Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast – Dinner this delicious has never been so easy! Made with fork-tender chuck roast, tangy pickled pepperoncini, and simple seasonings. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and bask in the greatness of such a simple creation!

I was wracking my brain trying to think of what I should do with this gorgeous chuck roast sitting in my freezer. Scrolling through the archives of my beef recipes here on Jo Cooks, I realized I was missing a classic staple: Mississippi Pot Roast! With instructions for both your Instant Pot and slow cooker, this is a dinner you can make no matter your time constraints.

The origin story of this recipe may hail from a cookbook in the 90s, but its true popularity was launched by, none other than, food bloggers! A viral round on Pinterest managed to turn this recipe in a household classic. It’s easy, tender, delicious, and unique all in one.

Ingredients

Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!

• Chuck roast – Anywhere from 3-5 pounds; this recipe will work for smaller or larger roasts.
• Olive oil – Sunflower, safflower, canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or avocado oils can be used instead.
• Pepperoncinis – While you can use fresh peppers instead, the flavor from the pickled peppers is fantastic.
• Beef broth – Low or no sodium. You’ll be getting plenty of salt from the pickled pepper juice, ranch, and onion soup mix.
• Ranch seasoning – Use a 1 oz packet. You can uses 1 1/2 tbsp ranch dressing instead of seasoning.
• Onion soup mix – A packet of au jus mix can be used instead.
• Butter – Unsalted.
• Cornstarch – To thicken your sauce.
• Water

How to make Mississippi pot roast in the Instant Pot

1. Sear: Heat the olive oil in your Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Add the beef cubes, working in batches if needed, and sear them on all sides. Set the beef cubes aside.
2. De-glaze: Pour the pepperoncini juice and beef broth into the Instant Pot and scrape up all the bits from the bottom.
3. Arrange: Add the beef back to the pot. Add the ranch dressing, onion soup mix and pepperoncini to the pot and give it a stir to coat in the the liquid. Arrange the butter over the beef.
4. Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve from VENT to SEAL. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, then let the pressure release for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.
5. Shred: Transfer the beef from the Instant Pot to a bowl and shred it with two forks. Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a bubble over the sauté setting.
6. Thicken: Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, and stir it into the sauce. Stir until it thickens. Add the shredded meat back to the Instant Pot and stir to coat well in the sauce.

What kind of beef can I use?

Any type of typical stewing beef will be great for your pot roast. Other than chuck, you can use bottom round, rump roast, top round, sirloin, English roast, sirloin, are some examples of cuts you can use. You can also go ask your local butcher for some stewing beef, and they will have it already cut for you.

Can I add veggies?

If you want a more fully-rounded meal all made in your Instant Pot, you can toss in some veggies before sealing the lid and cooking everything. Keep in mind, since the roast cooks for an hour, the veggies will have a softer result.

• Carrots
• Potatoes
• Green beans
• Diced tomatoes
• Onion

How to make Mississippi pot roast in a slow cooker

1. Sear: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes, working in batches if needed, and sear them on all sides. Set the beef cubes aside.
2. De-glaze: Pour the pepperoncini juice and beef broth into the skillet and scrape up all the bits from the bottom. Stir in the ranch seasoning and onion soup mix.
3. Arrange: Add the beef to your slow cooker along with the sauce from the skillet. Arrange the pepperoncinis and butter over the beef.
4. Cook: Secure the lid of your slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
5. Finish: Use two forks to shred the beef directly in the slow cooker. Whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, pour it into the slow cooker, and stir well to combine. Cook on high for 20-30 minutes or until thickened.

How to serve

Just look at all that glorious sauce! You’re going to need the perfect vessel to soak it all up. Mashed potatoes, rice, or even a bed of tender egg noodles would be perfect for your roast. Looking for more sides to round out the meal? Try these:

• Skillet Green Beans
• Oven Roasted Carrots
• Colcannon
• Parmesan Garlic Roasted Potatoes
• Quinoa Salad
• Black Bean Corn and Avocado Salad

Leftovers

Let your leftovers fully cool down to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the fridge. They will last 3-4 days.

You can reheat in the microwave at 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between. You can also reheat in a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Add a splash of water or beef broth if you find the sauce is drying out.

Freezing

Make sure the pot roast has fully cooled down to room temperature before freezing. Transfer it to a large airtight container, or you can store it in smaller individually sized containers. You can also store this roast in a large sealable freezer bag. This way you can flatten out the beef and it will take up less room if you have a smaller freezer.

Let the beef thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. You can transfer it directly to the microwave from the freezer, but it will definitely make the process much easier and reheat more evenly if it has thawed out first.

Looking for more fall-apart tender recipes like this?

• Instant Pot Beef Brisket
• The Best Crock Pot Roast
• Beef Bourguignon
• Beef Ragu
• Instant Pot BBQ Pulled Pork
• Instant Pot BBQ Pork Ribs
• Pork Carnitas