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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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Can you use bone in chicken breasts for this? What I have an looking to use them up. Trying this recipe this weekend and looking forward to it!
Thanks!
Hi! Yes absolutely. I think timing should still be the same, but just always ensure chicken is 165F in the thickest part to be safe. Let me know how it goes! 😀
Next time I’ll use chicken thighs (or at least a mix) because the breasts were a little dry. Also, I HIGHLY recommend serving this over pearl cous cous (turmeric cous cous if your store has it). My friend takes the leftover meat and cous cous the next day, wraps it into egg roll wrappers and deep fried them. I cannot telll you how delicious they are!!!
Great idea!!
Do you recommend browning the chicken first?
Hi! I’ve only made it as written. I suppose you could brown it, but I don’t think it’ll make too much of a difference like it would with the beef roast.
Hi! Would this work in the instant pot?? If so, what do you think the time would be?? Thanks!!
Hi Meg! I’ve never done it in the IP, but I think some other readers may have, so you could read thru the comments and see. At a guess, 8-10 minutes on high pressure should do it.
Hi I’ve made this in the instant pot several times. It is perfect. I believe I did 8 minutes.
Very tasty! And very easy! This will certainly be a regular in our dinner rotation. We used 2.25 lb of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and I think we probably could have gone up to 3lbs. Looking forward to trying the Mississippi Roast next.
How long did you cook it for? I’m using thighs as well.
I’d give it the same… just test to see if they shred easily. If not, give it a little longer. Enjoy!
Very tasty! And very easy! This will certainly be a regular in our dinner rotation. Looking forward to trying the Mississippi Roast next.
Wonderful!! 😀 Thanks, Lauren!
had my family over for dinner and served this over mashed potatoes- it was a hit! perfectly tender chicken packed with flavor! delicious!
Thank you so much, Gabbi!! 😀 Appreciate your 5-star review! XO
This was so easy to make and the first recipe that has turned out perfectly for me. I baked it in the oven and served it over rice. It tastes amazing. Thank you so much for all of the details and helpful hints (especially the pictures of the ingredients). I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Aww you are very welcome, Vicki!! Thanks so much for your review!
Perfectly easy and tasty for a busy weekday. It’s on rotation in my home
Wonderful!! Thank you!!
Can I use chicken breasts from frozen?
Hi! It’s actually not recommended to put frozen chicken in the slow cooker (food safety reasons). In an Instant Pot (pressure cooker) you can, but slow cooking can breed bacteria.
I did pork and it was delicious! Seared it off to give it a nice crust and then cooked for a very long time in crockpot. Next time going to use an electric roaster since it will fit in the container better with the quantity of meat a large boston butt takes up. Thanks for the recipe!
Love that!!