Traeger Mississippi Pot Roast
My Traeger Mississippi Pot Roast recipe makes a Southern-style pot roast that is full of big beefy flavors, a bit of spice, and plenty of smoke. This recipe started with a home cook in Mississippi, and it as simple as it is delicious. When you pair that with the live wood fire flavor from your smoker or pellet grill, it is a perfect match.
Traeger Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
I know most people associate Cajun cooking with Louisiana, but plenty of Acadian French, aka "Cajuns", settled in Mississippi too. That's why this slow-roasted smoked pot roast recipe does have a slight resemblance to a French-style pot roast.
Simple ingredients working together plus a little spice from the peppers and you have yourself a unique pot roast that has been loved all over the country and the world.
What I love most about any pot roast is how hands-off it is to prepare. The end result tastes like you spend all day standing over a stove when in actuality you maybe browned it a little bit, chopped a fun things, and dumped some other things in a pan. It is so easy, and there's nothing more satisfying on a cool fall or winter evening than a big hearty bowl of Mississippi Pot Roast spooned over some Smoked Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
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Recipe Shopping List
This is the general list of the ingredients you'll need in order to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Beef chuck roast
- Salt
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Pepperoncini peppers
- Au jus powder
- Dry ranch dressing mix
- Granulated garlic
- Carrots
- Salted butter
Try our Traeger Smoked Pot Roast too!
How To Make This Recipe
This is just the overview so you can see what you're actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you'll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat & Season - Preheat your smoker to 275°F and season your roast.
- Sear - Sear both sides of the roast in a cast iron pan with a little oil or butter in it until a nice crust forms.
- Smoke - Put the seared roast in a grill-safe baking dish and pour in the pepperoncini, au jus, ranch mix, garlic, carrots, butter, and water. Smoke until the internal temperature of the roast reaches 204-205°F.
- Impatient? - If it has been 2-3 hours and it still isn't close, you can cover the roast and turn the heat up to 325°F to finish it off. Just watch the level of liquid in the pan if you do this. You might have to add some more water or beef broth. The roast should be fork tender when it reaches that magic 204-205°F range.
- Enjoy - Serve with mashed potatoes, fresh bread, and plenty of the au jus spooned over the top of it all.
Try with our Grilled Dinner Rolls!
Recipe FAQ
When you are in the mood for beef, most people think of steak like a ribeye or filet mignon. Me? I dream of pot roast. Roast beef and gravy is one of my favorites, and this one is no exception.
The best cut of beef for pot roasts, in my opinion, happens to be the chuck roast. A chuck roast is the top of the rear legs of the cow. It is a dense cut, and can be fairly lean - so make sure to look for a roast with lots of marbling.
Chuck roast is often cut into cubes and used in slow-cooked stews. It is also ideal for pot roast. It is a tough cut of meat, which is why it is perfect for the low-and-slow cooking that Traegers are so good at. Suddenly, that big tough chunk of meat becomes fork-tender and melt-in-your-mouth amazing.
The pepperoncini is one of the "secret" ingredients that make the Mississippi Pot Roast unique. Pepperoncini are the bright yellow-green peppers you typically see offered in salad bars, and sometimes they are offered as a topping on pizzas.
They are not too hot, and much less spicy than their cousin the banana pepper, which look fairly similar. Some people do still find them too hot, so if you are concerned about them adding too much heat, then feel free to cut back on a few.
I would still recommend using just a bit of the juice from the jar, even if you use fewer peppers than the recipe calls for. The vinegar will have a touch of heat, but it will also help break down the meat to be more tender and it is really what gives this dish its signature flavor.
Some people worry about overcooking pot roasts. I get the concern, but it isn't like overcooking a big prime rib. You have way more wiggle room cooking chuck roast, and as long as you keep the heat low it is really hard to overcook them.
With a pot roast, you can easily tell if it is ready with just a fork. If you can stick a fork in easily and twist it and pull out shreds of beef on it, then you know it is ready to eat.
As long as you have plenty of braising liquid in the pot, then the chuck will not dry out.
Another good way to tell is by using a thermometer.
With the five-pound chuck I recommend in this recipe, you will be looking at about 3 to 4 hours in the Traeger, but it also depends heavily on the specific cut of meat you purchase too so always cook to temp and not to time.
More Traeger Beef Recipes here!
Serve This With
Pot roasts always work well with mashed potatoes, especially if you plan on using the jus to make a nice gravy.
Want to keep it Southern? Then try this collard greens recipe too. Also, cornbread should have a place on the plate as well, so check out this cornbread muffin or my griddle corn cakes so you have something to mop up that sauce.
More Chuck Roast Recipes
Chuck roast is one of my favorite cuts of meat! Here are a few more fun things you can do with it, that I love:
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Traeger Smoked Mississippi Pot Roast
This tender Mississippi Pot Roast is cooked on your pellet grill, and is all kinds of amazing. If you've never tried a Mississippi Pot Roast, NOW is the time!
Ingredients
- 5-pound beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 whole pepperoncini peppers
- 1 packet au jus mix
- 1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ cup chopped carrots
- 1 stick salted butter
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Season the meat with the salt, paprika, onion powder, and black pepper. Preheat a cast-iron skillet or fire up your Blackstone (or another flat top griddle) and give both sides of the meat a good sear.
- Preheat your pellet grill to 275°.
- Place the seared chuck roast into the bottom of a tinfoil high-sided pan. Pour in the pepperoncini, au jus, ranch mix, garlic, carrots, butter, and water.
- Put the whole shebang on the grill, close the lid, and let it ride.
- Check the roast every hour or so, and adjust the placement on the grill as needed. You want to avoid hot spots so nothing burns. It shouldn't, but with live fire, you have to pay attention.
- Continue cooking until the meat reaches 200-205°, and is fork-tender.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, buttered rice, and/or fresh bread.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 812Total Fat: 56gSaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 267mgSodium: 1767mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 72g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
Do you cover the roast with tinfoil while it cooks?
We didn't, but you definitely can if you want to! It'll have less of a smokey flavor that way, but some people prefer that. If you do, I wouldn't cover it until after the first hour or two of cook time.
What kind of pellets do you use?
Whatever is in my hopper is what I use. 😉 We tend to run maple, cherry, or apple, or a blend that is suitable for anything.
I normally cook this in the crockpot without any water. I’m going to try it on the smoker this weekend, and I’m wondering if I really need to add the water? Does it need water since it’s on the smoker? I guess I worry about it watering down the flavor. But this is new to me so maybe that isn’t even something I should be worried about.
I've never tried it without the water, but I also wouldn't worry about it watering anything down. With this, you want it to have plenty of liquid, and there's tons of flavor in the end result.
@Nicole Johnson, thank you so much! On the smoker now 🙂
What's the best way to make the gravy for the ?
If you want to thicken up the cooking liquid some, just drain it off and let the fat separate first. Remove the fat (or use it to make the roux with the butter) and set the broth aside. In a small saucepan, melt some butter and whisk in just under equal amounts of flour. Whisk over low to medium-low heat for a couple of minutes. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan and then whisk in the roux and cook until thickened. If you want to extend it to make more gravy, add some additional beef stock.
You can also do a cornstarch slurry with some cold water and cornstarch and whisk it right into the boiling broth, skipping the roux part. It also does the trick to thicken it up a bit and is less hassle. I just prefer the flavor of the roux, personally.
Love the tip on telling when a pot roast is done, I always panic I've overcooked it haha. Delicious recipe and a great one for meal prep!
This had such a nice smoky flavor after cooking in the Traeger! It's way better than roasting.
This is a family favorite and I love that you can make it on the Traeger.
This Traeger Mississippi Pot Roast is so tender and flavorful. It is a hit! Thanks Nicole for this excellent recipe, we'll surely have this on repeat!
I loved the smoky flavor of this pot roast - will be making it again!
Do you ever flip the roast over half way though or baste it to keep top from drying out?
You can, if you think you need it. Either option would work well. I usually judge by how the meat looks, and haven't ever had a problem with it drying out before it gets tender and ready to shred.
Can I cook it in a cast iron pan instead of the foil pan? Tyia!
Yup! You sure can!