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This Mississippi pot roast is fall-apart tender, easy to prep, and incredibly flavorful. This recipe includes oven, slow cooker, and Instant Pot instructions!
You may also like my Creamy Lemon and Herb Pot Roasted Chicken or Mississippi Chicken.
Why you’ll love it
Ok, so you know how sometimes you’re not quite sure if an internet-famous recipe will actually be good? Same. But I promise you that this Mississippi pot roast more than lives up to the hype, and your kitchen will smell amazing. It’s savory and buttery, juicy, and the peppers provide some tanginess and a hint of spice.
It’s kind of hard to exactly describe the magic that happens as it cooks. Try making the recipe as-is the first time before tweaking anything since it has so few ingredients and each one is important. It’ll be your new favorite dump-and-go pot roast, and it can be made three ways: oven, Instant Pot, or Crockpot!
Who invented Mississippi pot roast?
- The genius behind this simple pot roast is a woman named Robin Chapman who is from a small city in Mississippi. She adapted a recipe that was given to her in the ’90s. Her version took off and became extremely popular, which is not surprising since it’s so delicious.
What you’ll need
- Olive oil – to get a perfect sear on your roast. If you really want to skip the initial searing step, you can, but it does add so much extra flavor to the dish!
- Beef – we’re using beef chuck roast for maximum tenderness and juiciness
- Pepperoncini peppers – the peppers and brine give a tang to this roast and its signature flavor. You’ll find a jar of it in the pickles aisle at your grocery store.
- Au jus mix – be sure to buy au jus gravy. It isn’t the same as your usual gravy packet.
- Ranch seasoning – if you can’t find dry ranch seasoning mix like Hidden Valley or want to make it yourself, try this Homemade Ranch Seasoning recipe
- Butter – it adds moisture and that luxurious buttery quality to the meat. Just make sure it’s unsalted!
Pro tips
- I don’t add extra salt to this recipe since the ranch seasoning and au jus gravy mix are quite salty. Definitely taste before adding more salt, and don’t use salted butter! If salt intake is a consideration, be sure to check the sodium content on the ranch seasoning and gravy packets as it can vary wildly between brands.
- The oven and Crockpot methods don’t make a lot of sauce, so feel free to add up to a cup of water if you prefer a bit more liquid.
What cut of beef to use
- USA readers: Look for a 3-4 pound beef roast labeled as “chuck roast”, but it may also be referred to as chuck shoulder pot roast, shoulder steak, or boneless chuck roast.
- Non-USA readers: Here in Canada, the naming system is different, so I look for “blade roast” or “cross rib pot roast boneless”.
- In general, tough cuts of beef that are fairly fatty (well marbled) are perfect for slow cooking. You can even try it with pork shoulder if you want to try a different variation.
Is it spicy?
I’d say it has a little kick, but to me it’s not very spicy (even when you eat the peppers). Pepperoncini peppers are a milder pepper and taste more tangy and zesty rather than spicy, and they do have a subtle touch of sweetness too. If you want more zip, add more peppers than suggested. I’ve been known to add the whole jar!
How to make Mississippi pot roast
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below, including Crockpot and Instant Pot directions.
In a Dutch oven, sear the roast on all sides until browned. Add in the pepperoncini juice, then place the peppers around the roast. Top the roast with the contents of the au jus mix and ranch seasoning packets, and place the butter pats on top.
Cover and roast until the roast is fall-apart tender. Shred using two forks and toss with the sauce!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I highly recommend a splatter guard when searing the meat.
- I use this Dutch oven, this Instant Pot, and this Crockpot.
- Use cooking tongs to effortlessly turn the meat when searing it.
How long to roast it
- The general rule is one hour per pound at 275F-300F, so if roasting a cut of meat that’s larger than 3-4 pounds, add on extra time based on that rule. For a 3 pound roast, I give it 3.5 hours.
- It should easily come apart with a fork when cooked. If it still seems tough, just pop it back in the oven.
What to serve with Mississippi pot roast
- You can’t go wrong with my Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes!
- This Stick of Butter Rice, Garlic Butter Egg Noodles, or steamed veggies work great too.
- I’ll never say no to a side salad with my reader favorite Homemade Caesar Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- The leftovers are really tasty and will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in a covered container.
- Or they can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze individual portions.
- Leftovers are absolutely wonderful in a sandwich (I warm it up first then add some mayo and sweet pickles inside the sandwich). Or try it in tacos!
More easy beef recipes
If you made this Mississippi pot roast recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also find me on Instagram.
Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 12 pepperoncini peppers + 1/4 cup of the juice from the jar
- 1 (1 ounce) packet au jus gravy mix
- 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix I use Hidden Valley
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into pieces
Instructions
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 275F and move the rack to the middle position.
- Add the olive oil to your Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides until nicely browned. If you don't own a Dutch oven, sear the meat in a skillet then transfer it to a covered roasting dish.
- Take the pot off the heat and let it cool down for a couple minutes, then pour in the pepperoncini juice. Place the peppers around the roast, sprinkle the roast with the au jus and ranch packets, and then place the butter on top of the roast.
- Cover and roast for 3-4 hours or until it's fall-apart tender, then shred it with 2 forks right in the pot and toss with the juices. I roast a 3 lb. cut of beef for 3.5 hours.
Crockpot Instructions:
- Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides until browned.
- Transfer the roast to a slow cooker. Pour in the pepperoncini juice. Place the peppers around the roast, sprinkle the roast with the au jus and ranch packets, and then place the butter on top of the roast.
- Cover and slow cook on low for 8 hours or until it's fall-apart tender, then shred it with 2 forks.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Cut the roast into 3-4 pieces.
- Add the olive oil to your Instant Pot and press the sauté button. Sauté the meat until browned on all sides (you'll likely need to do two batches).
- Turn the sauté button off. Add all the meat to the Instant Pot, plus 3/4 cup of water and the pepperoncini juice. Place the peppers around the roast, sprinkle the roast with the au jus and ranch packets, and then add the butter on top of the roast.
- Close the lid, ensure the valve is on "sealing", and set the timer to cook for 60 minutes on high pressure.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then quick release the rest. Shred the meat with two forks.
Notes
- The general rule is one hour per pound at 275F-300F, so if roasting a cut of meat that’s larger than 3-4 pounds, gauge it with that rule.
- Be sure to use a tougher, fattier cut of beef (don’t use something lean) or it’ll end up dry. You could make this a pork roast instead using boneless pork shoulder.
- I do not recommend cooking the roast any faster at a higher heat. It won’t end up as tender.
- If you really need to, you can skip the searing step, but the overall dish will be less flavorful.
- This recipe also can be found on page 35 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I never leave reviews because I always forget but my husband’s favorite meal on earth is pot roast and he said this was better than our standard pot roast recipe. THANK YOU!!
Yay!! You’re very welcome!! 😀
You have made me love cooking! This is by far one of the most amazing roasts I’ve ever had.
Thanks for all your kitchen inspiration! There is not one recipe of yours I haven’t enjoyed:)
Aww I love that!! Thanks so much, Erin!! 😀
I had seen similar recipes around the internet but I was nervous as I don’t do well with spicy things.
The fact that the spicy factor was called out in this recipe made me try it. And I don’t regret it.
My boyfriend is a picky one and only really eats beef when it’s burgers or tacos…that being said, he ASKED me to make the roast again this weekend. This time I threw some carrots in (his favorite veg) and I DO NOT REGRET MY DECISION LOL
Omg I love that!! Thanks so much for letting me know. 😀 I am not a big roast person, but there’s something magical about this one haha.
Hi there! This recipe looks amazing!! Definitely trying tonight but I accidentally got hidden valley ranch dip instead of the seasoning! Would it still work?
Hi Kim! I just went on their website, and I think it should be fine by the looks of it. I hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
I have a question – I have a 2lb chuck roast and was going to try the Instapot version. Should I keep the time the same?
Hi Lori! I would, yes. You also could probably get away with using less butter unless you want tons of sauce. It is a pretty rich sauce and with only 2 pounds of meat it may be a little too much/too greasy.
So delicious and a huge hit in this house!
I’m making a pork loin variation tonight and added a packet if Italian dressing mix as well to try something different and it smells heavenly!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Andrea! Your variation sounds fun 🙂
Great flavor but the roast was way too salty! I followed the recipe exactly – used unsalted butter and did not salt the roast before cooking. Where did I go wrong? Using the whole packets of ranch and au jus did seem like a LOT – was I not supposed to use the entire packets? My roast was 3.75 pounds.
Hi Whitney! I’m sorry it wasn’t a runaway hit for you. 🙁 I am assuming each of the packets were about 1 ounce and not larger? It’s possible that you’re simply more sensitive to salt.
They were 1 oz packets. The whole family agreed it was way over salted and I know my husband and I both woke up completely parched in the middle
of the night. 🤷🏻♀️
I wonder if perhaps the packets you bought just happened to have more sodium than others out there since brands vary. That or you just simply found it too salty, which I can understand. I come from a family of salt lovers, and it’s rare I find something too salty haha. Also, when I serve it with a veg and potatoes (or in a sandwich with a little mayo), the less seasoned sides balance it out for me. I just did a little bit of Googling, and the top complaint of this style of roast in general is that it’s too salty for some, so I get it! In any case, I am sorry that it wasn’t a winner. 🙁
I did the same and followed exactly and It was extremely too salty! My husband thought so too and he loves salt. 🙁 I thought the same that maybe the packets were too much but it was as described.
Sorry it wasn’t a hit, Sam! It’s true this kind of roast isn’t to everyone’s tastes. Our kitchen found the flavors balanced, but maybe your brand of seasoning just had too much salt? You could always try a low sodium variety or even making your own to control the sodium levels. There’s a recipe for homemade ranch seasoning linked within the blog post. Hoping you’ll give it another go! 🙂
This is great!! So easy made mine in slow cooker. Used leftovers on buns with slaw. You won’t be disappointed.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Sally!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Really dislike the taste of ranch, is there anything else I could use? Thank you can’t wait to try this
Hi Jean! I’m not really sure what to suggest since I haven’t tested anything different (in the blog post I explain how this is how the woman who originally came up with the recipe made it). The flavor combo is what makes the recipe what it is. To me once all the flavors combine, it doesn’t taste like ranch dressing or anything.
Wow! Wow! Wow! I’m the worst cook, I hate to cook (poor hubby). We only did 2lbs because I knew it would be another roast fail (despite all your amazing comments). No leftovers and my husband won’t stop commenting about it being the best roast ever. And it truly is! I just discovered you this week. Thank you for your talent!
That makes me so happy!!! I’m so glad it worked out!! 😀 XO