Home All Recipes Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast {Clean Recipe – No Packets, No MSG}
By Jess Smith
4.48
Published Oct 14, 2019•Updated Mar 07, 2024
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Mississippi Roast is a slow cooker pot roast that found its way to Pinterest fame in recent years. This is a clean version of the classic recipe that uses no packets, no processed ingredients, no MSG. It takes just 20 minutes to assemble and then cooks all day for a savory, delicious meal that will quickly become a family favorite.
Somehow I missed the early boat on this amazing recipe that has been quietly and slowly gaining momentum on Pinterest. It took a tip from my friend Susie (hi Susie!) and a quick google search to make me curious enough to put a batch in the slow cooker that same night. What sounded strange at first just started to make sense – pot roast seasoned with savory flavors from gravy mix, herb flavors from Ranch seasoning, and plenty of vinegar kick to balance the richness of the dish from (surprisingly!) pepperoncini peppers.
Charmingly, the original recipe for Mississippi Roast was created by woman named Robin Chapman from (of course) Mississippi and found its way to the internet by way of a church recipe book. (Read the whole story here.)
The Pinterest folks are right – this really is the most delicious slow cooker pot roast that I’ve ever had. But the original version is made using packets of processed ingredients. Read on to see how I recreated this dish using cleaner, unprocessed ingredients – it’s just as delicious as the original.
How To Make a Cleaner, Healthier Version of Mississippi Roast
Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast is such a hit at our house that we could probably serve it every week with few complaints. The only problem? The original recipe uses a packet of au jus gravy mix and a packet of ranch seasoning mix. And what comes with those store-bought packets? A bunch of preservatives and MSG.
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Now don’t get me wrong – I have no issue with those packets. (And no issue with MSG for that matter. I lived in Thailand for years and probably ate my weight in tasty, salty MSG.) But I knew I could get the same delicious result from a Mississippi Roast without all that. Here’s what I did:
- Seared the roast and chopped onions in a pan to give it the rich, savory flavor that comes from au jus mix.
- Added flour to the onions / pan drippings to make fresh gravy (instead of the thickeners in the au jus mix).
- Added a blend of dried herbs to give the dish the herb flavor that comes from Ranch Seasoning.
In addition to the blend of dried herbs used in the recipe below, I also tested the recipe with my Homemade Ranch Seasoning(a good approximation of store-bought Ranch Seasoning). I found the result to be very similar. Dried buttermilk (from the homemade Ranch Seasoning) offers a bit of tangy flavor, but Mississippi Roast gets so much tart and tangy flavor from the jarred pepperoncini that the buttermilk is barely detectable in the finished dish.
Ingredients for a Clean Version of Mississippi Roast
- Beef Chuck Roast (boneless) – Look for a 3 to 4 pound roast for this recipe. See below for a few other substitutes.
- Unsalted Butter – It’s a good idea to use unsalted butter to avoid over-salting the dish. You can always add some more salt at the end of cooking (but you can’t remove salt if you overdo it).
- Onion – Finely chop an onion and saute it in the pan drippings from searing the meat. The onions will practically melt into the dish as it cooks and will give the meat a rich, savory flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour – After cooking the beef and onions, adding a little bit of flour to the pan will create a paste that thickens the liquid from the meat as it cooks, creating a rich, natural gravy. You can absolutely skip this step if you want to make this a gluten-free, keto, or paleo-friendly recipe. See below for more details.
- Pepperoncini and pickling liquid – I thought this was the most surprising ingredient in Mississippi Roast, but the tart vinegar flavors really do complement the savory flavors of the meat. The liquid from the jar will be used to deglaze the pan where you sear the meat and a few chopped pepperoncini will be added to the mix. Look for mild or spicy pepperoncini depending on your spice preference, and feel free to add even more pepperoncini if you know you like that tangy, pepper flavor.
- Ranch Herb Blend – Mississippi Roast gets a nice herb flavor from Ranch Seasoning. To keep this version clean, skip the store-bought packet and make this Homemade Ranch Seasoning or get a very close approximation by combining 1 ½ tsp each of Dried Parsley, Garlic Powder, Dried Chives, and Dried Dill Weed. (You can use the fresh version of any of those herbs too – just be sure to finely chop them first.
Substitute for Beef Chuck Roast
Boneless beef chuck roast should be fairly easy to find at grocery stores but chuck shoulder, bottom round roast, rump roast, top round, or anything just labeled as “pot roast” could also be used.
Freeze This Meal
To Freeze: If you want to freeze this meal, follow the recipe as written, but let all ingredients cool completely (out of the skillet) and combine them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 6 months.
To Reheat: Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. Transfer all ingredients to the bowl of a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, until the roast can be easily shredded with a fork. Shred meat on a cutting board. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with cooking liquid.
Be sure to print the recipe below for a label you can attach to the top of the meal. That way the instructions are right at your fingertips!
Printable Freezer Label
Print and attach the label below so cooking instructions are ready when you are!
Print Freezer Label
Low Carb, Gluten-free, Keto, Paleo-Friendly Mississippi Roast
Because this recipe uses unprocessed ingredients, it can easily be adapted to be low carb, gluten-free, keto-friendly, or paleo-friendly. The only issue is the all-purpose flour used to thicken the cooking liquid and make a gravy. The flour is used in such a small quantity that you can absolutely skip the flour completely. You will still get a nice, flavorful cooking liquid, but it won’t be quite as thick as with the flour. You can also substitute a compliant flour like a gluten-free blend or almond flour.
More Favorite Slow Cooker Recipes
Slow-Cooker Mango Sriracha Pulled Chicken
Slow Cooker Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken and Biscuits
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4.48 from 36 votes
Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast
This is a clean version of the classic Slow Cooker Mississippi Roast recipe with no packets, no processed ingredients, no MSG. It takes just 20 minutes to assemble in the slow cooker and then cooks all day for a savory, delicious meal that will quickly become a family favorite. Serve it over mashed potatoes with green beans or a green salad on the side.
This recipe should be made in a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker.
Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 10 hours hrs
Total: 8 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
Servings: 6
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Equipment
4-quart or 6-quart Slow Cooker
Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Cooking Oil (I prefer to use avocado oil or grape seed oil for high-heat cooking and searing)
- 3-4 pounds Boneless Beef Chuck Roast
- 1 teaspoon Salt (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Chopped Yellow Onion
- 3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Liquid from a Jar of Pepperoncini
- 4 Pepperoncini, sliced
Ranch Herb Blend
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Dried Parsley
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
- 2 teaspoons Dried Chives
- 2 teaspoons Dried Dill Weed
Instructions
Heat a skillet with oil over medium-high heat.
While skillet is heating, season meat on both sides with salt and black pepper.
Add beef to heated skillet and sear on both sides until deep golden brown and lightly crusted, about 5 minutes per side.
Transfer meat to the bowl of a slow cooker (leave the skillet over heat).
Reduce heat in the skillet to medium and add butter. Stir until butter is melted.
Add onions to butter and cook, stirring constantly, until onions are soft and golden brown, about 4 minutes.
Add flour and stir until no dry spots of flour remain, about 1 minute.
Add 3 Tbsp of liquid from a jar of pepperoncini to the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan (these will add extra flavor to the roast).
Scrape onions into the bowl of the slow cooker.
Add sliced pepperoncini and the ingredients for the Ranch Herb Blend.
Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, until roast can be easily shredded with a fork.
Transfer to a cutting board and shred.
Place shredded meat in a serving bowl and drizzle cooking liquids from the slow cooker over top.
Notes
The recipe for Ranch Seasoning provided above is a simplified version of this Homemade Ranch Seasoning. Because this Mississippi Roast includes the vinegar flavor from pepperoncini and the savory flavor from sautéed onions, a simplified version of Ranch Seasoning is perfectly fine here. If you’d like, you can make a large batch of the Homemade Ranch Seasoning and use 3 Tablespoons of it in this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 608mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1135IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $14.50
Calories: 413
Keyword: beef, beef recipe, easy dinner, family friendly, freezer friendly, slow cooker recipe, slow-cooker
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All Recipes, American, Beef, Family-Friendly, Freezer-Friendly, Main Dishes, Slow Cooker
About Jess Smith
Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.
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