Description
Mississippi chicken brings together tender chicken with zesty peppers and tangy ranch for a comforting Southern-style dish. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a classic meal that satisfies hunger and delights families at the dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3–4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) or thighs
- 1 packet ranch seasoning mix (1 oz / 28 g)
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix (1 oz / 28 g)
- ½ cup butter (1 stick), sliced
- 6–8 pepperoncini peppers
- 2 tbsps pepperoncini juice
Instructions
- Layering: Position chicken breasts in a uniform, single layer across the bottom of the slow cooker, creating an even cooking surface.
- Seasoning Infusion: Distribute ranch seasoning mix generously over chicken, ensuring complete and thorough coverage to maximize flavor penetration.
- Pepper Distribution: Scatter pepperoncini peppers strategically around and between chicken pieces, creating a balanced heat and aromatic profile.
- Moisture Enhancement: Drizzle melted butter across the entire dish, allowing it to cascade and permeate the chicken and peppers, promoting tenderness and depth of flavor.
- Slow Cooking Process: Secure slow cooker lid and set to low heat, allowing ingredients to gently simmer and harmonize flavors over several hours until chicken becomes fork-tender.
- Texture Transformation: Utilize two forks to shred chicken directly within the cooking liquid, enabling maximum flavor absorption and creating a moist, succulent protein.
- Resting and Serving: Allow shredded chicken to rest in its juices for 10-15 minutes, then present as a versatile main course over rice, inside sandwiches, or as a standalone protein, generously spooning additional pan juices for extra moisture.
Notes
- Select Chicken Carefully: Choose fresh, boneless, skinless chicken breasts of uniform thickness to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the dish.
- Optimize Seasoning Distribution: Use a fine-mesh sifter or shake the ranch seasoning mix evenly to prevent clumping and guarantee balanced flavor in every bite.
- Control Pepper Heat: Adjust the number of pepperoncini peppers based on personal spice tolerance, removing seeds for milder flavor or adding more for extra kick.
- Prevent Dryness: Avoid overcooking by checking chicken’s internal temperature, which should reach 165°F (74°C) to maintain juiciness and prevent tough, stringy meat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (LOW) or 4 hours (HIGH)
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 33
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg