Bring a taste of the South to your kitchen tonight with this classic Mississippi chicken thighs recipe. This style of preparing chicken is a Deep South favorite that's filled with flavor and couldn't be simpler to prepare in your slow cooker. The unique blend of ingredients gives the chicken a zesty and tangy kick that you can't find in other parts of the country.

For those unfamiliar with Mississippi-style cooking, don't worry. The recipe below calls for a simple list of five ingredients that you throw together in your slow cooker and leave until the chicken is juicy and falling apart. The pepperoncini may seem like an odd addition to this meal, but the peppers help brine the chicken and contribute to the its tantalizing flavor.

Prep Time: 5 mins
Servings: 6-8
Cook Time: 4 hrs

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet brown gravy or au jus mix
5-10 pepperoncini peppers, whole

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken thighs, ranch dressing mix and gravy mix.

Mix by hand to make sure the seasoning fully coats the chicken.

2. Place the seasoned chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker.

3. Put the butter on top of the chicken and surround with pepperoncini peppers.

It should look like this:

4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high power for 4 hours, or low power for 6-7 hours for an all-day cooked taste.

5. When it's ready, carefully shred the chicken inside the slow cooker and serve buffet-style directly onto people's plates.

Garnish with your favorite hot sauce and serve alongside fresh cooked rice, pasta or potatoes.

Pro-tip: For a reduced-sodium version, use only half of the gravy and ranch seasoning packets.

Pro-tip: Chop the pepperonicini into rings before placing them in the slow cooker for a stronger brine flavor in the chicken.

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