Mississippi Chicken

Mississippi Chicken is made with tender chicken breast, ranch seasoning, and tangy pepperoncini peppers all slow cooked to perfection in the crock pot! With only 5 ingredients, this dinner is quick, easy, and DELICIOUS! Serve it as sandwiches, over salads, potatoes, or straight from the crock pot, any way you dish it out, it is always a family favorite!

this Recipe

Mississippi Chicken – The EASY Way!

There is almost nothing easier than tossing a few ingredients in the crock pot and letting it work it’s magic, and that is exactly what this slow cooker Mississippi Chicken is! Set it and forget it! 5 ingredients go in the the pot and a few hours later, the most tender, flavorful chicken is ready to eat.

Based on our wildly popular Mississippi Pot Roast, this chicken version is every bit as tasty and a great way to change up the flavors when this dish is a family favorite.

What I LOVE about this recipe:

• 5 simple ingredients! Nothing fancy!
• Quick– There is little to no prep involved.
• Cooks hands off– No need to babysit, stir, or add things to this recipe. Just set it and forget it!
• Lots of serving options– You can make everything from sandwiches, to salads, to bowls, and more with this chicken as the base.
• Kid friendly– Adjust the tanginess and heat by the type of peppers you use, so you can have anything from mild to spicy depending on your family’s preference.
• Leftovers pull double duty! You can use leftovers for the base of all sorts of other meals to save more time in the kitchen.

Recipe Notes

Just like the the roast, this Mississippi Chicken recipe is as simple as promised! Just 5 ingredient + a crock pot for a family friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast- I most frequently use chicken breast to make this recipe, however you can also use chicken thighs to make Mississippi Chicken. If you need to cook for a longer time, I always recommend using chicken thighs over chicken breast because they will stay more tender and juicy while cooking longer.
  
• Pepperoncini peppers– These are found near the olives or pickles. You can use peperoncini peppers, or banana peppers in this recipe. Make sure to pay attention to the label because it should indicate whether it is mild, medium or hot. I generally use mild since we eat this as a family, but if you like a little heat, you can get this pretty spicy depending on the peppers you choose.
  
• Au jus gravy mix– This is the mix I use. The packets of au jus gravy mix can generally be found near the spices in the grocery store. You can substitute turkey gravy or chicken gravy mix if needed.
  
• Ranch mix– You can use a Hidden Valley ranch mix packet or, our homemade ranch seasoning mix. Both turn out great!
  
• Garlic cloves- This adds that fresh garlicky taste to the dish. I prefer to use fresh garlic, but will use garlic paste in a pinch.

Recipe Tips

1. Use Sliced Pepperoncini Peppers– When you find these at the store, there will be whole and sliced varieties. Both will work in this recipe, but getting them pre-sliced saves you lots of time! You should see it indicated on the label. If you ened up with whole peppers, just slice them up before adding to the crock pot.
   
2. Adjust pepper amount to taste. This Mississippi Chicken recipe has been created the way my family enjoys it, using about 1/2 jar of peppers. If your family likes more or less peppers, you can adjust them without impacting the integrity of the recipe.
   
3. Sprinkle the seasoning– Sprinkle both the ranch dressing mix and gravy mix seasonings evenly over the chicken. This is most important if you are not shredding the chicken, but if you plan to shred and mix, they will work themselves out better even if they aren’t sprinkled as evenly.
   
4. Not too much liquid– I frequently get questions about adding more broth or liquid to the slow cooker when cooking chicken. This recipe has a little liquid from the peppers, but as it cooks, natural juices will release from the chicken, mixing with the ranch and gravy mixes to form a light gravy. If you like more juices, you can add additional chicken broth to the chicken before cooking.
   
5. Don’t Overcook! Crock pot recipes are awesome since they can cook hands off and since the moisture is kept in, things almost never actually burn. That said, you can still over cook meat in the slow cooker and a lean meat like chicken breast needs less time than you may realize.
   
   Generally up to 3 on high, or 4 on low will be enough to cook to or beyond the suggested safe temperature of 165˚F. If you need to cook for longer (because you are working, or otherwise occupied) I would recommend using chicken thighs which will give a better result for an extended cooking time.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Buy sliced peppers– As mentioned above, this is the #1 time saver for this recipe.
• Prep the night before– You can have the Mississippi Chicken completely ready to go in the inner pot of the crockpot and then just cover and refrigerate over night. When ready to cook the next day, just pop it back in the crock pot and cook.
• Prepare as a freezer meal– Can be prepared up to 6 months in advance. See full instructions below in the freezer meal section!

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

• Creamy Mississippi Chicken– Make recipe as directed. Once the chicken is done and shredded, stir in 8 oz softened cream cheese.
• Baked Mississippi Chicken– Arrange chicken breasts in a baking dish. Cover on both sides with ranch and gravy seasonings. Top with peppers and juices. Add 2 tablespoons of butter in pats over the top of the chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 40-50 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp)
• Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken with Tomatoes– Make recipe as directed adding 1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles to the crock pot. Cook as directed.

Freezer Meal Instructions

This recipe for Crockpot Mississippi Chicken can be prepared as a freezer meal to make on another busy night, or give to a friend in need.

1. Add chicken to freezer bag or freezer friendly container.
2. Cover the chicken breast with ranch mix, au jus mix, and pressed garlic.
3. Add all of the peperoncini peppers on top and around the chicken, Pour 2 tablespoons of the juices from the jar over the top and discard the rest.
4. Freeze.
5. When ready to eat, you can thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or cook from frozen (which may take additional cooking time.)
6. Once done shred, mix and serve!

For the best flavor, this meal can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Mississippi Chicken Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making XXX, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.

To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to a month

Leftover Recipes

Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!

• Mississippi Chicken Wraps– On a large flatbread, spread a layer of ranch. Pile on leftover chicken and shredded Italian blend cheese if desired. Then add some mixed greens and any other desired toppings- shredded carrots, crumbled bacon, sliced tomato, etc. Roll up and enjoy!
• Mississippi Chicken Bowls– On a bed of rice (or other grain) add shredded chicken and peppers. Add your choice of thinly sliced onion, shredded lettuce and your choice of veggies, diced bell pepper, mushroom, shredded carrots, etc. drizzle with ranch dressing. Enjoy!
• Mississippi Chicken Baked Subs– Slice a sub roll and butter each side and season with garlic salt. Broil for a few minutes until the butter is melted and the edges are brown. Pile on the Mississippi Chicken Roast and then add provolone cheese on top. Broil again to melt the cheese. Serve like this, or add shredded lettuce and tomato to the top.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my EASY Dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Crock Pot Meatballs in Marinara
• Green Chile Chicken Casserole
• Asian Style Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs
• Chicken and Stuffing Casserole