This version of Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken is a spin-off of the infamous Mississippi Pot Roast recipe which has ranch seasoning mix, gravy mix, pepperoncini peppers and butter! The chicken is tangy, not spicy, and great served over plain white rice.
Try my Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe or my SPICY Mississippi Pot Roast recipe if you love this tangy flavor combo.
Why You’ll Love This Mississippi Chicken Recipe
Cooking the chicken with the pepperoncini peppers makes a tangy and delicious sauce that I love to serve over rice. Some like to make sandwiches with this chicken and peppers, but rice is my go-to.
Having a chicken recipe like this on hand keeps the worries of what to cook for dinner at bay. Slow cooking with the crockpot takes the guesswork out of making a flavorful dinner and the tender chicken is something your family is sure to enjoy! We also make Crockpot Chicken Thighs for an easy dinner.
Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Use chicken breasts for easy cooking and shredding. Boneless skinless chicken things can be used.
- Ranch Seasoning Packet: You can use a Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix or one that is labeled “dip”. We also use this mix in our Crack Chicken recipe.
- Chicken Gravy mix: Add a packet of McCormick’s chicken gravy (or any brand you like) for an added flavor and juice for the chicken.
- Butter: The butter will melt perfectly with the other ingredients and will not be overly greasy. Use unsalted butter for the seasoning packets, and peppers can be on the salty side.
- Pepperoncini peppers (and juice): You will be using jarred pepperoncini peppers and some of the liquid of those peppers from the jar. This is not an ingredient that can be substituted, the vinegar from the peppers are what makes the unique flavor of this recipe. Another similar recipe is my Dill Pickle Pot Roast, try that instead if you are unsure of the peppers in this crockpot Mississippi chicken recipe.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One: Place the chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and chicken gravy mix over the chicken.
Step Two – Add the sliced butter on top of the chicken.
Step Three – Pour the pepperoncini juice around the chicken.
Step Four – Place the pepperoncini peppers on and around the chicken.
Step Five – Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours or HIGH heat for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
Step Six – Remove cooked chicken and place in a medium or large bowl.
Step Seven – Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Step Eight – Return the shredded chicken back to the crock pot. Serve the shredded chicken with the flavorful sauce from the slow cooker. Enjoy!
How to Serve
- Easily make delicious sandwiches by putting a nice helping of shredded chicken onto toasted crusty bread. Top with provolone cheese and melt under the broiler for a gooey finish. Serve alongside green beans or a crisp mixed green salad.
- Spoon the tender chicken over creamy mashed potatoes and drizzle some of the flavorful cooking juices for added richness. Garnish with green onions or parsley and serve with a side of steamed green beans. Try this chicken with, crockpot squash au gratin, crockpot mashed potatoes, or crockpot green bean casserole.
- This chicken recipe can also be used as a baked potato topping. Top with provolone cheese for a melty goodness. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and serve alongside roasted cauliflower rice.
- Sauté cauliflower rice until tender, mix in shredded Mississippi Chicken, and top with cheese.
Recipe FAQs
Peperoncino is the generic Italian name for hot peppers. They are peppers that are sold in jars with salty vinegar brine. They are not spicy, though they have a mild kick to them. Pepperoncini peppers are low on the Scoville scale (100-500 SCU) compared to a jalapeno (2500-8000 SCU).
Use thawed chicken when making Mississippi chicken. Some studies suggest it isn’t safe to use frozen meats in the slow cooker for the temperature can stay in the danger zone.
Mississippi chicken is excellent leftover; it only gets better. Store your leftovers in a ziplock bag or Tupperware in the fridge for up to three days or freezer for up to three months.
Yes, Mississippi chicken is lower in carbs but not carb-free. Mississippi chicken has approximately four carbs per serving.
If you want to convert this recipe to an instant pot recipe, check out this instant pot misssissippi chicken recipe from Adventures of a Nurse.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 oz. packet ranch dressing mix
- .87 oz. packet chicken gravy mix
- ½ cup unsalted butter sliced
- ¼ Cup pepperoncini juice
- 10-12 pepperoncini peppers
Instructions:
- Place the chicken breast in the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle on the ranch dressing mix and chicken gravy mix over the chicken.
- Add the sliced butter on top of the chicken.
- Pour the pepperoncini juice around the chicken.
- Place the pepperoncini peppers on and around the chicken.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW heat for 6-8 hours or HIGH heat for 4 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- Once cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Serve the shredded chicken with the flavorful sauce from the slow cooker. Enjoy!
How to Video:
Sarah’s Notes:
- This recipe can easily be doubled or halved to adjust the serving size.
- Adjust the amount of pepperoncini peppers according to your preference for spiciness.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts for this recipe. Both work well and result in tender, flavorful chicken.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can mix a tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water and add it to the slow cooker during the last 30 minutes of cooking. This will help thicken the sauce.
- To enhance the flavor, you can sprinkle some dried herbs such as thyme or rosemary into the slow cooker along with the other ingredients.
- Serve the Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken over rice, mashed potatoes, or inside sandwiches for a delicious meal
- Mississippi chicken is excellent leftover; it only gets better. Store your leftovers in a ziplock bag or Tupperware in the fridge for up to three days or freezer for up to three months.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
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Robinetto says
I didn’t like it! Way too spicy for me and I love pepperoncinis. May havecadded too much of the liquid, IDK…
Mechelle says
Anybody else’s juice turn out congealed after cooking?
Ash says
Did you trim the fat off the chicken? Maybe that caused it.
Megan T. says
My husband and I can’t get enough of this delicious recipe. We LOVE to shred it and use it for tacos w/white corn tortillas. SO flavorful and SO good. Great with pickled veggies and Monterey cheese
Sarah Olson says
So great to hear! I love your serving idea!
Hayley says
This was so so good and so easy! Literally a “dump and go” recipe. The chicken just falls apart it is so tender and so tangy! Going into my regular rotation of recipes!
ted says
This was super delicious. I will make it over and over again. I added a 1/2 tablespoon of ghee and also about 2 tsp of Brown sugar to just cut the acid a little bit. And if you are wondering, is ghee good for you- YES!! It is. So this going to be a definite addition to my recipes!!
Dave says
Good recipe! Made it for dinner last night. Chicken thighs were tender and juicy. Added some fresh cut carrots and small cubes of potatoes (because I love them and didn’t want to serve a separate side dish) and they were tender and flavorful just like the chicken. Also used half the pepperoni juice from the jar and one cup of organic chicken broth to keep it mild and not too spicy. Added 2 tablespoons of butter to help flavor potatoes and carrots. Very tasty!
Carla says
Thanks so much for the link back 🙂 Carla
Susie M says
just thought you might want to know that “infamous” means being famous for something bad. 😉
Sarah Olson says
Yeah, I know. It’s a very controversial recipe. People in the Facebook slow cooker groups are tired of it (its the most posted recipe) and some think the stick of butter is too much.
Kathy says
Can you use bone in chicken thighs?
Sarah Olson says
Yes! Bone-in thighs will work well.
Sandra says
This recipe was very flavorful but very spicy. I was disapppointed after cooking it all day to find out it was too spicy for us to eat.
Jerry Rotz says
I’ve tried several on your Crock Pot recipes, and think they’re simple and delicious.
BUT…
After looking at the ingredients of the Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing seasoning, I now understand why these meals taste so good… One of the main ingredients is MSG! Most of the rest are artificial additives, too.
So, of you’re ok with MSG (I was wondering why my ears were ringing…), these Ranch Dressing recipes are wonderfully delicious. If not, try adding your own natural spices – the flavor won’t be as good but it might be better for you.
Sarah Olson says
I hear ya, Jerry! I love recipes with it in them, and I try not to eat it too much. Often I will add plenty of garlic powder, onion powder and parsley to a recipe and it’s a similar flavor.
Sarah says
You can get a version of Hidden Valley seasoning with no MSG! It comes in a big container and I get it at Costco – it’s called Hidden Valley Homestyle ranch seasoning. The ingredient profile isn’t perfect but it’s good enough for me, and no MSG.
peachy says
There are a lot of recipes to make your own ranch dressing mix. I mix my own and store it in canning jars. I use them for my recipes and give jars to family
Ramona L Mills says
This was super delicious I will make it over and over again. I added a 1/2 of stick of butter and also about 2 tsp of Brown sugar to just cut the acid a little bit. Going to be a definite addition to my recipes!!!