Mississippi Crock Pot Chicken

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Mississippi Crock Pot Chicken is slow-cooked in the crock pot, has just five simple ingredients, and makes flavorful, tender chicken you can eat as a main dish or save for meal prep.

These juicy chicken breasts shred perfectly into a zesty sauce, making a delicious, hearty meal that everybody will enjoy.

Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken Recipe

If you’re familiar with Mississippi Pot Roasts, you know how savory and delicious Mississippi chicken will be!

This slow cooker dish is loaded with a zesty flavor and a little bit of heat from the pepperoncini peppers.

These two combined with butter and tender chicken creates a dish that melts in your mouth.

Every bite is delightful, so don’t plan for much in the way of leftovers!

The older I get, the more I realize there’s just nothing like a meal that’s as easy as it is delicious.

You know, a hearty, comforting meal that requires no babysitting.

You only need Aus Jus gravy, Ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, butter, and chicken, and you can dig right in.

Pair this easy chicken recipe with a big pile of mashed potatoes or tender rice for dinner tonight.

Or use this easy recipe in meal prep during the week.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat over white meat.

• Pepperoncini peppers and juice: If you find pepperoncini peppers to be to spicy, you can substitute banana peppers.

• Dry ranch seasoning mix: I use Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning Blend, but you can use your favorite brand or make a ranch seasoning blend.

• Au jus gravy mix: My favorite brand for au jus is McCormick. If you can’t find au jus, substitute chicken gravy mix and turkey gravy mix in this recipe.

• Unsalted butter:  You can also use salted.

How to make Mississippi chicken in the Crock Pot

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray for easier cleanup.

If you don’t have nonstick spray on hand, you can use some vegetable oil placed on a paper towel.

Wipe down the sides and bottom of the slow cooker pot, and clean up will be much easier.

Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer over the bottom of the crockpot.

Pour in the pepperoncini juice and water, then add the peppers, laying them on and around the chicken breasts.

Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning and the dry au jus mix over the chicken, then top with the cubed butter.

Cover the crockpot with the lid and cook for 2 1/2 -3 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.

Or until the chicken breasts are very fork-tender when tested at the center.

The safe internal temperature for chicken is 160-165 degrees F.

If the chicken is very fork-tender, shreds quickly when pulled apart with two forks, and the juices run clear.

You can bet you’ve reached that safe internal temperature.

If in doubt, use an instant-read meat thermometer to test the internal temperature at the center of each breast.

Serve the chicken and sauce over cooked rice or mashed potatoes. Chicken is also delicious for making sandwiches and sliders.

What is Mississippi Chicken

This is a timeless recipe for boneless, skinless chicken breasts smothered with ranch seasoning, au jus seasoning, pepperoncini peppers, butter, and their juices.

You can make it on the stovetop, in the oven, in a crockpot, or an Instant Pot.

Keep reading for instructions for your Instant Pot.

How to shred crock pot chicken

When shredding the chicken, remember that hot chicken shreds beautifully while cold chicken is more challenging.

Use two forks to shred the hot chicken breasts, pulling them away from each other.

This will be an effortless task if the chicken breasts are very fork-tender and warm.

Chicken thighs in Mississippi Crockpot Chicken

You can substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for chicken breasts in this recipe – they are delicious!

Remember that the thighs are typically smaller than the breasts (typically), so shorten the cooking time.

When using thighs, I cook them on high for 1 1/2 – 2 hours or on low for 3 – 4 hours.

Or until they are very fork-tender and reach 160-165 degrees F. at the center.

Because thighs have more fat, you can also use a bit less butter if desired.

How to store

If you have any leftovers (we rarely do), put them in a covered, airtight container.

Store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat the chicken in the microwave until hot throughout.

Can you freeze

Yes, you can freeze the entire batch of Mississippi chicken in an airtight container for up to three months.

Thaw and reheat in the microwave.

How to make Mississippi Chicken in the Instant Pot

Place the chicken breasts, pepperoncini peppers, pepperoncini liquid, water, ranch seasoning, au jus seasoning, and butter in the Instant Pot.

Do not stir!

Lock the Instant Pot lid into place.

Choose the manual setting on high pressure for 15 minutes, then bring the Instant Pot to full pressure.

When the timer sounds, allow for a natural pressure release for 15 minutes to let the chicken rest and finish cooking from residual heat.

If any pressure remains at this point, perform a quick release.

Carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid; use two forks to shred the chicken into the sauce. Serve at once.

What is a good side dish to serve with Mississippi Chicken?

We love to have Mississippi Chicken over a bed of mashed potatoes or a pile of rice.

But sometimes, my guys want mac and cheese or cheesy orzo pasta with their chicken.

More favorite chicken recipes

Mississippi Chicken in the Instant Pot is made with the traditional combination of ranch dressing mix, au jus gravy mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers.

Bubble Up Chicken Pot Pie is made with a Pillsbury biscuit crust and is filled with a creamy, hearty filling made with cream of chicken soup, shredded chicken, crispy bacon, and veggies. Everybody loves a classic homemade chicken pot pie, right?

Instant Pot Chicken Tenders with Gravy is a simple, comforting meal of smothered chicken over mashed potatoes or your favorite noodles.

If you’re in search of a creamy, luscious twist on spaghetti pasta, Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti is an easy and delicious slow cooker meal that you’ll be making again and again.