Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast

Mississippi pot roast is a classic, family favorite that has been around since the 1990’s. It’s typically made in a slow cooker or crockpot, but preparing it on the smoker gives it a nice, smoky kick and extra flavor! 

This recipe is pretty much fool-proof, so you don’t have to worry too much about screwing it up. The key is to get the beef up over 200°F so that it shreds nicely at the end. 

Smoked Mississippi pot roast

This recipe is easy to whip up and is packed full of flavor. You only need a few simple ingredients and a few hours of your time. 

What sets this apart from our standard smoked pulled beef recipe is the braise with beef broth and Pepperoncini peppers.

Ingredients you’ll need

• Chuck or shoulder roast – you need a three to four pound beef roast. I find that chuck roast or shoulder works the best, but you could also use a small brisket or short ribs. 
• Olive oil
• Seasoning – any beef rub or steak seasoning will work fine, but you want to avoid using too much salt when seasoning the beef because this recipe can quickly become salty. 
• Ranch seasoning – a packet of ranch seasoning gives this roast its herby flavor. 
• Beef gravy mix – a packet of beef gravy or au jus gravy mix is used to braise the beef. 
• Beef broth – a cup of beef broth is used to braise the beef. 
• Pepperoncini peppers – a jar of pickled pepperoncinis is what makes this a Mississippi pot roast. You will use a full jar of peppers along with the pickling liquid in the jar. 

Equipment you’ll need

• Smoker – pellet grill, or charcoal grill.
• Pellets – I used a gourmet pellet blend.
• Wooden board
• Large roasting pan – or alluminum tray.
• Instant read thermometer

What is a Mississippi pot roast? 

This is one of those recipes that has been passed down through families for years. Robin Chapman of Ripley, Mississippi is credited with creating the original Mississippi pot roast in the 1990s. 

Robin Chapman originally made the recipe to be cooked in a crockpot or slow cooker, but different variations of the recipe have popped up over the years. It can be made on the stove-top or in the oven, but my favorite way is to make it on the smoker. 

What’s the best cut of meat to use?

I recommend using a chuck or shoulder roast, but brisket or short ribs would work well too.

The key is to find something that will break down slowly during the cooking process without drying out. 

A word on seasoning

When choosing a beef rub or steak seasoning opt for something a little more pepper-heavy with a lower salt content. The rest of the ingredients that you will use to braise the beef all contain salt, so this recipe can get salty if you’re not careful. 

How to make Mississippi pot roast

1. Prep 

Start by coating the roast in a bit of olive oil to act as a binder, then you can season the roast on all sides with your seasoning.

2. Fire up the smoker

Fire up the smoker to 250°F. 

This recipe works on any smoker, pellet grill, or charcoal grill as long as it can maintain a steady temperature of 250°F for four hours. I smoked this on my Traeger Ironwood XL and used the Bear Mountain Gourmet BBQ Pellets. 

3. Smoke your roast 

Once your smoker is preheated, you can place the roast directly on the grates.

Let it it smoke for about three hours, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 170°F and the bark is set.

I like to use an instant-read thermometer to keep an eye on the temperature, but you can also use a Bluetooth meat probe. 

3. Braise your roast 

During the braise stage, the meat finishes cooking, the fat renders and the connective tissue break down.

Transfer the roast to a large roasting pan or aluminum tray. I used my Cambro high heat pan for this recipe. They are high-heat plastic pans that can withstand temperatures of up to 375°F and I like to use them for smoking all types of meat. 

Sprinkle the packet of ranch seasoning and beef gravy mix on top of the roast. It doesn’t need to be pretty, just sprinkle it on there however it falls. 

Pour a cup of beef broth into the bottom of the pan. This liquid will help steam and braise the beef during the last part of the cooking process and also create a delicious gravy to serve with the meat. 

Finally, pour the jar of peppeoncini peppers on top, along with the pickling liquid they are in. This gives the beef a touch of spice along with a nice, tangy flavor.

If you are worried about spice levels, you can adjust the amount of peppers you use and just use half a jar instead. It all depends on your personal preference. 

Once you have all of the braising ingredients in the pan, you can cover the entire pan with aluminum foil and place it back on the smoker for one more hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature of around 205°F and it’s fully probe tender.

You want to make sure the beef is fully tender and ready to shred apart before you remove it from the smoker. 

4. Shred and serve  

Once your roast is done cooking and is ready to shred apart, you can remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 15 minutes. This will allow the meat to cool slightly so that it’s easier to shred. 

The meat should shred easily. You can use pork pulling claws or a couple of forks, but I find that just putting on a pair of gloves and going at it by hand is the easiest way. 

Transfer the shredded meat to a serving dish and spoon some of the braising liquid on top to keep it moist. The liquid also makes a great au jus to serve alongside sandwiches for dipping. 

What to serve with Mississippi pot roast 

Traditionally, a Mississippi pot roast is served over mashed potatoes with vegetables on the side, but I find that it also makes great sandwiches! 

I like to serve it on small slider buns with a touch of mayo, but you can also use a hoagie roll or french bread to make a Mississippi French Dip sandwich. 

Try some more classics on the smoker

• Brisket Sherpherds Pie
• Smoked Meatloaf with Poblano and Cheese Stuffing
• Smoked Brisket Chili
• Smoked BBQ Meatballs
• Smoked Meatloaf with BBQ Glaze