Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
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.
Delicious! I fix this all the time! The only thing I can say the crockpot is good for!
The Kerrygold Garlic & Herb butter was a game changer! Everyone loved it! My kids said it was best one I’ve ever made!
We don’t make this often but when we do, it’s always a hit! So delicious and easy to make!
I’ve made this many times. I cut the butter way down. I usually only use about a tablespoon. Unusual I know but for me the butter makes it too oily. Today I’m cooking it without the butter and have no pepperoncinis . We do very low sodium so I find the ranch dressing mix and onion soup mix are salty enough for anyone who does lower sodium like we do. While it’s cooking I don’t touch it at all because it’s not needed. I usually cook it with only one or two peppers again for the low sodium. It always turns out scrumptious, falling apart, flavorful, and faithfully on the rotation. I usually cook it on high which is six hours.
This was an easy delicious meal! Next time, I would try unsalted butter though
This is the best recipe for beef ever!
This is one of the easiest and most delicous recipes for a roast, and the preparation process isnt long at all!!
One of my favorites. We have it at least once a month and serve with grilled sweet potatoes. The Ninja works great with this.
This was such a great recipe. It was so tender and so much flavor in it! Thanks for a great meal! So easy to make and everyone loved it.
Definitely will try
I don’t have pepperoni I, can I use banana peppers?
I add mushrooms. This is the best slow cooker pot roast recipe I have ever tried.
Do you use the fresh mushrooms or the jar?
Making this today. Off to a late start.
Can I reduce the time to 6 hours on low?
Or can I put it in high?
Am in same boat and found somewhere else that you can cook on high in your slow cooker for about four hours. Am trying this now so hope that does the trick!
Has anyone ever used a Rump Roast for this recipe and how did it turn out?
Wonderful!
Just got this in the crock pot. The only adjustment I made was to pour some of the juice off the peppers into the pan where I browned the roast. I hated to see all those yummy brown bits go to waste. Cooked and scraped the pan then poured it the crock pot. After it cooked down it was probably 1/4 cup of yummyness…Can’t wait to have for lunch tomorrow with roasted carrots and onions and mashed potatoes. Staying in, doing my part for social distancing. Everyone stay healthy…
What else can I say. Yum Yum Yum. If this is for Sunday dinner with your in-laws don’t expect any leftovers. But if you have leftovers, just call yourself lucky. For tomorrow is another day.
My husband and I absolutely love this meal. I’m soooo glad I came across this recipe. I use my own ranch seasoning blend and the fresh flavors with the roast can’t be beat!!
We sit the pot roast on two chopped yellow onions in addition to the above recipe. Love it!
Magnificent flavor in this roast!!!! Not going to be many leftovers.
Woo hoo!! Thanks so much Candace!
Made this with tamed pickled jalapeños and this is a favorite in my house hold!!! We pair with white rice or mashed potatoes and bacon wrapped green beans!!
I’m making this for the first time this weekend kids visiting I’ll make it exactly this way. I’ll let you know after they’re response , can’t wait. Will serve it in Italian rolls. Yum
I hope everyone loves it Philomena – be sure. to let me know! 🙂
Can you do this in the oven as well?
Hi Sherice! I am sure you could – I just haven’t made it that way yet. You’d have to cook it really low and really slow or the meat will come out tough and not super tender like it does with the slow cooker. 🙂
Hands down my families favorite Pot Roast Recipe! I use Beef Onion Soup Mix Instead and always add celery, baby carrots, and chunked sweet potato for a complete meal in the crockpot. Perfection every Time! Trying it out in my new Instant Pot this evening!
Do you add any liquid when adding the vegetables? I want to do that too but wasnt sure if it needed extra liquid thrown in.
Do you add the carrots and other veggies in the beginning or later in the cooking process?
I will be making this crockpot sensation for Easterr dinner. I would like to know when I should put in vegetables (carrots and potatoes) and do i need to add water?
This is quite a good recipe! I’ve made it quite a few times. Delicious!