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This Easy Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe requires just five ingredients and there’s no prep work involved beforehand. Simply add everything into the slow cooker and walk away!
The BEST Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Once upon a time, I was trying to figure out how to make the best pot roast in a crockpot. I was trying to figure out how to make a juicy roast by searing it, marinating it, injecting it, and so on and nothing was really hitting the spot for me. So I did what any normal person would do after an extended period of failures — I gave up.
Okay, maybe everyone doesn’t give up, but I just decided that maybe a beef roast wasn’t my thing. I took up pork and it totally went well. We made carnitas, tender shredded Kalua pork and finally a juicy shredded beef. But it still didn’t taste like that classic pot roast. And the gravy wasn’t that brown gravy I wanted.
And then I tried this easy slow cooker pot roast and I have been sold ever since! The beef is tender and juicy. It creates wonderful drippings that make the best gravy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Simple: Uses just 5 pantry ingredients!
Easy: No browning needed — slow cooker does all the work!
Flavor: Butter and pepperoncini create that perfect tangy richness and the ranch and au jus mixes add all the depth of flavor you need!
Texture: Fork-tender, juicy beef every single time!
Versatile: Fancy enough for a holiday meal but so simple you could have it on a random Wednesday!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Ingredients
As we mentioned earlier, this Crockpot chuck roast dish requires just five ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Beef Chuck Roast: look for rich marbling = tender, flavorful beef
- Dry Ranch Dressing Mix: adds savory depth
- Au Jus Seasoning Packet: boosts beefy flavor
- Butter: adds richness and silkiness
- Pepperoncinis Peppers: tangy contrast that balances the salt
How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast
It’s truly amazing how easy this slow cooker pot roast is to make! Here’s how you make it:
- Combine: Place the chuck roast into the slow cooker, sprinkle with the two seasoning packets on top of the roast, then add the stick of butter butter on top. Spread the pepperoncinis around the roast.
- Cook: Place the lid onto the slow cooker, then let the roast cook on low for 8 hours.
- Shred: If you want to shred the beef, use two forks to separate the roast and then let it continue to cook in the juices until ready to serve.
Tips for the Best Crockpot Mississippi Roast
Many have been told to brown the meat on each side in order to seal in the juices. That’s completely false. Browning meat is to give that color and caramelized flavor to the meat, but unless you’re braising it’s really going to disappear in a slow cooker, so I don’t see any need to brown a roast.
The real secret to a roast is to cook it low and slow. In an oven, you’re looking for 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit, and on a slow cooker you want to use the low setting. We never cook a chuck roast or even a pork butt for anything other than low temperature for 8 hours. I promise, it will fall apart.
How to Serve Mississippi Pot Roast
We love to serve this tender shredded beef over mashed potatoes, but it would also be great over egg noodles or rice.
For side dishes, we like it with roasted veggies or carrots, a side salad, and of course, some fluffy homemade potato rolls.
If there are leftovers, I love to repurpose this meat into sliders, tacos, or sandwiches.
Mississippi Pot Roast FAQs
Want to know which cut of beef is best for a slow cooker roast or pot roast? We prefer a simple chuck roast, but remember to look for one that has good marbling. But not so much that it’s all over in big pieces of fat, because without realizing it you’re paying for all of that weight and will end up with less meat than you expected.
One of the biggest questions we get asked about this Mississippi pot roast is why we don’t add any water to the roast. Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like a lot of older Crockpot recipes wanted water added to a roast recipe, which is completely unnecessary. If you’re cooking a roast and looking for moist, fall apart meat, then adding water is just going to boil the meat, and no one wants boiled meat.
You technically can cook this easy slow cooker pot roast for 4 hours on high if you’re short on time, but your roast won’t be anywhere near as fall apart tender as it’d be if you let it cook on low for the full 8 hours.
The Instant Pot also works great. Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot along with 1 cup of beef broth and cook on manual high pressure for 45 minutes. Then let it naturally release.
If you want to braise this in the oven, you’ll want to brown it first in a skillet on the stovetop. Sprinkle it on all sides with a little salt and pepper and brown in olive oil. Then place in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of beef broth, sprinkle the ranch and au jus mixes on top along with the butter. Place a lid or foil over the roasting pan and place in a preheated oven (300 degrees F) for 2 ½ hours. If it doesn’t shred easily, let it cook for another ½ hour.
Yes, this slow cooker pot roast freezes very well. Once it’s cooled completely, shred the pot roast and pack it into freezer bags. Spoon some of the juices into the bags as well. If desired, you can freeze the juices in freezer bags and use them to make gravy in the future.
Storing and Reheating
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for up to 4 days.
I like to reheat leftover pot roast with a little broth on the stove top. It can also be warmed up in the microwave too for smaller portions.
This Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast is the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table — no fuss, no fancy prep, just pure comfort in every bite. Whether it’s Sunday dinner or a busy weeknight, it’s one of those recipes that reminds us that the simplest things are often the most delicious.