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Smoked Mississippi Chicken takes the buttery, tangy flavors of classic Mississippi-style recipes and turns them into an easy smoked chicken dinner. Boneless chicken breasts cook low and slow with ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, pepperoncini, and butter until they are tender, juicy, and packed with smoky flavor.
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Pin ItWith only five ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep, this is an easy smoker recipe that delivers big flavor without a lot of work. Serve the chicken whole with mashed potatoes and vegetables, slice it for sandwiches, or chop the leftovers for salads and wraps.
Table of Contents
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- What is Mississippi chicken?
- Key Ingredients
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Variations
- Tips for Best Results
- FAQs
- Storage
- Quick Steps
- Make Ahead
- What to serve with Smoked Mississippi Chicken
- If You Enjoyed Smoked Mississippi Chicken
- 📌 Save This Recipe
- Smoked Mississippi Chicken Recipe
- 🍽️ Other Recipes You May Enjoy
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only five ingredients: Chicken, ranch seasoning, au jus, pepperoncini, and butter are all you need.
- Easy prep: It takes about 10 minutes to get everything ready for the smoker.
- Big flavor: Ranch and au jus give the chicken plenty of savory flavor, while pepperoncini add a tangy kick.
- Tender and juicy: Cooking the chicken in a skillet with butter helps keep lean chicken breasts moist.
- Versatile: Serve it as a main dish or use the chicken for sandwiches, salads, wraps, and more.
- Great for smoker season: It is an easy way to change up the usual BBQ chicken.
What is Mississippi chicken?
Mississippi chicken is a chicken version of the popular Mississippi pot roast. The signature flavor combination usually includes ranch seasoning, au jus gravy mix, butter, and pepperoncini.
Instead of using beef and a slow cooker, this version uses boneless chicken breasts cooked in a skillet on the smoker. The chicken picks up smoky flavor while cooking in the buttery, savory seasonings.
If you already love Mississippi-style recipes, this one will taste familiar while giving you an entirely different way to enjoy those flavors.
Key Ingredients
NOTE: This section highlights ingredients used in the recipe. Find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.
Chicken breasts: Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts work well because they can handle the longer smoking time without needing much prep.
Ranch dressing mix: Dry ranch seasoning brings herbs, garlic, onion, and plenty of savory flavor.
Au jus gravy mix: The dry mix adds rich, beefy flavor and helps create the signature Mississippi-style seasoning.
Pepperoncini: These tangy peppers balance the richness of the butter and seasonings without making the chicken overly spicy.
Butter: A stick of salted butter melts over the chicken as it cooks, helping keep it moist while creating a flavorful sauce in the skillet.
Ingredients & Substitutions
NOTE: This section suggests substitutions. Find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Large chicken breasts work best with the cooking time given. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can provide a richer, juicier alternative, but their cooking time will differ, so cook according to internal temperature rather than the recipe’s stated time.
- Ranch dressing mix: Use one standard envelope or about 2 tablespoons of dry ranch seasoning. A homemade dry ranch seasoning blend can be used if you already have one you like. Do not substitute prepared ranch dressing because it adds liquid and will change the recipe.
- Au jus gravy mix: A 1-ounce packet gives Mississippi chicken its characteristic savory flavor. Brown gravy mix can work in a pinch, but it will change the flavor and may also change the salt level.
- Pepperoncini: Banana peppers are the easiest substitute and give the dish a somewhat milder, sweeter flavor. For more pepperoncini flavor, add extra peppers or a little juice from the jar.
- Salted butter: Unsalted butter can be substituted. Because ranch and au jus mixes already contain seasoning, you may find that unsalted butter gives you a little more control over the overall saltiness. I would not replace the butter with oil because butter is part of the classic Mississippi-style flavor and creates the rich cooking juices.
Variations
- Make it spicy: Add a little pepperoncini juice to the skillet or sprinkle red pepper flakes over the chicken.
- Try banana peppers: Swap the pepperoncini for sliced banana peppers for a slightly sweeter, milder flavor.
- Add onions: Add sliced onions around the chicken before smoking.
- Add mushrooms: Cook mushrooms alongside the chicken or roast them separately and serve them on top.
- Use extra pepperoncini: If you love their tangy flavor, add a few extra peppers to the skillet.
Tips for Best Results
- Choose chicken breasts that are fairly similar in size so they cook at approximately the same rate.
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning so the dry mixes stick better.
- Use a skillet or pan that is safe for your smoker or BBQ. A 10-inch deep skillet or braiser works well for this recipe.
- If using a disposable 9×13-inch aluminum pan, make sure it fits comfortably inside your smoker before you start.
- Cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts and the type of pan you use.
- If you add more chicken, you may also need to adjust the amount of seasoning.
- Always check chicken with an instant-read thermometer. The thickest part should reach 165°F.
- Avoid relying only on cooking time. Large chicken breasts can take longer.
FAQs
Smoke the chicken at 250°F. If you are using a BBQ rather than a dedicated smoker, set it up for indirect cooking.
Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the thickest part of each chicken breast. Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
For the large chicken breasts used in this recipe, plan on about 90 minutes. Depending on their thickness, your pan, and your smoker, they may need additional cooking time. Always use internal temperature rather than the clock to determine doneness.
Not particularly. Pepperoncini have a tangy, mildly zippy flavor rather than intense heat. For spicier chicken, add some pepperoncini liquid or red pepper flakes.
Yes. Banana peppers are a good option if you prefer a milder and slightly sweeter flavor.
Yes. A 9×13-inch disposable aluminum pan can be used as long as it fits properly inside your smoker or BBQ. Cooking time may vary somewhat compared with a heavy skillet or braiser.
Slice or chop leftovers for sandwiches, wraps, salads, or rice bowls. You can also serve the reheated chicken over mashed potatoes with some of the cooking juices spooned over the top.
Storage
Allow leftover Smoked Mississippi Chicken to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Save some of the buttery cooking liquid with the chicken. It helps keep the meat moist when reheated.
Quick Steps
NOTE: This section includes a step-by-step guide. Find the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.
- Preheat: Heat the smoker or BBQ to 250°F. Set up a BBQ for indirect cooking.
- Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry, trim excess fat, and place them in a large skillet.
- Pierce: Poke each chicken breast 3-4 times with a fork.
- Season: Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and au jus gravy mix evenly over the chicken.
- Top: Add the pepperoncini and pieces of butter.
- Smoke: Place the skillet on the smoker and cook for 60 minutes.
- Check: Check the internal temperature and continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Serve: Remove from the smoker and serve with the buttery juices from the skillet.
Make Ahead
You can do some of the prep shortly before cooking. Trim the chicken and have the ranch mix, au jus, pepperoncini, and butter ready to go so all you need to do is assemble everything in the skillet and put it on the smoker.
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For longer make-ahead storage, it is better to keep the ingredients separate and assemble the dish when you are ready to cook.
The cooked chicken is also a good meal-prep option because leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
What to serve with Smoked Mississippi Chicken
This smoked chicken breast recipe is especially good with something that can soak up some of the buttery juices from the skillet. Mashed potatoes are an obvious choice, but roasted potatoes are delicious, too.
For something lighter, serve it alongside coleslaw, a garden salad, roasted vegetables, green beans, or broccoli. A Greek salad is another great option, especially if you add onions or mushrooms to the meal.
You can also slice the chicken and pile it onto a sandwich for a simple BBQ-style dinner.
If You Enjoyed Smoked Mississippi Chicken
If you love firing up the smoker for an easy dinner, try my Smoked Pork Tenderloin next. It’s another great choice when you want a flavorful main dish that lets the smoker do most of the work.
For another smoky dinner option, my Easy Smoked Pork Chops are worth adding to your menu. They’re perfect for anyone looking to expand their collection of easy smoker recipes.
If the savory, comfort-food side of this chicken is what you love most, try my Smoked Meatloaf. The smoker gives this classic family dinner an extra layer of flavor that makes it anything but ordinary.
My Smoked Cajun Turkey Breast is another delicious way to put your smoker to work. It’s especially good when you want something with a little more seasoning and bold flavor.
Need a side dish to round out your Smoked Mississippi Chicken dinner? Loaded Mashed Potatoes are rich, creamy, and made for pairing with juicy chicken and those buttery pan drippings.
For something cool and crunchy alongside the smoky chicken, make The Best Coleslaw Recipe. The crisp, creamy slaw provides a nice contrast to the rich ranch, au jus, butter, and pepperoncini flavors.
You can also keep dinner simple with a batch of Southern-Style Green Beans. They’re an easy homestyle side that fits right in with this hearty chicken dinner.
📌 Save This Recipe
Save this Smoked Mississippi Chicken recipe to Pinterest so you have an easy smoker dinner ready whenever you need something simple but packed with flavor. It is especially handy for cookouts, weekend dinners, and meal prep.
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Smoked Mississippi Chicken
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Equipment
- BBQ or smoker
- 10-inch deep oven-safe skillet braiser, or 9×13-inch aluminum pan
- fork
- grill-safe thermometer
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2½ pounds
- 1 envelope ranch dressing mix, (1 ounce or about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 envelope au jus gravy mix, (1 ounce)
- 6 pepperoncini
- ½ cup salted butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the BBQ or smoker to 250°F. If using a BBQ, set it up for indirect cooking.
- Remove the chicken from the package. Pat dry and trim any excess fat.3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Place the chicken breasts in a large skillet.
- Poke each chicken breast 3-4 times with a fork.
- Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and au jus gravy mix evenly over the chicken.1 envelope ranch dressing mix, 1 envelope au jus gravy mix
- Arrange the pepperoncini and butter pieces over the top.6 pepperoncini, ½ cup salted butter
- Place the skillet on the smoker and cook for 60 minutes.
- Check the internal temperature. Continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F, about 30 minutes more. Very large chicken breasts may require additional cooking time.
- Serve immediately with the cooking juices, if desired.
Notes
🥡 Storage
- Allow the chicken to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container.
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days. Store it with some of the cooking juices to help keep it moist.
♨️ Reheating
- Reheat gently in the microwave in short intervals until warmed through. You can also place the chicken in a covered skillet over low heat with some of its cooking juices until hot. Avoid overheating, which can dry out chicken breast.
❄️ Freezing
- Cooked chicken can be frozen. Cool completely, place it in a freezer-safe container with some of the cooking liquid, and freeze.
- For the best texture, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
💡 Tips for Best Results
- Use similarly sized chicken breasts for more even cooking.
- Pat the chicken dry before adding the seasonings.
- Use a meat thermometer rather than relying only on cooking time.
- Chicken is done when the thickest portion reaches 165°F.
- Cooking time may vary depending on chicken thickness, your smoker, and the type of pan used.
- Save the buttery cooking juices for serving and reheating.
🍳 Alternate Cooking Methods
Oven: This flavor combination can be adapted for the oven using an oven-safe skillet or baking dish. Because this specific recipe was developed for the smoker, use 165°F internal temperature as your guide rather than assuming the smoker cooking time will transfer exactly. Air fryer: I would not recommend the air fryer as the best direct substitute for this particular recipe. The butter, dry seasoning mixes, pepperoncini, and resulting cooking liquid are better suited to cooking together in a skillet or baking dish.♻️ Leftovers
Slice or chop leftover chicken and use it for sandwiches, wraps, salads, or bowls. It is also delicious reheated and served over mashed potatoes.📝 Notes
- A 10-inch deep skillet or braiser works well.
- A disposable 9×13-inch aluminum pan can also be used if it fits your BBQ or smoker.
- If adding more chicken, adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Add pepperoncini juice or red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Banana peppers can be used for a sweeter, milder variation.
- Add onions or serve with roasted mushrooms for a heartier meal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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