Mississippi Chicken is a slow cooker dinner of boneless chicken breasts cooked with a packet of ranch seasoning, a packet of au jus gravy mix, a stick of butter and a handful of tangy pepperoncini peppers with some of their juice. After a few hours the chicken shreds with two forks into a rich, savory, peppery sauce. It serves 6 and takes 5 minutes of work.
How to make it: Put thawed chicken breasts in the slow cooker, pour in the pepperoncini juice and add the peppers, sprinkle both seasoning mixes over the top and scatter the butter on it. Cover and cook 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Shred it right in the sauce and toss.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five minutes of prep: six ingredients go straight into the pot.
- No extra liquid: the chicken makes its own juices, and they turn into the sauce.
- Big flavor: savory au jus, herby ranch, rich butter and tangy pepperoncini.
- Serve it your way: over rice or mashed potatoes, or piled on rolls.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds, fully thawed. Boneless skinless thighs work too.
Pepperoncini: 12 jarred pepperoncini peppers plus 1/4 cup of the juice from the jar. They give the dish its tang and a mild heat. Banana pepper rings work instead: use 3/4 to 1 cup and a few splashes of their juice.
Seasoning mixes: One 1-ounce packet of ranch seasoning mix and one 1-ounce packet of au jus gravy mix. If you buy ranch mix in a shaker, 3 tablespoons equals one packet. Both mixes are salty, so there is no added salt.
Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces. Salted butter works, but the dish will be saltier.
Ingredients
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
- 12 pepperoncini peppers, from a jar
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini juice, from the jar
- 1 packet (1 ounce) ranch seasoning mix
- 1 packet (1 ounce) au jus gravy mix
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
How to Make Mississippi Chicken
1. Load the slow cooker. Put the thawed chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
2. Add the pepperoncini. Pour in the pepperoncini juice, then add the peppers on and around the chicken.
3. Season and add the butter. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and the au jus gravy mix over the chicken, then place the butter pieces on top.
4. Cook until done. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low, until the chicken reads 165°F on a food thermometer. Keep the lid on except to check.
5. Shred and toss. Shred the chicken with two forks right in the sauce, toss to coat, then serve.
How Long to Cook Mississippi Chicken
Slow cookers run hotter or cooler, and chicken breasts vary in size, so the clock is only a guide. Use these times, then check:
| Setting | Time | How to tell it’s done |
|---|---|---|
| High | 3 to 4 hours | Thickest piece reads 165°F and shreds easily with two forks |
| Low | 6 to 8 hours | Same: 165°F and shreds easily |
| Pressure cooker | 12 to 15 minutes on high pressure, then quick release | Same: 165°F before shredding |
- Keep the lid on. Lift it only to check for doneness; every peek lets heat out.
- Low all day is fine. If you can, set it to high for the first hour and then to low, but cooking on low the whole time is safe too.
- Check the thickest piece. Put the thermometer in the thickest part of the largest breast.
Can You Use Frozen Chicken?
No, not in the slow cooker. USDA FSIS says to always thaw meat or poultry before it goes into a slow cooker. Thaw the breasts in the refrigerator overnight, or in cold water, before you start.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: use boneless skinless thighs in place of the breasts.
- Milder: use 4 to 6 pepperoncini and only a splash of the juice.
- Banana peppers: 3/4 to 1 cup of banana pepper rings instead of pepperoncini.
- Instant Pot: layer everything the same way and cook on high pressure for 12 to 15 minutes, then quick release. Check for 165°F before shredding.
- Garnish: a little chopped fresh parsley on top.
- Same sauce, different meat: try it on meatballs with our slow cooker Mississippi meatballs.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze the shredded chicken with its sauce for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, and use it within 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Reheat covered on the stove or in the microwave until the sauce bubbles and the chicken reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in the slow cooker; heat them first, then a preheated slow cooker can keep them at 140°F or warmer for serving.
What to Serve With It
Spoon it over rice or mashed potatoes, or over slow cooker Amish buttered noodles, with butter biscuits for the sauce. Add a vegetable like smothered green beans or Southern stewed potatoes. Another easy ranch dinner: slow cooker creamy ranch chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What side goes well with Mississippi chicken?
Rice or mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce are the usual choices. Buttered noodles, biscuits and green beans work well too.
How long do you cook Mississippi chicken?
3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low in a slow cooker, until the chicken reads 165°F on a food thermometer and shreds easily.
Can you use frozen chicken for Mississippi chicken?
Not in the slow cooker. USDA FSIS says to always thaw poultry before it goes into a slow cooker.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes. Boneless skinless thighs work in place of the breasts. Cook them to 165°F, then shred.
Final Notes
Thaw the chicken the night before, load the slow cooker in the morning, and dinner shreds in minutes. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served it over.
Mississippi Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 pounds, thawed
- 12 pepperoncini peppers from a jar
- 1/4 cup pepperoncini juice from the jar
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix 1 ounce
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix 1 ounce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Put the thawed chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
- Pour in the pepperoncini juice, then add the peppers on and around the chicken.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and the au jus gravy mix over the chicken, then place the butter pieces on top.
- Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low, until the chicken reads 165°F on a food thermometer. Keep the lid on except to check.
- Shred the chicken with two forks right in the sauce, toss to coat, then serve.
