Mississippi Roast Slow Cooker

I made a Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast with pepperoncini peppers, onion soup mix, herb butter and ranch dressing mix the other day. It was so easy to throw it all in and let it cook all day to tender that it is the only way I will use chuck roast from now on.

I wanted some shredded beef for dinner to serve over mashed potatoes and this was a hug hit (even with my kids). With just 6 ingredients, this marbled piece of beef fell apart easily when I got back from work. Now it is one of our favorite easy Crockpot recipes.

If you live in the South, or grew up there, this was probably a staple meal in your home. I didn’t but it was something my Grandmother made and it reminds me of her every time I make it. You may call it pepperoncini roast too. For a quicker version I have made Mississippi roast Instant Pot, but low and slow I found is better.

Why is it called Mississippi roast?

Mississippi Pot Roast is a popular dish that got its name from the state where it was first created. Developed in the 1990s by Robin Chapman, she modified her aunt’s spicy pot roast with ranch seasoning instead of Italian dressing mix, combined it with butter, and pepperoncini peppers and made it in a slow cooker. It was originally shared in a church cookbook known as roast beef but gained massive popularity online, where it became widely known as “Mississippi Roast.”

This is truly a dump and go meal. That is my favorite since we are usually pretty busy during the day and there isn’t much prep beforehand either. This is a guest post and also on our list of cheap easy Crockpot recipes too since it’s under $20 for all the ingredients!! That is a win for us, and many times there are leftovers for lunch the next day. You can’t beat that.

What type of beef is best for Mississippi roast?

There are many different types of beef roasts out there. I like a boneless chuck roast because it cooks more evenly and is easier to shred once it reaches fork tender status. The more fat the better too for pulled beef.

How to Make the Sauce

Then you want a hefty block of salted butter on the top to keep it moist, add flavor and create a creamy layer of goodness over the whole dish. Your best option would be a stick of Kerrygold Garlic Herb Butter if available!

And then come the Pepperoncini peppers (I like medium heat). If you have never used these don’t be scared, they are more for flavor than to make it spicy.

For a pop of flavor we are going to add a packet of dry ranch dressing mix, different from the wet salad dressing you would use. Instead of au jus mix we are going to use onion soup mix instead but either one works. It will add a richness with a ton of flavor without a bunch of ingredients needed.

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

It is not a must, but a highly suggested step to take before starting the cooking process. The texture and flavor will be more appealing if you sear and brown the outsides first on the stovetop. Also browning locks in the moisture so the protein becomes more tender.

You will want a bit of extra virgin olive oil to brown the meat in the first step on the stove, this is really the only prep necessary. If skipped it will work but recommended.

Mississppi Roast with Frozen Roast

You could follow this Crockpot frozen roast timing if you forgot to defrost it. It is better defrosted beforehand though. Surprisingly either way the timing doesn’t really change though. That was a huge eye opener for me when I figured this out.

We’ve even cooked a frozen roast in an Instant Pot with great success. That comes in handy when you’ve forgotten to defrost dinner and it’s almost the evening. Throw it in with some water or broth mixed with powdered au jus gravy mix and it’s tender fall apart in under an hour.

You do want a cut of meat that has a nice flabby side of fat. Leaner cuts like Bottom Round Roast aren’t as good because they are more for slicing and less for shredding. In this case you want to make pulled beef to get the sauce to coat each piece.

How to Make Spicy

Even though there are peppers in it they aren’t hot. You can make it spicy though if you wanted, we prefer mild but full of flavor. You could add a bit of pepperoncini juice if you want a more intense flavor.

Can you add vegetables?

Yes this is possible if you so deisre. If you wanted more veggies you could add baby carrots and/or even quartered potatoes on top of the cut of meat if you wanted to.

Once cooked remove the Pepperoncinis, discard stems, and dice them finely before putting back into the pot. Use forks to shred the roast incorporating it into the liquid. Discard fatty pieces. Serve over slow cooker mashed potatoes, in sandwiches, or as a stand alone protein.

We loved this so much we experimented with other meats too. Mississippi Pork Roast was another that came out just as delicious and another you should try once you fall in love with this one pot meal!

How to Serve

You can serve this over a nice big bowl of Ninja Foodi rice or over noodles. I mean as is is fine too with some air fryer vegetables. You can shred and serve inside hoagie rolls or little buns eaten as sliders. Your family might have their own favorite duo so just go with what works for y’all.

Other slow cooker meals you’ll love

After you’ve fallen in love with this, try our Crockpot pork roast onion soup mix recipe. Our pepperoncini chicken is similar to this but made with poultry instead.