If you’re looking for a delicious, easy-to-make dinner, you’ll love this Mississippi Pot Roast recipe!
You only need five simple ingredients and a few minutes prep time. Set it and forget it for a melt-in-your-mouth crock pot roast with rich, savory gravy
Once you give it a try, it’ll become a regular in your dinner rotation.
What is Mississippi Pot Roast?
There’s a good reason this is so well-loved! This beloved recipe was created by home cook Robin Chapman, who wanted to tweak a recipe starting with Italian dressing. After being featured in the New York Times, it became an instant favorite.
A Delicious Crock Pot Roast
- Just five simple ingredients make prep a cinch for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
- Made in a slow cooker, this is a ‘set it and forget it!’ kind of meal that practically cooks itself!
- Tender, juicy roast beef with a rich flavorful gravy; no one can pass up this tender, juicy Mississippi roast.
- It can be made ahead and freezes well.
- Serve with sliced bread to make sandwiches or dinner rolls for sliders! Don’t forget some extra sliced pepperoncini on the side!
Ingredients and Variations
Beef Roast – For the best flavor, choose a roast with nice marbling throughout. Just like oven pot roast, a chuck roast is the best cut for tender meat. Round roast or rump roast also work as does a pork roast.
Seasonings – A combination of dry ranch dressing mix and au jus gravy mix adds tons of flavor to this dish. If you prefer, you can skip the packet and make your own ranch dressing (or just add the ranch dressing seasonings).
Pepperoncini Peppers – This is the secret ingredient that tenderizes the meat and gives it a great flavor! Although they’re spicy out of the jar, this recipe isn’t spicy.
Butter – Let’s be real; everything’s better with butter! Half a stick of butter is plenty, but feel free to add more if you’re feeling indulgent. And for a smoky twist, you can swap some of the butter for leftover bacon grease.
Variations – This roast is delicious on its own, but it’s even better with some added veggies like carrots, celery, or onions.
How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast
Low and slow is the way to go to get mouth-watering, tender meat that just falls apart!
- Brown the meat on both sides and transfer it to a slow cooker.
- Add pepperoncini juice and sprinkle the ranch and au jus mixes on top of the roast. Top with pats of butter. Cover and cook until fork tender.
- Shred with a couple of forks and serve over potatoes, rice, or even on a toasted roll!
Holly’s Tips
- Sear the roast in a large skillet for extra flavor. This is optional, but it adds extra flavor.
- Don’t add extra liquid to the slow cooker. The juices from the roast and the butter will ensure there’s plenty of flavorful gravy to go around.
- If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can still make this dish in a dutch oven. Follow my pot roast cooking times for perfect results.
- Want to thicken the gravy? Mix a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch with water, then whisk it into the drippings. Let it cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened to your liking.
What to Serve with Mississippi Pot Roast?
This crock pot Mississippi pot roast recipe is so good when it’s piled high over mashed potatoes or tucked into a hoagie roll. Or serve it as a main dish over garlic-roasted mashed potatoes, or keep it low-carb with mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice.
Suggested Side Dishes
More Tender Beef Recipes
Did your family love this Mississippi Pot Recipe? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Mississippi Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound chuck roast or pot roast
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix 1 ounce
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix, 1 ounce or brown gravy mix, low sodium
- 6 pepperoncini peppers plus ½ cup juice
- ¼ cup butter
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown the roast for about 5 minutes per side.
- Place roast in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker and pour in the pepperoncini juice. Sprinkle the dry ranch dressing mix and au jus gravy mix over the top of the roast. Add the pepperoncini peppers and sliced butter on top of the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the roast is fork-tender.
- Once the roast is cooked, shred it with a fork and mix it into the juices in the slow cooker.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Dinner, Main Course, Slow Cooker
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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This Mississippi Pot Roast recipe was originally developed by Robin Chapman, Ripley, MS.
Can you add potatoes, and if so when would you add?
I haven’t tried it, but think that would be delicious! I would add them right at the beginning.
i finally made this today and it was delicious. My roast was a lil under 3 lbs and frozen but it worked out great. oh and i didn’t have a packet of ranch dressing mix so i made my own.
Made the roast tonight for the first time – delicious!
Let me start by saying I have made a multitude of your recipes, which have all been fabulous, but I’m not the one to normally leave a review…..until now! I have made various pot roast recipes for years, some great, some terrible, but have never found “the one” until this amazing creation that satisfied every picky eater in my house. This pot roast was super tender, super flavorful and just perfect! Anyone that has hesitation about the pepperocini or seasonings, don’t, it is absolutely perfect as is! Thank you Holly!
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe Christina!
I used Ranch dressing and white gravy and spread it on the roast with a brush. I didn’t use any peppers as I can no longer tolerate spicy. It turned out beautifully. We had friends and family over to dinner and everyone loved it.
Do I discard cooked peppers before shredding beef?
I save the peppers to serve with the shredded beef! Enjoy Pj!
This meal is one of all time favorites. We have this at least twice a month. Meat comes out so tender (I make this in my instapot). What I love is that you can use any kind of beef, chuck, pot roast, London broil. It all comes out tender & so tasty!!
I am looking forward to making this. You made a suggestion adding extra veggies but no mention of when to add them. I like the idea of carrots and celery being added, so I’m asking would they be placed in crockpot at the beginning? Also would jalapeños be just as good as pepperoncini? I don’t want a whole jar of the cini’s since our stores don’t sell them in bulk.
Thx so much….LOVE your recipes!
I haven’t tried jalapenos, but it would make the dish spicier. And yes, I would add the veggies in the beginning. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I tried this year’s ago and I will not make it any other way now.
Without a doubt the best Mississippi Pot Roast receipt. The only way I will cook Pot Roast now. Worth every bit of 5 stars as well as 2 thumbs up.
Delicious! I followed the recipe. Used most of a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch (all I had in the pantry) and a Knorr’s classic brown gravy packet. My Mezzetta Pepperoccini were thinly sliced but worked out just fine. I used about 3 T of butter. This will be my go-to recipe for roast beef.
I found this recipe is delicious. Also found Mezetta Brand puts up bottles of Garlic and Dill Pepperoncini Peppers, using this adds an extra pop of flavor to the roast.
Love it would like to cook it, looks simple what a way to Go, what a mouth watering
I can’t believe I haven’t commented before. I have made this countless times my husband and I both love the flavor. I did ultimately cut down on the butter because it seemed too rich . It’s not as spicy as you may fear given the pepperochini but has just the right amount of heat and you can’t beat how easy it is!! We love it over mashed potatoes. YUM
Love this recipe, it’s one of our favorites!!!
Hi I would love to make this Mississippi pot roast but my husband is lactose intolerant. What would you recommend I substitute the ranch mix with? I do make many of your recipes that require cheese and cream and use lactose free which works well and doesn’t change the flavour. There is no lactose free ranch dressing or powdered buttermilk ie in your home made ranch. Any suggestions? Thx shirley
Hi Shirley, we have found a few dairy-free ranch dressings that may work for you! Hidden Valley has a plant-powered option, Daiya also has a dairy-free option, and a few others that you may be able to find in your local grocery store or can order through Amazon. Hope that helps!
A keeper.
Great recipe! Would it work with a deer roast??
I haven’t tried this with deer roast but as long as the roast is well marbled and suitable for braising (cooking low and slow in liquid after searing) then it should work. Let us know how it goes!
I have made it with Deer roast and it was AMAZING!!!