Mississippi pot roast is just maybe the best pot roast ever created! It’s a delicious, fall-apart-tender, fix it and forget it, crockpot wonder that only uses 5 ingredients. It’s much more flavorful than a standard pot roast and just as easy, if not easier, to put together.
If you’ve had this Mississippi roast, you know how incredibly delicious it is. Try my juicy Mississippi chicken or when you’re in a hurry, you can’t beat my instant pot Mississippi pot roast.
Looking for more really, really delicious crockpot recipes? Try more of my favorites! Trust me, these aren’t your run of the mill crockpot recipes.
What is Mississippi Pot Roast?
Mississippi pot roast is a recipe created by a mom named Robin Chapman from Ripley, Mississippi. Her goal was to recreate a less spicy version of her aunt’s pot roast for her kids.
It’s a crockpot cooked beef chuck roast that is seasoned with a packet of dry Au Jus Gravy mix, ranch seasoning mix, whole pepperoncini peppers, and a stick of butter. The recipe became a huge internet sensation, making regular appearances on Facebook, Instagram and even the New York Times published a version of it.Â
Why Is It Called Mississippi Pot Roast?
Because the recipe originated in Mississippi! Home cook Robin Chapman adapted a recipe given to her in the 1990s and history was made!
What Does Mississippi Pot Roast Taste Like?
A little bit zesty, tangy, wonderfully rich, and beefy.
The Best Cut of Beef to Use:
The best cut of meat for this recipe is a chuck roast. The slow, extended cooking time melts the collagen and fat within the roast and produces a delicious melt-in-your-mouth piece of meat. You might see other recipes call for a bottom-round roast. I don’t like to use it because it’s a lot leaner than a chuck roast and can easily come out a bit dry. Stick with a chuck roast!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
- A Large Crockpot – Mine is a 6 quart
- Chuck Roast- Use a 3-5 pound well-marbled roast for this recipe. I try to use a 5 pounder because this dish is so popular in my house.
- Pepperoncini Peppers – Make sure you use the whole pepper in this recipe rather than the slices because the slices will fall apart given the long cooking process.
- Unsalted Butter – This dish tends to be a bit salty because of the au jus and ranch packets. Using unsalted butter, rather than regular, helps to reduce the overall saltiness.
- Au Jus Gravy
- Ranch Dressing Mix
- Fresh Parsley
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Do you have to sear a pot roast before slow cooking? Nope! In this recipe, there is no need to sear the meat before placing it in the slow cooker. It’s one of those amazing dump-and-cook recipes!
- Is this spicy? No. The pepperoncini peppers add a lot of flavor without adding heat to the roast and gravy. The pepperoncini will of course be hot and spicy if you eat them.
- Can you cook this on high? Yes, you can cook this on high in your slow cooker for about four hours.
- Can you add potatoes and carrots to this? Yes absolutely. Add potatoes and carrots that have been cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces at step #2 in the recipe instructions below
- Can you make a Mississippi pot roast without pepperoncini? Well sure but you’ll miss out on a key flavor element of this recipe. The acidity from the peppers also helps cut through the richness of the meat and gravy.
- Can you make a Mississippi pot roast with pork? Yes, and it’s absolutely delicious. Choose a 3 1/2–4-pound boneless pork shoulder roast instead of roast beef. This pork roast version is a wonderful change to add to your dinner rotation.
- How to thicken Mississippi pot roast gravy? The gravy is on the thin side when the roast is finished cooking. To thicken, remove the roast to a platter, turn the crockpot on “high,” and make a simple cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Slowly stir the slurry into the crockpot, adding just enough of the slurry to achieve the desired thickness. You may not need to add all of it.
- Is this keto-friendly? Yes, if made as written below without thickening the gravy or adding any optional carrots and potato carbs. To serve it as a low-carb meal, serve it over cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower.
How To Make Mississippi Roast In The Oven?
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Place the roast in a Dutch oven.
-
Sprinkle the Au Jus Gravy mix and ranch seasoning mix over the roast.
-
Place the stick of butter and Pepperoncinis on top and pour 1/2 water around the roast.
- Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 hours, or until the roast is fork-tender and falling apart. Turn roast halfway through cooking.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Your roast will stay fresh and delicious in the fridge for up to 3-4 days but don’t expect it to sit around that long. All you have to do is cover it tightly with aluminum foil or cling wrap….or you could transfer to an airtight container. The thing is, this pot roast is so tasty people will come looking for it as it makes fantastic sandwiches!
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! You can freeze your cooked pot roast or just the leftovers for 2-3 months. Let it cool completely before preparing it for the freezer (but not more than 2 hours). Store it in a freezer-safe bag with the juices to prevent the meat from drying out. Slow thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Make-Ahead Tips:  You can toss everything in the crockpot, cover it up and leave it in the fridge overnight. That way the next day all you have to do is grab the insert and turn it on. Of course, you can always go the freezer route but it’s just so good fresh!
- Leftovers: Any leftover shredded Mississippi roast also makes great sandwiches. Pile some on top of your favorite toasted hamburger bun or hoagie roll, along with some homemade buttermilk ranch dressing and extra sliced pepperoncini, or maybe some melted mozzarella and thin-sliced, sweet onion.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Serving Recommendations
I like to serve this slow-cooker dish over mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles to soak up the gravy. A few of my favorite pot roast sides are my Bisquick biscuits, roasted broccoli and brown sugar carrots. They round out the meal nicely.
More Favorite Crockpot Comfort Meals:
- Crockpot Pork Tenderloin
- French Dip Sandwich
- Crockpot Pork Chop
- Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore
- Crockpot Chicken Chili
- Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
- Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
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Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 (3-5 pounds) chuck roast
- 1 package Au Jus Gravy mix
- 1 package dry ranch dressing mix
- 5-6 whole pepperoncini peppers
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Place the chuck roast (1Â (3-5 pounds)) in a large crockpot.
- Sprinkle the au jus mix (1Â package) and the dry ranch mix (1Â package) evenly over the roast. Top with pepperoncini peppers (5-6) and stick of butter. Cover.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or until roast is fork-tender. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Remove meat and pepperoncini to a platter. Whisk all the cooking liquids together and spoon over the meat. Â Sprinkle meat with chopped parsley (2Â tablespoons) and serve.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- The best cut of meat for this recipe is a chuck roast. You might see other recipes call for a bottom-round roast. I don't like to use it because it's a lot leaner than a chuck roast and can easily come out a bit dry. Stick with a chuck roast!
- Chuck Roast- Use a 3-5 pound well-marbled roast for this recipe. I try to use a 5 pounder because this dish is so popular in my house.
- Peppers - Make sure you use the whole peppers in this recipe rather than the slices because the slices will fall apart too much in the long cooking process.
- Unsalted Butter - This dish tends to be a bit salty because of the au jus and ranch packets. Using unsalted butter, rather than regular, helps to reduce the overall saltiness.
- Do you have to sear a pot roast before slow cooking? Nope! In this recipe, there is no need to sear the meat before placing it in the slow cooker. It's one of those amazing dump and cook recipes!
- Is this spicy? No. The pepperoncini peppers add a lot of flavor without adding heat to the roast and gravy. The pepperoncini will of course be hot and spicy if you eat them.
- Can you cook this on high? You can also cook this on high in your slow cooker for about four hours.
- Can you add potatoes and carrots? Yes absolutely. Add potatoes and carrots that have been cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces at step #2 in the recipe instructions below
- Can you make this without pepperoncini? Well sure but you'll miss out on a key flavor element of this recipe. The acidity from the peppers also helps cut through the richness of the meat and gravy.
- Can you make this with pork? Yes, and it's absolutely delicious. Choose a 3 1/2--4-pound boneless pork shoulder roast instead of the roast beef. This pork roast version is a wonderful change to add to your dinner rotation.
- How to thicken the gravy? The gravy is on the thin side when the roast is finished cooking. To thicken, remove the roast to a platter, turn the crockpot on "high," and make a simple cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Slowly stir the slurry into the crockpot, adding just enough of the slurry to achieve the desired thickness. You may not add all of it.
- Is this keto-friendly? Yes, if made as written without thickening the gravy or adding any optional carrots and potato carbs. To serve it as a low-carb meal, serve over cauliflower rice or mashed cauliflower.
Averie says
So easy. Yum
Kathleen says
Thanks, Averie! 😀
Lisa Jaegel says
I recently made this for the first time. It tasted delicious but the meat didn’t fall apart like I expected it to. I have a family of 6 so I used a 5lb chuck roast and cooked it on low for 8 hours. What would you suggest to get the meat fall apart tender next time? Longer cook time on low or higher cool time for the first hour then low for 8 hours?
Kathleen says
Hi Lisa. It just sounds like your roast was a large one and needed more cooking. If you run into that again, just extended the cooking time until it’s fork tender <3
Kim says
I dint have the au jus gravy. Would lipton onion mix be alright for an alternative?
Kathleen says
Hi Kim! I haven’t done that yet before but I think you can give it a try!
LB says
I actually ran into this same issue and used lipton onion soup mix. It was still awesome! I made it again last night and decided to use beef gravy mix and it was incredible as well.
Pamela Boehme says
I made my au jus seasoning from scratch and it’s amazing. Pinterest has the dry au jus seasoning recipe.
Marie says
I put the whole jar of pepperoncinis in. Very tasty!
Kathleen says
Ooooh glad to hear you enjoyed it, Marie! 😀
Jacquelin says
This was absolutely fantastic!! This time im trying in in my ninja foodi ill let you know how it comes out!
Kathleen says
So happy you enjoyed, Jacquelin <3 Look forward to hearing back from you about the Ninja!!
Nancy says
Marie, did you put in the liquid as well? I’ve done this before, because I love the vinegary bite!
Tamela Rufe says
I was told to add aclarge peeled potato to anything that’s too salty to draw the salt out….
Heather says
SO GOOD! I pan seared and used the oven method. Meat was tender and flavor was delicious! Will make this again. Thank you for sharing
Kathleen says
You’re welcome, Heather! 😀
James Stavola says
This is the BEST pot roast ever. I make no other because it is not only easy but the flavors are so good. Served with mashed potatoes, real comfort food made simple.
Kathleen says
Thanks, James! So happy you enjoyed it! 😀
C Hogg says
I can’t wait to try this. Have you tried with veggies such as carrots and potatoes? I am wondering if I add those if I should add some broth?
Kathleen says
Hi, Hogg! No, I haven’t tried adding veggies yet but you could definitely add them, with or without some broth. Hope this helps! 😀
Donna says
The roast was extremely tender and tasty but a little salty. I definitely want to make it again but Is there anything I can do to cut the salt?
Kathleen says
Hi Donna! You could try cutting down on the au jus gravy mix. Hope this helps!
Christine says
Unsalted butter.
LB says
I add baby carrots and baby yellow potatoes in the last 1 -1 1/2 hours of cooking and it’s delicious. The baby potatoes are so good with this that I don’t add anything to them. I eat them whole. I also don’t add any liquid and it’s still perfect.
Cat says
This was INCREDIBLY salty! Even my boyfriend who is a salt addict said it was too much. I was really bummed because it smelled amazing and would’ve been great if it wasn’t so salty. I think next time I’ll only use half of the au jus packet.
Nancy says
Did you use salted butter? I always use unsalted. I have never found it too salty, and I usually add a whole jar of pepperoncinis, along with the liquid. I also usually use about a 4 lb roast.
Mack says
Can I add bacon ends to this?
Kathleen says
Hi Mack! Yes, you can 🙂
Teresa G Crook says
Would this come out ok if I put my roast in partially frozen?
Kathleen says
Yes, you will just need to extend the cooking time a bit <3
Breanna Taylor says
Hi! I am using a 1.5 lb chuck roast because it’s just my boyfriend and I. Should I use half the packets and half a stick of butter? Thank you!
Kathleen says
I’d just use the rest of the ingredients as written <3
Desiree says
Am I supposed to put all the juices of the pepperochis in with the roast?
Kathleen says
Hi Desiree. I don’t usually add any extra pepperoncini juice, that said, I know a lot of my readers add a bit (not a lot) of it before cooking.
Annie Davis says
I am cooking this recipe. Now but forgot the pepperonicini
Marilyn says
Have you made this recipe with potatoes, carrots & onions?
Kathleen says
Hi Marilyn. No, I haven’t. 🙂
Elizabeth says
I made this tonight and 2 hours before cooking time was up I added in baby carrots and onion slices. It was so good! I also added salt/pepper to the meat before adding the other ingredients 🙂
Kathleen says
Hey Elizabeth. Thanks for responding about adding the veggies. So glad you enjoyed!! <3
Angela says
This was so good, it was the best roast beef I’ve ever eaten, so tender and delicious!!! This is going to become a staple at our household. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kathleen says
I’m so happy you enjoyed this roast Angela! <3
Vicky says
Hi there! Is the nutrition at bottom per serving or for the whole dish?
Thanks
Kathleen says
Hi, Vicky! Thanks for asking. I now corrected the data, and it reflects the amount per serving. Enjoy! <3
Michelle Turner says
Best pot roast I’ve ever had. It was absolutely delicious, and my whole family loved it. Thank you!
Kathleen says
Thank you, Michelle! ? It’s so great to hear that you and your fam enjoyed it!
Corrin says
Hi, I not a fan of the peppers in this recipe,, what other types of peppers could I use?
Thanks ?
Kathleen says
Hi Corrin!
Good question. You could try some traditional bell peppers, sweet baby bells or some poblano peppers. They are all mild (no heat) and great flavor for pot roast. Would one of those work for you? Hope this helps.
Anna says
I can’t use slow cooker I have to use the oven ,what temp and hours will i have to use to cook in the oven ?
Kathleen says
Hi Anna. Add all the ingredients in a large baking dish cover tightly with foil. Bake at 325°F for about 1 hour per pound.