Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

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Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast takes the easy, zesty, favorite Southern comfort food pot roast and makes it easier and faster in the Instant Pot.

What Is Mississippi Pot Roast?

If you have tried my Crock Pot Chuck Roast, you are going to love this zesty Southern version of a Post Roast for two reasons. The first is flavor! Mississippi Pot Roast adds pepperoncini peppers and a little of its juices to add zesty flavor, as well as using ranch seasoning mix and an au jus or brown gravy mix to give it even more flavor. Lastly, a half a stick of butter is used to give it a buttery flavor. Mississippi Pot Roast is a super popular recipe in the South.

Don’t worry, it is not spicy, just super flavorful with an added tangy flavor.

Another reason people love Mississippi Pot Roast is because it is so easy to make. The traditional Recipe includes only 5 ingredients: chuck roast, beef broth, pepperoncini peppers, ranch seasoning mix, and an au jus or brown gravy mix. That is it.

Traditionally, it is cooked in either the oven or in a slow cooker or Crock Pot and then served over mashed potatoes or for a low carb variation served over mashed cauliflower. I also like it served with carrots and roasted potatoes as well.

How Is Mississippi Pot Roast Different Than Other Pot Roasts?

Regular pot roasts don’t have the extra flavor boost from the pepperoncini peppers, ranch seasoning mix, and au jus or brown gravy mix. Traditional pot roasts may use red wine or onion and garlic for the flavors. The Mississippi Pot Roast has a unique yet extremely delicious flavor profile.

Why Use An Instant Pot To Make Pot Roast?

The Instant Pot infuses the flavors of a pot roast to make it taste like it cooked all day in the slow cooker, yet it cooks in a fraction of the time. So instead of cooking for 8 hours in a slow cooker, it will cook in a little over an hour in the Instant Pot. As you will see from all my Instant Pot Recipes, I use my Instant Pot a lot.

Another reason that I love using an Instant Pot to make this recipe is that I can brown the roast in the Instant Pot instead of browning in a skillet and having to transfer it to a crock pot. That makes for 1 less pan to wash, and keeps all the flavor and juices in the same pot that that the roast will cook in.

What Makes This Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe Work?

• Flavor. In addition to the traditional use of peperonicini peppers, ranch seasoning mix, and aus jus or brown gravy mix, I add onions, garlic, Worcestershire and a touch of cayenne pepper to amp up the flavor even more. Furthermore, I brown the  chuck roast in the Instant Pot before pressure cooking to add even more flavor.
• Recipe Tips. With this recipe, I include tips to add more flavor and how to make the recipe less salty, and how to prevent getting the dreaded “Burn” message.
• Step By Step Instructions and Photos. With this recipe, I include not only step by step instructions but step by step photos as well so you can see how ingredients look as they go through the preparation and cooking process.
• Frequently Asked Questions.  I include answers to common questions like can one freeze this recipe. Be sure to check those out because you may get your questions answered before you even have to ask.

What Do I Need To Make Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast?

Below is a discussion of ingredients that are needed for this recipe, my recommendations on the type or version of each, and any substitutions that can be used. For the full ingredient list, with all the amounts specified for each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article to the printable recipe card.

• Chuck Roast. You are going to need a good quality, beef chuck roast with lots of marbling. The marbling is all the white lines going through the beef. It is important that the beef have that marbling because that is what adds flavor and makes it tender. I used a roast that was just under 3 lbs for this recipe. It required that I cut it into 4 chunks so that it would fit into the Instant Pot.
• Onions and Garlic. While onions and garlic and not included in the traditional Mississippi Pot Roast recipe, I like to add it because it love the flavor of both ingredients. It is your choice whether or not to add them.
• Beef Broth. Beef broth adds both flavor and the liquid necessary to pressure cook. I recommend using a lower sodium version. If you don’t have beef broth, you can use water or chicken broth instead. Another option is to add water with a bouillon cube. Whichever liquid you choose is fine, but the recipe is required to have liquid to cook.
• Pepperoncini. These Pepperoncini Peppers are truly what differentiates Mississippi Pot Roast from all other pot roasts.  You can find jarred Pepperoncini peppers at your grocery store, either sliced or whole. Either way will work. In addition to the peppers, I add a little of the juice from the jar to add additional flavor to the roast and the gravy. Don’t worry, these peppers are not spicy, only a little salty and tangy.
• Worcestershire Sauce. This is unique to my recipe to add even more flavor. I love the complex flavor that it adds. It goes so well with beef and gives the pot roast and gravy an extra depth of flavor.
• Ranch Seasoning Mix and Au Jus or Brown Gravy Mix. I used one packet of Ranch seasoning mix and one packet of brown gravy mix to add the extra flavor boost and uniqueness to this pot roast recipe. If your store has low sodium versions of these items, I recommend using those as this dish can get salty. You can always add salt later but you can’t take it away.
• Cayenne (Optional). I love to add a little more flavor and a little heat with a dash of Cayenne pepper. This is optional as this can make it spicy. How spicy it is depends on how much cayenne you use. I add only 1/2 a teaspoon for a little heat. If you like it spicier, add more. If you don’t want it spicy at all, then leave it out.
• Butter. I use half a stick (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons) of real butter to give the roast that extra buttery flavor.
• Oil. You will need a tablespoon or two to brown the roast and sauté the onions and garlic.

How To Make Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

• Brown The Roast. Add the Inner Liner Pot into the Instant Pot, plug in the Instant Pot, and press the SAUTE button. Select More for higher heat. Wait until the Instant Pot display shows “Hot” and then add a tablespoon or two of oil. When the oil is hot and shimmers, add the chunks of chuck roast in one layer (don’t stack them) on the bottom of the Inner Liner pot. Leave them alone for about 5 minutes. Then turn each piece and brown on the other side for another 5 minutes. Then remove from the Instant Pot and place on a plate and cover with foil.
• Sauté The Onions and Garlic. Add sliced onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes in the oil. Then add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Press CANCEL to stop the SAUTE function.
• Deglaze. Pour in the beef broth and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot. This prevents the food from scorching and helps to prevent getting the dreaded “Burn” message from the Instant Pot. In addition by scraping the bits from the bottom of the pot, it adds more flavor to the liquid.
• Add Pepperoncini Juice and Worcestershire. Pour in the juice from the jar of Pepperoncini Peppers and also add the Worcestershire sauce. Both of these add flavor and additional liquid.

• Add Beef Back. Add the browned beef back into the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot.
• Add Ranch Seasoning. Empty the packet of ranch seasoning mix over the beef.
• Add Au Jus or Brown Gravy Mix. Empty the packet of au jus or brown gravy mix over the beef.
• Add Cayenne (Optional). If desired, add a few dashes of cayenne pepper if you like to add a little spicy heat.
• Add Pepperoncini. Add 8 or 9 pepperoncini peppers.
• Add Butter. Then add a 1/2 a stick of butter, which is 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons.
• PRESSURE COOK 60 Minutes HIGH PRESSURE. Close the lid on the Instant Pot, and move the pressure release valve to the SEALING position. Press PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL (depending on model) and select HIGH PRESSURE. Adjust the + or – buttons to set it to 60 minutes. NOTE: It will take several minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure. During this time, the Instant Pot will display “On” to let you know it is on and is coming up to pressure. When it has come up to pressure, it will beep and the display will start counting down the time starting from 60.
• NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE. After it has finished pressure cooking for 60 minutes, it will beep 10 times and the display will start to count from 0 and go up. This is the NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE. Do NOTHING during this time. Let the pressure release slowly. This may take 30 minutes or more.
• Remove Pot Roast and Onions. After the the Instant Pot has finished pressure cooking AND released all the pressure naturally and the pin has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Remove the pot roast and onions and place on a serving platter. Shred the roast, if desired.  LEAVE THE LIQUID in the Instant Pot.

How To Make Gravy In An Instant Pot

• Make the Cornstarch Slurry. When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, there will be a lot of liquid remaining. To thicken the liquid and turn it into a brown gravy, make a cornstarch slurry to add to it. To make the cornstarch slurry, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and the water turns white. Then pour the cornstarch slurry into the liquid in the Instant Pot.
• SAUTE. Press the SAUTE button and stir the liquid with the cornstarch slurry until it thickens. This should take about 3 minutes but could take a little longer.
• Serve.  Pour the brown gravy over the Mississippi Pot Roast on the platter and serve.

Recipe Tips For Perfect Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

1. Use Good Quality Beef. Use a good chuck roast that has lots of marbling.
2. Brown The Beef First. I know people love their dump and go recipes, but you can add so much flavor to the recipe by taking an extra few minutes to brown both sides of the beef before you start pressure cooking. After you taste it, you will thank me for adding this step.
3. Use Low Sodium or Homemade Ingredients. This recipe can get salty because several ingredients, including the beef broth, pepperoncini peppers and juice, and seasoning packets already have salt added. Therefore, I recommend using the low sodium versions of these ingredients. To reduce the salt even more, you can make homemade versions of the ranch seasoning and au jus mix. Remember, you can always add salt later, but you can never take it away once it is added.
4. Use Natural Release and not Quick Release. This is very important. Be patient and allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. The roast will still be cooking during this time. If you do a quick release, your pot roast could be tough and may not be completely cooked.
5. Make Gravy with the leftover liquid. Obviously, the gravy is optional, but it is so flavorful when made with the liquid left over from cooking the roast. In my opinion, don’t skip the gravy.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to brown the roast first?
  • No, but it adds a lot of additional flavor if you do take the time to brown the roast first.
• Can I Freeze Mississippi Pot Roast?
  • Yes. Place the leftover roast in a freezer safe container and freeze up to 3 months.
• How Do I Store Leftovers?
  • Store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
• How Do I Reheat Leftover Pot Roast?
  • You can reheat individual servings in the microwave or place the roast in a Dutch Oven and heat on top of the stove.
• How Do I Make It Less Salty?
  • As mentioned previously, use the reduced sodium versions of the beef broth, ranch seasoning mix, and brown gravy mix.
• Is Mississippi Pot Roast Spicy?
  • Without the cayenne pepper, it is not spicy, only salty and tangy. With the cayenne, it will be a little spicy. How spicy it is will depend on how much cayenne pepper you add.
• Is Mississippi Pot Roast low carb?
  • Pot roast is naturally low carb. To serve it low carb style, serve it over mashed cauliflower.

Looking for more cozy Instant Pot dinners? Check out this full roundup of Southern & Tex-Mex Instant Pot recipes.

More Recipes You May Like

• Crock Pot Chuck Roast
• Juicy Pot Roast with Italian And Ranch Dressing
• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Chicken And Dumplings
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

Recipe

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

By Michele @ Flavor Mosaic

5 from 6 votes

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast takes the easy, zesty, favorite Southern comfort food pot roast one pot meal and makes it easier and faster in the Instant Pot.

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Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Pressurization 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 391

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• 6-Quart Instant Pot Duo60 from Amazon.com (affiliate link)

Ingredients

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

• ▢ 3 lb chuck roast (trimmed of excess fat & cut into large chunks)
• ▢ 1 onion, sliced (thick slices)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon minced garlic)
• ▢ 1/2 cup beef broth (low sodium recommended)
• ▢ 1/4 cup juice from jar of pepperoncini peppers
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire (low sodium version recommended)
• ▢ 1 packet dry ranch seasoning mix (low sodium version recommended)
• ▢ 1 packet dry au jus or brown gravy mix (low sodium version recommended)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• ▢ 9 pepperoncini peppers
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 cup or 1/2 stick)

Cornstarch Slurry For Instant Pot Gravy

• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water

Instructions 

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

• Brown The Roast. Add the Inner Liner Pot into the Instant Pot, plug in the Instant Pot, and press the SAUTE button. Select More for higher heat. Wait until the Instant Pot display shows "Hot" and then add a tablespoon or two of oil. When the oil is hot and shimmers, add the chunks of chuck roast in one layer (don't stack them) on the bottom of the Inner Liner pot. Leave them alone for about 5 minutes. Then turn each piece and brown on the other side for another 5 minutes. Then remove from the Instant Pot and place on a plate and cover with foil.
• Sauté The Onions and Garlic. Add sliced onions and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes in the oil. Then add the minced garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Press CANCEL to stop the SAUTE function.
• Deglaze. Pour in the beef broth and, using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot. This prevents the food from scorching and helps to prevent getting the dreaded "Burn" message from the Instant Pot. In addition by scraping the bits from the bottom of the pot, it adds more flavor to the liquid.
• Add Pepperoncini Juice and Worcestershire. Pour in the juice from the jar of Pepperoncini Peppers and also add the Worcestershire sauce. Both of these add flavor and additional liquid.
• Add Beef Back. Add the browned beef back into the inner liner pot of the Instant Pot. 
• Add Ranch Seasoning. Empty the packet of ranch seasoning mix over the beef.
• Add Au Jus or Brown Gravy Mix. Empty the packet of au jus or brown gravy mix over the beef. 
• Add Cayenne (Optional). If desired, add a few dashes of cayenne pepper if you like to add a little spicy heat.
• Add Pepperoncini. Add 8 or 9 pepperoncini peppers.
• Add Butter. Then add a 1/2 a stick of butter, which is 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons.
• PRESSURE COOK 60 Minutes HIGH PRESSURE. Close the lid on the Instant Pot, and move the pressure release valve to the SEALING position. Press PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL (depending on model) and select HIGH PRESSURE. Adjust the + or - buttons to set it to 60 minutes. NOTE: It will take several minutes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure. During this time, the Instant Pot will display "On" to let you know it is on and is coming up to pressure. When it has come up to pressure, it will beep and the display will start counting down the time starting from 60.
• NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE. After it has finished pressure cooking for 60 minutes, it will beep 10 times and the display will start to count from 0 and go up. This is the NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE. Do NOTHING during this time. Let the pressure release slowly. This may take 30 minutes or more.
• Remove Pot Roast and Onions. After the the Instant Pot has finished pressure cooking AND released all the pressure naturally and the pin has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Remove the pot roast and onions and place on a serving platter. Shred the roast, if desired.  LEAVE THE LIQUID in the Instant Pot.How To Make Gravy In An Instant Pot

Cornstarch Slurry For Instant Pot Gravy

• Make the Cornstarch Slurry. When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, there will be a lot of liquid remaining. To thicken the liquid and turn it into a brown gravy, make a cornstarch slurry to add to it. To make the cornstarch slurry, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved and the water turns white. Then pour the cornstarch slurry into the liquid in the Instant Pot.
• SAUTE. Press the SAUTE button and stir the liquid with the cornstarch slurry until it thickens. This should take about 3 minutes but could take a little longer. Pour the brown gravy over the Mississippi Pot Roast on the platter and serve.

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Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 668mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4mg

Michele Feuerborn

Hi, I’m Michele Feuerborn, a home cook with 25+ years experience, and former AllRecipes Allstar, creating bold & easy Southern, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Instant Pot recipes. Featured in publications like Parade and BuzzFeed. Read More…