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Pepperoncini Beef

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Pepperoncini Beef is the perfect Southern pot roast recipe! This simple and spicy shredded beef with mild peppers is perfect on a sandwich or as a weeknight dinner main dish.

Overhead view of shredded beef with peppers

Pot roast is a great way to turn a cheap cut of beef into a delicious and tender dinner. Pepperoncini Beef is my favorite pot roast recipe because it’s only 3 basic ingredients and full of flavor.

I love making shredded beef recipes! They don’t need much attention, and it’s easy to serve a crowd. Just shred the meat and serve it up with hoagie rolls and cheese for the perfect game-day snack.

If you love Mexican food like I do, try my shredded beef barbacoa recipe. It’s perfect as a burrito filling or over rice like a burrito bowl.

chuck roast, pepperoncini peppers, and au jus gravy mix

Ingredients

You only need THREE ingredients for this delicious pot roast with pepperoncini. This is your basic shopping list but you’ll find the full recipe in the card at the bottom of this post.

  • Chuck roast — aim for one between 3 and 5 pounds
  • Pepperoncinis
  • Au jus gravy mix

The pepperoncini and their juices bring a bit of spice to this simple pot roast recipe. If you want your shredded beef a little less spicy, try our Italian Beef recipe.

You can also use less pepperoncini! Or double them for more heat.

Add garlic for an extra punch of flavor, or some Italian or ranch seasoning to the mix before roasting! As a Mississippi State alum, I have a deep love for a Mississippi pot roast — just add ranch dressing seasonings to this recipe!

Collage of steps to make pepperoncini beef

How to Make Pepperoncini Beef

Here are a few tricks for the perfect pepperoncini roast every time! For full steps and measurements, check out the recipe card at the end of this post.

  1. First, sear the roast on all sides. You just want a char on the outside to keep the meat juicy.
  2. Then, cover the roast with dry au jus mix and pepperoncini with their juices. Add enough water to cover about half of the roast.
  3. Next, cover and bake for a couple hours until it’s fork-tender and easily shreddable.
  4. Finally, remove from the oven and shred into large pieces. I leave it in the Dutch oven when shredding so it can reabsorb all the juices in the pot!

You can serve this totally plain, over rice, or on a sandwich — which is my preference! A little provolone cheese on a hoagie roll and mmmm I’m in heaven.

Beef and Cheese on a toasted bun with chips on a plate

How to Make Pot Roast

I make a traditional pot roast for this recipe, roasting it for hours in the oven until it’s super tender and falls apart.

You can easily make this on the stovetop with no extra equipment! Simmer the roast on low for about 6 hours, or until fork-tender.

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If you have a slow cooker, it’s one of the easiest ways to make a tender pepperoncini beef every time! I still sear the meat before I put it in the Crockpot for 6 to 8 hours on low. Keep it in the slow cooker on warm all day for the perfect game day meal from kickoff to the final 2 minutes.

If you have an Instant Pot, you can make this roast in no time! Sear the roast and set the pressure cooker timer for an hour. Once it goes off, let it naturally release for at least 15 minutes. If you skip the natural release, you’ll get a very tough pepperoncini beef.

Pot roast with pepperoncini leftovers will last up to 4 days in the fridge or for 3 months in the freezer. You can easily reheat them on the stove or in the microwave.

How Do You Cut a Pepperoncini?

For this pepperoncini beef, I leave the peppers whole. They usually start to break down during cooking.

However, if you want to cut them, you can! Just don’t drain the juices.

When you eat them, discard the stems, but every other part is edible!

If you can’t find pepperoncini peppers, you can always substitute them for banana peppers. They have a different taste but are similar on the Scoville scale of spice — about a 500. In comparison, a jalapeño pepper is 5,000 Scoville units.

Beef Sandwich with chips

What to Serve with Pepperoncini Beef

I like to keep my sides easy when I’m making simple main dish recipes. 

Pot roasts and carrots are a match made in heaven, and these brown sugar carrots are the perfect sweet side dish for this spicy pepperoncini beef.

My favorite Southern side dish is green beans and bacon! They’re as much of a staple as potatoes with pot roast in my kitchen.

If you’re planning a game day spread, add these loaded mashed potato bites to your menu! They’re crispy on the outside and super creamy on the inside.

For those people who love coleslaw on a sandwich, this KFC Coleslaw is the best! It’s got the right amount of tang and a great homemade dressing.

Shredded Beef with pepperoncini

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Pepperoncini Beef in a Bowl

Pepperoncini Beef

This 3-ingredient recipe makes a delicious spicy roast beef! Perfect for sandwiches and main dishes.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 228kcal
Author: Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chuck roast you can use up to 5 pounds
  • 16 ounces pepperoncinis juice included
  • 2 ounces dry au jus gravy mix

Instructions

  • Move the top oven rack to the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Sear the roast on both sides in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over high heat.
  • Remove from the heat and sprinkle the au jus mix over the top of the roast.
  • Pour the pepperoncini with all the juice over the gravy mix.
  • Add water to the pot until the liquid covers the bottom half of the roast.
  • Cover the pan with the lid and place into the preheated oven.
  • Roast, covered for 2 to 3 hours or until the roast is fork tender.
  • Remove from the oven and shred the beef into large pieces, using 2 forks.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Serve on toasted hoagies with provolone cheese.
  • Additional Add-In Suggestions: chopped garlic, Italian dressing packet, ranch dressing packet. Fresh garlic may turn green from the pepperoncini liquid. Adding dry ranch dressing turns this into Mississippi Pot Roast.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Instant Pot – Add all the ingredients to the pressure cooker and set the timer 60 minutes on high or meat setting. Allow the meat to NPR for 15 min. DO NOT skip the NPR. Quick-releasing will result in tough meat
Slow cooker – High for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Once the beef is shredded, it can be added back to the slow cooker, along with the liquid, and kept on warm setting. Perfect for game day!
Stovetop – Simmer for 6 hours covered
Substitutions – Dry onion soup can be used as a substitution for au jus packets. A brown gravy packet can also be used instead, but you’ll want to add an additional cup of liquid to keep it from getting too thick.
For a more mild version, use half the pepperoncini. If you like it spicier, just add another jar of pepperoncini.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers – Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop

Nutrition

Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and may vary based on exact ingredients used. For accuracy, consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.

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Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller

Elizabeth (Beth) Mueller is a food journalist, CEO of Pear Tree Kitchen, and co-creator of Food Blogger Help. She also has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a registered nurse licensed in the State of Oklahoma. When she has free time between writing, blogging, and cooking, she can be found volunteering as an RN with the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps.

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