Effortless Mississippi Pot Roast (No Pre-Cooking)
Wildly simple to make, this melt-in-your-mouth slow cooker Mississippi pot roast takes only 5 minutes to prep, requires no pre-cooking and yields the most tender, succulent pot roast you’ve ever tasted. Made from scratch with no packets, try it and you’ll know why this is the best and easiest pot roast recipe you’ve ever tried.

5 star review
“WOW! What an awesome recipe!! Couldn’t not get any easier in terms of shopping for the ingredients (most of which I already had) and then putting it together in the morning before work. I am dairy free and can’t use ranch seasoning packets, but honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to. This was seasoned perfectly! This will be a staple!”
– Heidi
Tender, Melt-in-Your Mouth Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast with No Pre-Cooking and No Fuss!
Plain pot roast step aside and make way for the most flavorful and tender way to prepare beef — slow cooker Mississippi pot roast! In this version of pot roast the beef gets super tender thanks to the butter and low and slow cooking, plus it’s packed with flavor thanks to a simple homemade seasoning mix and pepperoncini peppers.
My version of crockpot Mississippi pot roast uses a simple homemade seasoning mix instead of the typical ranch seasoning packet and au jus gravy mix. You could absolutely use the ranch seasoning packet if you prefer, but I chose to make this recipe without a ranch packet and instead use a simple homemade seasoning blend made with a few pantry spices so I can control the ingredients and salt level.
In testing this recipe, I found that many traditional Mississippi pot roasts use a whole stick of butter, and after a few attempts, I found that using a significantly less butter yields an equally as delicious roast that’s a bit lighter.
Seriously, this recipe could not be more streamlined, as it’s a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe that just requires adding some seasonings, butter, and pepperoncini, and hitting start. No browning, no chopping, it’s a total win (similar to this ultra tender slow cooker flank steak). I also give instructions to on how to cook the pot roast on high to get it done a bit faster, or on low if you have more time. Either way, once the meat is done cooking make sure to save all the flavorful cooking liquid for gravy for my go-to smashed potatoes recipe or as a dipping sauce for sandwiches.
Visual Guide: How to Make Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast







Testing Notes, Tips & Serving Ideas
Chuck Roast: Because it has more fat, chuck roast is the preferred option for this recipe, however bottom round, top round, or brisket will also work.
Pepperoncini: Pepperoncini are slightly spicy and are a unique feature of Mississippi pot roast. However, if you don’t want any spice, feel free to leave them out for more of a classic pot roast flavor.
Butter: For a dairy-free option, you can use dairy-free butter.
Spices and Seasoning: You can absolutely use a ranch seasoning packet if you prefer, but I like using the blend of dried onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, and salt.
This recipe truly can be a one-pot meal, but there are also so many sides that deliciously pair with the meat:
- Serve the meat alongside slow cooker potatoes or my personal favorite mashed red skinned potatoes to soak up all that delicious gravy.
- It’s also amazing paired with some crusty homemade garlic bread to sop up the juices, plus a big green salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette or lemon dijon dressing.
- And don’t forget that the leftover meat is amazing in roast sandwiches! Add the meat to a hoagie bun and serve alongside the cooking juices for dipping. Yum!

This Recipe Is…

Effortless Mississippi Pot Roast (No Pre-Cooking!)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chuck roast, trimmed
- 3 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ cup beef broth
- 8 pepperoncini
- 3 tablespoons cold butter
For Optional Gravy Recipe
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the chuck roast in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle the dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder and salt evenly over all sides of the roast, patting any excess into the meat. Pour the beef broth around the sides, sprinkle the pepperoncini around, and place the butter on top of the roast.
- Cover and cook on high for 6-7 hours, or low 8-10, or until the roast shreds easily. Shred the meat with two forks and serve with the accumulated juices (au jus). If the beef is not fall-apart tender, it means you haven't cooked it long enough. Simply had 30 minutes of cook time until the beef is tender and shreddable.
Optional Gravy
- To make gravy, carefully strain the accumulated liquid from the slow cooker. In a small bowl, whisk together two tablespoons of the liquid with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Heat the remaining accumulated liquid in a medium saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Slowly pour in the liquid-cornstarch mixture and simmer until desired thickness is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
On repeat in our home. Delicious, easy comfort food. Also good to bring to someone who needs a meal.
Yay, so happy to hear this one has made it on the “repeat” list, Michelle! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
This was so easy to make and just as flavorful as similar recipes I’ve made that call for a whole stick of butter. Highly recommend and will make again.
Elizabeth, yay, so glad you enjoyed! Love that this one has all the flavor with way less butter. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
WOW! What an awesome recipe!! Couldn’t not get any easier in terms of shopping for the ingredients (most of which I already had) and then putting it together in the morning before work. I couldn’t get the pepperocinis, but didn’t miss it. I didn’t have time for the gravy and didn’t miss it.. it was a hit with the family! I made microwave little potatoes and microwaved some green beans to go with it and bam! I had a full dinner in minutes! I am dairy free and can’t use ranch seasoning packets, but honestly, I wouldn’t have wanted to. This was seasoned perfectly! I used Earth’s Balance no soy butter and put actually less than it said in the recipe on top and it was just delicious!! This will be a staple!
Heidi, wonderful to hear you enjoyed this one — a great idea to serve with potatoes and green beans. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts!
So delicious! I am so glad I found this recipe! Spices in my pantry and no seasoning packets required. Perfect amounts of all the ingredients to make a dish my family keeps asking for again and again. Served with garlic potatoes and carrots cooked separately in my smaller crockpot. Thank you!
Sally, I’m so glad you found it too! Great serving suggestions too — thanks for the tips and for leaving a review!
Made this tonight and we demolished it! Super tender and excellent flavor. I used sliced banana peppers and they melted into the beef.
Michele, so happy to hear this one was a hit! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
So simple & so so good! Was easy to pair with salad & crusty bread or mashed cauliflower. It has a subtle “kick” & was a hit with the whole family.
So happy to hear this one was a hit, and great idea to serve with mashed cauliflower. Yum! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Wow — family couldn’t stop raving about this! Every bite earned a “yum”. This recipe was super easy to prep in the morning and the house smelled so good when we got home in the afternoon. Served it with your “Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes (One-Pot!)” recipe. Thanks Robyn!
Heather, I love when a slow cooker recipe becomes a family favorite! Love that you served these with those easy mashed potatoes, too. Yum! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Hello, this recipe sounds delicious and quick! Can I double the liquid in order to have some for leftovers? A French Dip sandwich comes to mind. Thanks again
Hi Claudia, you can double the liquid if you like, but the meat actually produces quite a bit of liquid while it’s cooking. In my experience it’s plenty to create a dip for French Dip sandwiches! It’s up to you, though, as extra broth shouldn’t change the overall results of the recipe too much. I hope you enjoy!
Delicious! My family loved this dish! We didn’t add the pepperoncini and thw flavor was amazing! Thank you for making life easier!
Michelle, yay, so happy to hear this one was a hit and that it was successful even without the pepperoncini! Thanks for the tip and for leaving a review!
Great roast everytime
Mary Ann, so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe – thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts!
Oh, my…. This was absolutely the best pot roast I have ever made! I have tried two other recipes and they didn’t turn out so great. I wanted something without ranch seasoning or onion soup mix. The aroma while this was cooking was driving me crazy all day, because it smelled so amazing! I did adjust two things: I browned the roast first after I put the seasonings on it, and then instead of using beef broth, I substituted water that I had put in with the drippings after browning the roast. I am not the greatest cook and have used my slow cooker less than a handful of times over its entire lifespan (30+ years)…but tonight, my husband gave this a 10 and said it was PHENOMENAL (he’s SUPER picky!), which he never, ever, says! I have an order of natural horseradish arriving tomorrow, and we will have that with our leftovers. Mmm! Can’t wait! Thank you so much for this incredible, simple recipe with ingredients that I had on hand!
Now, I need to go look at your other recipes and see what else you have!
Gina, yay, I’m so happy to hear this one was a hit! I bet those leftovers with horseradish are going to taste amazing! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
This is so good!!! It is definitely a family favorite!
DeAnna, so happy to hear you enjoyed this easy pot roast recipe! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!