Mississippi Pot Roast (+Video)
Mississippi pot roast is a classic slow cooker recipe that is made with beef chuck roast, ranch dressing mix, onion soup mix, butter, and peperoncini peppers.
AN EASY, FLAVORFUL POT ROAST RECIPE
This Mississippi pot roast recipe might be the best you ever try! If you haven’t tried this recipe before, you absolutely must give it a chance. The meat comes out so tender and incredibly flavorful! Over the years, it has become my family’s go-to pot roast recipe! If you are looking for a serious comfort meal, then this Mississippi Pot Roast is for you!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):
The recipe is believed to have originated in Mississippi, hence its name. It has become a popular dish in the United States and is a comforting and hearty meal.
Mississippi pot roast has a savory and slightly tangy flavor, thanks to the combination of ranch dressing mix, onion soup mix, and peperoncini peppers. The butter adds richness and depth of flavor to the dish.
No. Absolutely not. The meat comes out so tender and buttery by cooking it low and slow in the crock pot. Cooking it too quickly will result in a tough cut of meat that does not shred easily.
Of course not! Try making your own Homemade Ranch Seasoning and your own Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix. You’ll need about 2 Tablespoons of the ranch seasoning and about 3 Tablespoons of the onion soup mix for this recipe. This will also help you control the amount of sodium in the recipe as well.
It’s not recommended. The butter adds a lot of flavor to this. Margarine is basically oil. Use the real stuff here.
Mississippi pot roast is delicious served with Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes, rice, pasta, or vegetables like carrots, green beans, or broccoli. You can also serve it with a side of crusty bread, Butter Swim Biscuits or rolls to sop up the flavorful cooking juices.
A sirloin tip or rump roast will work. You want a cut of meat that will shred after it is finished cooking.
They really add a lot of flavor to this dish so I wouldn’t skip them. It doesn’t add spiciness like you think it would. If you absolutely insist on substituting you can try using some dill pickles and a bit of pickle juice.
No. Do not add additional liquids. The meat itself along with peperoncini and the melted butter will produce enough juices.
Yes, you can add them in at the start of cooking.
It hasn’t cooked long enough or you opened the lid while cooking. Refer to my answer above about cooking this low and slow. Trust me, you just cannot rush this or you’ll be severely disappointed. And do not open the lid while cooking as this also disrupts the cooking process.
Leftovers can be frozen. Just place in a freezer safe bag and remove all of the air. It will keep frozen for up to 2 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chuck roast – the chuck roast needs to be fresh and not frozen. So if yours is frozen, you will need to defrost it first.
- salt and pepper – I will leave this up to your tastebuds. I lightly season both sides but if you don’t like the additional salt then leave it out.
- ranch dressing mix – if you are sensitive to salt or have dietary concerns about sodium, use a lower sodium option. If you really want to have full control over the salt levels, try making the Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix.
- onion soup mix (or au jus gravy mix) – the same applies for this mix. Go for a lower sodium option if necessary. You can also make Homemade Onion Soup Mix so you can control the amount of salt.
- salted butter – unsalted butter can be used. If you can find the Kerrygold garlic and herb butter, give that it try, it adds even more flavor. Do not use margarine – it has to be real butter.
- peperoncini peppers – these do not add spice, just flavor. If you want a bit of a kick of heat, try adding a bit of the juice from the peppers.
HOW TO MAKE MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST:
Heat up a large skillet on high. Add oil to hot skillet. You want it really hot here to brown or “sear” the beef quickly. Note: I have one of the Ninja slow cookers that has a “stovetop” option, which means I can brown the meat all right in my crock pot and not dirty up any other dishes. However, if you are in a rush, just skip the browning step altogether.
Take a paper towel and make sure you dry both sides of the pot roast (drying the meat helps it brown easier.) Then season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Once the skillet is nice and hot, add the roast. Allow the roast to cook for about 2-3 minutes until it is golden brown. The browning of the outside of the meat just adds flavor. Using tongs, flip the meat over and sear the other side of the roast for another 2-3 minutes.
Transfer meat to slow cooker. Sprinkle packets of dry ranch dressing and onion soup mixes over pot roast. Top with a stick of butter. Then place peppers on and around roast.
Note: This butter is a Kerrygold garlic & herb butter. The sticks were on sale at Kroger so I had picked up a bunch. But a regular stick of salted butter (not margarine) will still work perfectly in this. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. You don’t add any other liquid to this. The meat will create it’s own juices at it cooks. DO NOT remove the lid while cooking.
Now all you need to do is take two forks and start shredding the meat. Discard any big fatty pieces. If you want, you can cut up the peppers and stir those into the meat mixture. I ate mine with the peppers but didn’t cut them up into the meat to serve. Serve on mashed potatoes, rice or on a roll with a slice of provolone or mozzarella cheese.
CRAVING MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES?
Originally published: April 2015
Updated & republished: Feb 2024
Mississippi Pot Roast (+Video)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2-3 pound chuck roast
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix (or au jus gravy mix)
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 8 peperoncini peppers
Instructions
- Heat up a large skillet on high. Add 2 Tablespoons olive oil to hot skillet. You want it really hot here to brown or "sear" the beef quickly. This can also be done in your slow cooker if you have the sear or saute option.
- Take a paper towel and make sure you dry both sides of the 2-3 pound chuck roast. Season with a little bit of salt and pepper. Once the skillet is nice and hot, add the roast. Using tongs, flip the meat over and sear the other side of the roast for another 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer meat to slow cooker. Sprinkle 1 packet ranch dressing mix and 1 packet dry onion soup mix over pot roast. Top with 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter then place 8 peperoncini peppers on and around the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. DO NOT open the lid. It’s tempting but leave it alone!
- After it has cooked, take two forks and start shredding the meat. Discard any big fatty pieces. Then serve.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Do not rush this recipe. Do not cook on high. This will only work when cooked slowly on low. And definitely do not open the lid (trust me, this makes a difference!)
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Could you use pork roast instead of chuck roast?
You sure can! Check it out here: https://www.thecountrycook.net/crock-pot-mississippi-pork-roast/
I made this today exactly as the recipe says, with the exception of adding baby carrots around the roast and my grass fed roast is not falling apart. I just don’t get it. I’ve made it before and it did fall apart with a fork. Everyone loved it. Any ideas on why?
Hi Christie – oh no! Sometimes you just get roasts that take a lot more time to cook in order to fall apart. Most require the time I have listed here but some meats have very strong tendons that just don’t want to break down so they need some more time to cook to get tender.
Unbelievably delicious!!????
Thanks so much Cheryl!!
How many people did the 3lbs feed? Cooking for 7
Hi Tricia, about 5-6. Depends on how much fat is on the cut of meat. 🙂
Do you have any suggestions on a substitute for the butter?
That’s my question too! Dairy sensitivity. Unfortunately, I ate some last night, and man was it good. Of course, today I feel like crap. Once I was given the recipe, I know why. Now to recreate it without the dairy…I can sub ranch and onion mix easily but the stick of butter is a bit trickier.
is it possible to cook on high to get done quicker than 8 hours? or will that ruin the roast?
Hi Amanda! No, I don’t recommend that. The meat won’t come out as tender and buttery.
I am so glad I found this recipe for pot roast it is delicious by far the best roast I’ve ever made ❤️
Great!
Really good crockpot roast. Good flavor and very tender. It really did not need any other liquid other than what the roast made. I used a 2lb roast which took less cooking time.
Thank you so much Kathie!
BestDamn Roast East of the Mississippi River
Ha – love it – thank you Tim!
My husband really loved this ….my guess is he would have bathed in the gravy as he raved so much about it.
I just sent this recipe to my sister because it’s the best chuck roast recipe my wife and I have ever had. We’ve thought about serving it to dinner guests it’s so good. We often include the entire jar of peppers (drained) because they soften and add incredible flavor to the finished product. Also, I highly recommend adding a medium sized bag of baby carrots, 1 course chopped sweet onion, and 2 skinned and cubed russet potatoes if your slow cooker is large enough to accommodate the additional ingredients. We serve with buttered rice and always pour A1 (or Pickapeppa) sauce on the side of the plate to mix in with entire dish. It’s a grand slam all around and the kids love the carrots and potatoes too!
I always forget the butter but it turns out wonderfully. Guess it will be better with butter.
I will try to do better next time.
Lady Di
My family LOVES this and it is simple with only a small amount of preparation!
Hi, do you use the juice from the jar of peppers?
Hi Melanie – personally I don’t add it because my family doesn’t like it spicy at all but you could add some if you prefer.
Hello! I want to put this on rolls (or lettuce wrap) with the provolone or mozzarella cheese for a lunch we’re doing. Has anyone actually done this and did people like it or not? Thanks:)
If I need to feed a large group can I just double all the ingredients? Should I adjust the cook time?
Hi Natasha – you could certainly double the recipe. I haven’t tested it though so you may have to keep an eye on the cook time. You may need a smidgen longer until they are tender.
Could I make this with a rump roast?
Hi Merry – I think you could. It may not come out as shreddable and tender. Rump roast should definitely get tender with the longer cooking time though.
I’ve made this before, and my family loves it! We just wish it made more gravy. Any tips on making extra gravy? Would just doubling the dry ingredients and butter work, or do you think that would make it too salty?
Hi Karyn, that’s a good question. I am so happy y’all love this one. You could try adding some low sodium beef broth to the bottom of the crock pot. It will cook along with the meat and soak up those flavors and should give you a bit more of that gravy.
Hi,
Can this be made without the ranch dressing, my husband does not like ranch, sour cream or cream cheese on anything. I was hoping to omit the ranch dressing packet and just use the gravy mix and the onion soup mix.
Thanks
Hi Penny, I promise you don’t taste the ranch dressing in this. At all. It just adds to an overall flavor. I have made this and my husband HATES ranch anything and he never knew it was in there!
Thanks for the information.
I was so excited to make this and then in the process I did not have everything needed. Instead of onion soup mix I used 2 tablespoons onion powder (not onion salt) and also added a pkg of au jus. It was the best pot roast I’ve ever made. I did sear my meat because it gives it extra flavor. When it was done and I had shredded it I took 1 tablespoon corn starch and 2 T water mixed and added to thicken juice into a gravy. We ate it over mashed potatoes. It is wonderful. The only recipe I will ever use!
Delicious! Didn’t change a thing. Can’t wait to try the chicken and pork version. Thanks!
Awww – thank you Madelynn!! Hope you love those versions as much as this one!!
Hey there, would an inside round roast work instead of chuck?
Thanks.
The BEST pot roast I’ve ever had!!! Ever! Two very important ingredients: Lipton’s onion soup mix and the dry ranch dressing mix! Do not, repeat DO NOT use the dip mix versions, it doesn’t work well at all (I tried it first time simply because it was what I had). Then this time I went and found the soup and dressing mixes. With the recipe as is, it was FANTASTIC. I did increase time to 10 hours low. Also I didn’t sear the chuck – I wanted all that good stuff to soak into the meat as it slow cooked. I will be making this again and again. Served over mashed potatoes. Scrumptious! Thanks for this recipe!!!
Just made this for lunch, I put it in my crockpot when I got off this morning at 5, cooked it on HIGH for 6 hours so tender and full of flavor, thanks for the recipe????