Mississippi Pot Roast
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Let me tell you, this Mississippi Pot Roast is divine! The meat is tender and buttery, and the gravy is tangy, savory, and zesty. It’s the perfect family-friendly recipe to prepare for the chilly fall days headed our way.
Who doesn’t love an easy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious pot roast? With just a few simple, savory ingredients and a slow cooker you can enjoy this incredible pot roast dinner!
If you frequently surf the web for the latest and greatest beef recipes, you’ve likely come across this one a few times now. It’s circulating the internet like no other pot roast before!
Not only is the world raving about this simple and delish pot roast, but it is perfect for a warm and comforting meal—especially if you’re hosting family and friends for the upcoming holidays.
Slow cooker recipes are so delicious because they take a long time to simmer and marinate, making the meat tender, juicy, and so flavorful. And, this Mississippi Pot Roast is no exception!
Looking for more quick-prep slow cooker weeknight meals? Start my Slow Cooker Pulled Chicken, Balsamic Chicken, or Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas with Chimichurri in the morning, and it will be ready to serve at dinnertime.
Or, you might want to try my Slow Cooker Country Style Ribs for the best-barbecued ribs you will ever taste!
Key ingredients & substitutions for slow cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
- Beef chuck roast — Beef chuck roast ends up beautifully tender, so it can be pulled apart easily at the end of cooking. However, a rump roast or sirloin tip also works well.
- Whole pepperoncini peppers — Pepperoncini peppers are perfect for adding tangy-sweet flavors to this rich pot roast. If you prefer, you can swap the pepperoncini peppers for banana peppers. Be sure to reserve some of the liquid from the jar to add to the slow cooker.
- Canola oil — You’ll need canola oil for searing the roast first. Canola oil is best for high heat, but avocado oil or olive oil also do the trick.
- Ranch salad dressing mix — Sprinkle in some dry ranch dressing mix for much-needed flavor. If you prefer, you can make your own homemade ranch seasoning.
- Au jus seasoning — Adding au jus gravy mix brings out even more savory notes of the meat. You can substitute this seasoning with beef broth, a beef bouillon cube, or a brown gravy mix.
Equipment needed
- Slow Cooker
- Meat Claws — optional
How to make Pot Roast in the crock pot
Whether you call it a slow cooker or a crock pot, the meat turns out juicy and fork tender with the most delicious gravy — you’ll see!
STEP 1 | Season the roast
Start by lightly patting the roast dry with paper towels. Next, season the roast with freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2 | Sear the meat
Heat the canola oil in a large cast iron skillet and sear the meat golden brown for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Once both sides are seared, place the chuck roast in the slow cooker.
NOTE: I like to scrape the drippings into the cooker, too.
Step 3 | Add ingredients to the slow cooker
Sprinkle the ranch and au jus soup mix on the meat, and top that with the pepperoncini peppers. Next, pour 1/4 cup of the pickle juice from the jar of peppers around the roast.
Finally, top it all with a half stick of butter and you are done!
Step 4 | Cook and serve!
Now for the easiest part and the beauty of a slow cooker — cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
Once the roast is done, remove the roast and easily shred the meat with 2 forks or a set of meat claws.
tips
- Patience — Be patient and do not rush cooking the pot roast. In other words, setting the temperature on high and cooking it for less time will result in a tough roast, almost impossible to shred. Trust me, low and slow is the way to go.
- Keep the lid closed – While it may be tempting, try your best not to open the lid while your Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is cooking.
- Peppery & spicy — For extra peppery flavor and variation in texture, you can cut the pepperoncini peppers up and stir them into the shredded meat.
- For a thicker gravy — Mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with about 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Reset the slow cooker to high, then whisk the cornstarch slurry into the remaining cooking liquid in the crock pot until the gravy is the desired consistency — it will only take a minute or two!
Frequently asked questions
It is certainly possible, but I always suggest sticking to the slow cooker. It tends to produce better flavor and texture overall. However, cooking the roast in the Instant Pot is not a bad idea if you’re in a rush.
Just add the ingredients to the Instant Pot along with about a cup of beef broth. Cook the roast with manual high pressure for an hour. Then, allow the pressure to naturally release, and that’s it!
Absolutely! If you’d prefer to make this roast 100% from scratch, you can make your own ranch and onion soup mixes.
For the ranch seasoning, you’ll simply mix together dry buttermilk powder, onion powder, garlic powder, some dried herbs, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Of course, there are a few more ingredients, but that’s essentially all you need!
You’ll need beef bouillon cubes, onion powder, parsley, and a few more ingredients to make the au jus sauce mix. Toss them all into a food processor and blend until you have a fine powder.
And if you’re interested in making more homemade seasonings, check out my Italian Seasoning Substitute recipe.
Leftovers of this flavorful roast can easily be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Both the meat and gravy can be warmed up in the microwave for a quick and easy approach. Add a bit of butter to the sauce to bring it back to life a bit if needed.
Or, you can even store the roast in the freezer! Just make sure to shred the meat first and place it in a sealed freezer bag.
Serving suggestions
It’s most traditional to serve this Mississippi Pot Roast over creamy mashed potatoes. However, I think my Lemon Garlic Smashed Potatoes are perfect for the zesty notes of this pot roast.
Finish out the meal with quick and easy Instant Pot Green Beans or these simple Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles.
This savory roast also is excellent paired with my Southern {LOVE} Biscuits for dipping into the gravy — YUM!
Or, what about this idea? Pile the meat on toasted sandwich buns at your next football party — it makes an amazing fork and knife sandwich!
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Mississippi Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 lb. beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pkg. Ranch salad dressing mix
- 1 pkg. Au Jus seasoning
- 6 to 8 whole Pepperoncini peppers
- ¼ cup pickle juice from the pepperoncini peppers
- 4 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Pat roast dry with paper towels. Season with black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet. Sear the meat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, then place in slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the Ranch and Au Jus on the meat and top with pepperoncini peppers. Pour 1/4 cup of the pickle juice around the meat and add the butter.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the meat with 2 forks and serve over mashed potatoes or on toasted sandwich buns.
Notes
- For extra peppery flavor and variation in texture, you can cut the pepperoncini peppers up and stir them into the shredded meat.
- For a thicker gravy — Mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with about 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Reset the slow cooker to high, then whisk the cornstarch slurry into the remaining cooking liquid in the crock pot until the gravy is the desired consistency — it will only take a minute or two!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days.
- You may freeze the shredded meat with gravy in a sealed freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Beyond the recipe
There are many recipes that have cloudy histories and controversial stories. But for this Mississippi Pot Roast, there is a pretty clear origin.
In 1990s Ripley, Mississippi, Robin Chapman attempted to alter her aunt’s spicy pot roast recipe, so her children would enjoy it. After a few changes, she found the perfect combination of ingredients, and it was a big hit with her little ones!
Robin began adding this recipe to her regular rotation of dinners and eventually included it in her church’s cookbook. After a while, the recipe was passed from family to family and made its way onto the internet.
Now, this pot roast is one of the most famous roasts on the web! In fact, the New York Times named it “the roast that owns the internet.”
About Sheila Thigpen
Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer
Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.
This was absolutely fabulous. Even my doubting Thomas of a husband who declared you need to add beef stock – there’s no stock, was totally amazed on how much gravy we had and how succulent the beef was! Due to my inferior slow cooker, I could only manage a 2 lb chuck roast and had to cook it for 10 hours on low, but it came out perfect! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!