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This famous recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast features only 5 ingredients and makes melt-in-your-mouth tender beef, made with a few packets and tangy peppers. A perfect Cozy dinner that isn’t boring!
Recipe Highlights
- I first came across this recipe in my Crockpot Facebook group, where it’s wildly popular.
- Some people refer to the roast as Mississippi Mud Roast, Memphis Roast, or even the forbidden roast because it’s so popular on social media.
- Great for a unique Sunday dinner – everyone in my family looks forward to this!
- This is my most popular and favorite recipe among my readers, with over a million views!
Key Ingredients
Let’s break down what goes into this flavor-packed roast.
- Chuck Roast – A well-marbled cut of beef that’s perfect for slow cooking.
- Brown Gravy Mix – This handy little packet thickens the sauce and gives it a hearty beef base.
- Ranch Dressing Mix – It adds garlic and onion flavor without being overpowering.
- Unsalted Butter – Makes the roast extra rich.
- Pepperoncini Peppers – Don’t skip these! They give the roast a vinegary, zesty pop that balances out all the savory flavors. These do add a touch of spicy kick.
How to make Mississippi Pot Roast
- Add everything to the slow cooker—no need to sear the meat.
- Let it cook low and slow until fall-apart tender.
- Shred the beef right in the pot to soak up all the flavor.
Why is Mississippi Pot Roast So Salty?
Many of my readers believe the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is too salty. I have found that when they say that, they are using one of the saltier packets. Compare the options if you prefer to use Au Jus or Onion Soup mix instead of my recommended brown gravy mix.
- McCormick Brown Gravy (entire packet): 1360mg sodium – This is what I use
- Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix (entire packet): 2800mg sodium
- McCormick Au Jus Gravy Mix (entire packet): 3600mg sodium
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.
Sarah’s Tips & Variations
Here are some easy ways to switch things up:
- Butter: The butter adds a rich flavor, but many people reduce the amount or skip it entirely without issue.
- Meat Swap: Instead of chuck roast, consider using a beef bottom round or rump roast. Pork roast, chicken breasts, or thighs work great too—use pork gravy or chicken gravy mix instead.
- Make it a Complete Meal: Add cubed potatoes and carrots.
- Gravy – For a thicker gravy, you can make a pot roast gravy by whisking in a cornstarch slurry made from cold water and cornstarch
- Not a fan of pepperoncini peppers? You can use jarred pickled red onions or baby dill pickles instead—don’t forget to pour in some of their juice for that tangy kick! (See my Dill Pickle Pot Roast, or Georgia Pot Roast, which have the same recipe concept.)
How to Serve
This roast is very versatile! Serve with one of these options or try a different way to enjoy the leftovers.
- Mashed Potatoes are my go-to. Nothing better than a bite of the roast and mashed potatoes together.
- Steamed white rice – The roast can be on the salty side and rice is one way to tone that down.
- On hoagies, hamburger buns, or slider buns – Don’t forget the French fries!
Featured Comment
“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 potatoes..MMMMM!”
– julia
Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
Mississippi Pot Roast is rich, decadent, and totally irresistible—the internet-famous recipe that's taken Crockpot lovers by storm.
How to Video
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.
Sarah’s Notes
Does liquid need to be added? 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.
Alternate Cooking Methods:
Instant Pot: Sear the roast if desired right in the instant pot, then add 1 cup of beef broth, and all my ingredients listed. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes with a 15-minute natural release.
Dutch Oven: Sear the roast, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and bake at 300°F for 3½ to 4 hours, or until fork-tender.
Stovetop: Brown the chuck roast in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients plus ½ cup water or broth. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 3–4 hours until tender.
Nutrition
Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 307IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!
More Comfort Food Recipes:
- For classic comfort, you can’t go wrong with Crockpot Pot Roast, 3 Packet Pot Roast, or tender London Broil—each one is rich, hearty, and perfect for a filling dinner.
- If you’re in the mood for something tangy and bold, the Mississippi Chicken and Mississippi Pork Roast deliver big flavor with a buttery ranch twist.
- And for a little extra heat, the Spicy Mississippi Pot Roast adds just the right kick!
Made this for dinner and it went over big. Next time I ‘ll put in more pepperchinis. Yummy!!!
Sounds great & want to try with an Elk roast…rather then serving over rice or mashed potatoes can you serve it up with potatoes on the side rather then shredding the meat, serve it like a roast basically or does it fall apart too much so needs to be over something? Maybe if I cooked a little less it wouldn’t fall apart as much?
To answer my own question – The wild game roast (Elk) did not fall apart, stayed together like a oven roast, I guess because its so lean…it was wonderful! Served to company & everyone wanted the recipe! I have made this recipe 3 times now (when I used tri tip the meat fell apart btw) and the last time I only used 3 table spoons of butter with the wild game. To be honest could not tell one way or the other so give it try with less butter next time if you are looking for less calories etc. Thanks for this recipe, its heavenly! 😉
Thanks for the feedback and the information about elk. I do want to try this with less butter. In fact I have some meat I was going to use for a teriyaki crock pot meal today, this sounds better! Going to make this instead.
Can you make this with Brisket?
Brisket would be amazing with this since it is a better cut of meat. Here in Oregon I have a hard time finding brisket, when I do I grab it!
Ok. I’ll let you know after Christmas dinner.
It tastes diviner ; I would have liked more sauce so I made additional pkg au jus
I use only half a stick of unsalted butter and ranch and au jus packet. It turns out just as good with half a stick! Note: I cut the butter into pats and place all over the roast after I sprinkle on the ranch and au jus packets.
I’m trying this today with deer roasts. Usually make it with beef
Tracie how did the deer roast turn out with this recipe? I’d love to try it that way
How did it turn out with a deer roast?
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.
Do you use fresh peppers are pickled ones or does it matter?
Thank you
They are in a jar, the vinegar adds the flavor to the meat. 🙂
Any way I can cook this on high rather tha low?
Yep, this type of recipe would do fine on High. I’m thinking 6-7 hours on high.
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.