and other proteins, this is especially true for starchy root veggies like potatoes. Setting your sous vide water bath to 185-190°F for 1 hour should be enough to break down the vegetable cell walls to get them tender. It is possible to cook potatoes at a lower temperature such as 175°F, however, this will require a longer cook time of about 2 hours. If you’re in a rush, you can sous vide potatoes using your Suvie’s Slow Cook setting. If you are cooking vegetables using sous vide immersion circulator we recommend cooking the potatoes at 190°F for 1 hour.
Ingredients and Tools
- 3-4 potatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic
- Fresh or dried herbs (we used thyme)
- Olive oil or butter
Equipment
- Suvie or immersion circulator
- A large pot (if using an immersion circulator)
- Vacuum sealer and bags or freezer safe recloseable bags
Directions
If you’re using a sous vide immersion circulator, pre-heat your water bath to the desired temperature.
Clean the potatoes, you may need to scrub them if they are particularly dirty. Peel the potatoes (you can also cook them unpeeled), and cut them into 1-2 inch sections.
Put the cut potatoes into a large bowl and add some salt, pepper, garlic, and any herbs you would like. Drizzle some oil over the potatoes and mix to combine.
Add the potatoes to a plastic bag in a single layer and vacuum seal using the water displacement method.
Lower the bag into the water bath and leave until cooked.
If you are using Suvie, place the bag into a Suvie pan and cover it completely with water. Place in the top-right or top-left zone of Suvie and use the following settings:
My Cook > Slow Cook Settings
Low, 3 hours
Once the cook is done, remove the bag from your Suvie or water bath.
Remove the potaotes from from the bag and place on paper towels to drain.
Finishing
Sous vide potatoes can be enjoyed as is (try them in a potato salad!), however, if you like they can also be roasted, pan-fried, or broiled after cooking to get a crispy finish.
FAQs
What type of potatoes should I use?
Any kind you can get your hands on! While we used Yukon Gold potatoes for this guide, we have found that pretty much any potato can be cooked using sous vide. Ultimately, your choice should depend on how you intend to serve the potato. For salads, we recommend a waxy potato like fingerling, but if you plan on roasting your potatoes after the sous vide process try a starchy russet instead.
Are the cooking temperatures safe?
Our recommended cooking temperatures for Sous vide and Suvie are lower than what the USDA recommends, however, cooking times and temperatures are long enough and high enough for “pasteurization” to make your food safe. The USDA recommendations indicate the temperature needed to instantly kill food pathogens. By cooking for a longer time at a lower temperature we are able to achieve the same effect. However, high-risk populations should use extra caution when preparing foods below the USDA recommended temperatures.
Can I use any type of plastic bag?
You can, however, make sure that they are made from polyethylene. Brand name recloseable bags are made using polyethylene which is a BPA and dioxin free plastic that can safely handle sous vide cooking temperatures up to 190°F. Some generic branded plastic bags are made using cheaper polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which cannot handle high temps and contains chemicals that can leach into food.
Can I leave my food in the water bath indefinitely?
You can, but you shouldn’t. While leaving potatoes in sous vide for long periods of time won’t result in overcooking, it will have a negative effect on the overall texture of the vegetables.
Can I cook other vegetables in the same bag as the potatoes?
You can! Fortunately, most starchy vegetables can be cooked at around the same temperature (190°F) so feel free to add other veggies. However, avoid mixing the potatoes with vegetables such as carrots or leeks as these require either lower cooking temperatures or shorter cooking times.
