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Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

November 6, 2019 by Quynh 27 Comments

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This flavorful Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast is a great low-carb dinner that will melt in your mouth! New to the Instant Pot? This is the perfect EASY, first recipe to make in it!

When you think of food from Mississippi, a Mississippi Mud Pie is likely the first thing to come to mind. Mississippi is also home to a famous pot roast that is genuinely one of a kind. While variations of this recipe have been found across the South, the real origin of this recipe dates back to Mississippi. The source of this delicious recipe comes from Robin Chapman from Ripley, Mississippi who had adapted a recipe that was given to her back in the late 1990s. 

Robin Chapman was trying to make her aunt’s pot roast recipe a little less spicy for her children, and ended up developing a whole new pot roast recipe! Her family ended up loving this recipe, and so Robin Chapman shared it with her friends, and well, the rest is history!

Not just for weekends anymore, you can make this deliciously flavored and melt-in-your-mouth Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast in a fraction of the time of traditional cooking methods.

Mississippi Pot Roast made in the instant pot

Gone are the days of waiting 6 or more hours for a tasty pot roast meal made in your slow cooker, oven or even your stovetop. Pot roast is definitely not a wait until the last minute type of meal. I don't know about you, but I can barely get out the door on a busy morning, so prepping a pot roast for a home-cooked meal is just not on my A.M. to-do list, even on a weekend.

Good news! No need to prep when you own an Instant Pot. And if truth be told, I prefer this Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast over the other traditional methods of preparation. Your pressure cooker will tenderize this meal to succulent perfection as well as infuse the awesome flavors right into the meat. The best part is it only takes about 1.5 hours from start to finish. Plus, it's a great recipe for Instant Pot beginners. Win-win!

If you have leftovers, they're perfect for using as another meal later in the week, or even freezing. Intentional leftovers are my number one secret to weekly meal planning. Make it once, eat it twice!

WHAT IS MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST?

Before you think about making this delicious Mississippi pot roast, you may be asking what it is? A Mississippi roast is typically made using a slow cooking method in either a crockpot or a slow cooker. However, you can use your Instant Pot to speed up this recipe! To make this recipe, you cook your chuck roast in under a little bit of butter, ranch dressing mix, au jus mix, and pepperoncini.

What you get is a roast that is fork-tender and doesn’t require much prep work! I’m not sure if it’s the butter or the combination of the au jus gravy and ranch dressing mixed together but the gravy from the pot roast is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted before! I love eating my Mississippi pot roast with mashed potatoes and the gravy from this pot roast.

IS MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST SPICY?

Not at all! The pepperoncini peppers give this recipe is a tangy taste to balance out the fatty meat but it's not spicy. If you're worried, just add less peppers but definitely don't skip the juice.

INGREDIENTS FOR INSTANT POT MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST

  • Chuck Roast - 3-4 pounds
  • Oil - vegetable oil, canola, sunflower are all fine
  • Pepper (ground) - seasoning that gives it some a little heat
  • Onion (diced) - for flavoring that's infused with the broth
  • Beef Broth - for flavoring the meat
  • Butter - use unsalted
  • Ranch Dressing Mix - for flavoring
  • Au Jus Gravy Mix - for flavoring
  • Pepperoncini Peppers (and juice) - integral to the recipe - don't skip!

WHAT KIND OF MEAT SHOULD I USE? 

Chuck roast is a popular choice for pot roasts since it’s so affordable and easily found in most grocery stores. It’s a lean meat with lots of connective tissue and very little fat. You’ll want to look for a chuck roast that has lots of marbling throughout. When this cut of meat is braised for a long period of time, the high amount of collagen breaks down and tenderizes the meat. This makes the meat super juicy, tender and delicious!

Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Try Instant Pot Beef Stew or Instant Pot Butter Chicken

WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR AU JUS GRAVY MIX?

Make your own Au Jus Gravy Mix:

  • 4 tablespoon beef bullion granules (or 12 cubes)
  • 4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 tablespoon cornstarch

Put it all in a food processor or blender until the mix is a fine powder. Use 1 and ½ tablespoon for this recipe and store the rest.

WHAT CAN I SUBSTITUTE FOR PEPPERONCINI PEPPERS?

If you can't find pepperoncini peppers at your local store, you can substitute them with any type of pickled peppers. Banana peppers are a great alternative.

If you can’t find pickled peppers, 2-3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or pickle juice might work.

HOW TO MAKE MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST IN THE INSTANT POT

(Detailed instructions are down below in the recipe card. This is an overview.)

steps to make Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Prep the chuck roast. Add ground pepper to each side of your chuck roast. Sear it in your pre-heated and oiled Instant Pot; about 3 minutes for each side until golden brown. Remove from the Instant Pot and set aside.

Sauté And Deglaze. Add and sauté the chopped onion until tender. Deglaze the Instant Pot by adding the beef broth and scraping the bottom of the pot to get up all the brown bits of beef and onion.

Layer In The Ingredients. Add the chuck roast back in, followed by the ranch dressing mix, au jus gravy mix, butter, and pepperoncini peppers and its juice.

Close, Seal And Cook. Place the lid on, seal, and pressure cook on high for 60-70 minutes. When done, let the pressure naturally release until the pin drops down and the lid can be opened.

HOW DO I THICKEN THE GRAVY?

  1. Once the roast has finished cooking and you've removed it from the Instant Pot, turn the sauté function on. The liquid should start to simmer.
  2. Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and an equal amount of cold liquid in a small bowl. Stir until a smooth paste forms and then add this mixture into the Instant Pot and simmering liquid.
  3. Stir well until thickened. Use more cornstarch if needed by using a 1 to 1 ratio of cornstarch and water. Turn the Instant Pot off and serve gravy over the shredded beef and over mashed potatoes or rice.
Plate of Mississippi Pot Roast

CAN I MAKE THIS WITH A FROZEN ROAST?

Yes, but you will skip the searing step since you can't sear/brown frozen meat. For a frozen roast, you'll need to add 10 minutes to the cooking time, as well.

I DON'T HAVE AN INSTANT POT. CAN I STILL MAKE MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST?

Yes, of course! See below for slow cooker and oven methods.

HOW TO MAKE MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST IN A SLOW COOKER

Using the same ingredients, sear the pot roast on the stove top in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker. Follow the directions for layering all the ingredients, cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-10 hours.

HOW TO MAKE MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST IN THE OVEN

Using the same ingredients, sear the pot roast on the stove top in a skillet before adding it to a deep, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven or deep baking pan. Cover tightly with the oven-safe lid of the Dutch oven, or foil, if using a baking pan. Bake at 300°F for about 1 hour per pound, or until the beef shreds easily with a fork

WHAT TO SERVE WITH INSTANT POT MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST

Any comfort food vegetable will be an awesome accompaniment to this beef meal. You'll want one of them to be a veggie that will be the perfect vehicle for the gravy and juices, too!

  • Mashed Potatoes
  • Baked Potato
  • Rice
  • Egg Noodles,
  • Riced Cauliflower
  • Roasted Vegetables (such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, bussels sprouts)
  • Green Beans
  • Peas
  • Bread, rolls or cornbread
  • or make them into Mississippi pot roast sliders.

If you are looking for something Keto-friendly, you could do mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST INSTANT POT MISSISSIPPI POT ROAST

  • Look for a chuck roast that is well marbled.
  • Searing the meat helps it stay juicy and tender. While this step isn't necessary, it only takes a few minutes, so I usually make sure and do it.
  • Beware of hidden salt. The ranch and au jus packets already contain sodium, so use unsalted butter and low sodium beef broth. Add salt at the end if you find you need to.
  • Make sure you actually deglaze by scraping the bits and pieces off the bottom of the Instant Pot when you pour in the beef broth. This will avoid the “burn” error message!
  • Here's how to calculate how long to cook the roast, based on its size: 60 minutes for 3 pounds of chuck roast. Add an extra 10 minutes of cook time for every pound. (3 lbs = 60 minutes, 4 lbs = 70 minutes). The thickness of the roast matters, too. This recipe is for a roast that is around 1-½ to 2 inch thick. If yours is thicker, round the cooking time up and add an extra 10 minutes.
  • For the most tender meat, let the Instant Pot naturally release once it’s done cooking.

HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVERS?

Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Cool completely before tightly sealing beef and any gravy/juices and adding to the fridge.

You can also freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months. Cool completely before tightly sealing beef and any gravy/juices and storing in the freezer.

LEFTOVER SERVING IDEAS

I love re-running the meal just like we ate it the first time, but sometimes it's fun to change things up. Here are some delicious ways to use your leftover pot roast and any gravy.

  • The shredded beef is perfect tacos, burritos or even quesadillas.
  • Make it into a Philly cheesesteak with cheese, caramelized onions and peppers.
  • Make a roast beef sandwich and dip it in the leftover gravy or make an open-faced roast beef sandwich with gravy over the top.
  • Turn it into beef stroganoff and serve it over noodles.

Easy prep with easy steps will earn this Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast a place in your regular meal planning. Simple, yet incredibly tender, this beef recipe will quickly become a family favorite.

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast, mississippi pot roast
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 398kcal
This flavorful Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast is a great low carb dinner that will melt in your mouth! This is the perfect EASY, first recipe to make in your Instant Pot!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Instant Pot, 6 quart or 8 quart

Ingredients

  • 3-4 pound Chuck Roast
  • ½ tablespoon Oil
  • ½ tablespoon Pepper
  • 1 large Onion (Diced)
  • 1 cup Beef Broth
  • 4 tablespoon Butter
  • 1 packet Ranch Dressing Mix (approximately 1 ½ tablespoon)
  • 1 packet Au Jus Gravy Mix (approximately 1 ½ tablespoon)
  • 5-6 Pepperoncini Peppers and ¼ cup of it's juice

Instructions

  • Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to "sauté" mode (30 minutes should give you enough time to brown the meat and cook the onions). Put the oil into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Next, add pepper to each side of the chuck roast. When the instant pot reads "hot" on the display screen, place the chuck roast into the inner pot. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes until golden brown. (Skip this step if you prefer not to brown your meat. But be sure to add 2-3 extra minutes to the pressure cook time.)
  • Remove the roast from the Instant Pot. Add onion; cook and stir about 2 minutes, or until onion is tender. Next, add in beef broth and deglaze by scraping the bottom of the pot. Then, layer the ingredients in by adding the chuck roast; followed by ranch dressing mix powder, au jus gravy mix, butter, and pepperoncini pepper and its juice.
  • Place the lid on and make sure the knob is set to "sealing". Press "manual" (older model) or "pressure cook" (newer model) and set it to cook on High Pressure for 60-70 minutes. (60 minutes for 3 pounds of chuck roast. Add an extra 10 minutes of cook time for every pound. For example, 3 lbs = 60 minutes, 4 lbs = 70 minutes). Once it is done cooking, let the pressure naturally release until the pin drops down and the lid can be opened.

Notes

Tips for making the best Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast:     

  • Look for a chuck roast that is well marbled
  • It’s easy to over-salt this dish since the ranch packet and au jus packet already contain sodium. Use unsalted butter and low sodium beef broth. You can always add more salt at the end, if needed.
  • Sear the meat on all sides to ensure it stays juicy and tender. This step isn’t necessary if you’re short on time. It’ll still be very flavorful using the “dump and start” method. If you're doing the dump and start method, be sure to add a few minutes to the pressure cook time.
  • When deglazing the pot, make sure you scrape off all the bits stuck to the bottom. This will avoid the “burn” error message.
  • 60 minutes for 3 pounds of chuck roast. Add an extra 10 minutes of cook time for every pound. (3 lbs = 60 minutes, 4 lbs = 70 minutes)
  • Let the Instant Pot naturally release once it’s done cooking. This will make the meat more tender.
  • Thicken up the gravy: Make a cornstarch slurry by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and an equal amount of cold liquid in a small bowl. Stir until a smooth paste forms and then add this mixture into the Mississippi Pot Roast. Use more cornstarch if needed by using a 1 to 1 ratio of cornstarch and water.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal

Have you made this recipe? Rate it below and tell me what you think.

Instant Pot Hot Crab Dip »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alicia

    June 30, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made Mississippi Pot Roast before but never used this recipe. So glad I did! Made it exactly as directed and it turned out to be the best pot roast I’ve ever made! Roasted some carrots and potato chunks on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or so and try is was the perfect dinner! So easy with minimal hands-on time. I was even able to make a Costco run while dinner cooked itself lol!

    Reply
  2. Carrie-Ann

    March 07, 2022 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    My husband and adult kids love this dinner. This is the only way I cook a roast now!!

    Reply
  3. Pat

    February 21, 2022 at 8:10 pm

    5 stars
    Turned out great. My roast was frozen so I cooked it 85 mins. Also, I used mild peppers and it was delish!

    Reply
  4. Kim

    January 02, 2022 at 4:57 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve made this multiple times in a crock pot and instapot and it is always perfect! I add potatoes and sliced mushrooms to mine and if I have carrots I add some as well. Best roast recipe ever!

    Reply
  5. NCA

    November 08, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Made it as stated in the recipe and we loved it. Would not change a thing.thx for posting how to make your own Au Jus because my husband went to 3 stores and could not find a package of it. SOOO YUMMY‼️

    Reply
  6. Mary Ellen

    August 22, 2020 at 10:39 pm

    5 stars
    I made this but used pork pot roast oh my was it delicious! I added carrots as well.

    Reply
  7. Treon Beavers

    July 11, 2020 at 7:07 am

    5 stars
    We had this at a family members house on Father's day and my son loved it so much he wants me to make one. I unfortunately do not have an insta-pot. Is it possible to make it slow roasted in the oven and if so would I need adjustments to the recipe?

    Reply
    • Quynh

      July 11, 2020 at 4:14 pm

      Yes, you can definitely make it in the oven but you'll want to cook it slowly so that it doesn't dry out. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 300°F for about 1 hour per pound, or until easily shredded with a fork. Enjoy! Let me know if the oven method works for you.

      Reply
      • Careen Porter

        August 16, 2020 at 9:39 pm

        I've done very same recipe without the browning in a crockpot...delish

        Reply
  8. Krisala Frazier

    May 18, 2020 at 11:01 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness!! Followed the recipe exactly and this was the best roast I have ever made!! I can’t wait for another rainy day to whip up another one! Thank you for the fabulous recipe!!

    Reply
  9. Debra Luis

    May 10, 2020 at 3:54 pm

    I added carrots and small potatoes. Hoping for a good outcome 😊

    Reply
  10. Quynh

    April 23, 2020 at 7:57 pm

    Hi! The chuck roast that I used for this recipe is usually about 1 1/2 inch thick. If yours is about the same thickness, I would just round it up 3 pounds and do 60 minutes on high pressure. Hope this helps!

    Reply
  11. Charn Konrath

    April 19, 2020 at 10:35 am

    5 stars
    I haven't tried this yet but in the process of running to the store for the onion I forgot. I just wanted to say how I love all the detail you've put in this recipe. I'm new to Instant Pot cooking and really feel confident to bash on! Thank your for your tips to this newbie. Will let you know how it turn out.

    Reply
    • Quynh

      April 19, 2020 at 11:27 am

      Thank you! I can't wait to hear the results! The instant pot takes a bit of a learning curve at first but it's well worth it. GOOD LUCK!!!

      Reply
      • Cassandra

        September 23, 2020 at 10:17 pm

        Added a few potatoes cut pretty big so they didn’t get too soggy. They turned out amazing!!

        Reply
  12. Quynh

    April 04, 2020 at 9:45 pm

    Yes, brown gravy mix should work.

    If you would like to make your own dry au jus mix, I found this recipe online:

    4 tbsp beef bullion granules (or 12 cubes)
    4 tsp onion powder
    2 tsp parsley
    1/4 tsp garlic powder
    4 tbsp cornstarch
    Put it all in a food processor or blender until the mix is a fine powder

    Reply
    • KS

      April 25, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      If you use gravy mix instead, would you increase liquid at all?

      Reply
      • Quynh

        April 25, 2020 at 4:35 pm

        I used a 1 oz packet of dry gravy mix (about 1.5 tablespoons - reduce if you want it to be less salty) and the amount of liquid was perfect, with lots of extra gravy at the end. The roast will also let out lots of liquid too. If you're worried about the instant pot not coming to pressure correctly, the rule of thumb is that a 6 quart instant pot will need at least 1 cup of liquid and an 8 quart instant pot will need at least 1.5 cups of liquid. Hope this helps!

        Reply
  13. Lizzie Dolan

    March 25, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    Could you do this with a frozen roast, and if so what would the cooking time be?

    Reply
    • Quynh

      March 25, 2020 at 9:31 pm

      Yes, just add 10 extra minutes to the suggested cook time.

      Reply
  14. Quynh

    February 05, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    You can use any pickled pepper as a substitute for pepperoncini peppers. Banana pepper is a similar alternative.

    If you can’t find pickled peppers, 2-3 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or pickle juice might work.

    Good luck! Let me know if you try to substitute it with something else!

    Reply
  15. Suz

    January 26, 2020 at 11:42 am

    5 stars
    My family loves this-. my kids are grown and on their own...but if I make this...run in the door!

    Reply
    • Quynh

      January 26, 2020 at 12:02 pm

      Awww...that's so sweet that you're still able to enjoy family dinners with them!

      Reply
  16. Victoria

    January 19, 2020 at 2:27 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. Made broccoli mash potatoes on the stove to serve with the roast

    Reply
    • Quynh

      January 26, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Glad you like it! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Quynh

    January 05, 2020 at 8:26 pm

    Roasted veggies - that's a great way to incorporate some veggies to this dish. I'll have to try that next time!

    Reply
  18. Nazie Chung

    November 10, 2019 at 4:49 pm

    5 stars
    This is the second recipe I've made of yours (also the baked salmon recipe). Both were delicious and easy to make! Looking forward to trying more!

    Reply

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