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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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made this for dinner and it turned out great! my husband is really picky about pot roast, and he thought this had a great flavor. were sandwiches out of it! will make again.
That’s great to hear, Katie!! 😀
Made this last night using Instapot. Came out incredibly yummy. The juices are so flavorful !
My meat wasn’t as tender as I wanted so I put back in for an additional 20 minutes and it was perfect! I threw in potatoes, carrots and onions for the first hour.
Thanks for putting different instructions for cooking, it really helped.
This is a keeper and will be made again.
You are very welcome, Linda!
I hit the 5 stars… let me do it again cuz it was that good! LOL
Haha thank you, Linda!
Hi can i use ranch dressing from a jar instead of powder?
Hi! I am not sure if that would turn out so well. It’ll probably separate and make it too oily. The powder is concentrated.
Made this twice so far in the last week! The first time, I did it with a whole jar of banana peppers because I was scared of the pepperoncini. It was really good! The second time, I tried the whole jar of pepperoncini and made a terrible mistake XD Thankfully the pot roast is still delicious, but the gravy is wayy too spicy for me. Just a tip for you spice wimps 😉 Be cautious as she described, but if you did want to go whole ham on a jar, do it with banana peppers!
Haha thanks for the tip, Stephanie!! I’m glad you like the roast and have figured out an ideal quantity of the peppers. 😀
We love this method of cooking a roast. I use it to shred for enchiladas! Yum!
Love that idea!! 😀 Thanks, Amy!
Finally got around to making this and we all loved it! I seared the beef in a cast iron skillet then cooked on low in a crockpot for ~8 hours as the recipe says, and it was falling apart tender and savory delicious!
I’m so happy it was a hit! Thanks, Lucy!
Fantastic! This is our go to recipe for beef roast from now on. Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Donna!
We loved this! I’ve gotta admit, I wasn’t entirely sure based on the ingredients, but it was phenomenal. I loved that it was so easy, too. I made it in the crockpot, and served with roasted potatoes, carrots and green beans. Such a good meal. Thank you Natasha! ❤️
Yes – I agree – it’s hard to imagine until you try it haha. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, though!! 😀 Thanks for your review!
This roast is my husbands favorite and mine too!
This is a staple and make it every couple of weeks!
Mine as well!! 😀 I’m so glad to hear that, Michelle. Thanks for your review!!
This recipe looks easy and yummy to me, but my husband has a pepper allergy. Do you think it would be good to make since I need to leave out the jar of peppers? If the peppers are a star ingredient, maybe I should try another recipe. Every recipe from your site that I have tried has been perfect- so I will take your advice if I should try this one without the peppers, or not. I was hoping for an easy beef crockpot dinner and this looked perfect. Would appreciate your recommendation either way. Thanks!
Hi Bridget!! I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying my recipes!! Normally you’re right that I wouldn’t advise omitting an ingredient like this, but I think it’s worth a shot with this one so he can try it. I like to enjoy leftovers with sweet pickles (I make open faced sandwiches) – if you find it’s missing a bit of tanginess from the peppers, you could always try that. Let me know how it goes!