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If you love the pot roast version, then you’ll love this weeknight Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken that’s bursting with juicy tangy flavor. This dinner is made in under 15 minutes and is one the whole family will enjoy, especially if served over mashed potatoes.
What is Mississippi Chicken
Similar to Mississippi Pot Roast, this easy chicken recipe is made using a few key ingredients, which give it a distinct tangy flavor. You’ll need ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, and a bottle of pepperoncini. It’s then shredded and served over mashed potatoes or rice.
This easy weeknight meal can be made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker and it’s one the whole family will love.
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken – You’ll need boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe.
- Au Jus Gravy Mix – Using Au Jus Gravy Mix works best to make a thicker gravy for this recipe rather than a basic gravy mix, however, sometimes it can be hard to find and it does have a good bit of sodium in it. You can make you’re own by combining 4 teaspoons of onion powder, 4 teaspoons of dried parsley, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Pepperoncini Peppers – can’t find the pepperoncini peppers or just don’t like them? You can use banana peppers instead.
- Pepperoncini Juice – this juice has a very slight kick to it and if you don’t like even a hint of spice I suggest leaving it out altogether.
How to Make Mississippi Chicken in Instant Pot
- Arrange the chicken. Place the chicken in the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour the chicken broth, and pepperoncini juice on top.
- Add the seasoning. Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and Au Jus gravy mix on top and spread the pepperoncini peppers around the chicken. Top with the cut butter.
- Set the timer. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent to the SEALING position. Set to MANUAL and adjust the time to 8 minutes.
- Release the steam. Allow a quick release of the steam for 5 minutes by turning the vent to the venting position.
- Shred the chicken. Using two forks shred the chicken and stir it into the gravy mixture.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken
This Mississippi chicken in the Instant Pot is also delicious and served over buttery and fluffy mashed potatoes. There’s more than one way to serve it though and some of my favorite options are below.
- Sandwich Style. Serve it on toasted bread with some mayonnaise and melted provolone cheese for a delicious sandwich.
- Over mashed potatoes. This classic option is a classic for a reason. When the gravy is mixed with the mashed potatoes it’s pure bliss.
- Spoon it over egg noodles. To make this into a pasta-style dish use egg noodles.
- Serve it with rice. This is a simple serving option that is also quick and just as tasty.
- Low Carb. To keep this recipe low card you can serve it over mashed cauliflower and also get in some extra vegetables.
Cooking Methods
This Mississippi Chicken isn’t just limited to the Instant Pot, though I sometimes prefer Instant Pot recipes these days, but it can also be made in a slow cooker or baked in the oven. Find the directions below.
Slow Cooker Method
- Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and top with chicken broth, pepperoncini juice, ranch seasoning mix, and au jus gravy mix.
- Arrange the pepperoncini around the chicken and layer the cut butter on top.
- Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
- Shred the chicken using two forks.
Oven Baked Method
For this version, you will omit the chicken broth and pepperoncini juice and use 1/2 cup of butter sliced.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Arrange the chicken in the dish and sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and au just gravy mix on top.
- Place the pepperoncini peppers around the chicken and layer the butter over the chicken breasts.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Why this Recipe Works
- Can be made in under 15 minutes. This Mississippi chicken in the Instant Pot is made in 8 minutes with only 5 minutes of prep. Better yet, there are only 7 ingredients making it a budget-friendly meal as well.
- Freezer-friendly. You can easily double this Mississippi chicken to make leftovers or freeze it for another time.
- Healthy. This simple chicken is low-carb and keto-friendly and can also be enjoyed with a side salad instead of mashed potatoes or bread.
Expert Tips:
- To thicken the gravy scoop 1/4 cup of the juices at the bottom into a small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to create a slurry. Return the mixture to the Instant Pot and stir in.
- Do not make the ranch dressing or au jus gravy. The packets will be sprinkled directly on top of the chicken.
- Sprinkle some mozzarella or provolone cheese on top (especially if you’re using the oven-baked method) for some added flavor.
- For even more flavor a drop of sour cream on top of the chicken before you serve it.
FAQs
Yes. If you plan on using frozen chicken breasts set the cooking time to 10 minutes instead of 8 minutes.
Yes, you can omit the butter or substitute it for shortening or a non-dairy version of butter.
Yes, you can, however, the gravy will not be as thick as it would using au jus mix.
Yes, you can add more vegetables to Mississippi chicken, and both fresh or frozen vegetables will work. Some delicious options are broccoli, bell peppers, celery, Brussels sprouts, onions, and shallots.
If you made any of this Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken I want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars so I can see your beautiful work. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot
- Measuring Cup
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chicken Breast boneless, skinless
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup Pepperoncini Juice
- 1 ounce Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
- 1 ounce Au Jus Gravy Mix
- 10 Whole Pepperoncinis
- 4 tablespoons Butter cut into pieces
Instructions
- Arrange the chicken breast in the bottom of the Instant Pot and pour the chicken broth, and pepperoncini juice on top.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and Au Jus gravy mix on top and spread the pepperoncini peppers around the chicken. Top with the cut butter.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent to SEALING position. Set to MANUAL and adjust the time to 8 minutes.
- Allow a natural release of the steam for 5 minutes before turning the vent to the venting position.
- Using two forks shred the chicken and stir into the gravy mixture.
Notes
- To thicken the gravy scoop 1/4 cup of the juices at the bottom into a small bowl and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to create a slurry. Return the mixture to the Instant Pot and stir in.
- Do not make the ranch dressing or au jus gravy. The packets will be sprinkled directly on top of the chicken.
- Sprinkle some mozzarella or provolone cheese on top (especially if you’re using the oven-baked method) for some added flavor.
- For even more flavor a drop of sour cream on top of the chicken before you serve it.
Other Cooking Methods
Slow Cooker Method:
- Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker and top with chicken broth, pepperoncini juice, ranch seasoning mix, au jus gravy mix.
- Arrange the pepperoncini peppers around the chicken and layer the cut butter on top.
- Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 6 to 8 hours.
- Shred the chicken using two forks.
Oven-Baked Method:
For this version, you will omit the chicken broth and pepperoncini juice and use 1/2 cup of butter sliced.- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Arrange the chicken in the dish and sprinkle the ranch seasoning mix and au just gravy mix on top.
- Place the pepperoncini peppers around the chicken and layer the butter over the chicken breasts.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
The chicken breast was not cooked after 10 minutes, even though I used only partially frozen chicken breasts. This happened to me another time, when I made this with fresh chicken breasts, and it took 2 different instant pot cookings doing 20 minutes for each time, so a total of 40 minutes. Anything less, and I could not shred the chicken, as it was still too hard/uncooked to shred.
I took a look at your recipe for Mississippi Beef, and that recipe had the cooking time as for way longer. I understand beef takes a bit more time to cook than chicken breasts, but 8-10 minutes seems like it’s not enough.
The recipe itself is great, though….thanks for posting it! It’s one of my fav dinners. When I make it in a crockpot, it needs to be cooked for about 5-6 hours on high in order to be able to shred the chicken.
Hey Joyce, I’m sorry to hear this happened with your chicken. I will test the recipe out myself again soon to re-check the timing. I always recipe test each recipe before posting it but am happy to troubleshoot again if someone runs into problems with it. Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you were able to get it to work.