Fall Apart Mississippi Pot Roast (5 Ingredient Crockpot Recipe)
Slow cooker Mississippi pot roast is one of my easiest ways to turn a chuck roast into a tender, full-flavored dinner. I add five ingredients to the slow cooker in about 5 minutes, then let the beef cook until it pulls apart with a fork.
I serve the beef and its rich cooking juices over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. There is no need to brown the roast or add broth, so this recipe works well when I want a filling comfort food dinner with little prep.
Prefer using the oven? My Dutch oven pot roast method will give you a delicious beef roast too.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time | Calories | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 5 minutes | 8 hours | 471 kcal | 44 g |
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- Mississippi pot roast is an easy recipe requiring just five ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep time.
- Cook the beef on LOW for 8 hours, using no added water or broth, for best results.
- The dish includes ranch dressing mix, au jus mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers for flavor.
- Serve the shredded beef over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice for a comforting meal.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
What Is Mississippi Pot Roast?
Mississippi pot roast is a slow-cooked beef roast seasoned with ranch dressing mix, au jus mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers. You place the ingredients directly into the slow cooker without browning the meat or mixing a separate sauce.
The seasoning packets and beef juices form a rich cooking liquid. Pepperoncini peppers add mild acidity and a small amount of heat, which helps cut through the richness of the beef and butter.
What This Recipe Does
Chuck roast needs steady, moist heat to become tender. Cooking the roast on LOW gives the connective tissue time to soften while the beef releases its own juices.
Ranch seasoning adds garlic, onion, herbs, and salt. Au jus mix strengthens the beef flavor, while butter adds richness. The pepperoncini peppers add enough tang to keep the meat from tasting too rich.
Ingredients You Will Need
Chuck roast: Choose a roast weighing 3 to 4 pounds. The fat and connective tissue in chuck roast help keep the beef moist during the long cooking time.
Ranch dressing mix: Use one standard packet of dry ranch dressing seasoning.
Au jus mix: This seasons the beef and helps form the cooking liquid.
Butter: Place the butter directly on top of the roast. Salted or unsalted butter both work, though unsalted butter gives you more control over the sodium. The seasoning packets already contain salt.
Pepperoncini peppers: Five whole peppers from a jar add mild heat and acidity. Add a few extra peppers if you prefer a stronger pepperoncini flavor.
How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast in the Slow Cooker
- Place the chuck roast in the slow cooker. For this 3 to 4 pound roast, you will need a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix and au jus mix evenly over the top of the beef.
- Place the pepperoncini peppers and butter on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours. The roast is ready when you easily pull the meat apart with a fork.
- Shred the beef or cut it into large pieces. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat before serving.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, rice, cauliflower rice, roasted potatoes or a roasted carrots and potato combination.
Do Not Add Water or Broth
- The roast releases enough liquid as it cooks. Adding water or broth dilutes the seasonings and leaves you with a thinner cooking liquid.
- Keep the slow cooker covered during cooking. Each time you remove the lid, heat escapes and extends the cooking time.
Adding Potatoes and Carrots to The Slow Cooker
- You can cook potatoes and carrots with the roast. Add quartered russet potatoes and a large handful of baby carrots during the final 1 to 2 hours of cooking.
- Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. Check both vegetables with a fork before serving. Slow cookers vary, so larger pieces might need more time.
Cook’s Notes
► Cook the roast on LOW for the most tender texture. HIGH heat shortens the cooking time, but the beef might need more time for the connective tissue to soften.
► You do not need to brown the chuck roast first. Browning adds roasted flavor, but the recipe works well without the extra step.
► Taste the cooking liquid before adding salt. Ranch dressing mix and au jus mix already contain sodium.
► For easier slicing, transfer the cooked roast to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. For shredded beef, pull the meat apart while warm and return it to the cooking liquid.
Storing and Reheating
Refrigerate leftover pot roast with its cooking liquid in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat the beef and liquid in a covered saucepan over low heat. Add a spoonful of cooking liquid before reheating to keep the meat moist.
Freeze cooled pot roast with some of the cooking liquid in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cook a 3 to 4-pound chuck roast on LOW for about 8 hours. The roast is done when a fork slides into the meat easily and the beef pulls apart without resistance. Cooking time varies with the roast’s thickness and your slow cooker.
LOW heat gives chuck roast more time to become tender. If needed, cook it on HIGH for 4 to 6 hours, then check the thickest section with a fork. Continue cooking if the meat does not pull apart easily.
The roast usually needs more time. Cover the slow cooker and continue cooking for 30 to 60 minutes before checking it again. Avoid lifting the lid often because lost heat increases the cooking time.
No. Chuck roast releases plenty of juice during 8 hours of cooking. Added water or broth dilutes the ranch and au jus seasonings and produces a thinner cooking liquid.
Chuck roast works best because the fat and connective tissue soften during slow cooking. Choose a 3 to 4-pound roast with visible marbling. Rump roast and sirloin tip roast are leaner, so they will produce less liquid.
No. This recipe is designed to go directly into the slow cooker. Searing the beef adds browned flavor, but it also adds another pan and several minutes of prep.
You do not need pepperoncini juice for this recipe. The whole peppers add mild acidity without thinning the cooking liquid. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of juice if you want a sharper pepperoncini flavor.
Pepperoncini peppers taste tangy with mild heat. Five peppers will not make the roast hot. Add more peppers or a little pepperoncini juice if you prefer a stronger flavor.
Ranch dressing and au jus mixes contain most of the salt in this recipe. Use unsalted butter and do not season the roast with extra salt. Serve the beef with unsalted mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice to soften the salty taste.
Butter adds richness and helps distribute the flavors from the seasoning packets. This recipe uses 1/4 cup, which is less than the full stick found in many versions. Unsalted butter is the best choice if you want the roast less salty.
Can I use brown gravy mix instead of au jus mix?
Yes, but brown gravy mix produces a thicker sauce and changes the flavor slightly. Au jus mix gives the roast a stronger beef flavor and a thinner cooking liquid.
Adding them during the final 1 to 2 hours helps prevent soft, overcooked vegetables. Cut russet potatoes into small, even pieces and place them beside the roast with baby carrots. Check the vegetables with a fork before serving.
Transfer the cooked roast to a platter. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water, then stir the mixture into the hot cooking liquid. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 to 15 minutes, or transfer the liquid to a saucepan and simmer until thickened.
A 6-quart slow cooker holds a 3 to 4-pound chuck roast with enough room for the cooking liquid. For even cooking, the slow cooker should be about one-half to two-thirds full.
No. Thaw the roast completely in the refrigerator before slow cooking. The USDA advises thawing meat before placing it in a slow cooker so it reaches a safe temperature within the proper amount of time.
Refrigerate the beef with its cooking liquid in a covered container for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a spoonful of cooking liquid. Freeze the cooled beef and liquid for up to 3 months.
Mississippi Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 (3-4 pounds) chuck roast
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- 1 packet au jus
- ¼ cup butter
- 5 pepperoncini peppers
Instructions
- Place roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle the top with the ranch dressing mix and the au jus mix. Place peppers on top of the mixes, and add the butter.
- Cook over low heat for 8 hours. Serve with noodles, rice or mashed potatoes
Cooks Tips
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