This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.
Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast is comfort food made with only a handful of ingredients! Serve this tangy pot roast with potatoes or egg noodles for a meal the whole family will love. This recipe requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time and cooks on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours.
There are certain times of year when I absolutely rely on my slow cooker to get dinner on the table. I try to keep the ingredients on hand for several of our favorite recipes, and this Mississippi pot roast recipe is one of them.
The story goes that a home cook from Mississippi created the recipe for this post roast while trying to adapt one of her aunt’s recipes. The recipe she stumbled upon in the process ended up taking the internet by storm in the early 2000s.
The final roast is similar to Italian beef, but served like traditional pot roast instead of as a sandwich.
This recipe requires only 15 minutes of hands-on time before cooking the roast in the slow cooker for 8 hours. And aside from the meat itself, the ingredients are pantry staples, so you can throw this together quickly before you head to work for a hearty weeknight dinner.
Jamie’s testing notes and tips
- Sear the meat first for added flavor. It’s worth the extra effort for the way it enhances the flavor of the roast. And even with this step, you can still have this dinner in the crockpot in 15 minutes!
- Adjust the heat by adjusting the peppers. Pepperoncini peppers are usually labeled as medium heat, so this roast does have a slight kick to it. If you prefer your food a bit milder, simply use a bit less of the pepper brine in the recipe or cut back on how many of the sliced peppers you add.
- Make a gravy with the cooking liquid or simply add the meat back into the pot. Both are delicious options, so don’t worry if you don’t want to bother with making the gravy at the end!
Ingredient notes
⬇️ For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below!
- Beef chuck roast: My go-to cut of beef for pot roast. Trim off any big pieces of fat before seasoning and searing.
- Ranch seasoning: Use a store-bought packet or homemade ranch seasoning.
- Au jus seasoning: You can find packets of this at any grocery store. Check for it by the gravies and stocks.
- Butter: Taking a few seconds to bloom the seasoning packets in butter makes this recipe even more flavorful.
- Pepperoncini peppers and their brine: This is what gives the pot roast it’s tangy kick!
- Beef stock: Consider using low-sodium stock here, since the seasoning packets contain a good amount of salt. If you do not want to make the gravy, you won’t need the beef stock.
You will also need vegetable oil or another high-heat cooking oil as well as salt and black pepper.
How to make Mississippi pot roast in the slow cooker
I like to make my Mississippi roast in the crockpot. It’s a great meal to “set and forget” before you drop the kids off at school or go to work for the day.
Start by seasoning a chuck roast liberally with salt and pepper, then browning it on all sides in a heavy pan or dutch oven.
While the roast is browning, turn a large slow cooker on low and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add half of the ranch and half of the au jus seasoning; stir that up and let the seasonings bloom for a few minutes.
This step isn’t 100% necessary (you could definitely skip it), but I think it does make for a better final flavor!
Add the browned roast to the crockpot along with the rest of the seasonings, half of the pepperoncinis, and about ¼ cup of the pepper brine. Cook on low for 8 hours.
When the meat is done, move the meat to a large bowl and shred it. Add in the rest of the sliced pepperoncinis and any solids from the slow cooker.
Strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium sized sauce pot; add the beef stock and as much of the leftover pepper brine as you’d like. Simmer this over medium-high heat until it has reduced and thickened into a gravy.
Serving suggestions
I like to serve my Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast over buttered egg noodles. I’ll round out the meal with a salad with homemade blue cheese dressing and – if I’m really feeling fancy – some garlic and herb parker house rolls.
If mashed potatoes are more your pot roast style, though, this roast is just as good over potatoes as it is over egg noodles!
Storage and freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Just like Chipotle Barbacoa or crockpot pulled pork, Mississippi Pot Roast freezes well. Package up any leftovers in freezer-safe airtight containers and freeze for 1-2 months. I like to freeze leftovers in individual servings for quick dinners and lunches on the fly.
Thaw leftovers in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat gently in the microwave or in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast
- 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix or 3 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning
- 1 (1-ounce) packet au jus seasoning mix
- 1 (16-ounce jar) whole pepperoncini peppers stems removed and brine reserved
- 2 cups beef stock
- Salt & pepper to taste
Video
Instructions
- Pat meat dry with paper towel and season all sides liberally with salt and pepper.3 to 4 pounds beef chuck roast, Salt & pepper
- Heat a large pan or dutch oven over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add oil to the pan, allowing it to heat for 1-2 minutes before carefully adding the meat to the pan. Sear each side and edge of the meat until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- Turn a 6-quart slow cooker on low and add butter. Once butter has melted, and half of the ranch seasoning and half of the au jus seasoning to crockpot once butter has melted and let the seasonings bloom for 2-3 minutes.4 tablespoons butter, 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix, 1 (1-ounce) packet au jus seasoning mix
- Add the roast to the slow cooker and sprinkle with the remaining seasonings.
- Add half of the pepperoncinis and about ¼ cup of the pepper brine over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.1 (16-ounce jar) whole pepperoncini peppers
- After 8 hours, transfer the meat to a large bowl and shred.
- Meanwhile, strain the liquid from the crock into a medium sauce pot, returning any solids to the slow cooker along with the shredded meat. Slice the remaining pepperoncinis and add to the meat.
- Add the beef stock to the sauce pot. Add as much of the remaining pepper brine as you’d like, to taste. Simmer over medium-high heat until the liquid has reduced and thickened into a thin gravy.2 cups beef stock
- Serve Mississippi pot roast over mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles with gravy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
