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With only 5 ingredients, this crock pot Mississippi chicken recipe is one of my favorite meals for busy weeknights! Load up the slow cooker with your chicken, ranch seasoning, and pepperoncini peppers, and a few hours later, you’re tucking into a juicy, flavor-packed dinner.
Saucy Mississippi chicken is Southern comfort food that’s super easy to make in the crock pot. For another set-it-and-forget-it dinner recipe, check out my crock pot rump roast and this creamy slow cooker crack chicken.
With the cold weather setting in lately, I’ve been all about cozy, easy crock pot recipes like this Mississippi chicken. I made it for dinner the other day and served it with a helping of buttermilk mashed potatoes. Instant comfort! Juicy, flavor-packed chicken shredded in savory pepperoncini ranch sauce is exactly what I needed to warm up my Tuesday.
Why You’ll Love This Mississippi Chicken Recipe
- One pot. There’s no chopping or browning to do for this recipe, or really any kind of prep for that matter. Layer everything into the crock pot and hit start.
- Comfort food flavor. I don’t know about you, but any recipe loaded with ranch is a winner in my books (crack chicken, anyone?). This Mississippi chicken recipe has plenty of rich and savory, comforting flavors thanks to ranch dressing mix and onion soup mix in the sauce.
- Super simple. The prep work is less than 5 minutes, and it involves piling all 5 ingredients into the crock pot! Afterward, set your slow cooker and head out for the day. Come home hours later to an amazing dinner. It’s the sort of chicken recipe that’s made for busy weeknights.
What Is Mississippi Chicken?
Mississippi chicken is a spin on a Mississippi pot roast. The original recipe uses slow-cooked beef chuck. The story goes that Robin Chapman of Ripley, MS invented the Mississippi roast when she set out to make a milder version of her aunt’s spicy beef roast. Instead, she made a version with ranch, dry gravy, and pepperoncini peppers. The rest is (delicious) history!
Only 5 Ingredients
Below are some notes on the five easy ingredients you’ll need to make this juicy crockpot Mississippi chicken! Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable ingredient list and the full recipe details.
- Chicken Thighs – Chicken thighs are affordable with good flavor, and they’re harder to overcook than chicken breasts. This makes them ideal for slow cooking! If you have chicken breasts though, those will work just fine, too.
- Ranch Dressing Mix – A packet of ranch seasoning offers instant flavor. Just tear and pour! You can also borrow the seasoning from my homemade ranch dressing.
- Onion Soup Mix – Again, I’m all about the convenience of ready-to-use soup mix here.
- Pepperoncini – Pepperoncini is a pickled sweet pepper with a sweet, mildly spicy, and tangy flavor. You can substitute another type of pickled pepper, like jalapeños. They can be as hot or as mild as you’d like.
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter, whichever you prefer.
Unfortunately, it is not safe to use frozen chicken in your slow cooker. However, you can use chicken that has been frozen and then fully thawed.
How to Make Mississippi Chicken
Mississippi chicken was made for slow cooking. Every inch of chicken gets infused with flavor as it cooks for hours! The steps are super simple and the hands-on part happens once the chicken is cooked. Let’s get started:
- Load the crockpot. Add the chicken, ranch mix, onion soup mix, and pepperoncini (plus juices) to the basin of a crockpot. Give everything a stir and arrange the slices of butter over the chicken.
- Cook. Cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Shred. Shred the chicken inside the slow cooker or on a plate. Use two forks to pull the meat apart.
- Mix. Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker and mix until combined.
- Serve. Serve warm over cooked white rice or mashed potatoes.
Instant Pot Method
To make Instant Pot Mississippi chicken, add everything to your Instant Pot, and hit the poultry button. This will cook the contents at HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. Afterward, let the Instant Pot naturally release (mine usually takes about 12 minutes to depressurize), then shred the chicken and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Just like an original Mississippi pot roast, my favorite way to serve this chicken version is piled over a fat bed of garlicky homemade mashed potatoes. Mississippi chicken is just as great served over jasmine rice or pasta. It’s easy to round out dinner with a vegetable side, like roasted green beans (or a green bean salad), and fluffy garlic bread, cornbread, or dinner rolls to sop up leftover gravy. And a Mississippi mud pie seems fitting for dessert. 😉
How to Store and Reheat
- Store in the fridge: If you have leftover Mississippi Chicken, place the leftovers in an airtight storage container and put it in the refrigerator within two hours of turning the slow cooker off. Use all the leftovers within four days.
- Reheating: Reheat single servings in the microwave or larger amounts on the stovetop. Just be sure the reheated chicken reaches 165˚F and is hot throughout.
- Freezing: This meal freezes well. Transfer extras to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as outlined above.
More Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner Ideas
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Mississippi Chicken
Ingredients
- 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ounce ranch seasoning, from one packet
- 1 ounce onion soup mix, from one packet
- 16 ounces jar of pepperoncini, juices included
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced
Instructions
- Load the slow cooker. Add the chicken, ranch mix, onion soup mix, and pepperoncini (plus juices) to the basin of a crockpot. Give everything a stir and arrange the slices of butter over the chicken.
- Cook. Cook on Low for 7 hours or on High for 4 hours.
- Shred. Shred the chicken inside the crockpot using two forks or shredder claws to pull the meat apart.
- Serve. Serve your Mississippi chicken warm over mashed potatoes or cooked white rice.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
