My Mississippi chicken spaghetti gives classic Mississippi chicken a cheesy pasta upgrade! Tender chicken, tangy peppers, ranch, and melty Colby Jack come together in one easy slow cooker dinner. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with flavor!
Why Mississippi Chicken Is Better with Pasta
- Two Favorites in One: All that buttery, tangy ranch flavor gets tossed with spaghetti. It’s a fun twist on classic Mississippi chicken!
- Mostly Hands-Off: The slow cooker makes the chicken so tender! Just add the pasta and cheese at the end.
- Rich, Cheesy & Saucy: Cream cheese, Colby Jack, and the juices from the chicken make a rich sauce that coats every noodle.
Ingredients for Mississippi Chicken Spaghetti
- Try Chicken Thighs: Swap chicken breasts for boneless, skinless thighs. They stay juicy and tender as they cook.
- Switch Up the Cheese: Try cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, or a mix of your favorites.
- Turn Down the Heat: Pepperoncini have a mild kick. For less heat, use banana peppers and their juice instead.
How to Make Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken Spaghetti
Mississippi chicken spaghetti is so easy to make! Let the slow cooker do the work, then add the pasta and cheese. Serve with garlic bread, a crisp green salad, or veggies for a full meal!
- Add the Ingredients: Place the chicken breasts in a slow cooker. Add the pepperoncini peppers and their juice.
- Cook: Sprinkle the ranch seasoning and au jus mix over the chicken. Add the stick of butter. Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
- Cook the Pasta: Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. While it cooks, shred the chicken and chop the peppers. Return both to the slow cooker and add the cream cheese. Cover and cook on LOW.
- Drain Pasta: Drain the spaghetti, but save at least 1½ cups of pasta water.
- Add the Cheese: Add the spaghetti, ½ cup pasta water, and Colby Jack to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 10 minutes until the cheese starts to melt. Stir until smooth, adding more pasta water as needed. Top Mississippi chicken spaghetti with green onions and serve.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Save Some Pasta Water: Don’t forget to reserve some before draining the spaghetti! The starchy water helps keep the sauce smooth and creamy. Stir in a tablespoon or two if the pasta thickens as it sits or when reheating leftovers.
Must-Have Tools for This Recipe
- Slow Cooker or Instant Pot: A 6- to 8-quart size gives the chicken plenty of room to cook and leaves space for stirring in the spaghetti and cheese.
Make It in an Instant Pot
Instant Pot Shortcut: Short on time? Cook the chicken in the Instant Pot instead of the slow cooker.
- Add the Ingredients: Add the chicken, pepperoncini peppers, pepperoncini juice, ranch seasoning, au jus mix, and butter to the Instant Pot.
- Pressure Cook: Secure the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
- Release the Pressure: Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
- Shred the Chicken: Remove the lid and shred the chicken. Stir in the cream cheese.
- Keep It Warm: Switch to the slow cook setting for 10 minutes while you cook the spaghetti.
- Finish the Pasta: Add the cooked spaghetti, reserved pasta water, and Colby Jack, then continue as directed.
Mississippi Chicken Spaghetti
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Equipment
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1 Large pot for boiling spaghetti
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 10 pepperoncini peppers
- ½ cup pepperoncini juice from the jar
- 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch seasoning
- 1 (1-ounce) packet au jus mix
- 1 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces
Spaghetti
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 16 ounces spaghetti noodles 1-1 ½ cups pasta water reserved
- 8 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese
- ½ cup sliced green onions
Instructions
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Add 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts to the bowl of a 6-8 quart slow cooker. Top with 10 pepperoncini peppers and ½ cup pepperoncini juice from the jar.
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Sprinkle 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch seasoning and 1 (1-ounce) packet au jus mix evenly over the chicken, then top with 1 cup unsalted butter. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the chicken shreds easily.
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When the chicken is done cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook 16 ounces spaghetti noodles according to the instructions on the package for al dente.
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Meanwhile, shred or chop the chicken and pepperoncini and add them back to the slow cooker with the 8 ounces cream cheese. Cover and cook on LOW while the noodles cook.
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Strain the spaghetti, reserving at least 1 ½ cups of pasta water first.
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Add the strained noodles, about ½ cup of the pasta water, and 8 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese to the slow cooker. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the cheese is starting to melt.
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Stir everything together to combine, adding a little bit of pasta water as needed in order to make the sauce smooth, and to fully coat the noodles. Top with ½ cup sliced green onions and serve.
Notes
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in 30-second microwave intervals, stirring between each. Add 1–2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water per serving to restore creaminess.
- Freezer: Don’t freeze the finished pasta. Freeze cooked, shredded chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat with ⅓–½ cup chicken broth, then finish the recipe as directed.
- Make Ahead: Prep the chicken and seasonings up to 24 hours ahead, or cook and shred the chicken in advance. Refrigerate, then reheat with ½ cup chicken broth before adding the cream cheese and spaghetti.
Nutrition
