Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

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This Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is like no beef roast recipe I’ve ever eaten. And, it’s absolutely delicious! Savory, mildly spicy, juicy and tender.

Mississippi Pot Roast served over mashed potatoes with beef gravy

The taste is so homey and familiar, that at first you’ll think, “Oh, it’s scrumptious slow cooker roast beef.” But then, there’s something more—something special.

A mild kick of spice and then an ever so slight twinge of tangy acidity will catch you by surprise as it comes to rest at the back of your palate.

Mississippi roast in the slow cooker is next-level roast beef delectability, my friend! All your taste buds will be at attention and doing their very best happy dance.

This simple recipe requires only 5 ingredients and roasts away in your slow cooker all day. You can get on with life and enjoy dinner being ready when you are.

The resulting melt-in-your-mouth Mississippi Pot Roast is a versatile main dish you will be excited to put in your meal rotation over and over again.

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Where Does the Recipe Come From?

Once I was blown away by the unique and absolutely explosive flavor produced by the Mississippi pot roast recipe, I decided to investigate where it came from.

I’ve seen the recipe around the Internet for years. It’s literally everywhere. Unfortunately, I paid very little attention, until, now. I thought it was just another slow cooker roast beef recipe. But, when I got curious enough to try it, I couldn’t wait to learn about the author and find out what makes it “Mississippi”.

Apparently, a talented and creative cook in Ripley Mississippi, Robin Chapman, adapted her aunt’s roast beef recipe to be less spicy for her young family. It was a hit and she later shared “The Roast” recipe with a friend.

That friend later contributed it to a church cookbook as “Roast Beef”. People discovered the recipe, shared it with friends and family far and wide.

Next thing you know, it’s popping up on Pinterest and social media sites and eventually someone called it Mississippi Pot Roast. The New York Times wrote an article that described it as “the roast that owns the internet.” They even have their “no packets” version of the recipe, here. The rest is history. We all have Robin Chapman to thank for this easy family dinner.

I adapted the recipe only slightly, choosing a different cut of beef, increasing the number of pepperoncini peppers and adding brine from the pepper jar to the bottom of the slow cooker. They are minor changes that I believe honor the original while making it a little more my own family’s style.

It’s a melt-in-your-mouth triumph! I know you’re going to love it!

And if you want another show-stopping beef roast recipe, but prefer to roast it in the oven, check out Paula’s Boneless Prime Rib Roast with Au Jus over at Call Me PMc.

The Ingredients

raw roast in slow cooker with ranch dressing mix, aus jus gravy mix and pepperoncini peppers

Beef Rump Roast: Choose a 3 to 4 pound roast, keeping in mind how many people you’ll be serving and how much fat you see on the meat. A thin fat cap is great for keeping the meat juicy and creating flavor. But, too much will make your drippings greasy and give you less meat to serve. I try to find a rump roast with no more than about a 1/2″ fat cap.

Alternatively, a Chuck Roast can also be used in this recipe, with great results. It’s what the original recipe calls for. It will be more fall apart, shredded texture, than the rump roast which lends itself more readily to larger pieces/chunks of beef or even to slicing. Again, consider the fat and connective tissue of the chuck roast as you choose one to purchase. You definitely want some, but the largest proportion of your roast needs to be meat you can serve.

Ranch Dressing Mix packet: I know. It sounds crazy. But, it is SO good. Just do it. You’ll be amazed.

Au Jus Gravy mix packet: Grab this where your store keeps all those lovely seasoning packets that speed things up and make life easy.

Pepperoncini Peppers: These are pickled. You’ll find them in the pickle aisle at the store. They are only very mildly spicy. You are probably familiar with them from salads at your favorite Italian restaurants. I use double (or more) of these than the original recipe. They are very mild and we love them. I use a little of the brine from the jar in the bottom of the slow cooker, too.

Butter: Flavor, flavor, flavor! This adds some richness to the savory beef drippings at the bottom of your slow cooker. Don’t skip it. It’s essential.

FAQs about Mississippi Pot Roast

Can I cook Mississippi Pot Roast in the oven, instead?

Yes, you sure can. Add 1/2 cup water to the other ingredients and place them all in your roaster or Dutch oven. Cover the roaster with a heavy lid or tightly sealed foil to hold in all the moisture. Roast in a preheated oven set to 275° for about 4 hours.

Can I make gravy with the drippings from the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe?

Yes! I almost always do and it’s luscious! While the roast is out resting on your cutting board, pour all the drippings into a large liquid measuring cup. If you don’t get enough drippings to make 2 cups, add water to bring the level up to the 2-cup mark. I usually get pretty close. Add the drippings to a small sauce pan and begin heating them over medium heat. While its heating, whisk 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch into 1/4 cup of very COLD water. (It must be cold to prevent lumpy gravy.) Whisk until all the cornstarch is dissolved in the water. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan with the drippings you’re heating. Whisk to combine and continue stirring until the gravy has thickened, 1 or 2 minutes. Serve over the roast and/or mashed potatoes.

Does the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe work with other types of meat?

Yes. I have adapted the recipe to use with a fabulous pork loin roast. The plan is to share that in the very near future. I have also seen slow cooker versions of Mississippi Chicken, though I have not personally tried that.

What to Serve With Slow Cooker Roast Beef

Any of your favorite sides will be amazing! Of course our favorite is mashed potatoes. We put mashed potatoes and gravy in the bowl and then top it with the Mississippi Pot Roast and some more gravy.

But the truth is, this beautiful roast would be fabulous with homemade noodles or even rice. Potato salad or coleslaw would also be wonderful. Make Hot Beef Sandwiches or French Dips with au jus on the side.

My friend Brooke also makes a delicious cheesy baked tomato casserole that is out of this world and a great complement to this mouthwatering roast.

Put leftovers on a pizza or nachos. Stuff it into pita pockets with some chopped veggies and your favorite sauce/dip. However you decide to serve it, you’re going to love this tasty Mississippi Roast.

Enjoy, my friend!

How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast

It doesn’t get much simpler. For a full visual how-to, check out the video at the bottom of the recipe card, below.

Place the roast in your slow cooker.
Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and aus jus mix over the top of the roast.
Add pepperoncini peppers on top of and around the roast.
Cut the butter into slices and arrange on top of the roast.
Add ¼ cup pickle juice from pepperoncini jar to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the roast is fork tender. Internal temperature should be about 160° when you remove it to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. In most slow cookers, my guess is this will be achieved by the 6 hour mark. If you’re cooking rump roast with the intention of slicing it, this may be the time you want to take it out and rest it. If your plan is to break the roast (rump or chuck) into larger chunks and pieces or to shred it, the full 8 hours will be more to your liking.

The Recipe

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Mississippi Pot Roast

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 51 reviews

Author: Glenda Embree (slightly adapted from original, by Robin Chapman)
Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x

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Description

Melt-in-your-mouth Mississippi Pot Roast is tender, succulent slow cooker roast beef. 5-simple-ingredients. Kid-friendly. Company-worthy. This will be a regular in your meal rotation!

Ingredients

Units Scale

3–4 lb. beef rump roast (Both rump roast and chuck roast work perfectly. **See Note)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet aus jus gravy mix
8–10 pepperoncini peppers (with 1/4 cup juice from jar)
1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 or 5 square pats

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Instructions

Place the roast in your slow cooker.
Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and aus jus mix over the top of the roast.
Add pepperoncini peppers on top of and around the roast.
Cut the butter into slices and arrange on top of the roast.
Add 1/4 cup pickle juice from pepperoncini jar to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the roast is fork tender. Internal temperature should be about 160° when you remove it to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. In most slow cookers, my guess is this will be achieved by the 6 hour mark. If you’re cooking rump roast with the intention of slicing it, this may be the time you want to take it out and rest it. If your plan is to break the roast (rump or chuck) into larger chunks and pieces or to shred it, the full 8 hours will be more to your liking.

Notes

I find that the cut of roast I choose has more to do with how I plan to use the beef. When I want larger pieces or even slices of roast beef, I prefer a rump roast. This is the one I usually serve over mashed potatoes and my typical go-to.

However, if my plan is to shred the beef, then I choose a chuck roast. It just tends to fall apart on its own in the slow cooker. This lends itself well to French dip sandwiches or even over homemade noodles for a beef and noodles type of dish.

Both roasts work equally well. Both are tender and delicious. And, in our area, they are similarly priced.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Category: Meat, Main Dish, Beef
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American

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