Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe

Easy Mississippi Roast with Gravy

Mississippi Pot Roast isn’t your ordinary beef pot roast. It’s a tender chuck roast that’s slow cooked in the oven with butter, a blend of ranch dressing mix and au jus seasonings, and pepperoncini peppers.

And it’s so good!

This classic comforting meal requires just 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep. It’s served with a rich, flavorful gravy made from the meat drippings and makes the perfect warm, hearty meal for cold nights. 

We like to shred the Mississippi roast and serve it over mashed red potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes or with a side of cheesy beer bread, mushroom rice, or a baked sweet potato. 

What is Mississippi Pot Roast Made From?

A Mississippi Roast is a super simple recipe that’s packed with flavor! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Oil: Canola oil, vegetable oil, or another neutral flavored oil will work.
• Chuck Roast: You’ll need 3-4 pounds of chuck roast for this recipe.
• Aus Jus Mix and Ranch Dressing Mix.
• Unsalted Butter.
• Whole Pepperoncini.
• Roast Drippings and Low Sodium Beef Broth: for the gravy!

How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast in the Oven

Scroll to the recipe card below for full instructions and ingredient amounts!

This pot roast recipe requires just 10 minutes of hands-on time! Here’s a quick summary of the recipe:

1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat, then add in the oil and the roast. Sear each side for a couple of minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. 
2. Sprinkle the meat with both seasoning mixes, dot with cubed butter, add in the peppers and their liquid, then cover and cook until tender and easily shreddable, about 1 hour per pound. Rest for 10 to 15 minutes, then shred and remove from the liquid.

3. Pour the drippings through a sieve to strain, then pour the excess butter/fat off. Transfer the solids to a saucepan and warm over low heat. Whisk in beef broth and continue to cook until smooth.
4. Spoon over the roast and serve as desired.

Tips for Mississippi Pot Roast

• Look for large pieces of beef roast that have nice marbling. The marbling helps keep the roast moist and tender as it cooks.
• Sear it first! This helps lock in the flavor and moisture and gives the outside that crispy crust.
• Let the meat rest for 10 to 15 minutes after cooking and before you shred it. This gives the moisture and flavor time to redistribute back into the meat. If you shred it too soon, all the juices will just seep out.
• Strain the drippings. We want to remove any larger chunks so we can use them as the base of the gravy.
• To make this roast without pepperoncini, simply omit them from the recipe. You can still use the pepperoncini juice or substitute it with low-sodium broth or even water.
• Serve any leftover shredded beef to make roast beef sandwiches!

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Leftover Mississippi roast will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it because the texture will be affected. 

Reheating: To reheat your roast, warm in the microwave at medium power, on the stove, or in the oven on low with a little au jus or gravy until heated through.

Why do they call it Mississippi pot roast?

Because it was developed in Mississippi! Supposedly, this recipe for pot roast was invented by a woman who lived in Ripley, Mississippi.

She called it a “roast”, but as it gained popularity elsewhere it took on the name Mississippi Pot Roast as an homage to its home state!

Can you use brown gravy instead of au jus?

Yes! A 1 ounce packet of brown gravy mix can be used in place of the au jus mix.

The flavor may be slightly different because there is a different amount of sodium and a different seasoning base, but it shouldn’t change the recipe much and it will still be delicious!

Why is my Mississippi pot roast so salty?

There may be a couple of reasons your pot roast came out too salty. Here are a few of my best tips for making sure the flavor is just right:

1. Use unsalted butter instead of salted butter.
2. Check the sodium in your seasoning. Different brands will have different amounts.
3. Use low sodium beef broth.
4. If you’re using a small roast (1-2 pounds), reduce the amount of butter and seasonings.

Controlling the saltiness beforehand allows you to adjust to taste once the roast is done. You can always add more!

Other Amazing Dinner Recipes

• Beef Tips with Gravy
• Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Pan Seared Steak
• Irish Beef Stew
• Cheesy Hamburger Rice Casserole
• Ravioli Lasagna