This recipe could only be easier if you had someone else shop for the ingredients and cook it for you! It's a weeknight dinner the whole family will ask for again and again.
It's similar to Italian beef and the leftovers are just as good in sandwiches!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Just 5 ingredients!
- Hearty comfort food
- Dump and go dinner!
This is such an easy dinner, y'all. Just dump everything in the
I use leftovers for shepherd's pie, too!
🧾 Ingredients
How cans something so easy, made with simple ingredients, be so yummy? It's absolutely kitchen magic!
- Beef - I use lean cuts because I just don't care for the extra fat. You can use whatever cut you prefer. See the section below for a discussion of the possibilities.
- Onion soup mix - some people don't like all that onion flavor. If that's you just substitute with brown gravy or packet of au jus mix! If you like it though - give this beef stew with onion soup mix a try!
🔪 Instructions
Crock pot Mississippi pot roast is an easy weeknight dinner that only takes a few minutes of prep time. If you don't have time to brown the beef you can even skip that step!
- Mix the salt and pepper and press into the meat.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet - cast iron is best.
- Add the meat to the hot skillet and brown on all sides - about 3 minutes per side. Add to the
slow cooker . - Sprinkle the onion soup mix and Ranch seasoning on top of the roast.
- Add the peppers.
- Top with the entire stick of butter. I know! Trust me!
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- About an hour before serving shred the meat with 2 forks and remove any chunks of fat.
Instapot Instructions
- Add all ingredients plus ½ cup water to your instant pot.
- Set it for 30 minutes.
- Follow manufacturer's instructions for releasing pressure.
Dutch Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F
- Spray a roasting pan or dutch oven with nonstick spray.
- Heat a high smoke point oil (peanut oil or light vegetable oil) in a heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear the roast on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Sprinkle the dry Ranch dressing mix and packet of au jus mix over the roast.
- Add the butter and peppers.
- Put the cover on and bake for 3 hours.
- Shred, cover, and then bake another hour.
🎥 Video
Just click on the image below if you'd like to see the full length video on YouTube. It opens in a new tab so you won't lose your place here.
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Using unsalted butter and leaving the salt off of the roast will help you cut down on salt if that's a problem for you. The seasoning packets have plenty of flavor.
- If you are watching your fat content you can use just half the butter - but it does cut down the flavor and tenderness of the final dish.
- For a thicker gravy you can pour off the juices and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Cook until thickened.
- I like to use whole pepperoncinis since I have haters at my house and it's easier to pick out the whole pepper. Use ¼ cup of the sliced ones if you want.
- There's no need to add liquid to this since the butter creates all that melty goodness but if you want to use a couple of tablespoons of the pepperoncini juice it adds more bite.
- Add potatoes, carrots, or other vegetables if you want it to be more like a stew.
- You can cook
slow cooker Mississippi pot roast on high for 4 hours if you must - but it's better when cooked low and slow for 8 to 10.
🥫 Storage
- You can put this together ahead of time and keep refrigerated until you are ready to cook in a day or so.
- Once cooked you can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage you can freeze it. Mississippi pot roast freezes well for up to 4 months. I like to use a vacuum sealer.
🥩 Best cuts of beef to use
You can use different cuts of meat for this recipe.
In fact you can use almost any of your favorite cuts of beef for Mississippi pot roast. Since you're cooking low and slow even lean beef gets very tender.
The following are not in any particular order of desirability - I just like things in alphabetical order!
Brisket
The brisket is from the lower chest area. There are two main cuts - flat, which is leaner, and point cut, which has more fat. You'll want to trim excess fat off of your brisket before slow cooking.
Chuck roast
The beef chuck roast is from the upper shoulder area of the beef.
- Boneless chuck roast
- Chuck arm
- Chuck eye roast
- Chuck roll
- Chuck shoulder roast
- Seven bone pot roast
- Shoulder steak
Round
From the rear or hip of the beef. This cut is generally leaner than chuck.
- Bottom round
- Rump roast (but you. might want to try this crock pot rump roast instead!)
- Top round
📖 Variations
No beef? No problem!
You can use any of the following in this recipe and I promise it's going to get fork tender:
- Boneless chicken breast
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Pork roast
- Turkey breast
- Meatballs
🍽️ Serve with...
This easy Mississippi pot roast recipe is one of our favorites. It makes a hearty family dinner served with -
- Rice
- Egg noodles
- Mashed potatoes
- Boiled potatatoes
- ANY kind of potatoes
- My favorite thing to serve with it is cheese grits!
- Throw some baby carrots in there while it's cooking
Low-carb options
- Keto broccoli salad
- Green beans
- Fried cabbage
- Creamed spinach
- Cauliflower rice
👩🏻🍳 Frequently asked questions
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
When the meat cooks slowly the connective tissue melts and the protein literally begins to fall apart. The butter adds extra fat which helps to carry the flavor - and let's face it... Ranch.
No. Au jus is the juices that come off the meat as it roasts without any thickener while gravy usually has cornstarch or flour added.
Beef stock, beef stock powder, French onion soup, dry French onion soup mix...
Generally it's because you didn't cook it long enough.
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📚 Related recipes
📞 The last word
There was a time when I just refused to use a
And whatever you put in there ended up looking like every other
Who knows?
Well, this recipe is the one that really cracked the code for me. It has SO much flavor and it's SO easy that I could eat it almost every night. Leftovers are delicious in sandwiches or my roast beef shepherd's pie.
I hope you'll give it a try. If your family likes it as much as mine does you've found your new favorite recipe!
📖 Recipe
Mississippi Pot Roast
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 3 pounds beef roast, I prefer leaner cuts but any cut is fine
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix, - about 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons
- 1 packet Ranch dressing mix, - about 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup butter
- 10 pepperoncini peppers, without the juice
Instructions
Browning (may omit this step if pushed for time)
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet - cast iron is best.
- Mix the salt and pepper and press into the meat.
- Add the meat to the hot skillet and brown on all sides - about 3 minutes per side.
Slow Cooker
- Add the roast to the slow cooker.
- Sprinkle with the onion soup mix and Ranch.
- Top with the stick of butter.
- Add the peppers.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
- About an hour before serving shred the meat with 2 forks and remove any chunks of fat.
- Serve over grits, rice, noodles, mashed potatoes, biscuits, bread, or just in a bowl!
Insta-pot
- Add all ingredients plus ½ cup water to your insta-pot. Set it for 30 minutes.
Oven
- Spray a roasting pan or dutch oven with nonstick spray.
- Preheat the oven to 325F
- Heat a high smoke point oil (peanut oil or light vegetable oil) in a heavy dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Sear the roast on all sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Sprinkle the dry Ranch dressing mix and packet of au jus mix over the roast.
- Add the butter and peppers.
- Put the cover on and bake for 3 hours.
- Shred, cover, and then bake another hour.
- Add the ingredients as in the instructions for the slow cooker.
Notes
- If you are watching your fat content you can use just half the butter - but it does cut down the flavor and tenderness of the final dish.
- Cut back on salt by leaving the salt off the roast and using unsalted butter.
- For a thicker gravy you can pour off the juices and add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Cook until thickened.
- Add potatoes, carrots, or other vegetables if you want it to be more like a stew.
- You can cook this on high for 4 hours if you must - but it's better when cooked on low for 8 to 10.
- You can serve this with rice, noodles, potatoes, or whatever but my favorite thing to serve with it is cheese grits!
- You can put this together ahead of time and keep refrigerated until you are ready to cook in a day or so.
- Once cooked you can store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage you can freeze it. Mississippi pot roast freezes well for up to 4 months. I like to use a vacuum sealer.
- Boneless chicken breast
- Boneless chicken thighs
- Pork roast
- Turkey breast
- Meatballs
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published May 14, 2020. Last updated September 2, 2021 for better instructions and more information.
Susie1951 says
I made this recipe the other day in the crockpot. This is first time I have ever made a pot roast in the crockpot. Usually bake it in my cast iron enamel dutch oven, but the weather has been so humid here lately in Connecticut and even though I have the a/c on, the crockpot was a better choice as it did not heat up my kitchen. I followed your recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast exactly! Was a little skeptical about the butter and ranch seasoning mix as well as the pepperonici, but since I had all the ingredients on hand, I figured why not try something new. I used a bottom round roast and it took exactly 9 hrs on low. It was awesome! This recipe is definitely a keeper! I saved some for my daughter and son in law to try and they loved it as well.
Mrs P says
I make this recipe often! It’s so good! I do follow the original recipe w/ a packet of au ju gravy instead of the Lipton onion soup mix. I love it over white rice. Mmmmmm!!
Deb Clark says
Oh. My. Goodness!!! I made this today. The recipe was as simple as it sounds and absolutely delicious! 5 stars from this house! The leftovers will make great sandwiches and beef soup. Definitely a recipe I'll be making again and again!
Marye says
I saw it on your instagram - it looked amazing.