This Mississippi Pot Roast is the best pot roast recipe you will ever make. Made by slowly cooking chuck roast in au jus mix, ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and pepperoncini peppers, this melt-in-your-mouth delicious recipe is super easy to make and tastes especially amazing with buttery mashed potatoes. Oven, slow cooker, and Instant Pot instructions included.
Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
I can’t imagine anything better than a fall-apart, slowly cooked pot roast. This uniquely wonderful Mississippi pot roast is just that – tender, juicy, and so flavorful – it’s so good you may never make pot roast any other way again.
What is Mississippi Pot Roast?
The origin of this wildly popular pot roast recipe traces back to Robin Chapman, a resident of Ripley, Mississippi, who adapted a recipe given to her by her aunt to make it less spicy. The result was the Mississippi Pot Roast.
Her original adaptation was made with just 5 ingredients:
- 1 (3-4 pound) roast, your choice of cut
- One stick of butter
- 1 package au jus gravy mix
- 1 package dry Ranch dressing mix
- Pepperoncini peppers, number to your liking, and a little juice
How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast
Mississippi Pot Roast in the Oven:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chuck roast and sear each side for about 5 minutes or until it has a nice golden color.
3. Coat the top of the chuck roast with the au jus mix, ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper, then pour in the beef broth and pepperoncini juice and sprinkle around the pepperoncini peppers.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and transfer it to the oven. Cook the roast in the preheated oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit as measured using a digital meat thermometer.
5. Once the pot roast is done, remove it from the oven and shred it using two forks. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and freshly minced parsley for garnish if desired.
Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chuck roast and sear each side for about 5 minutes or until it has a nice golden color.
2. In a large slow cooker, combine the au jus mix, dry ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, beef broth, pepperoncini pepper juice, and pepperoncini peppers. Mix well to combine, then the seared chuck roast to the slow cooker. Drizzle some of the sauce over the top of the roast.
3. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit as measured using a digital meat thermometer.
Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Once hot, add the oil and sear the chuck roast for 5 minutes on each side without disturbing it to form a deep brown color. Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and wrap it in foil to keep warm.
2. Deglaze the pan with a splash of beef broth or water, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This step is important in preventing the burn signal from happening in the middle of cooking.
3. Combine the au jus mix, dry ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, beef broth, pepperoncini pepper juice, and pepperoncini peppers. Mix well to combine, then add the seared chuck roast to the pot.
4. Cook on Manual High Pressure for 60 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure by turning the steam release knob.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is not recommended that you cook your roast on high heat. Low heat is key to easily shreddable, fork-tender meat. High heat makes the meat tough.
Personally, I don’t find it to be spicy. However, if you are sensitive to spicy foods, reduce the total number of pepperoncini added to the roast.
No. Banana peppers are sometimes sweeter, and they differ slightly in shape and color; however, their differences are so minute that they can be used interchangeably in this recipe.
Remove the cooked roast from the pan and set aside to cool slightly before shredding. Whisk together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and combine it with the drippings. Allow the sauce to thicken for 5-10 minutes before repeating with an additional tablespoon of cornstarch. Return the roast back to the pan and shred.
The most likely answer is that it was either cooked too fast (meaning the temperature was set too high) or it hasn’t cooked long enough. Patience is key.
Storage and Leftovers
Keep leftovers stored in an air-tight container and in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat over medium heat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.
Yes, Mississippi pot roast can be frozen. Freeze in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Serve Mississippi Pot Roast
This family favorite pot roast is best served over creamy, buttery mashed potatoes. It’s also great over low-carb mashed cauliflower. Enjoy leftovers on a toasted bun with melted pepper jack cheese and extra gravy drippings or served as tacos with your favorite corn or flour tortillas.
You May Also Enjoy,
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe (Slow Cooker and Stovetop)
- Carnitas Recipe (Mexican Slow Cooker Pulled Pork)
- Slow Cooker Pot Roast Recipe
- Best Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon (Beef Stew)
If you try making this Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe, please leave me a comment below! I always love to read your thoughts and feedback!
RECIPE CARD
Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (3-4 pound) chuck roast - brought to room temperature
- 1 (1-ounce) package packet of au jus mix
- 1 (1-ounce) package packet of dry ranch seasoning mix
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup low-sodium beef broth - see notes
- ½ cup pepperoncini pepper juice
- ½ (16-ounce) jar pepperoncini peppers - drained
Instructions
Oven Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chuck roast and sear each side for about 5 minutes or until it has a nice golden color.
- Sprinkle the top of the chuck roast with the au jus mix, ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper, then pour in the beef broth and pepperoncini juice and sprinkle around the pepperoncini peppers.
- Cover with a lid or aluminum foil and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit as measured using a digital meat thermometer and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Once the pot roast is done, remove it from the oven and shred it using two forks. Serve hot with mashed potatoes and freshly minced parsley for garnish if desired.
Crockpot Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the chuck roast and sear each side for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- In a large slow cooker, combine the au jus mix, dry ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, beef broth, pepperoncini pepper juice, and pepperoncini peppers. Mix well to combine, then transfer the seared chuck roast to the broth and drizzle some of the sauce over the top of the roast (the roast does not need to be completely submerged).
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 205 degrees Fahrenheit as measured using a digital meat thermometer and pulls apart easily with a fork.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode. Once hot, add the oil and sear the chuck roast for 5 minutes on each side without disturbing it to form a deep brown color. Remove the meat from the Instant Pot and wrap it in foil to keep warm.
- Deglaze the pan – Remove all of the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot by adding a splash of beef broth or water to the pot while it is still hot. Scrape up all of the brown bits stuck to the bottom. This step is important in preventing the burn signal from happening in the middle of cooking.
- Turn off sauté mode. Combine the au jus mix, dry ranch seasoning mix, Worcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, beef broth, pepperoncini pepper juice, and pepperoncini peppers. Mix well to combine, then add the seared chuck roast to the pot.
- Cook on manual, high pressure for 60 minutes. Once the time has passed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure.
Jessica’s Notes
- You may add as little as 1/2 a cup of beef broth or as much as 2 cups. One is not better than the other – you will have delicious, tender meat either way. However, I like to turn the leftover drippings into a rich gravy, so I tend to add a little extra broth.
- Why didn’t I add butter? I didn’t find it necessary to add a stick of butter to make this recipe delicious. You may absolutely add (up to) one stick of butter to your roast if you’d like – it certainly won’t make it taste worse 🙂
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
If I leave out the pickle juice, will it be less salty? It was quite salty for my family but otherwise we loved the flavors.
I believe the ranch has more salt than the pickle juice, so maybe next time, add less of the dry ranch seasoning mix 🙂