Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Mississippi pot roast in gravy topped with pepperoncini peppers n a white bowl.

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Tender chuck roast in a rich beef gravy with tangy pepperoncini. This dairy-free version skips the butter and seasoning packets and takes about 90 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Natural release15

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings (change as needed): (or 5 more generous servings)

Author: Cheryl Avrich

Ingredients

2.5 pounds chuck roast or blade roast, Note 1 (or 3 lbs/1.36 kg)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 can 10-10 ½ ounce condensed beef broth, Note 2
¼ cuo water
6 -7 pepperoncini peppers
¼ cup pepperoncini brine
1½ teaspoons granulated garlic powder (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1½ teaspoons granulated onion powder (or 1 tsp onion powder)
½ teaspoon black pepper

To thicken gravy

3 tablespoons cornstarch, Note 3
3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

SEAR MEAT: Slice chuck roast horizontally into two pieces, each about 1 1/2-2 inch (3.8-5 cm) thick. Pat very dry with paper towels to get a good brown sear. Heat oil in a large skillet to medium-high heat. When shimmering, add beef and sear on each side for 3 minutes until well browned. Cut each piece in half and transfer beef to the Instant Pot. The pieces can overlap.
Deglaze the skillet with ¼ cup (59 mL) beef broth, scraping up browned bits. Pour broth and pan juices into Instant Pot. See Note 4 for searing in the Instant Pot or skipping the sear.
PRESSURE COOK: Add remaining condensed broth, water, garlic, onion, black pepper, pepperoncini and brine to Instant Pot.
Lock lid and turn the steam-release valve to Sealing. Select High Pressure and set cooking time for 50 minutes. If you prefer shredded beef, increase the pressure-cooking time to 55–60 minutes. Instant Pot will take ~10 minutes to reach pressure before the countdown begins.
When the cooking time ends, do a natural release for 15 minutes. Turn valve to Venting to release remaining pressure. Once the float valve drops, unlock and remove the lid. Turn off Instant Pot.
CUT BEEF: Transfer beef and pepperoncini to a cutting board and cut into bite-sized chunks (or shred it).
MAKE GRAVY AND FINISH: Mix 3 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water to make a slurry. Press Sauté button on Instant Pot. When broth starts boiling, add the slurry and whisk until smooth. Let cook for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
Return beef and peppers to pot and stir. Optional: add 2-3 cups chopped baby spinach and stir 1 minute until wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed - extra pepper juice for more tang, more peppers for spice.
Serve beef over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. Or see Note 5 for other serving options.

Notes

Chuck/blade roast alternative: Top or bottom blade roast. Shoulder cross-rib pot roast can also be used, but it will be leaner and dryer. You can use up to 3½ pounds (1.6 kg) if the pieces remain 1½–2 inches thick and the contents stay below the PC MAX line.
Beef broth alternative: Replace the can of condensed beef broth and the 1/4 cup/59 ml water with one of these options:
- 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon mixed plus 1 1/2 cups/355 ml water OR
- 3 beef bouillon cubes plus 1 1/2cups/355 mls water. OR
- Campbell's condensed beef broth (25% less sodium)
Gravy consistency with cornstarch slurry: Use 3 tablespoons cornstarch for a full-bodied gravy or 2 tablespoons for a thinner one. Adjust with additional slurry (for thicker gravy) or broth (to thin it).
Alternate searing methods:
- Instant Pot: Use Sauté and brown beef in two batches. Remove it and deglaze the pot with ¼ cup broth before continuing. This will help prevent a burn notice.
- Dump-and-go: Omit the oil and searing. Add the broth and water first, followed by the beef and remaining ingredients. The cooking time stays the same.
- Wine: Deglaze with ¼ cup dry red wine instead of broth, and omit the ¼ cup water.
Variations
- Flavors:
  - Instead of garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper, you can use a 1-ounce ranch seasoning packet, but the pot roast will taste much saltier, have a ranch flavor, and it won't be dairy-free.
  - Add 1 tsp each of dried dill and parsley to mimic the traditional recipe's ranch flavor.
- Serving options: Instead of a pot roast-type meal, serve the sauced meat or shredded beef in hoagie or slider buns.
Slow cooker (crock pot) method:
- Searing is optional but recommended (use separate skillet). Place the whole roast and all ingredients except the cornstarch slurry in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 5–6 hours, until fork tender. Transfer the beef to a cutting board. Simmer the cooking liquid in a saucepan, whisk in the slurry and cook for 2–3 minutes.
Oven method:
- Heat the oven to 325F (160C). Sear the whole roast in a Dutch oven, then add all ingredients except the cornstarch slurry. Cover and cook for about 3 hours, until fork-tender. Remove the beef, bring the liquid to a simmer on the stovetop and thicken with the slurry.
Use an 8 quart pot instead: Add an extra ½ cup (120 mL) water. The cooking time remains the same; add more slurry as needed.
Make ahead, store, freeze:
- Make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate the beef in its gravy.
- Store leftovers for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- For the best texture, freeze before thickening the gravy, then add the slurry after reheating. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently, adding a little broth or water if needed.

Nutrition values are estimates. To reduce salt by ~500 mg, replace the pepperoncini juice (brine) with 1/4 cup/59 ml water.