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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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Hi!
I need your help with something, I’m surely not good with .
Could you please help me with the ingredient amounts to make this recipe to feed 80 to 90 people.
I have made both the chicken and beef recipe for my family of 8, which they loved.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi Linda! Glad to hear that your family enjoys this one and the beef one. I haven’t ever cooked for that many people… and I am not good with math either so you might want to double check my suggestions lol. You’d probably want to multiply everything by 15. So, 15 packets each of ranch and au jus mix, and 15 sticks of butter. You’d probably want to buy 10 jars or so of the peppers since it can vary how many are in each jar. And 60 chicken breasts. You could probably do 2-3 batches in the slow cooker at once but you may need to adjust timing a bit. Definitely use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is properly cooked.
My daughters and I love this recipe, the chicken is so juicy with so much flavor. My wife dislikes it she says the banana peppers are overwhelming. She is Asian and some of her traditional food I don’t care for so when she makes one of those dishes , I get to make this .
Hi Mikey!! Glad it’s a fave with you and your girls! 😀
What is your recommendation on thawed vs frozen chicken breasts? What if it’s a mixture of both thawed & frozen? 😀
Hi! For the slow cooker, you should never use frozen chicken for food safety reasons, so I would thaw them. In the Instant Pot frozen chicken is fine, though.
Yummy and easy! I paired with your Boursin potatoes and served with green beans and a roll. Another winner 🏆
Thank you!! I’m thrilled you enjoyed both of them! 😀
Absolutely delicious! Was familiar with the chuck roast version of this dish, but the chicken might be better. 10/10- a must try!
Thanks so much, Liz!! 😀
Will be trying this tonight! Is it okay to use frozen chicken breasts?
Hi! For food safety reasons it’s not recommended to use frozen chicken in the slow cooker.
Wowza! This even better than expected! I am GF so I substituted the au jus for herbox beef bullion. Everything else is exactly the same. Serving them like pulled pork sandwhiches and adding a slice of provolone. I am just blown away.
I’m thrilled you liked it, Ellen! Thanks for your review!
Absolutely delicious. Left overs make. Wonderful enchiladas and tacos. Yum!
Thank you so much, Sky!