Our recipe for Mississippi Pot Roast is tender, juicy, and comforting. Made without ranch and au jus seasoning packets, this beef roast recipe uses whole ingredients like fresh herbs, buttermilk, and beef stock, with traditional elements like pepperoncini and butter, all tossed in a Dutch oven and slow-cooked in the oven.
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This Mississippi Pot Roast is traditionally made with five ingredients – beef, ranch dressing mix, au jus seasoning, butter, and pepperoncini, tossed together in a slow cooker. Also known as Mississippi Mud Roast, this pot roast recipe is inspired by Robin Chapman – a home cook from Ripley, Mississippi, who added pepperoncini and ranch dressing mix to her aunt’s pot roast recipe.
A dish we’ve only had once as a Mississippi Pot Roast Taco, our version of the Mississippi Pot Roast is made without seasoning packets – no pre-made ranch or au jus ingredients, and instead uses whole ingredients like fresh herbs, buttermilk, and beef stock, all made in a Dutch oven, no slow cooker required.
Keeping with Chapman’s inclusions of pepperoncini and butter, our version starts with searing the chuck roast until caramelized – hello flavor! Then, everything is added to the pot and roasted in the oven. The result is the best roast ever. Tender, juicy, and packed with deep rich flavors, it’s a unique dinner idea that adults love and is kid-friendly, too. And, the leftovers are just as good as the first day, especially when made into Mississippi Pot Roast Tacos.
Serve this Mississippi Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, or as part of a larger menu with our Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole, or House Salad.
Ingredient List
- Beef: Chuck roast or brisket are the best cuts of beef for pot roast. They are tough cuts with ample fat, resulting in the most depth of flavor. Round roast also works, however, it has less fat and isn’t as flavorful. Get the best quality beef available.
- Salt: Sea salt or kosher salt.
- Pepper: Freshly ground black pepper.
- Flour: Acts as a thickener, which replaces the gravy mix that is typical in Mississippi pot roast. All-purpose is our go-to when browning meat for pot roasts and stews.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin, your favorite brand to cook with.
- Butter: One of the essential ingredients in Mississippi pot roast. Adds richness and flavor that only butter can bring to a dish. We always use salted butter.
- Onions: We use fresh onions to replace the typical onion powder found in ranch seasoning.
- Garlic: A key flavor in ranch dressing. As with the onions, it replaces garlic powder found in ranch seasoning.
- Beef stock: Enhances the beef flavor which is needed as there is no packaged gravy mix in our recipe.
- Buttermilk: Another key component in ranch dressing, it adds a tangy and sour flavor to the roast.
- Dill: Tangy, bright, and fresh, dill is a delicate herb that packs a lot of flavor. It is the main herb flavor you taste in ranch dressing and seasoning.
- Parsley: Probably the most common herb you find in dressing and sauces, it has a clean and slightly peppery flavor. Use the stems and leaves when finely chopping for stews and roasts.
- Chives: One of our favorite herbs to add to anything from stews to salads. It provides a delicate onion flavor to dishes and is beautiful when used as a garnish without overpowering a dish.
- Pepperoncini: A medium-heat pepper that’s pickled, providing a hot and sour flavor. It complements the ranch flavorings in the pot roast.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Steps: How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast
1. Season and dry the beef roast.
Pat the beef roast dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Roll the beef in flour until it’s lightly coated.
2. Sear the beef roast.
Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, and once it begins to smoke carefully place the beef roast in the pot. Sear for 2 minutes, or until the beef is deep brown. Turn and repeat with all sides. Remove the roast from the pot and set aside on a plate.
Tip: If the flour is beginning to burn, take the pot off the heat for a minute. Return the pot to the burner and lower the heat to medium.
3. Cook the aromatics.
Without cleaning the pot, return it to medium-high heat. Add the butter and once melted, add the onions and garlic, cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
4. Add the flavorings.
Pour the beef stock, buttermilk and the pepperoncini juice, along with the whole pepperoncini, dill, parsley, and chives. Bring to a simmer, then add the beef.
5. Braise the pot roast.
Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F.
6. Reduce and blend the liquid.
Remove the beef and pepperoncini from the pot and place on a cutting board. Place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes, until reduced by about ½ an inch. Using an immersion blender, puree the liquid until smooth.
7. Shred the beef.
Meanwhile, remove any string or butcher twine from the beef. Using two forks, break up and shred the beef into about 1-inch pieces.
8. Finish the Mississippi pot roast.
Return the beef and the pepperoncini to the pot and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
Chef's Tip
Building flavor: After browning the meat, ensure to leave the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This is called the fond, which is extremely flavorful and enhances the flavor of the dish.
Pot: We prefer to use enameled cast iron pots for slow-cooking meats. This allows them to brown and develop fawn with less risk of burning versus a stainless steel pot, which can get too hot very quickly.
Recipe FAQs
While you don't have to sear pot roast before cooking, we suggest doing so to help build flavor in the meat. When you sear beef before braising, it caramelizes, providing a deeper beef flavor, and also creates fond (the brown bits) on the bottom of the pot which, when deglazed, enhances the flavor of the roast even more.
Yes, pot roast can be made on the stove. Instead of placing in the oven after adding the beef, transfer the Dutch oven to a small burner to simmer. Ensure to stir or scrape the bottom of the pot every 30-40 minutes to prevent it from getting burnt spots.
Yes. If your slow cooker has a searing function, sear the meat, then add the remaining ingredients and cook for 2-2.5 hours. If it doesn't have a searing option, then we suggest searing the beef first, deglazing the pan with beef stock, then transferring the beef, liquid from deglazing, and remaining ingredients to the crockpot to slow cook for 2-2.5 hours.
Other Comfort Food Recipes to Consider
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Recipe Card
Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef roast chuck or brisket
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup pepperoncini brine
- ½ cup dill chopped
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- ¼ cup chives chopped
- 8 pepperoncini
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Roll the beef in flour until it’s lightly, but lightly coated.
- Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and once it begins to smoke, carefully place the beef roast in the pot. Sear for 2 minutes, or until the beef is deep brown, turn and repeat with all sides of the beef. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside on a plate.
- Without cleaning the pot, return it to medium-high heat. Add the butter and once melted, add the onions and garlic, cooking for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Pour the beef stock, buttermilk and the pepperoncini juice, along with the whole pepperoncini, dill, parsley, and chives. Bring to a simmer, then add the beef.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the preheated oven for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 190-200°F.
- Remove the beef and pepperoncini from the pot and place on a cutting board. Place the Dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes, until reduced by about ½ an inch. Using an immersion blender, puree the liquid until smooth.
- Meanwhile, remove any string or butcher twine from the beef. Using two forks, break up and shred the beef into about 1-inch pieces.
- Return the beef and the pepperoncini to the pot and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes more.
- Serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
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