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Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken uses chicken thighs or breasts and has the same flavors as the beef version, only with chicken! Pressure cooker Mississippi Chicken is full of flavor and easy to make! A delicious and easy dinner recipe.
Originally published on 1/16/2018
Mississippi Chicken in the Instant Pot
Many of you know about the very popular Mississippi Pot Roast, but you might also like this chicken version!
This “Dump-and-Start” Instant Pot chicken is very popular and so easy to make! I love the flavors and texture of the shredded chicken.
What’s Great About this Recipe
- You can make it in under an hour, so that makes this a good weeknight dinner.
- Another thing is that you can feed a group of hungry people just by adding a bit of extra chicken. I have packed my instant Pot pretty full of meat and still had it turn out perfect!
- Mississippi Chicken can be made mild or spicy.
- The shredded chicken can be served over rice, in a tortilla, with potatoes, or however you like.
Is This Recipe Salty?
• This recipe can be a bit salty. I suggest finding low sodium au jus and/or ranch dressing mix, if you can.
• I have a recipe for Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix that is lower in sodium than the commercial brand. You can even completely omit the salt in this mix if you want.
• Be sure to use unsalted butter. You can also add a little more water and a few small potatoes to help thin out the salt.
Are Pepperoncinis Spicy?
- Pepperoncinis are the surprise flavor in this Instant Pot chicken recipe. They add a tang and a savory flavor that just makes this recipe.
- They are more tangy than spicy if you get the original, mild version. There are spicy versions, so be sure to read the jar when shopping for them at the grocery store.
- If you don’t want to eat them, cook them whole in the recipe and just pick them out.
How to Make Mississippi Chicken in the Instant Pot
1) Add the chicken, water or broth, pepperoncinis and juice, seasoning packets, and butter to the pot (don’t stir).
2) Put on the lid and set the time. Easy!
Why not cook some rice with it?
Get a tall trivet and set it down in the pot so it touches the bottom.
I rinse some long grain white rice and toss it in one of my ekovana stainless pans with some water and cook it right along with the Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken! You could add potatoes if you want, instead of the rice. Then I use a Topolo pan gripper and set the pan on the tall trivet. Put the lid on, set the time, and go play while dinner cooks!
Watch Me Make Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken
Instant Pot Salsa Chicken
Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Sandy’s Instant Pot Beef Stew
Instant Pot Ham Hock and Bean Soup
Instant Pot Mississippi Chicken
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs Chicken Thighs or Breasts* (Boneless/skinless. Fresh or frozen. Cut breasts in half, if possible)
- ½ cup Water (or low sodium chicken broth)
- ½ (16 oz) jar Pepperoncinis (with juice) Leave whole or slice as desired
- 1 (1 oz) packet Au Jus or Brown Gravy Mix** (I like Au Jus best)
- 1 (1 oz) packet Ranch Dressing/Seasoning Mix** (low sodium, if possible)
- ½ stick Unsalted Butter (4 Tbsp) or more to taste
With Rice (you will need a tall trivet and a 6" or 7" pan)
- 1 ½ cups White Long Grain Rice (rinsed well)
- 1 ½ cups Water
Instructions
- Put chicken in the bottom of the inner pot of the pressure cooker. (If using chicken breasts, cut them in half, if possible).
- Add all of the other ingredients (don't stir) and close the lid and lock it in place. Turn the steam release knob to the sealing position.
- Press the Pressure Cook/Manual Button (or use dial) and use the +/- button to select 8 minutes (if using frozen breasts that you can't cut in half, set time to 15 minutes).
- When the cook time is finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (5 minute Natural Release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the remaining steam/pressure.
To Cook Rice with the Chicken
- After adding all ingredients, set the tall trivet in the pot and make sure it touches the bottom of the pot.
- Put the rinsed rice and water in the pan and set it on the trivet (A Topolo pan gripper helps with this). Close lid and proceed with cooking directions (takes the same time to cook as the chicken.
- When the cooking cycle finishes, let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes (5 minute natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to Quick Release the remaining steam/pressure.
Finish it Up
- When the pin in the lid drops down, open it and use a pan gripper or silicone mitts to remove the pan of rice (if making rice)
- Use tongs to remove the chicken and shred it.
- If you want to thicken the cooking liquid, turn on the Sauté function and stir in 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with some of the hot liquid. Pour into the pot and stir until thickened.
- Mix the chicken back into the cooking liquid.
- Serve over rice, or potatoes, on tortillas, etc.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! Should I cook this on high or low pressure? Sorry if I missed it in the directions!
Hi, it’s High pressure. All of my recipes will be High Pressure, unless otherwise stated. Thanks for your question!
This was DELICIOUS! Followed the recipe exactly, using chicken breast but I used salted butter. Next time will use unsalted. But otherwise, would not change a thing. Great leftover too 🙂
Hi Debbie, I’m glad you liked it! If it was a bit too salty, you can add a little water and thin out the sauce a bit. Then just use a slotted spoon if it is too loose. Or put it over mashed potatoes! Thank you for your review!
Very good, and so easy! My nine year old enjoyed helping…kids ate it, but didn’t love it like the parents ? Will definitely make again!
Only tweak, I cooked mine for 10 minuets with natural release…my chicken thighs were frozen.
Hi Jael, that’s great that you all liked it. For the kids, you could omit the pepperoncinis, and serve them on the side for the adults. Just a thought. Thank you so much for your review!
Do you use bone-in or boneless chicken?
Hi Jennifer, I use boneless.
Can this be adapted to a slow cooker/crockpot?
Yes, Chrissy, just put the chicken (boneless/skinless thighs are best) in the pot (you won’t need to cut them), then the pepperoncinis & their juice. You can omit the chicken broth. Sprinkle on the ranch & au jus. Then put the butter on top of the chicken. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours.
Would you have directions to do this in a crockpot?
Hi Makayla, just put the chicken (boneless/skinless thighs are best) in the pot (you won’t need to cut them), then the pepperoncinis & their juice. You can omit the chicken broth. Sprinkle on the ranch & au jus. Then put the butter on top of the chicken. Cook on Low for 4-5 hours.
We made this for dinner a few nights ago and LOVED it. It was so easy and tastes delicious with just the right amount of spice. Thank you!
Hi Sara, that’s great! Thank you for your review!
Excellent recipe, so fast and easy. I added small gold potatoes right in the sauce and they were perfect. The chicken was tender and juicy and the sauce is layers of delicious flavor. I sometimes cook for a lower sodium special diet and used unsalted butter and a homemade low sodium ranch mix and next time I need to reduce salt I will use water instead of broth, a low sodium gravy mix and probably less Pepperoncini juice. Thanks for posting, this is a company worthy meal.
Hi Kat, I’m glad you liked this recipe! I also like to use unsalted butter, but have never used low sodium ranch. That’s a great idea! Thank you for taking time to review, and for the tips!
Not sure what happened, but I followed directions exactly using frozen chicken breasts. My chicken was not done and Very tough. Wonder what was wrong?
Hi Leigh. Sorry you had trouble with this recipe. Were you able to cut the chicken breasts in half? If not, increase the cook time as indicated in the recipe (I made a note for frozen breasts that you can’t cut in half). You can always close the lid and cook for a few more minutes when something isn’t all the way cooked. Thicker foods will take longer (hence the cutting breasts in half). I hope this helps you for next time.
You mean in half horizontally?
Just in half to make the breast smaller, but not too small or thin. Not like butterflying, so I think it’s vertically.
I cook mine 35 minutes with a slow release while I cook the sides. Than fast release if it’s not finished releasing by the time I’m done.
I like to add small red potatoes to Mississippi Roast. Would I just throw them in with the chicken?
Hi Julie, yes, just use either small ones, or cut them into halves or quarters as the cook time isn’t as long as with the pot roast.
Hi. I wanna make this tonight. Im new to the IP. I have a size 8 IP & am not much of a cook. I don’t understand the rice part. So, you don’t add the rice right in the juice? You said put it on top? On top in what?
You put the rice in a pan with a 1:1 ratio of rice to water. The pan should be about 7 or 8 inches in diameter to fit the 8 qt pot. You will put a trivet/rack in the pot on top of the chicken and then set the pan of rice/water right on that rack. It helps to have a trivet with taller legs than the one that came with the pot.