The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
This smoked Mississippi pot roast is a phenomenal twist on the usual classic! It’s loaded with zesty, tangy flavors and the magical and special smoky taste only a Traeger grill can provide.
It costs approximately $26.72 to make this dish. The recipe makes six servings for about $4.45 per serving.
Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast
If you love smoked pot roast, you’ll love smoked Mississippi pot roast! It uses the same cut of meat but has a robust new set of flavors from ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, and more.
Nonetheless, it’s always a win with kids and adults. While it takes a “hot minute” to smoke, it’s not difficult, and you’ll love the results.
Because this smoked Mississippi pot roast is so filling, we often serve it on a bed of mashed potatoes or as a sandwich. However, smoked mac and cheese is a great side dish to include!
What You’ll Love About Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast
- Flavorful: The seasonings used in our recipe come together to enhance the savory flavor of the roast.
- Tangy and Spicy: Adding pepperoncini peppers adds a touch of spice that sets this recipe apart from other roast recipes.
- Smoky and juicy meat: Using a smoker to cook this roast steps it up from the traditional slow cooker method. Cooking it low and slow in a smoker infuses a smoky flavor into the meat while tenderizing it to become ultra-juicy.
- Simple and versatile: This easy-to-make dish can be served in multiple ways. It can be served as the main dish or used as a filling for other dishes such as sandwiches and tacos.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 3-4 lb Chuck Roast – $20.97
- 1 tablespoon salt – $0.03
- 1 tablespoon black pepper – $0.31
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder – $0.11
- 1 packet dry ranch seasoning – $0.69
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix – $0.50
- 16 ounce jar pepperoncini – $2.99
- ½ cup salted butter – $1.12
The recipe cost is calculated by the amounts needed for the recipe. To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in July 2023.
How To Make Mississippi Pot Roast On A Smoker
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Season the chuck roast liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and press the rub into every surface of the meat. (You can also rub the meat down the night before and keep it in the fridge!)
- Preheat the smoker to 225°F, with the lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Put the roast directly on your grill grate, and cook for 3 hours. (Optionally spray the roast with ½ cup of beef stock every hour. This helps concentrate that smoky flavor!)
- Transfer the roast to a Dutch oven or aluminum pan and pour the ranch seasoning, au jus mix, and a 16-ounce jar of pepperoncini over the pot roast.
- Top the pot roast with pats of butter.
- Cover the pan and return it to the smoker for another 6-8 hours until the roast’s internal temperature reaches 205-210°F.
- Remove the pan from the smoker, shred the meat, and mix it with all the juices.
- Remove any remaining large or hard chunks of fat.
- Serve with uncooked pepperoncini over mashed potatoes or white rice. It also works great as a sandwich!
Note that we use a wood pellet grill for most of this process. More specifically, this recipe assumes you have a Traeger smoker/grill. If you’re unsure what pellets to use, stick with the Traeger signature blend!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Spicy Kick: For extra heat, add sliced jalapeños or red pepper flakes along with the pepperoncini to give the pot roast a spicy twist.
- Onion Flavor: Slice a large onion and layer it over the chuck roast before adding the ranch seasoning and au jus mix for a delicious onion-flavored pot roast.
- Brown Gravy: Instead of au jus mix, substitute it with a packet of brown gravy mix to give the pot roast a richer, brown gravy sauce.
- Slow Cooker Method: If you don’t have a smoker, make this pot roast in a slow cooker. Follow the same seasoning steps and cook on low for 8-10 hours until tender.
- Vegetarian Option: For a vegetarian version, use a meat substitute like seitan or portobello mushrooms, and follow the same seasoning and smoking process.
- Additional Cuts Of Beef: If you prefer a leaner cut of meat, you can use a bottom-round roast or a rump roast instead of a chuck roast.
Storage Tips
SERVE: After you remove the fat from your pot roast, it’s ready to serve. No need to wait for it to rest like with other smoker recipes.
STORE: Covered, this smoked Mississippi pot roast will remain fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days.
FREEZE: You can keep Mississippi pot roast in the freezer for 2-3 months.
REHEAT: Bring your pot roast back to life in the oven by baking it at 325F, covered with foil, for about 20 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Other than time (if you’re short on it), if you season the meat the night before and wrap it in plastic, it’ll enhance the flavors all around.
This is a longer recipe that will require most of the day, though it’s straightforward, and you can’t argue with the delicious results! You’ll need at least 8-9 hours of cooking time and an additional hour of misc prepping, resting, etc.
This should make enough for six servings/people.
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: Teach your littlest cooks the names of various small utensils and tools as they grab them for you!
Ages 4-5: This is a fun age for kids to dump the ranch seasoning, au jus mix, and pepperoncini into the roast (with supervision). They can also help you add pats of butter on top of the meat.
Ages 6-8: At this age, your kids will love rubbing down the roast with all the seasonings. The older, more coordinated ones may be able to spritz the meat down with beef stock with close help and supervision.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the recipe and show them how to use the grill/smoker. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe unsupervised while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
Shop the sales when buying meat. We buy chuck roast when it is on sale and then stick it in the freezer to use later for dishes like this one.
More Smoked Recipes
Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast
Recipe Cost 26.72 Serving Cost 4.45Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Smoker Grill
- Dutch oven or aluminum pan
- meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb. Chuck Roast
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 packet dry ranch seasoning
- 1 packet au jus gravy mix
- 16 ounce jar pepperoncini
- ½ cup salted butter cubed
- ½ cup beef stock optional
Instructions
PREP CHUCK ROAST:
- Season the chuck roast liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and press the seasoning into the surface of the meat. (Optional, rub your meat the night before smoking and refrigerate).
PREHEAT SMOKER:
- Preheat the smoker with the lid closed to 225° F.
SMOKE POT ROAST:
- Put the roast directly on your grill grate, and cook for 3 hours. (Optional) spray with beef stock every hour (about ½ cup).
PREP POT ROAST FOR SECOND SMOKE:
- Transfer the roast to a Dutch oven or aluminum pan and pour the ranch seasoning, au jus mix, and a 16-ounce jar of pepperoncini over the pot roast.
- Top the pot roast with pats of butter.
SMOKE AGAIN:
- Cover the pan and return it to the smoker for another 6-8 hours until the roast’s internal temperature reaches 205-210°F.
TO FINISH:
- Remove the pan from the smoker, shred the meat, and mix it with all the juices.
- Remove any remaining large or hard chunks of fat.
- Serve with uncooked pepperoncini over mashed potatoes or white rice. Also works great on sandwiches.
Notes
- To intensify the seasoning, season and wrap the meat in plastic the night before cooking.
- Spritzing the meat with beef stock helps concentrate the wood smoke’s smokiness.
Kushigalu says
This pot roast looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing.
rebecca says
I love a good Mississippi pot roast, great idea to smoke it first. such a great sunday dinner
Justine says
We are huge fans of mississippi pot roast, we make it often – never would I ever thought to try smoking it. WOW! It is out of this world, and the flavor is incredible. It is worth every second of waiting.
Liza says
This Mississippi Pot Roast is one of my family’s favorite recipes. We love it with roasted potatoes, and it has so much flavor. Great for leftovers, too!