Savory Southern Smoked Brisket Mississippi Pot Roast

Growing up in Louisiana, I was surrounded by the rich cultural influences of Cajun cooking, which has its origins in the settling of Acadian French settlers, or “Cajuns”, in the region. One dinner that always reminded me of home is the Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast recipe, which bears a slight resemblance to classic French-style pot roast but uses a more unique combination of simple ingredients including peppers, garlic and seasoning that come together to create a beloved pot roast enjoyed not just in my hometown but around the country and world.

The appeal of this roast is that it’s one of the easiest and most hands-off meals to prepare, allowing you to spend your time enjoying the fall or winter evening rather than standing over a hot stove. All it takes is browning the roast and mixing in a few chopped fun things before dumping it in the pan – it’s that easy to end up with a delicious and satisfying cool-weather meal to be spooned from a big hearty bowl, especially when served alongside smoky Mississippi Pot Roast and creamy smoked garlic mashed potatoes.

Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast

Now let’s delve into the classic recipe known as Mississippi Pot Roast to learn what makes it so tasty and comforting. An easy slow-cooked beef dish, Mississippi Pot Roast originated in the southern US state for which it’s named, where it utilizes simple ingredients to create fall-off-the-bone tender meat bursting with flavor.

What is Mississippi Pot Roast?

At its core, Mississippi Pot Roast is simply a savory and succulent slow-cooked dish that has won the hearts of many. It starts with a beef chuck roast that is seared and then placed in a slow-cooker or Dutch oven along with the punch of Ranch seasoning, the umami boost of an au jus gravy mix, and the pop of sweet and spicy from pickled pepperoncini peppers. A slab of butter melts in, and then it’s topped with carrots, celery, onions, and sometimes potatoes as well. After letting it braise low and slow all day, the results are magical – the juicy roast becomes fall-apart tender and the kitchen fills with the most incredible aromas. It’s a true definition of comfort in a bowl.

Origins of Smoked Mississippi pot roast 

While Mississippi pot roast bears resemblance to other classic Southern recipes, what truly catapulted it into the mainstream was how it gained immense popularity in more recent years. The now famous recipe was first developed by Robin Chapman of Ripley, Mississippi in the early 2000’s where it became a household staple. But it wasn’t until Chapman shared the recipe with her daughter and friends, who helped spread it online, that it became an internet sensation throughout the entire United States.

Word of mouth and passionate home cooks sharing pictures of this super easy one-pot meal that requires little effort yet is both affordable and feeds a crowd turned it into a genuine viral sensation. Beyond being simply delicious, its simple substitutions also accommodate Paleo and Whole30 lifestyles without ever sacrificing flavour.

What Makes this Recipe Different? 

The Mississippi pot roast truly stands apart because of the special combination of flavors that come together to create its delicious unique taste. The tangy and herbaceous flavors of the ranch seasoning coat the roast, giving it a wonderfully smoky flavor as it cooks low and slow until fall-off-the-bone tender meat. At the same time, the rich savory element of melting butter bastes the exterior in a moist buttery richness that carries throughout the overall dish. Meanwhile, the pepperoncini peppers add just enough bit of heat and bright vinegary tang to cut through the fat and balances out this extraordinary pot roast.

For me personally, one of the main reasons I love making this recipe is because it’s so easy – I can literally just throw everything into the crockpot on a busy weekday and come home to a hearty, homemade meal without needing advanced cooking skills or equipment. In fact, I don’t even own a smoker, so this lets me achieve those wonderful smoky flavors without having to fire one up. While searing the chuck roast in a skillet first help to bring out more depth in the flavors, this forgiving recipe still tends to turn out delicious even if you don’t follow every exact step. The Mississippi pot roast crock pot recipe became a favorite in my home for how conveniently it comes together yet always impresses with the rich, fall-off-the-bone results after cooking all day on low in the slow cooker.

Mississippi Pot Roast with Potatoes 

While the classic pot roast recipe instructs you to cook just the roast and then serve it with vegetables like potatoes separately, I’ve found adding those potatoes right into the slow cooker makes it an even tastier one-pot meal. For me, I highly recommend eating this pot roast with small baby potatoes, carrots, and celery – whatever floats your boat really. But if you want to cook the meat a bit longer without the veggies get too soft, an option is to only add the potatoes and other vegetables for the last 2 hours so they cook through without becoming mushy. Either way works well, but I love having those warm, cozy veggies soaking up all the rich flavors right in the pot alongside the tender roast.

How to Make Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast?

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds chuck roast
• 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 packet au jus gravy mix
• 8-10 pepperoncini peppers
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup butter
• Salt and pepper to season the roast (optional)

Preheat and Season

To start this smoky pot roast recipe, the first step is always to preheat my backyard smoker to around 225 degrees F so it’s ready to go once I add the meat. While it’s warming up, I like to season the chuck roast with salt, pepper and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder plus whatever favorite bbq rub I have on hand that day. This simple step really helps the flavors soak in and get that beautiful smoked crust you’ll love popping bites of tender roast off of as it cooked.

Smoke the Roast

Once seasoned, I place the roast in the smoker set to around 250°F and let it smoke for 3–4 hours, lowering the temp if it seems to be browning too fast, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on my good instant read thermometer. This little tool is one of the best ways to make sure that a big, tough cut of meat like chuck roast has cooked properly and won’t be tough or chalky inside.

For those who don’t have a smoker handy, I’ve found an acceptable workaround is to sear the chuck roast in a large skillet or Dutch oven with a few tablespoons of olive oil until well browned on all sides. The added sear helps to lock in extra flavor and moisture, further creating an ultra tender and juicy roast. Either smoking low and slow or searing then braising work wonders for this comfort food classic.

Transfer to a Dutch oven

Once the roast has finished smoking, I like to transfer it to my enameled Dutch oven before moving everything to the slow cooker. First I add the rest of the ingredients around the roast – it doesn’t really matter what order you like to place things as long as the chuck roast sits firmly on the bottom. Then I tuck around it any veggies I want to soften, like halved potatoes, carrots and celery. The final blanket is the rich flavors of ranch seasoning mixed with chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce.

As for the slow cooker itself, I’ve found my 6-quart crockpot usually works well for this amount of ingredients. But occasionally if it seems really full of the meat and veggies packed in, I know it’s okay – everything will soften and shrink down over the long, low cooking time so it ends up having plenty of space. The beauty of this “dump and slow cook” recipe is its incredible difficulty to mess up, no matter what size cooker or how snugly it’s filled.

RELATED: Smoked French Onion Soup

RELATED: How to Smoke a 15 Pound Brisket

Cook the Roast

To finish the low and slow smoking process, I like to return the Dutch oven with its hearty contents back to the smoker. I cover the pan tightly with a lid or piece of heavy-duty foil to contain all that deliciousness cooking within. Then it’s just a matter of letting it go for another 6–8 hours until the internal temperature of the roast reads a fall-off-the-bone 205 degrees F on the thermometer. At that point, the meat should shred easily with just a fork. I always get so excited to let it rest, so I can tear into the ultimate comfort food reward for my patience!

Shred and Serve

Finally, the moment of truth – once the roast has cooked down to silky tenderness, I can’t resist shredding the meat right in the Dutch oven with two forks, mixing it together with all the gorgeously braise veggies and intensely flavorful juice. It is easy to discard any gross bits of gristle. Some of my favorite popular serving suggestions to soak up every last drop include creamy mashed potatoes, rice or buttered egg noodles. But if you’re like me, sometimes all it needs is a side of crusty bread to clean the pot!

Can you Make Mississippi Pot Roast in the Instant Pot? 

Absolutely yes, you can make Mississippi Pot Roast in the Instant Pot! Preparing a succulent Mississippi Pot Roast Instant Pot is a delightful culinary experience that yields tender and flavorful results with minimal effort. One of my favorite methods is to first sear the roast using the Instant Pot’s Sauté function. Then I’ll add in the remaining ingredients and secure the lid. Select high pressure and set the cook time for around 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the beef – it’ll be fall-off-the-bone tender at the end.

Much like slow cooking, the Instant Pot traps almost all the steam inside, so you’ll likely have a lot of liquid in the pot after cooking. If you want to thicken up the liquid into more of a thick gravy, it’s very easy to simply switch the Instant Pot back to sauté mode. Then you can cook it down until it significantly reduces and thickens to your desired consistency. Both slow cooking and pressure-cooking methods yield amazing results with this roast, so the Instant Pot is a real time-saver when I want a quicker version of this family favorite meal!

Traeger Mississippi Pot Roast 

One way to make Mississippi Pot Roast is to use a Traeger Pellet Smoker. Smoking and braising beef in one appliance uses the Traeger’s versatility well. The process starts by placing the chuck roast directly on the grill grates and smoking it for about 2 hours at 225F to develop a smoke ring and deeply infuse smoky flavor. Then, the roast is seared on the stovetop before moving it to a Dutch oven to braise in beef broth, butter and spices plus pepperoncini peppers. After a few hours of braising on the Traeger, the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. 

For the final braising, transferring the covered pot to an oven set at 350F allows the cooking to continue using pellet convenience while freeing up the Traeger. This important step of first smoking then searing the meat enhances the flavor profile compared to a conventional grill or using two-zone heat. It’s a tasty option when making Mississippi Pot Roast on a pellet grill. Be sure to monitor liquid levels in the pot, adding more broth as needed, since it may evaporate quickly over the long cook time.

Making Mississippi Pot Roast in a Traeger combines smoking and braising beef for maximum flavor. After smoking the chuck roast, it’s seared and moved to a Dutch oven with broth ingredients to braise on the pellet grill. For the final braising stage, the covered pot transfers to the oven. This lets the pellet grill continue cooking while freeing it up for other foods. Monitoring liquid is key since it can reduce significantly during the long, low cook.

How to Serve Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast ?

Mississippi pot roast is a great entree to take to potlucks and dinners away from home. Simply prepare it as per the recipe card below and wait to shred the meat upon arrival. It should stay hot for about an hour, which gives plenty of time to travel and then shred and serve.

There are truly a number of side dishes that this pot roast always tastes amazing served with. For myself, some favorites are creamy mashed potatoes or buttery green beans. Others I like pairing it with include fluffy rice, hearty roasted vegetables, or using the beef in sandwiches later. But I’ll also call out that the recipe for Jalapeño cheddar cornbread is an exceptionally fantastic side – the pop of heat and tang cuts through the richness beautifully. Ultimately, it’s hard to go wrong with any accompaniments that allow soaking up every last drop of the pot’s flavorful au jus.

Do You Have to Smoke the Roast First? 

While using a Traeger adds an incredible smoked element, it’s not entirely necessary to smoke the roast with a Traeger before braising if preferring a slightly simpler process. The classic recipe will still deliver wonderful results. However, smoking does add that irresistible, wood-fired flavour for those wanting an extra smoky twist on the original recipe.

Even if not going the extra step of smoking the beef first, I would still recommend searing the pot roast in the Dutch oven or slow cooker insert. Browing it on all sides helps develop a flavorful crust and build up fond (those brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot). Then deglazing the pot with a bit of the broth captures all those delicious browned bits into the final dish. After the beef is seared, simply add the remaining ingredients to the same pot and then finish cooking it either in the oven or transfer everything to the slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Is Mississippi Pot Roast Spicy? 

The classic recipe for Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast certainly errs more on the mild side of spiciness. While it leaves you with just a little tickle on the tongue from the pepperoncini peppers, some folks find even that might be too much, especially for younger children.

If wanting to further reduce the overall spice level, an easy option is to simply use less of the whole pepperoncini peppers when making the brining liquid. You can also serve the finished roast without any peppers mixed in, then offer up extra chopped peppers on the side, so each person can add more afterwards if wanting a little extra kick to amp up the heat as they prefer. Either way, it still delivers all the rich, fall-off-the-bone goodness people expect from this crowd-pleasing pot roast recipe.

Tips for Making Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast 

When planning to try out the recipe for smoked Mississippi pot roast, here are a few tips to keep in mind that should really help you get the best-tasting roast possible:

• Be sure to store and purchase a chuck roast that is well-marbled and fresh. The added fat content will help keep the meat tender and juicy throughout the long smoke process. Aim to purchase a 3-4 pound roast to typically feed around 6 people. You can always adjust the recipe as needed to properly feed however large or small your family, and remember that cook times will vary depending on size.
• The seasoning packets, au jus mix and even pepperoncinis all have salt as a main ingredient, so the accumulated sodium can become strong and salty if using everything suggested. If liking a lower sodium alternative, use low sodium au jus mix and only half a jar of the pepperoncinis. Also add 1/2 cup of water to the pan before braising.
• Make sure to cook the meat long enough – the best way is to go slow and low. This will result in tender, not tough meat. If in a time crunch, the Instant Pot is definitely an option to make it faster.
• To make a thicker gravy, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon of water and whisk it into the gravy 10 minutes before finishing.
• Mississippi pot roast can be eaten and enjoyed in a variety of ways. While it tastes amazing as-is, also try serving it over rice, mashed potatoes or a variety of cooked veggies like potatoes and carrots. You can even make it into the best French dip sandwich ever on a crispy broiled bun and dipping the extra au jus.

Substitution Ideas 

Sometimes you may be looking to switch things up or need to accommodate certain dietary restrictions, so here are some great substitution ideas for the key ingredients:

1. Beef: While chuck roast is typically the most flavorful choice for this recipe, you can certainly use other cuts of beef like brisket, rump or sirloin tip. You can even get creative and try pork shoulder or leg of lamb if wanting an alternative to beef.

2. Seasoning Mixes: While the dry ranch dressing mix really packs in a lot of flavor, other seasoning packet mixes like Italian or taco would work well too in place of the ranch.

3. Pepperoncini Peppers: Feel free to substitute your favorite pickled hot peppers like banana peppers or jalapeños in place of the pepperoncini peppers for a twist.

4. Butter: For those wanting to keep the recipe strictly Paleo, Whole30, simply omit the butter and substitute in ghee or tallow instead.

5. Beef Broth: For a less beefy flavor, use regular beef broth in place of the deeper, richer beef bone broth, which is usually cooked for upwards of 24 hours.

Conclusion

Smoked Mississippi pot roast has become a classic comfort food enjoyed across the United States. The blend of bold seasoning and long, slow cooking results in fall-off-the-bone meat that is the epitome of coziness on a cold day. Whether following the original recipe or putting your own spin on it, this dish is sure to satisfy both taste buds and souls in need of nourishment. With just a few common ingredients and time, anyone can experience what has made Mississippi pot roast a pot roast legend.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the difference between a pot roast and a Mississippi pot roast?

A pot roast is typically roasted with vegetables in a pot, while a Mississippi pot roast includes pepperoncini peppers and dry ranch seasoning for a boldly flavored braised beef dish.

2. What is the best way to serve Mississippi pot roast?

You can serve it straight from the pot with mashed potatoes or egg noodles to soak up the tasty juices, or shred it over rice or vegetables for a complete meal.

3. Is Mississippi Pot Roast too spicy?

Most find the spice level of Mississippi pot roast to be mild to moderate because of the pepperoncinis’ kick. The pepperoncinis give it a kick. You can always reduce the amount of peppers if seeking less heat.

4. Why is my Mississippi pot roast tough?

The cook probably didn’t cook it long enough at a low temperature. Going slow and low over several hours is key to achieving fall-off-the-bone tender results with this braised beef dish. An instant pot can help it cook faster if needed.

5. Why is it called Mississippi roast?

The name Mississippi roast is believed to originate from the southern U.S. state of Mississippi. Its exact origin remains unknown.

6. Why is it called pot roast?

This cooking method refers to meat roasted in a covered pot or Dutch oven. The lid traps moisture inside to braise the meat into a fall-off-the-bone texture.

7. Why is my Mississippi pot roast not tender?

It likely did not braise long enough at a low heat. This cut of beef requires slow cooking over several hours to break down connective tissue and collagen. Other reasons could be too high a heat or not enough liquid inside the pot during braising.

Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast

Recipe by Carmen FoodieCourse: Smoked CuisineCuisine: American

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

8

hours 

Calories

369

kcal

Total time

8

hours 

30

minutes

This easy crockpot recipe transforms a chuck roast into the most succulent and flavorful beef dish. It features a bold blend of ranch seasoning, pepperoncini peppers and butter that braise the roast into fall-off-the-bone tenderness during long, slow cooking. Minimal ingredients are needed to create a full of flavor pot roast that practically melts in your mouth, making it a true crowd-pleasing classic.

Ingredients

• 1 (2-3 lb) chuck roast

• 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix

• 1⁄2 cup butter, melted

• 8-10 whole pepperoncini peppers

• 1 packet au jus gravy mix

• 1 small yellow onion, sliced

• 2 teaspoons salt and pepper (or other preferred seasoning)

Directions

• Place the chuck roast in the bottom of the crockpot.
• In a small bowl, combine the ranch dressing mix, melted butter, and peppers. Pour mixture over the roast.
• Sprinkle the au jus gravy mix over the top of the roast.
• Cover and cook on Low for 8-10 hours or High for 6-8 hours, until very tender.
• Use two forks to shred the meat right in the crockpot.
• Mix well to combine juices and seasoning with shredded meat.
• Serve shredded roast on rolls or over mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. Enjoy!