Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken

You may have heard of Mississippi Roast, but have you heard of Mississippi Chicken? It’s such a simple and delicious recipe that it’s hard to believe that more people haven’t heard of it.

This recipe has less than 5 ingredients and can be easily made in less than 10 minutes in an Instant Pot or another type of pressure cooker. All you need is chicken, pepperoncini peppers, and Ranch seasoning. 

With these few ingredients, you can serve this recipe 10 plus different ways. Ready to get cooking?

Making Mississippi Chicken

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs Chicken thighs
• 12 oz Pepperoncini peppers (also known as banana peppers)
• ½ cup chicken broth 
• 1 packet of Ranch seasoning

Instructions

1. Add the chicken thighs, Pepperoncini peppers, chicken broth and Ranch seasoning to the Instant Pot.
2. Set your Instant Pot to High Pressure for 8 minutes. 
3. After 8 minutes let the steam naturally release for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest of the way.
4. Shred chicken with a fork and serve over rice or cauliflower rice. 

Recipe Notes

White meat versus dark meat – If you’re more of a white meat lover than a dark meat chicken lover, you can definitely use skinless chicken breasts. 

Frozen chicken – You can also use frozen chicken, you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time appropriately. 

Crockpot or slow cooker – Looking to use your slow cooker or crockpot? You can also slow cook your chicken.

Butter and au jus mix – Some recipes for Mississippi Chicken also call for butter and au jus mix. Whether you include them is totally up to you. If you’re using chicken breasts, however, the butter will add both additional flavor and fat. 

Can I make Mississippi Chicken in a crockpot or slow cooker?

Yes, you can definitely make this recipe in a crockpot. You’ll need to adjust the cooking time obviously. 

Cooking time for a slower cooker: 6-8 hours.

Dark Versus Light Meat for Mississippi Chicken

You can make Mississippi Chicken with either dark or light meat. It really depends on your preference, how you are serving it and if you have any dietary restrictions or preferences. 

My personal opinion is that dark meat is always going to be more moist and a bit more flavorful. With that said, if you’re making it in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, it’s pretty easy to make chicken breasts and not overcook them. 

If you’re making your Mississippi Chicken and serving it over creamy mashed potatoes, using chicken breasts is a less fatty part of the chicken and will pair nicely with creamy buttery mashed potatoes. 

If you’re on a keto diet and serving your chicken with cauliflower rice, then making it with chicken thighs would be a better choice. 

The flavor of this chicken is so delicious, whichever you choose, you’ll definitely enjoy it.

Is Mississippi Chicken Keto-Friendly?

This recipe is most definitely keto-friendly! As long as what you serve it with is also keto. Below are a few of my favorite keto-friendly recommendations to serve with this chicken recipe. 

• Cauliflower rice
• Mashed cauliflower
• Keto-friendly bread
• Keto-friendly pasta such as heart of palm pasta

Have more questions about the keto diet? Here are the top 10 most frequently asked questions about going keto. 

How to Serve Mississippi Chicken

Serve the shredded chicken over rice, mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, or mashed cauliflower if you’re watching your carb intake or on a keto diet. Below are a few creative ways to use this chicken dish. 

Tacos –  Use this chicken as taco meat. Dice up some toppings such as red onion, avocado and tomatoes. 

Hoagie – Slice up a hoagie bun, add your chicken and a few slices of Provolone cheese. Then throw it in the broiler for a few minutes to reach gooey cheesy goodness.
Pasta Bake – Mix your chicken with your favorite pasta (make sure to cook it al dente), add shredded mozzarella cheese on top and throw in the oven for 5-8 minutes.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Boil Chicken Thighs

Favorite Sides for Mississippi Chicken

The Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Smoked Corn on the Cob

Crack Green Beans

Balsamic Vinegar Mushrooms (Keto friendly)

Copycat Olive Garden Salad

More Ranch-Related Recipes

Outback Ranch Dressing

Wingstop Ranch Dressing

Ranch Potatoes

The ease of this recipe with its simple ingredients make Mississippi Chicken a must-have in your recipe rotation, regardless of the season or how you serve it. 

Have questions or suggestions? Leave them in the comments below. Until next time: Stay salty, and sweet 😉