Recipe for mississippi pot roast in crock pot

by Stephanie on November 18, 2021 (Updated December 10, 2021) 201 *This post may contain affiliate links. Read more »

Table of Contents Show

Mississippi Pot Roast
How to Make it
Crock Pot
Do You Have to Sear a Pot Roast Before Slow Cooking?
Best Cuts of Meat for Pot Roast
Tools For This Recipe
What to Serve with Pot Roast
Try These Next!
Get My Free Meal Plan
Did You Try This Recipe?
Order The Cozy Cookbook!
Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?
Why is my Mississippi pot roast not tender?
What can I substitute for ranch seasoning in Mississippi pot roast?
Can I substitute brown gravy for au jus in Mississippi pot roast?

This Mississippi Pot Roast is easy to make in the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or the Oven! Learn how to prepare a delicious brown gravy with the drippings at the end and serve it with potatoes and carrots for a truly comforting family meal.

Mississippi Pot Roast

This recipe is so near and dear to my heart, I make this every single time my in-laws visit us, it’s the definition of cozy and it’s so easy to make and serve with a side of mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

If preferred, you can cook the potatoes and carrots right in the oven or crock pot with the pot roast! I have lots of tips and tricks for this recipe- let’s get to it!

How to Make it

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Oven and Instant Pot methods are outlined in the notes section of the recipe card.

Crock Pot

Sear the roast and transfer to the Crock Pot. (Optional, but adds a lot of nice texture and color.)
Sprinkle the Au Jus and Ranch Dressing Mix over the roast.
Top with cubed butter and pepperoncini peppers.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-6.
Carrots and Yukon gold potatoes can be added at the beginning of the cooking process as well.

Do You Have to Sear a Pot Roast Before Slow Cooking?

I highly recommend giving your pot roast a nice crispy sear on the outside. It gives it a really nice texture, color, and depth of flavor.
Fun Fact: Contrary to popular belief searing Pot Roast prior to cooking it doesn’t help to lock in moisture. TheKitchn explains this in more detail.

Best Cuts of Meat for Pot Roast

Chuck roasts (the best option)
Rump roasts (2nd best)
Bottom rounds (3rd best)

Pro Tips
The pepperoncini peppers don’t add any heat or make this spicy, they just add a bit of tang!
Be sure to use whole pepperoncini peppers so that they stay intact during cooking.
If preferred, you can halve the amount of butter and use 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth to keep things moist.

This is the Ranch Dressing Mix (affiliate) used for this recipe, I like to buy mine in bulk.

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This meal does freeze and reheat well.

Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
6-quart Crock Pot. This is the size I have and I love it. You can also sear meat in the removable crock insert right on the Stove Top.
Gravy Boat– I have this one, it has a candle on the bottom that keeps the gravy warm!
Fat Separator– You’ll want one with a strainer on the top to catch any solids when you pour the gravy into it, and one that has a bottom release so you can dispense the gravy right into the gravy boat and easily leave out the fat.
Serving Platter– I love these!

What to Serve with Pot Roast

Try These Next!

Get My Free Meal Plan

I’ve got a Free Meal Planwith 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!

And follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Did You Try This Recipe?

I would love for you to leave a rating and a comment below! How’d you do?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This Mississippi Pot Roast is easy to make in the Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or the Oven! Learn how to prepare a delicious brown gravy with the drippings at the end for a truly comforting family meal.

▢ 2 Tablespoons olive oil
▢ 3 lb. pot roast, see notes for best cuts
▢ 1 oz. packet Ranch dressing mix
▢ 1 oz. packet Au Jus mix
▢ 6 pepperoncini peppers
▢ 1 stick butter, cut into cubes
▢ 3 tablespoons corn starch

Note: See notes for Oven and Instant Pot Method

Crock Pot Method

Heat oil in a large pot or stove top friendly Crock Pot over medium-high heat.
Sear the roast for 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to the Slow Cooker if needed.
Sprinkle the Au Jus and Ranch Dressing Mix over the roast.
Top with cubed butter and pepperoncini peppers. Add any carrots and/or baby red potatoes if desired.
Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 5-6. It will be very tender.
Place the roast on a plate and cover with foil. Leave the juices in the pot.
Turn the Crock pot on high and proceed to gravy instructions.

Make the Gravy

Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons COLD water. Whisk until well-combined and smooth.
Bring the meat juices to a boil. Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the boiling liquid, stirring continuously. Once it's all added, reduce to a simmer.
Simmer until desired thickness is reached, then transfer to a serving container and serve.

Oven Method:

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.
Heat oil in a 6 quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear roast for 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle Au Jus and Ranch Dressing Mix over the roast. Top with cubed butter and pepperoncini peppers.
Bake, covered, for 7-8 hours.
For a quicker turnaround time: Wrap the roast in foil and place it in the Dutch oven with the lid on. Bake at 350 degrees for 3-4 hours.
Transfer the juices to a saucepan and proceed to gravy instructions.

Instant Pot

Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté Mode.
Brown the roast in olive oil for 5 minutes on each side, remove and set aside.
Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of low sodium beef broth or water. Run a silicone spatula along the bottom to release any brown bits.
Add the Roast back and sprinkle with the Au Jus and Ranch Dressing Mix. Top with cubed butter and pepperoncini peppers.
Set to Meat Mode and cook for 45 minutes. (Ensure the pressure valve is closed.)
Let the pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes, then flip the quick release valve.
Remove the roast and cover it with foil to keep it warm.
Set the Instant Pot to Sautee mode and make gravy as noted in recipe instructions.

Best Cuts of Meat for Pot Roast:

Chuck roasts- best choice
Rump roasts -second best
Bottom rounds- third best

Calories: 389kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 50g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 543mg, Potassium: 779mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 34IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 5mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Order The Cozy Cookbook!

Do you have to brown a roast before putting it in the crockpot?

"Browning, or caramelizing, meat before putting it into a slow cooker isn't one hundred percent necessary, but it is well worth the effort for the most flavorful and full-bodied end result," he says. "The caramelized surface of the meat will lend rich flavor and color to the finished dish."

Why is my Mississippi pot roast not tender?

If you find your pot roast is tough, there is one reason. You need to cook the roast longer. Crock pot roast should result in a super tender and juicy roast.

What can I substitute for ranch seasoning in Mississippi pot roast?

Ranch Herb Blend - Mississippi Roast gets a nice herb flavor from Ranch Seasoning. To keep this version clean, skip the store-bought packet and make this Homemade Ranch Seasoning or get a very close approximation by combining 1 ½ teaspoon each of Dried Parsley, Garlic Powder, Dried Chives, and Dried Dill Weed.

Can I substitute brown gravy for au jus in Mississippi pot roast?

Can I substitute brown gravy for au jus mix? 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 sodium amount and seasoning base between the two products.