Mississippi pot roast is a slow-braised American comfort dish made with a beef chuck roast, a stick of salted butter, dry ranch seasoning, onion powder, whole pepperoncinis, and their brine, all cooked low and slow together until the beef is fall-apart tender and the buttery juices become a rich, tangy gravy. It works perfectly in the oven, the slow cooker, or an Instant Pot.
I am telling you how to make Mississippi pot roast! This recipe is super simple and produces the most amazing, tender, and flavorful pot roast. Whether you make it in the oven, the slow cooker, or an electric pressure cooker, you will literally love it!
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Why You Will Love This Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
Honestly, this is one of those meals that feels like a massive hug on a plate. You will love it because the prep work is practically zero, but the payoff is huge. The combination of ranch seasoning, rich butter, and that tangy kick from the pepperoncinis creates a mouthwatering gravy that makes the beef completely irresistible. Plus, it is incredibly versatile! I am going to tell you my favorite oven method, but if you are a set-it-and-forget-it kind of cook, it works perfectly in your slow cooker or Instant Pot too. It even works incredibly well swapped out with a pork butt or shoulder roast!
If you love a rich, slow-braised beef dinner like this one, you are also going to want to try our Easy Dutch Oven Pot Roast, another incredible low-effort, big-payoff beef recipe that uses the same Dutch oven method and delivers the same melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
What You Will Need
Special Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy, oven-safe pot with a tight-fitting lid
- Slow cooker (optional alternative method)
- Electric pressure cooker or Instant Pot (optional alternative method)
- Meat shredding claws or two sturdy forks
The Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (3 to 4 pound) beef chuck roast (Note: a pork butt or shoulder roast works too!)
- ½ cup beef broth
- 8 whole pepperoncinis
- ¼ cup pepperoncini juice (straight from the jar)
- 2 tablespoons dry ranch seasoning
- 1 tablespoon onion powder (or granulated onion)
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
Let us Get Cooking
Method 1: The Oven Method (My Favorite!)
First things first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grab an oven-safe pot that has a lid. Pour two tablespoons of vegetable oil into your pot over medium-high heat.
Once that is nice and hot, add in your beef chuck roast and get it searing. Give it 3 to 4 minutes to get some nice color, then flip it over and sear the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes. Do not season the roast when searing it because we are adding that ranch dressing mix later. It already has a ton of salt in it, so you want to be careful about adding anything extra! Once it is seared, remove the pot from the heat.
Food safety note: Always wash hands thoroughly after handling raw beef. Beef pot roast should reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest per USDA guidelines for whole cuts. After 3 hours at 350°F in braising liquid, this will be comfortably exceeded and the meat will shred easily.
Next, pour in your braising liquids, starting with half a cup of beef broth and a quarter cup of pepperoncini juice. Just pour that right in! Then grab your whole pepperoncinis and toss those in, spreading them around so they surround your pot roast.
Sprinkle in two tablespoons of ranch seasoning. It seems like a lot, but trust me, that is what you need! Follow that up with a tablespoon of granulated onion or onion powder, both will work.
And then the last step. You need half a cup of salted butter. You can slice this up, but I like to keep it easy and just use the whole stick. Just plop it right on top of the roast so it can melt while this cooks. Pop the lid on and place this in a 350-degree oven for about 3 hours until the meat can be easily shredded with a fork.
Method 2: Want to Use a Slow Cooker Instead?
If you want to make this Mississippi pot roast in the slow cooker, it is so simple. You can sear your roast on the stovetop first in the vegetable oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side. If you are in a hurry, you can even skip the searing step entirely!
Simply place your roast into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the beef broth, pepperoncini juice, whole pepperoncinis, ranch seasoning, onion powder, and butter over the top. Just cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours until fork-tender.
Method 3: Or the Instant Pot?
If you want to use an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, it will have a setting where you can sear your beef just like on the stovetop. Turn your pressure cooker to the Saute setting. Heat the oil and sear the beef for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Turn off the saute function and add in the rest of your ingredients including the beef broth, pepperoncini juice, whole pepperoncinis, ranch seasoning, onion powder, and butter. Secure the lid, ensure the valve is sealed, and cook it on HIGH pressure for about 60 minutes. After 60 minutes, turn it off and let it have a 15-minute natural release period before moving the valve into the venting position.
Shred and Serve!
No matter what method you use, once your roast is done, it should shred super easily with a fork. Shred the beef directly in the pot, mixing it with the buttery juices. You can remove the pepperoncinis or serve them mixed right in with the meat, your choice! This goes super, super well with mashed potatoes. You are ready to eat!
This Mississippi pot roast is incredible served with potatoes on the side. Our Beef Tallow Potatoes are an indulgent, crispy pairing that takes the whole meal to another level when you are hosting or want something extra special.
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FAQs
Why is it called Mississippi Pot Roast?
This amazing recipe was actually created back in the 1990s by a home cook named Robin Chapman from Ripley, Mississippi! She tweaked an old family recipe to make it milder and more kid-friendly. It ended up in a local church cookbook, eventually went totally viral on the internet, and food bloggers everywhere started calling it the Mississippi Pot Roast.
Is Mississippi Pot Roast spicy?
No, it is not spicy at all! I know the jar of peppers can look intimidating, but pepperoncinis are mild, sweet, and tangy rather than hot. The long cooking process mellows their flavor out even further, so you are left with a rich and zesty kick instead of any actual heat.
Why is my Mississippi Pot Roast tough?
If your pot roast is tough, it usually just means it has not cooked long enough! Chuck roast is a tough cut of meat with lots of connective tissue. It requires a long time at low temperatures to break down into that fork-tender perfection. If you check it and it is still chewy, just pop the lid back on and let it keep cooking.
Can I make this less salty?
Yes! Between the ranch packet and the pickled peppers, this dish definitely leans savory. If you want to cut down on the salt, simply swap the salted butter for unsalted butter, use low sodium beef broth, and make absolutely sure you do not add any extra table salt when you sear the meat.
What are the best side dishes for Mississippi Pot Roast?
Mashed potatoes are the undisputed king here since they soak up all that buttery, tangy gravy beautifully. Egg noodles, steamed rice, roasted vegetables, or crusty bread are also excellent options. For a stunning veggie side that roasts while the pot roast braises, our Roasted Root Vegetables are a perfect, low-effort complement that rounds out the whole plate.
What can I make with Mississippi Pot Roast leftovers?
This is where it gets really exciting! The leftover shredded beef is incredible in sandwiches, sliders, tacos, quesadillas, fried rice, or even tossed with pasta. Store the leftover meat and juices together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
The Best Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe (Oven, Slow Cooker, or Instant Pot!)
Course: Main CourseCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6-8
servings10
minutes3
hours450
kcal3
hours10
minutesThe most amazing, tender, and flavorful pot roast you will ever make! With just a few simple ingredients and a stick of butter, this melt-in-your-mouth beef is perfect for the oven, slow cooker, or Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- Equipment Needed:
Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with lid
Tongs
Two forks for shredding
- Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
1 (3 to 4 lb / 1.4 to 1.8 kg) beef chuck roast
1/2 cup (120ml) beef broth
8 whole pepperoncinis
1/4 cup (60ml) pepperoncini juice
2 tablespoons (16g) dry ranch seasoning
1 tablespoon (7g) onion powder or granulated onion
1/2 cup (113g) salted butter (1 stick)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chuck roast for 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned. Do not add any extra salt. Remove from heat.
- Pour the beef broth and pepperoncini juice around the roast.
- Scatter the whole pepperoncinis around the roast in the pot.
- Sprinkle the ranch seasoning and onion powder evenly over the meat.
- Place the entire stick of salted butter on top of the roast.
- Cover tightly with the lid and bake at 350°F for approximately 3 hours, until the beef shreds easily with a fork and the internal temperature has well exceeded 145°F (63°C).
- Shred the beef directly in the pot with two forks, mixing it into the buttery cooking juices. Serve hot, over mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Meat Swaps: This recipe works beautifully with a pork butt or pork shoulder roast if you want to switch things up.
- Sodium Note: The ranch dressing mix already contains a lot of salt, which is why we do not season the meat before searing. For a lower-sodium version, swap the salted butter for unsalted butter and use low-sodium beef broth.
- Tough Roast Fix: If your roast is tough after the recommended cooking time, it just needs more time. Put the lid back on and keep cooking until it shreds easily.
- Food Safety: Beef chuck roast should reach an internal temperature of at least 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest. After 3 hours in braising liquid at 350°F this will be easily achieved.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze (meat and juices together) for up to 3 months.
