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This 5-ingredient Mississippi chicken recipe is really easy to make and perfectly juicy! The signature pepperoncini ranch sauce tastes zesty and amazing.
I think you’ll also enjoy my Creamy Lemon and Herb Pot Roasted Chicken or Mississippi Sloppy Joes.
Why you’ll love it
You’ve probably heard of Mississippi Pot Roast already since it’s so popular, and I’m happy to bring you similar flavors with chicken! It’s super simple to throw together and has an irresistibly tasty savory sauce with pepperoncini peppers.
The magical buttery sauce keeps the chicken nice and moist as it cooks, and then it’s fall-apart tender. Absolute perfection. I love the little kick from the peppers. This Crockpot Mississippi chicken is a family-friendly pantry recipe that will go on repeat and makes fantastic leftovers!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Pepperoncini peppers – these peppers and brine give the sauce its tangy quality. Find them in a jar in the pickle aisle.
- Au jus mix – get one labeled au jus gravy. It’s different than regular gravy.
- Ranch seasoning – I prefer Hidden Valley, but use your favorite
- Butter – for adding luxurious, buttery goodness. Make sure to use unsalted since the seasoning and au jus already contain salt.
Helpful tips
- This recipe has a bit of a kick, but as written, it’s not too spicy. Out of all the hot peppers out there, pepperoncini peppers are fairly mild. If you want it to have more kick, you can go ahead and the whole jar of peppers!
- The chicken should shred easily with two forks. If it doesn’t, simply give it a little more time. I usually cook mine on high for 3.5 hours.
How to make Mississippi chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Add the chicken to your slow cooker, followed by pouring in the pepperoncini juice. Add in the contents of the packets, and arrange the remaining ingredients around and on top of the chicken. Once cooked, shred with two forks and enjoy.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the Crockpot model I use for this recipe.
- An instant read meat thermometer is an inexpensive way to make sure your chicken is cooked perfectly to 165F.
Substitutions and variations
- If salt is a concern, you can use a Homemade Ranch Seasoning vs. the packaged kind.
- You may want to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, especially if you’re planning on cooking it for 8 hours on low heat. Chicken breasts are very lean and can dry out quite easily. I’d use 6-8 boneless skinless chicken breasts depending on their size (you want about 2 lbs. or so).
- If you prefer to make oven baked Mississippi chicken, use a 9×13 baking dish and cook at 375F, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is 165F in the middle.
What to serve with Mississippi chicken
- It’s great over mashed potatoes. Try my classic Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or change it up with these Boursin Mashed Potatoes. Rice works well too!
- It’s also delicious served in a bun with some coleslaw or sweet pickles and mayo for Mississippi chicken sandwiches, or you could serve them as tacos.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover slow cooker Mississippi chicken for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat over a low heat until warmed through.
- You can freeze this one for up to 3 months, but be aware chicken breasts can dry out more in the freezer.
If you made this Mississippi chicken recipe, I’d love it if you left a star rating and review in the comments below! You can also find me on Instagram.
Mississippi Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts boneless skinless
- 12 pepperoncini peppers + 1/4 cup juice from the jar
- 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix I use Hidden Valley
- 1 (1 ounce) packet au jus seasoning
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into pieces
Instructions
- Add the chicken breasts to your slow cooker. Pour in the pepperoncini juice and then add the peppers on/around the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with the ranch and au jus seasoning, and then place the butter on top. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, toss with the sauce, then serve and enjoy.
Notes
- Chicken breasts can dry out, so if you’re planning on cooking it for the full 8 hours, you may want to swap with boneless skinless chicken thighs as they hold up better to slow cooking.
- This recipe is quite salty, so be sure to use unsalted butter and taste before adding any extra salt.
- Adapted from my Mississippi Pot Roast recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love this recipe! Making it for our Christmas get together. So easy and so good!
That’s great, Diane! Thanks for your review. Merry Christmas!
This is a great recipe however I did alter it and much for the better. I read all the comments before starting the recipe and I also did this in the Instant Pot (which felt like lighting fast cooking time).
Here’s how I changed this.
I put the entire packet of Au Jus Mix (at first only 1/2 to taste for saltiness and it wasn’t so bad so I added the rest.
I put only about 1 tbsp of ranch seasoning (not sure how much is in a packet, I buy it now in bulk from Costco, it works on everything so I use it a lot)
The finished product was really good, but missing “depth of flavor.”
I added about a cup of solid tasting beef broth. This is what did the trick.
I also put in a bouquet garnis of rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. That added great flavor as well.
Finally to really make this rich, I put in a whole block of cream cheese (you cannot add this directly to the hot liquid, you need to melt this slowly on the stove and then add a little liquid at a time until it’s smooth. Then I added a bit of corn starch to thicken things up too.
Now, I have a powerfully flavorful dish that I will make again and again.
Serve this over rice or mashed potatoes (my personal favorite). I also should have cut up carrots and potatoes and cooked them with the dish but next time, I’ll try that (similar to pot roast.)
Thanks for the inspiration for a dish I’d never heard of before. Glad I found it and your site.
You’re welcome, Ron!
I made this and it is delicious! We ate it on buns, and everyone wanted the recipe! Thanks for posting this recipe!
You’re very welcome, Diane!