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This Easy Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe requires just four ingredients and there’s no prep work involved beforehand. Simply add everything into the slow cooker and walk away!
The BEST Slow Cooker Pot Roast
This is our new favorite slow cooker Mississippi pot roast recipe and it’s only 3 ingredients! I cannot even believe how perfect and juicy it was!! All you need is a great cut of beef, a slow cooker, and three simple ingredients and you’ve got the best slow cooker pot roast! It’s basically a Mississippi Roast recipe, which we all know and love.
Except, making a pot roast was turning out to not be rest for me. I was trying to figure out how to make a juicy roast by searing it, marinating it, injecting it, and so on and nothing was really hitting the spot for me. So I did what any normal person would do after an extended period of failures — I gave up.
Okay, maybe everyone doesn’t give up, but I just decided that maybe a beef roast wasn’t my thing. I took up pork and it totally went well. We made carnitas, tender shredded pork and finally a juicy shredded beef. But it still didn’t taste like that classic pot roast. And the gravy wasn’t that brown gravy I wanted.
It ends up so juicy and tender you won’t even be able to lift it out of the slow cooker (we use Hamilton Beach).
And there are wonderful drippings that make the best gravy. I just serve ours with the juices, but sometimes when we serve it with our favorite mashed potatoes I’ll whisk the dripping with a little cornstarch and water and let it thicken. It’s awesome.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast Ingredients
As we mentioned earlier, this CrockPot chuck roast recipe requires just four ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make the best slow cooker pot roast recipe:
- Beef chuck roast
- Dry ranch dressing packets
- Au jus seasoning packet
- Unsalted butter
What’s the Best Roast for Pot Roast?
Want to know which cut of beef is best for a slow cooker roast or pot roast? We prefer a simple chuck roast, but remember to look for one that has good marbling. But not so much that it’s all over in big pieces of fat, because without realizing it you’re paying for all of that weight and will end up with less meat than you expected.
How to Make Slow Cooker Pot Roast
It’s truly amazing how easy this slow cooker pot roast recipe is! Here’s how you make it:
- Place the chuck roast into the slow cooker insert.
- Sprinkle the two seasoning packets on top.
- Place butter on top of the roast.
- Place the lid onto the slow cooker, then let the roast cook on low for 8 hours.
If desired, you can shred the beef after 7 ½ hours and let it cook in its juices for another 30 minutes before serving.
Do You Add Water for a Slow Cooker Roast?
One of the biggest questions we about chuck roast CrockPot recipe is why we don’t add any water to the roast. Maybe I’m wrong, but I feel like a lot of older CrockPot recipes wanted water added to a roast recipe, which is completely unnecessary. If you’re cooking a roast and looking for moist, fall apart meat, then adding water is just going to boil the meat, and no one wants boiled meat.
Can I Freeze Pot Roast?
Yes, this slow cooker pot roast freezes very well. Once it’s cooled completely, shred the pot roast and pack it into freezer bags. Spoon some of the juices into the bags as well. If desired, you can freeze the juices in freezer bags and use them to make gravy in the future.
Tips for Making the Best Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Many have been told to first heat up a skillet and brown the meat on each side in order to seal in the juices. That’s completely false. Browning meat is to give that color and caramelized flavor to the meat, but unless you’re braising it’s really going to disappear a bit in a slow cooker, so I don’t see any need to brown a roast.
The real secret to a roast is to cook it low and slow. In an oven, you’re looking for 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit, and on a slow cooker you want to use the low setting. We never cook a chuck roast or even a pork butt for anything other than low temperature for 8 hours. I promise, it will fall apart.
You technically can cook this easy slow cooker pot roast for 4 hours on high if you’re short on time, but your roast won’t be anywhere near as fall apart tender as it’d be if you let it cook on low for the full 8 hours.
More Slow Cooker Recipes:
- Asian Sticky Slow Cooker Ribs
- Chili Sauce and Grape Jelly Slow Cooker Meatballs
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Slow Cooker Korean BBQ Beef
- Slow Cooker Ham
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Beef Chuck Roast with good marbling, (ask your butcher for help)
- 1 Dry Ranch Dressing Packet
- 1 Au Jus Seasoning Packet
- 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Sprinkle the top of the meat with the ranch seasoning and then the au jus packet.3 Pounds Beef Chuck Roast with good marbling, 1 Dry Ranch Dressing Packet, 1 Au Jus Seasoning Packet
- Place the butter on top.1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
- Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8 hours, shredding into the sauce after 7 1/2 hours if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
re Pot roast. Your recipe says to shred the roast after 7.5 hours into the sauce the under note it says to make the gravy. This confuses me. Is it a shredded beef or a pot roast?
Carol,
It’s can be called shredded beef or pot roast as cooking it so low and slow results in fall apart meat versus sliceable meat. The sauce can be turned into a gravy by thickening it up on the stove top but we don’t always take the time to do that. 🙂
I have made this a couple times now and the flavor is outstanding! I love it and it’s foolproof. My only concern is that it comes out VERY, VERY fatty/oily and is too greasy to eat. Besides trimming the meat even more, do you have suggestions for this problem? Thanks!
Hi Breanna,
Unfortunately that fat is what really flavors it. I would ask your butcher to cut you a fresh roast and expertly trim it that way you have great marbling for flavor but you avoid excess. When you go to serve just skim the fat off. And thank you for the sweet comment ps!
can you add in veggies with this and if so when could I add them in?
If you’d like them very soft you can actually add them in the beginning otherwise halfway through.
The recipe looks fantastic! Just one question. When you say
1 dry ranch dressing packet
1 Au Jus Seasoning Packet
How much is that exactly in grams or tablespoons because not all the packets are the same? Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Thank you
Hi Swaema,
The packets are about 1.5 ounces, I’ve never measured it in tablespoons.
could you do on high for 4hrs?
You could, but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as juicy and tender. In fact, you may have to slice it. Slow and low gives the best flavor and texture.
Loved it!!!!!!! Made the roast and used it in a French Dip!!!!!! Awesome. My husband normally does nor like anything with Ranch dressing…shhhhhhhhhh. He loved this!!!! Thanks so so much
Lol, I love it when we can be sneaky!
Is your roast frozen when you put it in the crockpot for 8 hours or is it defrosted?
Defrosted. A frozen would need more like 12-14 hours.
I make this recipe on a regular basis for my family with one variation. I add a few pepperocinis (4 or 5) to the crock pot for a little extra flavor and I promise you, it makes the roast divine!
Oh, I’ve never even thought of that! What a great idea and the husband has already voted yes on trying it!
I am in Australia and we don’t have the au jus recipe pkt or dry rach dressing pkt any suggestion on what I can use to replace them?Thank yu
My favorite way to cook a beef roast is in the slow cooker. Spread 1 can of condensed (undiluted) cream of mushroom soup over the top, and sprinkle with 1 packet (dry) onion soup mix. If you do not have access to either of these ingredients, sprinkle generously with dried onion flakes or perhaps use a sliced fresh onion. I do not add water to my roast. Cooking for hours in the slow cooker is what makes it so tender. We usually cook our roast till it is tender enough to fall apart.
I have also used Campbell’s Cream of Onion soup, and it was great, too! I use this basic slow cooker method for chicken, pork loin, and beef roasts, though I do not usually add anything to the pork loin. (I think the pork loins we buy are already injected with a saline solution.) Cooked some chicken with salsa, corn, and black beans in the slow cooker recently, and it was wonderful! Added 8 ounces of cream cheese 30 minutes before serving, and let it melt. It was a zesty, creamy dish.
That all sounds wonderful and we are the same, we like it to be falling apart. 🙂
hmmmm, I know there are recipe on the web for making both from scratch. I say google those because the flavor is fantastic and your’s will probably be even better!
Where dat pin button!? This is a definite keeper! Thanks for sharing!