Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken (5 Ingredients, 37g Protein a Sandwich)

Slow cooker Mississippi chicken is the chicken version of the famous Mississippi pot roast: chicken breasts and thighs in the crockpot with a packet of ranch seasoning, a packet of au jus mix, a stick of butter and a handful of pepperoncini, cooked low until it shreds with a fork into a tangy, buttery, peppery pile. Ten minutes of work, five ingredients, and 37 grams of protein in a sandwich.

My Mississippi pot roast is one of the most-made recipes on this site, and the most common question on it is whether it works with chicken. It does, and it is faster: four hours on low instead of eight. I tested it with all breasts, all thighs and a mix, and the mix won. I pile it on toasted buns with provolone, the way I serve my crockpot French dip sandwiches.

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Why slow cooker Mississippi chicken is so good with so little work.

• Five ingredients do everything. Ranch seasoning brings herbs and tang, au jus mix brings deep savory beefy flavor, butter makes it rich, and pepperoncini plus a splash of their brine give it a bright, mildly spicy kick. There is no chopping and no browning.
• Breasts and thighs together. All breasts came out dry and stringy in testing; all thighs were rich but greasy. Half and half gives you juicy, tender shreds that still hold together on a bun, and the same 4 hours cooks both perfectly.
• Thirty-seven grams of protein a sandwich. Three pounds of chicken over ten sandwiches, plus a slice of provolone and a bun, makes a filling dinner. If you skip the bun and serve it over rice or potatoes, check the numbers in the protein calculator.

Here's what you'll need.

Boneless skinless chicken breasts and thighs, one packet of dry ranch seasoning, one packet of au jus gravy mix, one stick of butter, a jar of pepperoncini peppers (you will use some of the brine too), and for serving, brioche buns and sliced provolone.

Here's how it all comes together.

STEP 1 — LAY THE CHICKEN IN THE SLOW COOKER

Lay the chicken breasts and thighs in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker in a single, fairly even layer. There is no need to brown anything or add liquid; the chicken, butter and brine release plenty of juice as it cooks.

STEP 2 — SPRINKLE THE RANCH AND AU JUS MIX

Sprinkle the ranch seasoning packet and the au jus gravy mix evenly over the chicken, covering the top of every piece. Do not stir it in; the seasoning dissolves into the butter and juices as it melts down over the meat.

STEP 3 — ADD BUTTER, PEPPERONCINI AND BRINE

Set the stick of butter in the middle of the chicken, scatter 8 to 10 pepperoncini around it, and pour in ¼ cup of the pepperoncini brine. The brine is my one change from the classic: that splash of vinegar keeps the rich butter from tasting heavy and makes the whole thing brighter.

STEP 4 — COVER AND COOK LOW

Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 4 hours or HIGH for 2½ hours, until the chicken reaches at least 165°F and pulls apart easily. Resist lifting the lid, since every peek adds about 15 minutes. Breasts can dry out past 5 hours on low, so this is not an all-day recipe.

STEP 5 — SHRED WITH TWO FORKS

Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker with two forks and stir it through the buttery juices so every strand soaks it up. Taste for salt (the packets are salty, so it rarely needs more) and slice a few of the pepperoncini into rings if you want more heat in each bite. Let it sit on WARM for 10 minutes to absorb the juices.

STEP 6 — PILE ON TOASTED BUNS WITH PROVOLONE

Split and toast the brioche buns. Pile a big scoop of chicken, lifted with a slotted spoon, onto each bottom bun, top with a slice of provolone and a few pepperoncini rings, and run them under the broiler for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Spoon a little of the juice over the top or serve it on the side for dipping.

If you love dump-and-go dinners like this one but want more of them made with real, fresh ingredients, this is the slow cooker book I cook from, the Ultimate Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.

Things I learned while testing this recipe.

• Use half breasts, half thighs. Breasts alone dried out and shredded into strings in my tests; thighs alone were delicious but greasy with the full stick of butter. A mix gives you tender, juicy chicken that holds together on a bun.
• Four hours on low, not eight. Unlike pot roast, chicken does not get more tender with more time. Past 5 hours on low the breasts turn dry and mealy. If you need to leave it all day, use all thighs, which forgive longer cooking.
• Add the brine and taste before salting. Ranch and au jus packets are both salty, so I never add salt. The ¼ cup of pepperoncini brine balances all that richness; for more tang, slice a few peppers into rings and stir them in after shredding.
• Frozen chicken does not belong in the slow cooker. It sits too long in the unsafe temperature range while it thaws. Thaw it overnight in the fridge first; if you are in a hurry, use an Instant Pot instead (see the FAQ).

Why this is my favorite crockpot chicken to feed a crowd.

• Ten minutes of hands-on time. Lay the chicken, sprinkle two packets, add butter and peppers, and walk away. Shredding at the end takes two minutes, and dinner is ready.
• Thirty-seven grams of protein a sandwich and ten servings. One batch feeds a family twice or a crowd once. It is my go-to for game days and potlucks: keep it on WARM with a stack of buns and a pile of provolone beside it.
• One batch, a week of meals. Sandwiches the first night, then rice bowls, stuffed baked potatoes, quesadillas or a big salad with the leftover shreds. The flavor gets better after a night in the fridge.

Here's what I'd serve with this.

• Baked mac and cheese — the classic potluck side next to a big pile of sandwiches.
• Air fryer smashed potatoes — crispy potatoes to dip in the buttery juices.
• Air fryer Brussels sprouts — a crisp, slightly charred green side.
• Mediterranean chickpea salad — cold and lemony, it cuts right through the butter.
• Roasted cauliflower — a simple roasted vegetable for a lighter plate.

Just in case you have leftovers.

Storing: Cool the shredded chicken in its juices and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keeping it in the juice keeps it moist. To freeze, portion the chicken with some of the juice into freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.

Reheating: Warm it in a covered skillet over medium-low with a few spoonfuls of the juices for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then. In the microwave, heat a covered bowl for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring halfway. Toast the buns fresh each time.

More easy comfort food recipes...

Mississippi pot roast Slow cooker chicken tacos Slow cooker honey garlic chicken Crockpot French dip sandwiches

If you like shredded chicken from the crockpot, my crockpot chicken and rice is another hands-off family dinner. And today's other new comfort food recipe is my cheeseburger soup, creamy, one pot and topped like a burger with pickles and bacon.

More set-it-and-forget-it dinners with real flavor.

The Ultimate Slow Cooker Mediterranean Diet Cookbook is full of hands-off chicken dinners like this one, with herbs, peppers and bright, briny flavors that cook low and slow while you get on with your day.

Get the cookbook on Amazon

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