Mississippi Chicken Is A Tangy Dish You Can Serve Over Mashed Potatoes

If you're a fan of Crockpot meals, you might be familiar with that viral recipe called Mississippi pot roast that took over your social media algorithm in recent years. But how about a poultry version of the dish? That's right, there's also Mississippi chicken to join that roast, Mississippi Mud Pie, fried catfish, and other culinary contributions from the Southern state. 

This dish is essentially a lighter spinoff of that roast recipe that everyone's making these days. It includes chicken and pepperoncini peppers, which add a bite of zest to the chicken without making it too spicy. And to make things easy, the tangy gravy comes from packaged mixes, taking out all of the guesswork when it comes to seasoning the dish to perfection. All the juicy flavors of the chicken and gravy make it a perfect entree to serve with mashed potatoes, and all together it's the ultimate comfort food fix. Another perk to this popular recipe is that it's made in a slow cooker for an easy, no-mess dinner for any night of the week.

What exactly goes into Mississippi chicken? It's made up of just a few ingredients depending on which recipe you go with, and trust us, there's an abundance of them online. Most recipes will include boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, a packet of au jus gravy mix, a packet of powdered ranch dressing mix, lots of butter, and pepperoncini peppers (some recipes use banana peppers instead). If you're feeling fancy, you can throw in freshly chopped yellow onion and fresh herbs like parsley to elevate the flavors of the dish. 

All of this cooks down in a slow cooker and when it's done, you shred the chicken with two forks and mix to combine it with the flavorful, tangy gravy. Don't have a slow cooker? There are variations of this recipe that are baked in the oven and of course, there are options for your Instant Pot too.

Most commonly, Mississippi chicken is served on top of a big pile of mashed potatoes. This fluffy and creamy side dish makes for the perfect companion to soak up all of that rich gravy that the chicken produces as it cooks, and adding a heaping spoonful of this delicious liquid is a must. 

If mashed potatoes aren't your thing, you can also plate up this chicken dish over a bed of rice, next to roasted potatoes, or even just alongside some simple roasted vegetables. Another tasty option is to serve Mississippi chicken in sandwich form (sort of like a pulled pork sandwich). Pile the meat on a potato bun or on slider buns with your favorite cheese for an easy go-to lunch, or even a unique appetizer for game night. And if you have leftovers, we think a Mississippi chicken quesadilla sounds delicious.