Mississippi Chicken Sliders Recipe
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These Mississippi Chicken Sliders are made of tender slow-cooked chicken in a tangy pepperoni sauce, shredded and layered on rolls.
Mississippi roast took over slow cookers for a reason. A home cook in Ripley, Mississippi, Robin Chapman, wanted a milder pot roast than the Italian-dressing version her aunt made. She reached for ranch seasoning, a packet of au jus, a stick of butter, and a few pepperoncini, set the cooker to low, and walked away. She still just calls it roast. The rest of us started calling it Mississippi.
This is the chicken version, built for slider buns. I skip the au jus packet and season the breasts with Stone House seasoning instead, a simple mix of salt, black pepper, and garlic that I already keep by the stove. I also skip the butter in the pot. The pepperoncini brine and the chicken’s own juices are enough. If you want the classic silky finish, butter is an easy add. It is not what makes these taste like Mississippi chicken.
The flavor is savory, a little tangy, and only barely warm. Pepperoncini are mild pickled peppers, not hot ones. Provolone melts into sheets and has just enough bite to stand up to the brine. Sweet slider rolls, the kind that come pre-packaged, are the right bun.
Why These Sliders Work
Ranch brings the herbs and the onion. Stone House seasons the meat and the juices without a second packet. Pepperoncini, and especially the liquid from the jar, are the tang that makes the whole pot taste like the original roast. Provolone is the melt. Soft slider buns are the vehicle.
Chicken breasts are the right call if you want neat shreds and a lighter sandwich. They do dry out if they sit on warm for hours after they are done, so shred them once they hit 165°F and stir them into the juices. That liquid is the sauce.
Ingredients
You need six things for the version I make, plus two optional finishes.
- Chicken. I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. About 2 1/2 pounds, three or four breasts of a similar size so they finish together.
- Ranch seasoning mix. I use my homemade ranch seasoning mix. You can also use one 1-ounce store-bought packet. Use the dry mix, not bottled ranch dressing.
- Stone House Seasoning. My favorite house seasoning of salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic.
- Pepperoncini peppers and liquid from the jar.
- Provolone cheese. 12 slices or about eight ounces.
- Slider buns. One 12-pack. Hawaiian-style rolls are the classic. Potato rolls work if you want less sweetness.
Optional, and worth knowing about:
- Butter. Unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons, sliced over the chicken before cooking. This is the traditional Mississippi finish. I do not use it. Add it if you want a richer pot.
- A Dijon and butter spread for the tops. Spread 2 tablespoons Dijon on the bottom buns, then brush the tops with 2 tablespoons melted butter mixed with a pinch of ranch and a little parsley before baking. I do not do either. Both are in the notes if you want the bakery-slider look.
How to Make Mississippi Chicken Sliders
Prepare the Mississippi Chicken. Place the chicken breasts in an even layer in a 6-quart slow cooker. They can overlap a little. Don’t stack them in a pile.
Sprinkle the ranch seasoning evenly over the breasts. Get some on every piece.
Sprinkle the Stone House seasoning over the ranch. This is your salt, pepper, and garlic in one pass.
Scatter the pepperoncini over the top and pour in the liquid from the jar. Do not add broth. The brine and the chicken make the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the thickest breast reaches 165°F and the meat shreds easily.
Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred it with two forks while it is still hot. Return it to the cooker and stir it into the juices. If the mixture looks soupy, lift the chicken out with a slotted spoon and moisten it with a few spoonfuls of the liquid. Wet chicken is what makes slider buns fall apart.
Prepare the sliders. Heat the oven to 350°F. Set out the shredded pepperoncini chicken, the slider rolls, and the provolone.
Assemble the sliders. Keep the rolls connected. Slice the whole slab in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Set the bottom half in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the chicken over the bottoms in an even layer. Do not drown the bread. Lay the provolone over the chicken so it covers edge to edge. Set the top slab of buns in place.
Bake the sliders. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tops are warm. If you want deeper color, uncover for the last 3 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then cut along the seams.
Recipe Tips
- Shred the chicken hot. It pulls apart cleaner and soaks up the pepperoncini liquid. Cold chicken shreds into strings.
- Use the brine. The peppers alone are not enough acid. A third of a cup is the amount I pour in. A half cup is the upper limit before the sandwich tastes pickled.
- Taste before you add more salt. Ranch and Stone House Seasoning already containe salt. The juices should taste bright, not briny.
- Toasted buns are optional. If your buns are very soft, give the bottom slab 3 to 5 minutes in the oven before you add the chicken. Skip it when the chicken has been drained.
- Thighs work. Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicier and take the same time. Shred them the same way.
- Pepperoncini are not spicy. They sit around 100 to 500 on the Scoville scale. A mild jalapeño starts near 2,500. Banana peppers are the closest swap, with a sweeter, less sharp flavor.
Optional finishes
- Butter in the pot. Lay 4 tablespoons of sliced unsalted butter over the seasoned chicken before the peppers go on. Cook as written. The juices turn silkier. Skip this if you liked the leaner version.
- Dijon on the bottoms. Spread 2 tablespoons of Dijon over the bottom slab before the chicken. It adds another layer of tang and helps block moisture.
- Seasoned Butter brush. Stir 2 tablespoons melted butter with 1 teaspoon ranch seasoning and 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Brush it over the tops before baking. This is the finish most slider recipes use. It is optional here. The sliders are complete without it.
- Au jus packet. For a flavor closer to the original Ripley roast, add one 1-ounce au jus gravy packet with the ranch and skip the Stone House, or use only 1/2 teaspoon Stone House. I prefer the Stone House version. It tastes like my kitchen.
Make Ahead and Storage
- You can cook and shred the chicken up to 2 days ahead. Keep it in the juices, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before assembling, or assemble cold.
- Cover assembled, unbaked sliders and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake from cold, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, then uncover for a few minutes if the tops need color.
- Leftover baked sliders keep for 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat, covered, at 325°F until warm. The microwave steams the buns.
- Freeze the shredded chicken with a little juice for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the assembled sliders. The rolls suffer.
What to Serve with Them
These are great for game day, potlucks, and Sunday lunch. Serve with a simple green salad, dill pickles, and extra pepperoncini on the side.
If you are feeding a crowd, bake two slabs of sliders. The slow cooker handles a double batch of chicken if you have a 6-quart or larger pot. Add about an hour on low if the breasts are crowded.
FAQs
Are Mississippi chicken sliders spicy? No. Pepperoncini are mild and tangy. Add more peppers, or a few slices of jalapeño, if you want heat.
Do I have to use butter? No. The recipe as written does not use butter. A few tablespoons in the pot, or a butter brush topping on the buns, are optional.
Can I use frozen chicken breasts? In a slow cooker, thaw them first. Frozen breasts spend too long in the temperature danger zone. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
What cheese works besides provolone? Pepper Jack if you want a little heat. Swiss if you want a deli sandwich. Mozzarella melts, but it is milder.
Can I make them in an Instant Pot? Yes. Use the same seasonings, peppers, and brine. Cook on high pressure for 12 to 14 minutes for fresh breasts, then quick release. Shred and assemble the same way.
Why is it called Mississippi chicken? It is the chicken take on Mississippi pot roast, the ranch and pepperoncini roast that started in Ripley, Mississippi. This version keeps the ranch and pepperoncini and uses Stone House seasoning instead of the gravy packet.
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Mississippi Chicken Sliders Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning, or 1 (1-ounce) packet dry ranch seasoning mix
- 1 1/2 – 2 teaspoons stone house seasoning
- 1 (16-ounce) jar pepperoncini peppers, including the liquid
- 12 slider buns, kept connected
- 12 slices provolone cheese, about 8-ounces
Optional:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the slow cooker
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, for spreading on the inside bottom of buns
Optional Topping:
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ranch seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, for the tops
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in an even layer in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning over the chicken, then the Stone House seasoning over the ranch. Add the pepperoncini and the liquid from the jar. If using the optional butter, lay it over the chicken before the peppers.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F and shreds easily. Shred the chicken while hot and stir it back into the juices.
- Preheat oven and prep slider rolls. Heat the oven to 350°F. Slice the slider buns in half horizontally, keeping them connected. Place the bottoms in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Assemble the sliders. If using Dijon, spread it on the bottoms. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the chicken over the buns. Lay the provolone on top. Add the top buns.
- If using the seasoned butter topping, brush it over the tops. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Rest 5 minutes, then cut and serve.
Notes
- No extra salt until you taste the juices.
- Thighs can replace the breasts, same cook time.
- Chicken keeps 2 days in the refrigerator, or 2 months frozen with a little of the juice.
- Assembled unbaked sliders can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.
- Add about 10 minutes if baking from cold.
- Banana peppers can stand in for pepperoncini. The flavor will be a little sweeter.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
