Sous Vide Poached Egg Temperature

What is the perfect sous vide poached egg temperature? Well, it depends on if you want your egg slow-poached or fast-poached. In this article, we will discuss the two techniques and what temperatures are the best to achieve the perfect sous vide poached egg.

Slow-Poached versus Fast-Poached Sous Vide Eggs

If you’ve ever cooked an egg, you know that it is incredibly responsive to even slight changes in temperature. Even a temperature rise of 1 degree can have totally different results.

The protein that makes up the egg white (called albumin) starts to denature at a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The optimum temperature for slow-poaching an egg is at 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slow-Poached Sous Vide Eggs

Preheat your sous vide water to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water is ready, gently lower the eggs (in their shell) into the water. Cook the eggs for 1 hour. You can then either serve them right away or cool them down and refrigerate for later. If you can’t wait an hour you might want to try the fast-poaching method, which employs a higher temperature.

Fast-Poached Sous Vide Eggs

Preheat your sous vide water to 167 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water is ready gently, lower the eggs (in their shell) into the water. Because this approach is faster and at a higher temperature, the size of the egg will come into play. For a smaller egg, cook for 13 minutes. For a larger egg, cook for 15 minutes. Then, run them underwater until they are cold enough to handle.

You can either use them right away or store them in the refrigerator for later use.

Poaching without a Sous Vide Machine

Of course, you can always poach an egg without the help of a Sous Vide appliance. It will be a little cumbersome maintaining a steady cooking temperature, but with a little practice, you should have it mastered. All you really need, other than a pot of water and a stovetop, is a trusty instant-read thermometer. Put your pot of water on the stove. If you are using the slow poaching method, start your water on medium heat till it reads 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the eggs in their shell and cook them for 1 hour, maintaining the temperature of the water in the 140 to 145 degree Fahrenheit range.

For fast-poaching, simply bring your water to the 165 to 170-degree Fahrenheit range and poach for 13 to 15 minutes.

For more information and advice on the proper cooking and serving temperatures for meat and other foods, check out our other articles here.