Mississippi pot roast might be the easiest chuck roast recipe ever! Just a handful of ingredients simmer away in the slow-cooker until perfectly tender. And unlike other Mississippi pot roast recipes that use store-bought packets, I’m showing you how to cook this one from scratch!
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Why You’ll Love My Mississippi Pot Roast
- It’s made completely from scratch. That means you don’t need any ranch seasoning or au jus packets. I’ll show you how easy it is to make with just simple pantry spices and herbs.
- It’s melt-in-your-mouth tender. And that’s the beauty of slow cooker recipes! The chuck roast cooks low and slow until it shreds effortlessly with a fork.
- There’s big flavorful with minimal ingredients. The combination of pepperoncini peppers, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and butter create the signature Mississippi pot roast flavor with only a handful of ingredients.
- Leftovers are even better. I think this shredded beef tastes even better the next day and it’s perfect for weekly meal prep!
Truth be told, I had never heard of Mississippi pot roast until a couple of years ago. I’ve made my regular slow-cooker pot roast for years, but something on social media caught my attention with this Mississippi spin.
So what makes this one different? Instead of cooking the chuck roast with onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes, you cook it with pepperoncini peppers, butter and ranch-style seasoning. The end result is richer from the butter, more savory from the ranch and Worcestershire sauce, and tangier from the pepperoncini and brine.
And as soon as I saw videos where the store-bought packets were being sprinkled on the chuck roast, I knew I could make an even better version from scratch! I already have a recipe for ranch dressing, so it was simply a matter of combining those herbs with the au jus gravy from my prime rib recipe. Done and done!
I genuinely love both of my pot roast recipes, but this Mississippi version has minimal prep and a bright flavor that’s SO good enjoyed a variety of ways (see my tips below). If you’ve never tried it before, it’s time to add it to your weeknight dinner list!
Mississippi Pot Roast Ingredients
- Chuck roast: This is the best cut of beef for slow cooking thanks to its beautiful marbling. You’ve also seen me use it in my beef stew recipe!
- Homemade ranch seasoning: Instead of using a ranch packet, you’ll use a blend of dried parsley, dill, garlic, and onion powder. It creates that familiar flavor with a fresher approach (and no weird unnecessary ingredients).
- Homemade au jus seasoning: A simple blend of onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and pepper adds depth when combined with the beef broth and cornstarch.
- Beef broth: A small amount of beef broth turns into a rich gravy that soaks into the shredded meat.
- Pepperoncini peppers: You’ll use both the peppers (don’t worry, they’re quite mild) and some of the brine to add bright tang and a punch of acidity to the cooking liquid.
- Worcestershire sauce and Tamari soy sauce: Just a splash or so of each enhances the beefy, umami flavor and rounds out the sauce.
- Butter: This give the finished sauce its silky richness. I prefer using unsalted so I can better control the overall seasoning. And if you’re dairy-free, yes, you can swap in a vegan butter alternative as well!
How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast
First, season and sear the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry and season with salt and pepper. Then, sear the roast for about 3 to 4 minutes per side until well browned. Once it’s done, place it in a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker. You can find the one I’m using linked in the recipe card below!
My flavor tip: While you can skip the searing step if you’re short on time, I would recommend against it (if you do have time). Searing the chuck roast creates a flavorful crust on the beef that honestly adds so much depth to the finished dish. In my opinion, it’s worth the extra effort and dirty dishes!
Second, add the seasoning. Stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, and dill, and sprinkle evenly over the beef.
Third, add the liquids. Whisk together the pepperoncini brine, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and tamari soy sauce, then pour the mixture over the beef.
Fourth, add the butter and peppers. Place the butter pieces on top and pepperoncini peppers around the beef. That way, the butter slowly melts into the meat and sauce as it cooks, creating that silky, rich sauce.
Lastly, slow cook and shred. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beef is very tender. For shredding, you can pull the meat out and shred it on a board. But for ease (and less washing), I shredded it directly in the Crockpot with two forks, mixing it into the gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. While I always prefer to cook my slow-cooker recipes for 8 to 9 hours for the most tender results, if you’re in a hurry you can cook this on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until it shreds easily with a fork.
Absolutely. Just sear the roast, add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook in a 300°F oven for about 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until fork tender.
No, not really. Think of them as mild peppers with a tangy flavor, rather than something like serrano peppers that have a ton of heat. These peppers are flavorful, but not overly spicy.
If your roast doesn’t shred easily, that simply means that it needs more time to cook. Chuck roast doesn’t become tender until the collagen has fully broken down, so if it isn’t shredding easily, just cook it for another 30 to 60 minutes and then try again!
How to Serve It
- Over mashed vegetables: I love to serve this over mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, or mashed cauliflower, for a lighter alternative.
- Turn it into sandwiches: While I don’t eat a lot of bread, you could pile the shredded beef into toasted brioche buns with provolone cheese and extra pepperoncini for an incredible sandwich (or so my mom tells me, lol!).
Storage Tip
Oh, how I love enjoying a Sunday-prepped pot roast meal through the week! Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you’re reheating a larger batch, you can also reheat it back in your slow cooker! Just add the meat back in with about a half cup of beef broth, and cook on low for about 2 hours or on high for one hour, until warmed through.
More Crockpot Recipes
- Pulled pork: A classic party favorite!
- Barbacoa: Most delicious Mexican beef.
- Carnitas: Perfect for taco night.
- Whole chicken: Yes, you can cook a whole chicken in there!
- Or give these other slow cooker recipes a try!
If you try this Mississippi pot roast recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re looking for more healthy food inspiration, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Slow Cooker My favorite Crockpot!
Ingredients
For searing the beef
- 4 to 4 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the homemade seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
Remaining ingredients
- ¼ cup pepperoncini brine
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
- 6 to 8 pepperoncini peppers
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Season the beef. Pat the chuck roast dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the roast for 3 to 4 minutes per side until well browned. Then place in a 6 to 8-quart slow cooker.
- Add the seasoning. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, and dill. Sprinkle evenly over the beef.
- Add the liquids. In a small bowl, whisk together the pepperoncini brine, cornstarch, Worcestershire sauce, and tamari soy sauce. Pour over the beef.
- Add the butter and peppers. Place the butter pieces on top and pepperoncini peppers around the beef.
- Cook and shred. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beef is very tender. Shred the meat in the slow cooker with 2 forks, mixing into the gravy.
- Serve. Serve with mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes (my favorite), roasted potatoes or rice. If you'd like, garnish with chopped parsley on top.
Lisa’s Tips
- If you’re gluten-free, always make sure to check the ingredient list of your Worcestershire sauce.
- You don’t need to add any extra beef broth to this (I tested it that way the first time and it was too liquidy). The chuck roast produces plenty of liquid as it cooks.
- If you’d like a thicker gravy, you can remove the meat from the slow cooker and shred on a serving platter. Then, whisk an extra tablespoon or two of cornstarch to the liquid in the slow cooker, and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened.
- Storage tip: Store leftovers in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
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Recipe Tested to Perfection!
While my recipe testing photos aren’t always pretty (I’m often testing and taking these photos late at night), I like showing you a bit of the process.
For this recipe, I initially added beef broth, which made it overly soupy. Between the liquid ingredients, butter, and natural juices from the beef, I found the added broth unnecessary.
So on the second try, I omitted the broth and seared the chuck roast longer for that dark outer crust. The end result was a more flavorful Mississippi pot roast with a richer, less diluted broth… even more delicious when drizzled on mashed potatoes!
