1-First Step: Prepare Your Slow Cooker Start by making sure your slow cooker is clean and ready to go. For this recipe, a 4-quart or larger slow cooker works best. There’s no need to grease the insert since the butter will coat everything as it melts. If you’re adding vegetables like onions, celery, carrots, baby red potatoes, or riced cauliflower, place them in the bottom of the slow cooker first, then add a splash of beef broth for extra flavor.

2-Second Step: Add the Chicken Place your 3 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of the slow cooker. Arrange them in a single layer if possible, though some overlap is fine. If using frozen chicken, you can add it directly without thawing, though you’ll want to check your slow cooker manual as some manufacturers advise against cooking frozen meat directly.

3-Third Step: Add the Seasonings Sprinkle the entire packet of au jus gravy mix and the entire packet of ranch dressing mix evenly over the chicken. Try to distribute the seasonings as uniformly as possible so every piece gets properly seasoned. Don’t stir or mix anything at this point.

4-Fourth Step: Add Butter and Peppers Place the whole stick of butter on top of the seasoned chicken. Then add the 6 peperoncini peppers whole, leaving the stems on. The peppers will float slightly and infuse the sauce with their distinctive tangy flavor as everything cooks together.

5-Fifth Step: Cook Low and Slow Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours. This is where patience becomes your secret ingredient. Resist the urge to lift the lid and check on your chicken, as each peek releases valuable heat and can extend cooking time. The low temperature allows the chicken to become incredibly tender, the butter to melt into a rich sauce, and all those seasonings to meld together into something truly special. If you’re truly pressed for time, you can cook on high for 3-4 hours, though the chicken may not shred quite as easily and could be slightly less tender.

6-Sixth Step: Shred and Serve Once the cooking time is complete, use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker. The meat should fall apart effortlessly after hours of slow cooking. Shred it into the flavorful juices, mixing everything together so each piece is coated in the delicious sauce.