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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.

Mississippi pot roast on a plate with mashed potatoes

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, extremely 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 insanely 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.

ingredients for mississippi pot roast on a marble surface and dutch oven with a roast inside

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.

a dutch oven with mississippi pot roast before and after being shredded

Cover and roast for 3-4 hours or 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!

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.
Mississippi pot roast sandwich

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!

What to serve with Mississippi pot roast

Mississippi pot roast close-up in a Dutch oven

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 on a plate with mashed potatoes
4.94 from 43 votes

Mississippi Pot Roast

This Mississippi pot roast is fall-apart tender, easy to prep, and incredibly flavorful. This recipe includes oven, slow cooker, and Instant Pot instructions!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 3 hours 45 minutes
Total: 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 6

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 44g, Fat: 46g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 21g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 197mg, Sodium: 561mg, Potassium: 800mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 559IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!

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135 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The easiest must delicious way to make a roast. I’ll never do it any other way. The flavor is so well balanced 👌 it and cooked to perfection in the crockpot

  2. Hi Elise
    Is the pepperoncini juice over powering? Im just trying to imagine it on a roast? I have all ingredients to make in crockpot tomorrow .

    1. It’s not overpowering. It is hard to imagine what it tastes like without making it, but this roast is magical in my opinion. Let me know what you think!

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is my family’s favorite. It’s simple and tasty. I have been making this dish for several years and never get tired of it.
    I add extra peperoncinis for a little heat.

    1. Same here – I never get tired of it either and I like adding the whole jar of peppers. 😀 Thanks for your review!

  4. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. I used half water and half liquid from roast with 2 packets of gravy mix. This was so good! 3lb chuck roast for 3.5 hours was perfect. Tomorrow night is hot roast beef sandwich with all the leftovers. Yummy 👍🏼

  5. I tried this recipe last not in the slow cooker ~ 8 hr. I used pork shoulder, sauteed an onion as well and use Hot Banana Peppers instead of the Pepperoncini Peppers. It made a lot of juice, which I thicken with instant mash. Great recipe will make it again.

  6. I haven’t made this (yet), just came across your site tonight and I am going to try a chicken recipe. However, I’m going to put this on my list. It is similar to other pot roast recipes I’ve seen calling for a pack of gravy, a pack of ranch and Italian seasoning. The pepperoncini sound like an interesting stand in for the Italian seasonings. I appreciate that you also included instant pot and crock pot versions. Looking forward to trying this one.

  7. 5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe a few times and LOVE IT. I need to do a x1.5 or x2. When you select x2 it multiplies everything except the liquid from the peppers. This should go up in accordance with the doubling too yes?

    1. Hi Lacey! That’s right – it’s just a glitch because of the way I have to type the juice in there so the software doesn’t recognize it as its own thing. But yeah, every ingredient doubles. Sorry about that!

      1. Thanks Natasha! I’m worried I won’t have time to slow roast a 5.5-6 lb roast. I’ve only ever done the 3-4 lb. Everything I’ve read said 10 hours! Is that necessary? Thoughts?

        1. Hi not sure if you saw this note in the recipe card, but I’d try this: “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.”