Mississippi Pot Roast: the BEST and EASIEST Roast Ever!
Mississippi Pot Roast is the best and easiest pot roast you’ll ever make! Just five simple ingredients in your crockpot and dinner will be ready with the most delicious pot roast you’ve ever had!
I’ve been making this easy Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe for years and it remains one of my favorite slow cooker recipes! This is one of those meals that my entire crew inhales and is a big family favorite. If you have any leftover (which is rare at our house), it makes the most delicious sandwiches! I’ll share some leftover ideas below as well.
Ingredients Needed (full recipe at the bottom of this post)
- chuck roast
- olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ranch dressing mix
- au jus gravy mix (or brown gravy mix)
- salted butter
- pepperoncini peppers
The Best Cuts of Meat to Use
The amazing thing about putting a pot roast into your crockpot is that you are able to use an inexpensive cut of meat. I typically will do a chuck roast or a pot roast for this recipe. When choosing a piece of meat, look for one that doesn’t look super fatty. There is nothing worse than spending all day cooking a roast to find out that it’s mainly a fatty piece of meat. The seasoning of this crock pot Mississippi Pot Roast paired with the slow cooking will make for a flavorful and tender piece of meat.
The Best Setting to Cook the Pot Roast On
I recommend using your crockpot on low for 8 hours. This will make your inexpensive cut of meat fall apart with a fork and tender. You can cook the Mississippi Pot Roast on high for 4 hours, but just know your roast may not be as tender as if you had cooked it on low all day.
An Easy Swap for Ranch Dressing Packet
Absolutely! If you don’t want to use a packet of ranch dressing, you can easily make your own mix. Combine the ingredients below and store in an airtight container. 2 Tablespoons of this will equal one packet of ranch mix.
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
An Easy Swap for Au Jus Mix
Yes! If you prefer not to use an au jus gravy mix, you can make your own. Blend the spices together below and store in an airtight container. 2 Tablespoons of this mix will equal one packet of au jus gravy mix.
- 12 beef bouillon cubes (or 4 tablespoons granules)
- 4 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
A Simple Swap for Au Jus Gravy Mix
If you’re in a pinch, you can swap out a cup of beef broth for the au jus gravy mix. It won’t have the same amount of flavor (for the best roast I recommend the au jus gravy mix). But it will still be tasty!
Using an Instant Pot instead of a Slow Cooker
If you prefer to use your Instant Pot for this recipe, it’s an easy swap! You will assemble the pot roast recipe just like you would the crock pot (you can actually brown the pot roast right in your Instant Pot with the saute feature).
Once your ingredients are in the Instant Pot, you’ll press the Manual button and select 60 minutes.
When the cooking cycle ends, let the Instant Pot sit for 15 additional minutes (it will natural pressure release).
After the 15 minutes is up, you can manually release the rest of the pressure. Be VERY careful because it is a pressure cooker! Make sure you’re using it appropriately.
If you’re new to an Instant Pot and aren’t sure how to use it, check out my Instant Pot Beginner’s Guide Post here!
Serving Suggestions for Mississippi Pot Roast
There are so many delicious options to serve alongside your Mississippi Pot Roast!
A few of our favorites:
+ Mississippi Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
+ Mississippi Pot Roast with Buttered Egg Noodles and Roasted Brussel Sprouts
+ Mississippi Pot Roast on Toasted Sandwich Rolls with a side of Sweet Potato Fries
The possibilities are endless! I love using the juice of the Mississippi Pot Roast to drizzle over the noodles or mashed potatoes. My kids can’t get enough of it!
Leftover Ideas for Mississippi Pot Roast
There are many delicious options you can use the Mississippi Pot Roast leftovers for!
+ Make a beef roast sandwich. Toast a bun, add some Mississippi Roast to it, a slice of your favorite cheese and voila!
+ Roast Beef Quesadilla. It’s SO delicious shredded between two quesadillas with a little pepper jack cheese. Toast on a griddle and you have one of the best quesadillas you’ve ever eaten!
Banana Peppers or Pepperoncini Peppers
You can easily swap out pepperoncini peppers for banana peppers in this recipe. It makes for an equally delicious roast!

Mississippi Pot Roast
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (or Crock Pot)
Ingredients
- 1-3 pound chuck roast
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 package ranch dressing mix
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix brown gravy mix or onion soup mix works as well
- 1/2 cup salted butter, cut into pats you can also use unsalted butter if that's what you have
- 8 peperoncini peppers plus half the pepperoncini juice from the jar
Instructions
- Heat up a large skillet on your stove. Add your oil to the hot skillet. You'll want your pan to be pretty hot so that it sears your beef quickly.
- Take your pot roast and dry both sides with a paper towel. Season it lightly with a little pepper and salt.
- Add the roast to your hot skillet. Sear each side of the pot roast for a few minutes. You'll want it to have a nice bit of color/browning to it.
- Once you have browned all the sides, transfer your pot roast to your crock pot.
- Sprinkle the dry ranch dressing and au jus gravy packets over the top of the pot roast.
- Top with your half a stick of butter (it works best if you cut it into pats).
- Place the peppers around and on the roast. Then drizzle half the jar of juice into the crockpot.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
- Take two forks and start shredding the meat. Discard any big fatty pieces.Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles and enjoy!Drizzle the delicious sauce over everything!