Mississippi Chicken (Slow-Cooker)

american-mississippi-chicken This 5 ingredient Mississippi chicken recipe is really easy to make and perfectly juicy. The signature pepperoncini ranch sauce tastes zesty and amazing. You’ve probably heard of Mississippi Pot Roast already since it’s so popular so I’m happy to bring you similar flavours with chicken. It’s super simple to throw together and has an irresistibly tasty savoury 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 Slow-Cooker Mississippi chicken is a family-friendly pantry recipe that will go on repeat and makes fantastic leftovers.

4 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
12 pepperoncini peppers, from jar
¼ cup pepperoncini juice/brine, from jar
1 (1 oz) pkg ranch seasoning mix, such as Hidden Valley
1 (1 oz) pkg au jus gravy mix
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To Serve:
mashed potatoes

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, then place the butter on top.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Shred the chicken with two forks, toss with the sauce, then serve over mashed potatoes.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's 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.
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 3½ hours.

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.

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 9x13" baking dish and cook at 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5), uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is 165°F in the middle.