Crock Pot Mississippi chicken includes a rich, zesty, and tangy combination of chicken and onions with Ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, butter, and pepperoncini. This easy dinner practically makes itself — with just 10 minutes of prep! Serve the pulled chicken over rice or mashed potatoes, in sandwiches, or alongside 3-ingredient buttermilk biscuits, cornbread, or collard greens.
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If you’re looking for even more slow cooker chicken recipes, be sure to try this fiesta crockpot chicken, this crock pot garlic sesame brown sugar chicken, and a cozy bowl of crock pot chicken noodle soup, too!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- Mississippi chicken (or “chicken Mississippi”) is a twist on the classic beef-based Mississippi pot roast. There’s even a pork version, too! The original Mississippi Pot Roast recipe first gained popularity in the early 2000’s, when a Mississippi woman named Robin Chapman created the meal as a twist on her aunt’s chuck roast recipe. Robin’s recipe included 5 simple ingredients: a chuck roast, a packet of au jus gravy mix, a packet of dry ranch seasoning mix, a stick of butter, and pepperoncini peppers. Sounds like an odd combination, but it works! The mild peppers add just a touch of acidic tang to balance the rich, succulent meat.
- Either boneless, skinless chicken breasts or boneless, skinless chicken thighs will work. The thighs tend to stay a bit juicier in the slow cooker, but both the white meat and the dark meat are great.
- Do not add any extra salt to the chicken before it’s cooked through and you give it a taste. The au jus gravy mix and the ranch seasoning mix both include a lot of salt, so you likely won’t need any more. I also recommend unsalted butter and either water or low-sodium broth for the same reason.
- Packets of au jus gravy mix are not the same as a packet of brown gravy mix. The brown gravy mix will be much thicker and will change the consistency of your dish, so make sure that you use au jus mix.
Directions
You won’t believe how quickly this tangy crockpot Mississippi chicken recipe comes together! Whether or not you consider yourself a cook, I can assure you that it’s virtually impossible to mess up this dish. Best of all, it’s a hands-off meal that practically makes itself! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s my overview:
- Place onion in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken broth to the pot, and place chicken breasts (or chicken thighs) on top.
- Sprinkle the au jus gravy mix and the Ranch dressing mix over all of the ingredients in the pot.
- Place the butter on top of the chicken.
- Add the pepperoncini and pour in 2 tablespoons of pepperoncini juice.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. All slow cookers run at slightly different temperatures, so be careful not to overcook your chicken. The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Shred the chicken with two forks, then return the meat to the sauce and give it a good stir.
- Garnish the shredded chicken and gravy with chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley), and serve!
Serving Suggestions
This pulled chicken Mississippi is incredibly versatile. Serve it over rice, cauliflower rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes; tucked inside a sandwich bun with melted provolone cheese on top; or paired with any of your favorite sides. It’s great alongside vinegar coleslaw, Southern-style green beans, cucumber tomato onion salad, a dump-and-bake vegetable casserole with rice, a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, or a crisp green salad dressed in red wine vinegar salad dressing.
Storage Tips
- How to Store: Leftover Mississippi chicken will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To extend the life of your pulled chicken, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Make it a Freezer Meal: Freeze the raw ingredients together in a large Ziploc freezer bag if you’re prepping a batch of freezer meals. Thaw the bag in the refrigerator overnight, and then dump everything from the bag into a slow cooker when you’re ready to cook the meat.
- How to Reheat: Place the cooked chicken and sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop. Cover with a lid and warm over low heat, just until the meat reaches the desired temperature (stirring regularly). You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.
Delicious Sunday night meal. We used chicken thighs and served it over rice with a side salad. Simple and everyone enjoyed it!
– Jamee
More Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
Crock Pot Chicken with Gravy
4 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Ranch Chicken Crock Pot Recipe
4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Crock Pot Chicken Stew
8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
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Crock Pot Mississippi Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 (1-ounce) packet au jus gravy mix (such as McCormick brand)
- 1 (1-ounce) packet dry ranch dressing and seasoning mix (such as Hidden Valley brand)
- ¼ cup (half of a stick) unsalted butter, cubed
- 6 pepperoncini peppers, plus 2 tablespoons of juice from the jar
- Optional, for serving: chopped fresh parsley; cooked rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, cornbread, biscuits, or sandwich rolls
Instructions
- Place onion in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add the chicken broth (or water). Arrange chicken on top of the onion.
- Sprinkle au jus mix and ranch seasoning mix over the ingredients in the pot. Place butter pieces on top of chicken.
- Add pepperoncini and 2 tablespoons of juice around the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks. Stir the meat back into the sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes, tucked inside baked potatoes or sandwiches, or with a loaf of crusty bread, biscuits, or cornbread.
Notes
- Make it a Freezer Meal: Freeze the raw ingredients together in a large Ziploc freezer bag. Thaw the bag in the refrigerator overnight, and then dump everything from the bag into a slow cooker when you’re ready to cook the meat.
- The pulled chicken and sauce are delicious served over rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. The meat is also great tucked inside sandwiches.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Serving a larger group? Double all of the ingredients.
- Make it spicy by adding some cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to the seasoning in the pot.
- Add some minced garlic to the Crock Pot for even more savory flavor.
This recipe was originally published in May, 2022. It was updated in July, 2024.
Delicious Sunday night meal. We used t chicken thighs and served it over rice with a side salad. Simple and everyone enjoyed it!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you, Jamee!
I cannot wait to try this lovely looking dish! Thank you so much for posting all the recipes that you do. I thoroughly enjoy your content and overall vibe of your blog. Getting the weekly email always gives me inspiration on what to do for dinner. After this I want to make your Dorito Taco Salad.
That’s so good to hear, Dee! I hope that you enjoy both of the meals. Thank you for reading along with me each week!
I tried several of the recipes listed with the Mississippi chicken. All were super. I am going to try to make Mississippi venison. Thanks for the ideas.
That’s great, Kathy! I hope that the venison works well, too!
Ll
I love your recipes
Thank you, Carolyn!
I love how simple yet flavorful this dish is. Thank you for all the effort you put into creating and sharing such delightful recipes. Keep up the fantastic work!
Thank you so much, Amanda! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes and appreciate your kind words.