287 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This unique recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast is full of flavor and the most tender roast you will ever try. Filled with butter and tangy peppers for a surprisingly comforting meal. Great over mashed potatoes or steamed rice.
If you have not tried the Mississippi roast fad, it is time. This is one of my most requested recipes, and I have two other versions, a Spicy Mississippi Roast and Chicken Mississippi recipe.
Table of Contents
Why do they call it Mississippi Pot Roast?
I’m in quite a few Facebook crockpot recipe groups, and this Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast recipe has been the rage for years. Though this is not your traditional pot roast recipe, this will please even the pickiest of eaters.
Some people call it Mississippi Mud Roast, and some even call it the forbidden roast, for the group members are tired of everyone posting photos of it!
The famous roast has just 4 ingredients; chuck roast, butter, brown gravy mix (or au jus mix), and ranch dressing mix. If you love easy slow cooker recipes, then get these ingredients ASAP! We also like to make a Slow Cooker 3 Packet Pot Roast!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chuck Roast – This is a highly marbled beef roast that is the key to this recipe.
- Brown Gravy Mix – This little packet thickens the sauce a bit and adds a great beefy flavor. If you want to use a different kind of packet such as an au jus packet or onion soup mix packet, see my info below on sodium content.
- Ranch Dressing Mix – Why ranch mix? This has great onion and garlic flavor. You can use any one-ounce packet, even the packet labeled “dip”. There is also a spicy version that works great in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – adds a butter flavor and makes it ultra decadent. Use your favorite brand. You can use salted butter, but it may make the dish even saltier.
- Peperoncini Peppers and Juice – the peppers and juice add a vinegary tang to the roast, don’t skip on this!
Step by Step Instructions
Step One – Add the chuck roast to the slow cooker—no need to brown with my easy version.
Step Two – Sprinkle over the dry Ranch dressing Mix.
Step Three – Sprinkle over the Brown Gravy. Add the jarred pepperoncini peppers and juices.
Step Four – Add the stick of cold butter to the top of the roast.
Step Five – Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 6-7 hours.
Step Six – Shred the meat with two forks and serve.
Which packet to use to make this recipe have less sodium:
Many of my fans think the famous crock pot Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is too salty. I have found that when they say that, they are using one of the saltier packets. The packet I use is listed first below.
- McCormick Brown Gravy (entire packet): 1360mg sodium
- Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix (entire packet): 2800mg sodium
- McCormick Au Jus Gravy Mix (entire packet): 3600mg sodium
Look at the differences in sodium content. If you want to use onion soup mix or au jus, I recommend using half a packet or serving over something plain like white rice.
What goes well with Mississippi Pot Roast?
Shred the meat with two forks and discard any fatty pieces. Serve with one of these suggestions. This melt-in-your-mouth pot roast is great served any way!
- On hoagies, hamburger buns or slider buns – Don’t forget the french fries!
- Steamed white or brown rice – The roast can be on the salty side and rice is one way to tone that down.
- Crockpot Mashed potatoes – This is the most popular side for this incredible roast.
- Cauliflower rice -A way to make this meal a little healthier.
- Steamed vegetables
- Gravy – For a thicker gravy, you can make a pot roast gravy by whisking in a cornstarch slurry made from cold water and cornstarch.
Expert Tips and FAQs for this Recipe
The butter adds a buttery flavor to this dish which makes it ultra decadent. Many people do leave it out or cut the butter in half without issues. If you think it will be too rich, definitely leave it out! I do not recommend using margarine for this.
You can use a beef bottom round roast or beef rump roast if desired. Or, you can use pork roast or chicken breasts or thighs with this recipe. Use pork gravy or chicken gravy if you do so.
Yes, a serving is about 2 grams of carbs per serving.
Yes, though you’ll want to add a cup of beef broth to the pot before starting, or you will get a burn warning.
Yes! Add chunks of potatoes with their skins on and chunks of carrots (or baby carrots) at the beginning of the cooking time.
The chuck roast does not need to be browned before adding to the crockpot. Though it won’t hurt the recipe if you do.
You will need to use pepperoncini peppers for it to have the Mississippi flavor. Though you can use dill pickles and some of the pickle juice for a different twist.
The unsalted butter will melt and will be the liquid for the flavorful pot roast recipe. Do not add water or broth. The meat will also cook down and make more liquid.
More beef recipes:
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
- Slow Cooker London Broil
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast
- Slow Cooker Creamy Mississippi Beef – Recipe from Recipes that Crock
- Mississippi Pot Roast Soup (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot) – Recipe from Plain Chicken
- Slow Cooker Spicy Mississippi Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast – Recipe from Diethood
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Pork Roast – Recipe from The Country Cook
- Slow Cooker Easy Pot Roast
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tik Tok, and YouTube.
Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 lb. chuck roast, 3-5 lbs will work
- 1 oz. ranch packet, (can use original packet, dip packet or spicy packet)
- .87 oz. brown gravy packet, (I use McCormick) See substitutions in notes below
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick) can use salted
- 10 or more peperoncini peppers,
- 1/4 cup peperoncini juice, (optional but adds more tanginess and flavor)
Instructions
- Add the roast to the slow cooker. You can brown the meat in a skillet on the stovetop if desired but I do not.
- Add the ranch packet and brown gravy packet on top of the roast.
- Add the stick of butter, peppers and pepper juice.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or HIGH for 6-7 hours. Do not open the lid while the roast cooks.
- Shred with two forks right in the slow cooker. Remove any fatty pieces.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- On hoagies, hamburger buns or slider buns
- Steamed white or brown rice
- Mashed potatoes
- Cauliflower rice or with steamed vegetables.
- McCormick Brown Gravy Sodium (entire packet): 1360mg
- Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix (entire packet): 2800mg
- McCormick Au Jus Gravy (entire packet): 3600mg
- You can use pork roast or chicken breasts or thighs with this recipe.
- Use a pork gravy or chicken gravy if you do so.
- The butter adds a buttery flavor to this dish which makes it ultra decadent.
- Many people do leave it out or cut the butter in half without issues. If you think it will be too rich, definitely leave it out!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I just love this recipe! This is my 3rd time making it and I used all the same ingredients as you did. Perfection! I placed the shredded meat over roasted garlic potatos..MMMMM!
I will be trying this today.
Have you ever tried tailed jalapeno slices & juice instead of the pepperoni?
I’m not sure I have any pepperoni.
I think it would still work great, I have not tested that though.
I believe the Knorr Au Jus package has only 1,100 mg of sodium.
Thank you. I will add that to the post.
Do you need to add any liquid to this to make sure it isn’t dry ?
No, the butter is the liquid and if you use a chuck roast there will be plenty of juices.
Made this with friends last autumn for the first time and it was such a hit it’s always in our rotation. Fabulous, everything about it. We like ours served over mashed potatoes and we also like it spicy so we did a spicy ranch packet with the peppers as well! Thank you!!
I love this recipe! I have also found that instead of pepperoncini peppers, it also works to use mild pickled banana peppers if you want the flavor with less spice.
There are only 2 of us here so 3 to 4 lbs of meat is way too much. How would I cut this all down to make it for a 1.5lb. Roast? I don’t have a gravy mix, can I use a jared gravy instead? And a whole stick of butter is way too salty. Would 2 tablespoons of butter work instead?
Yes, I think all your adaptions will work very well.
These crock pot, 3 or 4 ingredient meals are flavorable and easy but this one was way too salty for me and I used the brown Gravy .
Made today using Lipton onion soup mix, ranch dressing packet and 1/2 stick of butter. Otherwise followed exactly. This was delicious!! I may always make my pot roast like this going forward. Served over mashed potatoes and it was yummy. Thanks for this recipe.
Will this work with canned red peppers instead
I don’t think it will work for I don’t think you’ll get the vinegar taste.