Savory & Simple Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast
Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast is the ideal meal for busy weeknights—easy, flavorful, and incredibly tender. With just 4 seasoning packets and about 5 minutes of prep, you can have it cooking in your pressure cooker. Enjoy fork-tender pork roast in a savory gravy, perfect for serving over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.
Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast
If you love a good roast, then you’re going to adore this Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast. This recipe uses simple yet flavorful ingredients like pepperoncini peppers and their juice, au jus mix, brown gravy mix, onion soup mix, and ranch dressing mix to create a tasty dish that’s sure to become a family favorite. Similar to other popular recipes like Mississippi Beef Roast and Mississippi Chicken, this pork roast combines these ingredients to make tender, juicy meat that’s perfect for any dinner table.
One of the best parts about making this Mississippi Pork Roast is using an Instant Pot. While traditional crock pot recipes can take 6-8 hours to cook, the pressure cooking feature of the Instant Pot speeds up the process significantly. You can achieve the same tender, fall-apart meat in a fraction of the time, making it an ideal option for busy weeknights when you still want to serve a delicious homemade meal.
With the Instant Pot, you can have this savory, flavorful pork roast ready in no time, ensuring that you get to enjoy one of your favorite recipes without the long wait. Whether you’re new to pressure cooking or a seasoned pro, this Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast is a must-try recipe that will have everyone at the dinner table asking for seconds.
What you’ll love about Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast:
Ingredients for Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast
- Pork shoulder roast: The star of our Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast, this cut offers tender meat that shreds beautifully after being pressure cooked.
- Pepperoncini peppers and juice: Key for that tangy flavor, these peppers add a distinct brightness to the dish, making each bite exciting.
- Au jus mix: This mix infuses the roast with a deep, savory beefy flavor, melding wonderfully with the other ingredients for a mouthwatering gravy.
- Ranch dressing mix: Adds a creamy, herby background note that compliments the spiciness of the pepperoncini peppers perfectly.
- Brown gravy mix: For thickening the sauce and enhancing the umami richness of our pot roast.
- Onion soup mix: Offers a quick way to incorporate complex flavors of onion and spices that would otherwise take hours to develop.
- Corn starch (optional): Mix equal parts of corn starch and water to make a slurry used for thickening the gravy after the roast cooks.
Step-By-Step Cooking Instructions
Instant Pot Mississippi pot roast is so simple to make! The best part? You’ll get so much flavor in a fraction of the time compared to stove top, slow cooker, or oven cooking. Here’s how to make it:
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into an 8-quart instant pot. I whisked in the packet of onion soup mix, brown gravy mix, and au jus gravy mix until everything was well combined. This created a savory base that the roast would cook in, infusing it with a depth of flavor right from the get-go.
- Place the pork shoulder roast into the Instant Pot. The pork sits snugly in the pot, ready to soak up all the tangy flavors of the pepperoncini juice and the rich complexity of the mixes.
- Generously sprinkle the roast with ranch dressing mix. Then, I added about half a jar of pepperoncini peppers and half of the juice from the jar over the top. The peppers add a nice tangy flavor that’s just irresistible. Place some peppers on top of the roast and some others in the cooking liquid.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to “sealing.” Adjust the settings for high pressure and set the cooking time for 80 minutes, allowing the roast to become tender and infused with all those wonderful flavors. You might see a burn notice, but it should go away as long as you’ve used at least 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
- Once the cook time ends, let it do a natural release for 15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure. Safety first — allowing the pressure to release naturally is crucial to ensure the liquid doesn’t spew when you release the valve.
- Carefully remove the pork roast from the instant pot. The tender meat may fall apart as you move it to a platter. Shred the meat using 2 forks.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove any pepper stems or pieces of fat from the liquid in the pot.
- To thicken the liquid into a gravy consistency, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a measuring cup. Set the Instant Pot to the “sauté” setting, and pour in the cornstarch slurry. Heat while stirring for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens, then turn the instant pot off.
- Add the meat back into the gravy, stir well, and add a few fresh pepperoncini peppers to the top for presentation.
What to Serve with Mississippi Pork Roast
The perfect way to serve your Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast is totally up to you and can be tailored exactly to your taste. Each option adds a unique texture and flavor to the tender meat. The possibilities are endless, promising that no two meals will ever be exactly the same. So, don’t hold back; let this be the start of many delicious experiments at your dinner table.
- Spoon over a bed of fluffy rice.
- Serve over creamy mashed potatoes.
- For a light and healthy version, serve over cauliflower rice.
- Use the gravy and shredded pork as a topping for egg noodles.
- Mix and match side dishes such as roasted vegetables or bacon green beans.
- Consider repurposing the leftovers as sandwiches or sliders.
Variations to the Recipe
- Use beef broth or beef stock instead of water in this recipe for more depth of flavor in the meat and gravy.
- Season the pork shoulder with additional seasonings before adding it to the pressure cooker such as salt, black pepper, seasoned salt, or any of your favorite seasonings.
- Sear the roast before adding any liquid to the Instant Pot. First, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the instant pot and set it to the sauté mode. Place the pork roast in the heated oil and brown for 2-3 minutes on all sides. Remove the roast, then use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot loosening any brown bits from the bottom. Now continue with the recipe by adding the liquid to the Instant Pot. I usually skip this step if I’m in a hurry, but searing the meat can add a bit more texture to the meat and even more flavor to the gravy.
Bringing Easy Comfort Food to Your Table
There’s something truly magical about gathering around the dinner table, sharing stories, laughter, and, most importantly, comforting food that warms the soul. Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast is perfect on a cold winter night when you want to try something new. The rich, tangy flavor of pepperoncini peppers mixed with the tender meat is unlike anything you have ever tried. I’m sure it will become an instant favorite.
Over time, this roast has not just been a meal for us, but a tradition that brings us together. Friends who’ve joined us for dinner always ask for the recipe, marveling at how something so simple could be so flavorful. They’re amazed to learn that the secret lies in simple ingredients like ranch dressing mix, au jus mix, and, of course, those delightful pepperoncini peppers, which I now make sure to have in the pantry at all times.
I encourage you to make this Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast a staple in your home cooking repertoire. Whether it’s a cozy meal on a cold night or a hearty dish for a dinner with friends, this recipe promises not just to satisfy hunger but to create moments and memories that will last a lifetime. Trust me, it might just become the best part of your dinner table conversations.
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Savory and Simple Instant Pot Mississippi Pork Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb pork shoulder roast
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 packet Au Jus gravy mix
- 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- 1 packet brown gravy mix
- 1 packet ranch dressing mix
- ½ jar Pepperoncini Peppers plus 1/2 jar of the juice from the jar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch optional for thickening the gravy
Instructions
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into an 8-quart instant pot. Add the packet of onion soup mix, brown gravy mix, and au jus gravy mix. Whisk until everything was well combined.
- Place the pork shoulder roast into the Instant Pot.
- Generously sprinkle the roast with ranch dressing mix. Then, I added about half a jar of pepperoncini peppers and half of the juice from the jar over the top. The
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to “sealing.” Adjust the settings for high pressure and set the cooking time for 80 minutes. You might see a burn notice as it comes up to pressure, but it should go away as long as you’ve used at least 1 1/2 cups of liquid.
- Once the cook time ends, let it do a natural release for 15 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully remove the pork roast from the instant pot and place it on a platter. Shred the meat using 2 forks.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove any pepper stems or pieces of fat from the liquid in the pot.
- To thicken the liquid into a gravy consistency, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of cold water in a measuring cup. Set the Instant Pot to the “sauté” setting, and pour in the cornstarch slurry. Heat while stirring for about 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens, then turn the instant pot off.
- Add the meat back into the gravy, stir well, and add a few fresh pepperoncini peppers to the top for presentation.
Notes
NOTE:
Nutritional information if for the pork roast and gravy only and does not include additional foods such as mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.Serving Suggestions
- Spoon over a bed of fluffy rice.
- Serve over creamy mashed potatoes.
- For a light and healthy version, serve over cauliflower rice.
- Use the gravy and shredded pork as a topping for egg noodles.
- Mix and match side dishes such as roasted vegetables or bacon green beans.
- Consider repurposing the leftovers as sandwiches or sliders.
