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 flavor 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. You can make this in the oven using a Dutch oven. 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!
I made this for a dinner party and everyone had to walk out the door with a copy of the recipe! I served it with the mashed cauliflower and greek salad. All of the items were such a hit with everyone!
Yay, I love hearing that it was a winner with your guests. And thanks so much for sharing the recipe as well, Jan!
Thank you Lisa! This recipe is so easy and Delicious, even my grandsons liked it 💖
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear they loved it. :) Thanks, Lisa!
This is so easy to make and so easy to eat. Love it. Made it 2ce already exactly as written. Thank you Lisa for creating such delicious recipes:)
Awesome! So happy you love it so much you’ve been making it on repeat. Thanks, Aurora!
So easy. I cooked mine in the oven for 8 hours at 225. Like butter so soft and flavorful!
Don’t you love how tender it is when you go to shred it? A beautiful thing! :) I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nancy.
This is a delicious pot roast. I will definitely make it again. I cut the recipe in half and used a 4qt crockpot.
I’m happy to hear you loved it, Kathy!
I’m excited to make this today, I’m adding carrot chuncks and serving over mashed potatoes. Thanks!
Sounds amazing, Penny! Let us know how it turns out. :)
Made this for our unconventional thanksgiving (I’m Canadian) dinner. Didn’t have chuck roast but used a beef eye round. Since that’s a leaner cut of meat, I also added some broth just to make sure it wouldn’t dry out. It came out perfect and the flavours were so so yummy! Will make it again, and can’t wait to try it with an actual chuck roast!
So happy you loved it, Holly! And thanks for sharing your tweaks. Hope you had a great Canadian Thanksgiving!
We had not tried Mississippi Pot Roast until now and this recipe is absolutely delicious! Served with roasted sweet potatoes, veggies and cornbread. Freezing the small amount leftover for a few bowls or nachos in the near future. :) Thank you for sharing!
Hi Rebecca – Happy to hear you loved this Mississippi pot roast so much!
This is the best pot roast ever! I even had an evening snack cause I couldn’t event think of anything else!!! A new favorite in our home for sure!!! So simple to make! So flavorful!
Happy to hear this pot roast has become such a staple now, Evelyne!
OMG! Don’t hesitate! Make this right now! Such a hit with my family. Although I traded the whole pepperoni to the sliced version, which is nice because it cooks down a lot and mixes in with the meat when shredded and adds delightful flavor to every bite. My whole family loved it! Even the picky little kids! Loved it served on top of mashed potatoes :)
Yay! I’m so glad your whole family loves this Mississippi pot roast, Rachel!
This is an excellent recipe!! I’ve made Mississippi pot roast before the one using ranch packets, both times the roast came out super salty and artificially tasting in my opinion. This one is GREAT and so easy. I will be making this a few times in the winter months!
Great point about the artificial flavor, Maxime. I’m so happy you love my all natural version, enjoy!
We made it and LOVED it! Such comfort food and was a huge hit with my family.
Yay, I’m so happy to hear the whole family loved it. Thanks, Dana!
I made this today, and it was delicious!! Served with mashed potatoes and carrots. Made exactly to the recipe except I used a 2.5 lb chuck roast – could not find anything bigger. Kept the same measurements on the other ingredients and came out great! Definitely will be on repeat list. Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
You’re so very welcome, Joan. I’m thrilled to hear you loved it!
This was awesome! I cooked a 3.25 pound roast with the exact ingredients and timing was 8.5 hours on low in slow cooker. I did thicken the juice to make a true gravy as notes suggest. The gravy has a great, unique flavor because of the pepper juice used. I’d add more pepperoncini peppers because they are so delicious and we ate most of them in one sittingl!
Woot! So happy you loved this recipe, Renee. And yes, I’m all for adding more pepperoncinis as well. Enjoy!
How do you make the pepperoncini brine?
Hi Lynn – That brine comes from the jar of the pepperoncini peppers (it’s the liquid in the jar).
hi Lisa,
This looks delicious!
I have 2 lbs of beef chuck chunks. Do you think I can use those for this dish? Thanks.
Hi Luis – Yes, you should be able to use those. Enjoy!
Can I make this in a instant pot!
Hi Mary – I’m sure you could, but I don’t have an Instant Pot so don’t know the correct instructions. Perhaps someone else in the community will chime in!
I just made this recipe in an instant pot yesterday. I halved the recipe because I only had 2 pounds of meat. I cooked it for 50 minutes on high pressure then released naturally, and it came out perfect! My internet calculations say for the full recipe to cook for 1 hour on high pressure.
This looks amazing, I don’t have a slow cooked, is it possible to slow cook in the oven, say 100c for 8 hours 🤔
Hi Penelope – I have instructions for cooking this in an oven in the FAQ’s listed above. :) Enjoy!
A friend just sent me the traditional recipe with packets and am excited about trying this. Have you tried freezing the leftovers? There are only 2 of us, so 4+ lbs of meat is a lot.
Hi Maureen – Yes, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 3 months! Excited for you to try this version :)
This looks amazing I will try it for the weekend.
We don’t have pepperoncini peppers, I’ll look for other pickled peppers.
Can I omite the butter? (It doesn’t work for us)
Thank you for giving insparation to cook yummy healthy food.
Hi Lauri – Yes, always feel free to tweak the recipe to your liking. Hope you love it!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I wonder if the leftovers can be used in burrito bowls.
Absolutely! I’ve been using my recent leftovers in a variety of ways, topping it on bowls and salads. Enjoy!
This looks really, really tasty. Never heard of it before, but definitely going to try it out. LOVE that you made the recipe from scratch with clean ingredients!! Thank you!
So excited for you to try this, Sonya!
How much beef broth does the recipe call for?
You don’t need any beef broth for this recipe. The liquid marinade and juices from the meat create the juicy gravy all on it’s own! Enjoy. :)
Hi Lisa. I’m super excited to make this!
IDK if I keep skipping over this info; but how many servings does this yield, please?
Hi Belen – There are 8 servings in this recipe. Enjoy!