This Mississippi pot roast skips the seasoning packets entirely and comes together in the slow cooker with simple pantry spices, butter, beef broth, and pepperoncini. A fall-apart tender, hands-off beef dinner with so much flavor and so little effort!

Overhead shot of slow cooker with shredded roast beef and pepperoncini peppers. Slow cooker is surrounded by a gravy boat, bowl of chopped parsley, sprigs of fresh parsley, and a bowl of mashed potatoes.

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
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Here’s How to Make Mississippi Pot Roast from Scratch!

Plain pot roast step aside and make way for the most flavorful and tender way to prepare beef: slow cooker Mississippi pot roast!  In my version of pot roast the beef gets super tender thanks to the butter and low and slow cooking, plus gets tons of flavor thanks to a simple homemade seasoning mix and pepperoncini peppers without using ranch seasoning packet or au jus gravy mix so you can control the ingredients and salt level.

Traditional Mississippi pot roast recipes also typically use a whole stick of butter, and after a few attempts, I found that using significantly less butter yields an equally as delicious roast that’s a bit lighter. Beyond that, my version also requires no searing and no chopping, just dump all the ingredients in and you’re good to go! It’s truly an ultra easy, comforting family dinner you’ll want to put on weekly rotation.

Just don’t forget that once the meat is done cooking to save all the flavorful cooking liquid for gravy or as a dipping sauce for sandwiches (my mashed red skinned potatoes come together on the stovetop in 30 minutes and are the perfect pairing). And, if you love a hands-off slow cooker beef dinner, my slow cooker corned beef uses the same set-it-and-forget-it method with a completely different flavor profile, great for mixing up the rotation. Yum!

Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Overhead shot of the following ingredients: raw chuck roast, pepperoncini, broth, butter, cornstarch, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Gather ingredients.
Overhead shot of raw raw chuck roast with seasonings in a slow cooker.
Add beef & seasoning to crockpot.
Overhead shot of a slow cooker with raw chuck roast covered in seasonings and butter, surrounded by pepperoncini. Broth is being poured into the slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients.
Overhead shot of a shredding roast beef in a slow cooker with two forks. Beef is surrounded by pepperoncini and broth.
Cook & shred beef.
Overhead shot of a small white sauce pan with broth and a whisk in it. Saucepan is surrounded by a small white bowl with broth and a spoon and a pinch bowl with cornstarch.
Make optional gravy.
Overhead shot of a white bowl with mashed potatoes and roast beef. Bowl is surrounded by a towel, gravy boat, and bowls or fresh parsley and salt and pepper.
Serve with your favorite side.
Overhead shot of hands around a white bowl with mashed potatoes and roast beef. Bowl is surrounded by a towel, gravy boat, and bowls or fresh parsley and salt and pepper.

Testing Tips from Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast

  • Because it has more fat, chuck roast is my preferred option for this recipe, however I tested with bottom round, top round, or brisket and all work.
  • Don’t add extra liquid beyond the half cup of beef broth. The chuck roast and butter release plenty of juices as they cook, and adding more water or broth will dilute the flavor and leave you with a thinner sauce instead of a rich one!
  • Let the roast rest in the cooking liquid for 10 minutes before shredding. The meat reabsorbs the juices as it sits, which is the difference between dry, stringy shreds and tender, glistening pieces.
  • Save every drop of the cooking liquid for the next day’s leftovers! Reheating shredded beef in its own braising liquid rather than dry in the microwave brings the texture and flavor back to almost like-new, especially for sandwich filling.
Close-up overhead shot of slow cooker with shredded roast beef and pepperoncini peppers. Slow cooker is surrounded by a bowl of mashed potatoes and a gravy boat.
Overhead shot of shredded roast beef being served out of a slow cooker with a serving fork. Slow cooker is surrounded by a gravy boat, bowl of chopped parsley, sprigs of fresh parsley, and a bowl of mashed potatoes.
5 stars (18 ratings)

Mississippi Pot Roast (No Packets)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 6 hours
Total: 6 hours 5 minutes
Mississippi pot roast made without ranch or au jus packets, just pantry spices, butter, pepperoncini, and beef. A fall-apart tender slow cooker dinner!
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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.

Notes

Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 8), Calories: 352kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 129mg, Sodium: 562mg, Potassium: 615mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 188IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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