BEST Mississippi Pot Roast
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Mississippi Pot Roast is a fork-tender chuck roast that’s full of flavor! This no-fuss “dump and go” pot roast recipe is made with 5 ingredients in a crockpot with only 10 minutes of prep! Slow cooker, instant pot, and oven methods included!
Why you’ll love this Mississippi roast
- Foolproof with minimum effort: it doesn’t get any easier than this! Just throw the ingredients into your crockpot in the morning and come home to a delicious meal that’s ready to serve! It’s the perfect weekday or weekend dinner.
- Super tender and flavorful: the boneless chuck roast is smothered in a delicious gravy, soaking up all the flavors while becoming fork tender. Comfort food at its best!
- Keto: this dish is low carb and you can serve it with cauliflower rice for a keto meal.
- Great for leftovers: you can shred the leftover roast and serve as pulled beef sandwiches for an amazing lunch!
What is Mississippi pot roast?
Mississippi pot roast is a dish using 5 ingredients: chuck roast, au jus gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, and butter.
The reason that it’s called Mississippi pot roast is that the original recipe was created by Robin Chapman from Mississippi. It was inspired by another chuck roast recipe and became a viral sensation on social media.
How to cook Mississippi pot roast in a crock pot
- Place the roast in the crockpot.
- Sprinkle the au jus mix and ranch seasoning on top of the roast. Add the pepperoncini peppers and butter.
- Cover the lid and cook for 8 hours on low.
- Shred the roast with two forks and serve with the rich gravy.
That’s it! Super easy!
A 6-quart crock pot works well for a 3-4 pound chuck roast making about 8 servings. You can also use an Instant Pot as a faster option or cook in the oven (see recipe notes).
Watch the video to see how tender the beef roast gets and how easy it is to make this recipe!
The best cut of beef
The top pick is a boneless beef chuck roast. It comes from the shoulder of the cow with outstanding marbling, making the roast really tender and juicy when braised.
The tougher the cut, the better the pot roast! So other options include bottom round roast, brisket, shoulder steak, and tri-tip. The collagen in the connective tissue will break down during cooking to make the beef fork-tender.
To cook it in a crockpot, you don’t need to sear the roast, and there’s no need to add any liquid either. The slow cooker traps steam generated from cooking, keeping the roast moist.
Can I make Mississippi pot roast without pepperoncini’s?
Yes, your roast will still taste delicious without the pepperoncini peppers. If you’re concerned about them being spicy, don’t worry as they’re quite mild with tangy flavors. You can pass on them or try using other pickled peppers such as jalapeños.
How long to cook Mississippi pot roast on “High”?
If you want it done sooner, just cook it on a high heat setting for 4-5 hours.
Note: Your roast will get more tender when you cook it in the crockpot longer. So if you find the meat is still a little tough, just put the lid back on and cook longer.
What to serve with Mississippi pot roast?
Serve this chuck roast with some potatoes, mashed potatoes, sliders or rice, and drizzle the delicious gravy on top. It’s the best! You can also pair with vegetables such as:
Can I make this recipe using frozen roast?
It’s not recommended to cook frozen roast directly in a slow cooker because of bacteria risks, so you need to thaw the meat first. If you forget to take it out of the freezer the night before, you can defrost it in the microwave or by using the following cold water method:
Place the roast in a resealable bag and cover with cold water. Make sure it’s fully submerged. Change the water every 30 minutes so that it stays cold (below 70°F). It will take about 2 hours if your roast is large in size.
Note: A roast thawed in cold water must be cooked immediately.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Slow Cooker Bacon Garlic Chicken Breast
- Crock Pot Cube Steak
- Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken
Mississippi Pot Roast (+Video)
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds chuck roast, (about 1.5 kg), boneless and trimmed of excess fat
- 1 packet au jus mix, (1 oz), or brown gravy mix
- 1 packet ranch mix, (1 oz)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 8-10 pepperoncini peppers
Instructions
Slow Cooker:
- Place the chuck roast into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle au jus mix and ranch mix on top of the roast.
- Add butter and peppers around the roast.
- Cover the slow cooker. Cook on LOW setting for 8 hours, or HIGH for 4-5 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender.
- Remove cover and shred the roast using two forks.
- Garnish with optional minced parsley and drizzle with gravy. Serve with potatoes, mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.
Instant Pot:
- Turn the instant pot onto Sauté mode. Add 1 tablespoon oil followed by the meat. Sear the roast on all sides (4-5 minutes each side) until nicely browned.
- Add the pepperoncini peppers, ranch mix, au jus mix, butter and ¾ cup of water. Cover with the lid and close the steam valve.
- Turn off Sauté mode and set to “Manual” mode for “High” Pressure Cook for 80 minutes.
- After the cooking cycle finishes, allow for a natural pressure release (about 15 minutes). After that, use the quick pressure lever to manually release any remaining pressure and turn off the pot.
- Carefully remove the lid and transfer the roast to a plate and serve.
Oven:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place an oven-proof pot on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, sear the roast on all sides (4-5 minutes each side) until brown.
- Add the pepperoncini peppers, ranch mix, au jus mix, butter and ¾ cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cover.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for 3-4 hours until the meat is fork-tender.
Notes
- Don't add liquid to the crockpot: There's no need to add any liquid to the slow cooker, unlike with the Instant Pot or oven methods. The slow cooker traps steam generated from cooking, keeping the roast moist. In addition, it also draws the juices from the meat. So you will get more flavorful meat and gravy if you don’t add any liquid.
- To add potatoes and carrots: You can add vegetables such as carrots and potatoes (small yukon gold or quartered russet) in the last 2 hours of cooking, making it a complete meal.
- To reheat: Leftover Mississippi roast keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days when wrapped properly. It’s best to reheat in a skillet for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.
- To freeze: You can also store it in a freezer-friendly container for up to 2 months.
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
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OMG, this is a fabulous recipe! I was so hesitant to make it- it sounded like an odd combination, but a coworker had had it before and recommended it. My only change- next time I’ll add twice the pepperoncis- they’re surprisingly delicious!
I’ve made this and put on Garlic bomber roll with Horsey sauce and mozzarella cheese then broiled Yumm😋😋😋
Hi Bernadette, Sounds incredible! Thanks so much for your feedback and glad you enjoyed!
The absolute best roast ever. Thanks for sharing different methods of cooking !!’ Yummmy
Hi Patsy, So delighted to hear that and many thanks for commenting!
I have everything except the butter! Will it be ok without?
Hi Jamie, Thanks for your question and yes, it will be just fine without the butter. Less rich and flavorful, but fine nonetheless. Enjoy!
Very good post. I absolutely love this website. Keep writing!
Hi Dino, Thanks for your feedback and encouragement! So glad you found it helpful.
Hey someone stole my receipe I live in Memphis TN Wow
Looks good!!
Hi Claudia, Thanks and hope you enjoyed it!
I made this for the first time today. I don’t like any fatty meat and my chuck roast was fatty. It was hard for me to shred the meat. I got enough shredded for our meal and pulled apart the rest after we ate. Then I separated the grease off the gravy and put the rest of the meat in the gravy. We liked the flavor but the fat turns me off. We’ll see what happens for our meal tomorrow night.
Hi Wendy, Thanks for your feedback and I know what you mean. My suggestion is to use a fat separator to remove the fat from the juices. Then it’s easy to serve the meat and drizzle the juices on top.
Also, if the meat is hard to shred, you may need to cook an hour or two to make it tender. Hope that helps!
I love this pot roast. It is a bit salty, though. I think it is better with only half a packet of ranch dressing mix.
Hi Eileen, Thanks for your review. I agree the au jus mix and ranch can make it salty, but look for reduced sodium packages. They make a big difference!
OMG…absolutely a delicious, first class roast without having to spend hours in the kitchen. The only downside is that with everyone having seconds, there were no leftovers.
Hi Colleen, That’s great to hear and thanks so much for your comment!
I used a sirloin tip roast from Costco, as it was the better lookin cut.
Oh yeah, forgot: love the kick the pepperoncini’s give. WOW
AWESOME.I’m not fond of HVR — have to be in the mood — guess I was in the mood. Half way through cooking, I noticed all the seasonings were highly browned on top of the roast. Flipped it over, added 1/2 C water, carrots and potatoes. This definitely goes into my favorite section.
Hi Sheila, Awesome to hear! The browning on top is fine and dissolves as cooking progresses. Sounds delicious and thanks for your comment!
This is sinfully delicious. I added a package of cremini mushrooms cut in half 2-3 hours before the end. Simply divine!
Hi Carol, Thanks for your review and mushrooms are a great addition (will have to add a note about that!). See you again soon on the site!
Can I use this with bone in chuck roast?? Made it before and loved it but bought bone in by mistake. Not sure it it will cook faster with bone
Hi Sandy, Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can absolutely use bone-in chuck roast. Enjoy!
I appreciate how helpful and diversified this post was! I used my instant pot and it turned out absolutely fabulous! I usually cooked it in my crockpot and am now forever thankful to have this tasty roast done in 80 plus minutes rather than eight hours!
Thanks again,
Meredith
Hi Meredith, That’s so great to hear. We love this roast and make it both ways!
I had thought I saw that if you didn’t want to use the gravy and ranch there was another way of making it with spices??
Hi Corrie, Thanks for your question. You can simulate using spices, but it’s then a different recipe really and more complicated too.
This is our favorite crockpot recipe! The flavor is so delicious and the meat just falls apart. We like to eat ours with potatoes and broccoli. We love that it’s so quick to make as well! Can’t wait to eat ours today.
Hi Lauren, So happy to hear that and we do exactly the same thing! Thanks for your review 🙂
Love this roast. My husband loves it. Our house smells so yummy when cooking. Only question. Would it taste the same if I cut the mixes to 1/2 packet each If not, no worries we will keep as is. Love it that much. Thanks
Hi Fran, I know, right? The smell alone seems to justify making it 🙂 You can try making it with 1/2 packet – the flavor won’t be as strong and the texture can be firmer, but it depends on the product. Worth trying if you’re curious 🙂
I made this last week with a skirt steak I had in the freezer & oh my it was fall apart moist & oh so flavorful! Loved the extra kick the peppers gave. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Cheryl, Thanks for your feedback and glad to hear it turned out well! I haven’t tried it with skirt steak yet, so good to know 🙂 See you soon on the site
I make this roast ALL the time and we LOVE it! I just noticed I only have a 2 1/2 lb roast in the freezer. Should I accommodate the rest of the recipe or just use the same amount?
Hi Lisa, Thanks so much for your feedback and glad you enjoy it! For a 2 1/2 lb roast, you can use the same amount of everything else or reduce slightly. It’s good either way 🙂
I made this tonight for my husband and I. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe. 🙂
Hi Kaitlyn, Thanks so much – you made my day! 🙂
Has anyone made this and added some egg noodles towards the end when you shred the roast? Thanks
I can’t find the Auju mix would brown gravy mix work?
Hi Elaine, Thanks for your comment and yes, absolutely brown gravy mix will work as a substitute 🙂
Trying this for the first time. My wife is a very picky eater. Gonna try with noodles and mashed potatoes.
Would this recipe work with a pork roast? We have been on a pork kick
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried it, but don’t recommend mixing au jus (beef flavor) with pork. How about https://tipbuzz.com/slow-cooker-pulled-pork/ instead?
I’ve tried it and it’s good!
I’ve made this roast so many times I lost count and I seriously have never used chuck roast. I actually just made it with a mix of 3 small roasts I had bought on sale recently (standing rib and 2 sirloin) it was amazing as always. I cook it on low for 8-10 hours and it’s always the same flavor no matter the cut of meat. It’s like crack around this house… we can hardly wait til it’s finished cooking.
This is my third time having this roast. I really like it, it’s the best. This is the first time making it and it smells so delicious, I can’t wait to eat!
Hi Gaye, Awesome to hear that and thanks for sharing. Hope the third time was the best yet! 🙂
I didn’t like the fatty chuck roast so I bought another cut of meat. Does this mean the recipe won’t work? The chuck roast was super expensive too.
Hi again Lisa, Thanks for your review! A chuck roast for this recipe should cost $15-20, not cheap but less expensive than a prime rib roast…
I didn’t like the look of the chuck roasts at the market – too much fat and very expensive so I bought a shoulder roast with barely any fat. Is this going to work? I’m assuming the fat helps make the juices but I just couldn’t bring myself to pay tons of money for a blubbery piece of meat.
Hi Lisa, I hear what you’re saying, but still recommend chuck roast to get that melt-in-your-mouth flavor. Try to get a *trimmed* chuck roast where the excess fat is removed – it need not be blubbery seriously! 🙂 How did the shoulder roast turn out??
A lot of the fat is going to melt during cooking, and you can pull the rest out when you shred the meat. It’s easy to do once you get the hang of it. The chuck roast is one of the most flavorful cuts, and the fat has a lot do to with that. I use the leanest boneless cut I can find. Have you ever slow-cooked at pork shoulder? Shredding it is the same as a beef chuck roast.
There is no comparison this is the best there is. If you don’t try it you have cheated yourself a taste bud experience beyond explanation.
Hey Robert, Thanks, you just made my day! Glad your taste buds were tantalized! 🙂 🙂
This is in the crockpot and smells SO good! I track my eating and am curious how many servings the nutritional info was figured with. Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, Thanks for your review and hope you enjoyed it! Definitely a fragrant dish, right? Nutritional info reflects 8 servings, hope that helps! 🙂
This is a family favorite in our house! It is even kid approved by my 7 and 4 year old. I follow this recipe, but I add a packet of French onion soup and double the amount of peppercionis. Best roast ever!
Hey Maygen, Thanks for your comment and couldn’t agree more 🙂
Has anyone added potatoes to it? Did you let them cook the whole time? Did you have to season them? And did you have to add water?
Hi Mary, It can be done – I drop them in halfway through to avoid mushiness. Use baby potatoes or fingerlings. Delish! 🙂
You can absolutely cook this in a Dutch oven. Follow the recipe, heat your oven to 225°F, then cook for 6 to 7 hours. No crock pot/slow cooker needed.
Hi Tia, Thanks for your feedback! I’ll have to try it out 🙂
If you add potatoes/carrots to the recipe do you need additional sauce packets?
Hi Ro, Not at all, but you may wish to add a half cup of water for some extra moisture. 🙂
Also: I’ve learned from making this many times that carrots and potatoes absorb the heat from the Pepperoncinis. Depending on how spicy you like your roast, that could be a positive or a negative. We like ours spicy, so I’ve changed to drawing out some of the juice near the end and roasting the carrots separately.
Do you know how long this would be cooked in an instant pot?
Hi Brandi, Thanks for your review and the Instapot version is here: https://tipbuzz.com/instant-pot-mississippi-pot-roast/ 🙂
Do you just pour the powder in or do you have to make the packets?
Just pour on top
Do you just add the powder to the roast? You don’t have to follow the directions on the back of the packets?
Hi Destiny, Thanks – you just pour it the powder! No need to mix or do anything else as the slow cooker will do it for you. 🙂
This has to be the best recipe ever for roast..
Served it with mashed potatoes. Made it with only 2 tablespoons of butter and added 1/2 cup of water. Cannot wait to make it again.
Hi Lin, Thanks so much for letting me know. Glad you enjoyed it and I couldn’t agree more 🙂
I made this Mississippi pot roast and it was really easy. The finished product was a bit too salty so I would reduce each acket of seasoning to half. I will try it again real soon.
Hi Laura, Thanks for your feedback. You may want to try a different brand of seasoning mix, as some are saltier than others… 🙂
This is the tastiest roast I’ve ever tasted! I’ve honestly made this three times in the last six weeks and I’m the only meat eater in the house! Awesome!
Hi Mike, Thanks for your feedback and so glad you’ve been enjoying this recipe! It’s one of my faves too 🙂
I love to make gravy with the broth from this roast. But it just isnt enough, any tips to make double gravy?
Hi Tanna, Thanks so much for your review! You can make more gravy by adding some juice from the pepperoncini bottle. Alternatively try a cup of low-sodium beef broth. Hope that helps! 🙂
As I don’t own a crockpot or slow cooker could I use a Dutch oven? How long would I cook it then?
Thanks for your question Patti. The beef needs the ultra-low heat of the slow cooker to become tender, and a Dutch Oven can’t do that. I’d suggest buying a crock pot – they’re inexpensive and irreplaceable in recipes. Let me know if you make it!
This looks so good I realy want to eat some
Thanks Anneesia, That’s the idea! It’s so yummy and easy to make, so hope you’ll get a chance to try it 🙂 🙂