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.
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.
- Usalted Butter – Adds a butter flavor and makes it ultra decadent. Use your favorite brand. You can use salted, 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 have said that they think the famous crock pot Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is too salty. I have found when they do say that, they are using one of the more salty 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.
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Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast
Equipment Needed:
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 Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More beef recipes:
- Slow Cooker Mississippi Chicken
- 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
Kristi says
Made this with a pork roast a few weeks ago and it was absolutely fantastic! My husband and I ate the whole thing in two days! Ate it with mashed potatoes the first night, then made BBQ sandwiches with it the 2nd night! The only thing I would suggest is to use unsalted butter; it was really, really salty to me.
Karen says
Do you use fresh peppers are pickled ones or does it matter?
Thank you
Sarah Olson says
They are in a jar, the vinegar adds the flavor to the meat. 🙂
Amy says
Any way I can cook this on high rather tha low?
Sarah Olson says
Yep, this type of recipe would do fine on High. I’m thinking 6-7 hours on high.
Mark says
I slice an onion thickly and place the slices under the roast. When the roast is finished I use an immersion (stick) blender to blend the very soft onion pieces into the liquids in the crock pot and then thicken with corn starch for gravy.
I’ve used both the brown gravy packet and an au jus packet and can’t tell much difference. The pepperoncini add a really nice mild flavor, not hot at all.
Deana says
Made this today, and followed the recipe to a tee and it turned out amazing. I totally recommend this recipe! !!! 2 thumbs up!
Celeste Potter says
Just curious, do the pepperoncini’s make this dish spicy? Everything about it, along with the variations sound delicious and my 12 year old loves pot roast. Just don’t want to make a big roast and he won’t eat it.
Sarah Olson says
I don’t think it’s spicy. I think it adds a layer of flavor to the roast. If you are worried, you could add just a few of the peppers. 🙂
Sherri Volkert says
OMG! This was so good my husband wants me to make it again! The only changes I made were because my roast was frozen I put some of the juice from the peppers and some Shiraz wine on the bottom of the pot so it wouldn’t crack (which also meant I couldn’t brown it, but it was still delicious) and I used Lipton Onion Mushroom Soup (it’s what I had in the pantry). My English Cut Roast was only 2.5 lbs. but I still used a full stick of butter (unsalted, we try to watch our salt intake). Eight hours on low and it was falling apart. The “gravy” was awesome. We ate it over No Yolk Noodles one night and shredded on buns with a little raw onion another night. I left the peppers in for the sandwiches (removing the stems and cutting them up). Sent this recipe to my brother who made it and claimed it to be delicious! P.S. I put frozen meat in the slow cooker all the time – just make sure there is some liquid in the pot to avoid cracking.
Jessica M. says
I am going to use a pork roast. Does anyone know if the cook time needs adjusted?
Kristi Failla says
Jessica, just curious how this turned out with pork? My husband can’t eat red meat and I am dying to try this recipe. Any suggestions?
Jacob Strickland says
Try it with chicken thighs or breasts
Shelly gutierrez says
You don’t need to add water with the powdered packets of ranch and au jus?
Sarah Olson says
No, the butter will add liquid, as will the roast as it cooks. 🙂
patty says
Carey, interested to know how it turned out with the whiskey!
Carey Kornwise says
Trying this recipe for a surprise dinner for my wife. I added beef stock and some whiskey to the mix of ranch powder and onion soup mix. 2 more hours to go, and my mouth is watering!!
DONNA says
TRY IT WITH PORK ROAST. AWESOME.
Sarah Olson says
Great idea! 🙂