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If you love salty, briny pickles and the sour tang of dill, you’ll love this hearty, juicy, and super tender pickle pot roast that only takes 3 ingredients!
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Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Dill Pickles
Every year on Halloween, a group of friends of ours from church get together to go trick-or-treating. Most of our group has really little kids- and my kids, who are teenagers, love going along even with the littles. It’s become a great tradition for our friend group – and every year we rotate whose house hosts all of us beforehand, with a nice warm diner, and plenty of parent treats.
This year was my turn to host – and I needed to make a ton of food, but didn’t really have a lot of time to dedicate to cooking. I settled on a pot roast – but I didn’t have pepperoncini peppers to make a Mississippi Roast like I’d planned. I was raiding my friend for something I could use when I came up on a jar of dill pickles – why couldn’t they work just like the peppers?
A bit of adjusting a recipe, and a new favorite was born – and the entire group snarfed it, fast! I didn’t have to worry about packing up leftovers – and it was really easy (and budget-friendly) to serve our whole crowd.
Pickle pot roast is a savory and tangy dish that combines the rich flavors of slow-cooked beef with the zesty punch of dill pickles. This unique recipe involves searing a well-marbled cut of beef, such as chuck roast, before slow-cooking it in a mixture of pickle juice and ranch dressing mix.
The result is a tender and flavorful roast that boasts a delightful blend of savory and tangy notes. It’s a comfort food classic that’s sure to please your taste buds and leave you craving seconds.
How to Make Pickle Pot Roast
To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:
- Dill Pickles: The jar of pickles, along with their brine, serves as a unique and flavorful ingredient in this pot roast recipe. The pickles bring a combination of tanginess, acidity, and a hint of dill flavor. As they cook in the slow cooker, the pickles infuse the roast with their distinctive taste, adding a zesty and savory element to the dish.
- Chuck Roast: Chuck roast is a well-marbled cut of beef, known for its tenderness and rich flavor. When slow-cooked, it becomes incredibly tender and moist, making it the perfect choice for pot roast. The chuck roast serves as the main protein in this dish, and its natural juices combine with the pickle brine to create a flavorful and succulent meat.
- Ranch Dressing Mix: The ranch dressing mix is a seasoning blend that typically includes ingredients like dried herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and buttermilk powder. When added to the pot roast, it imparts a creamy and herbaceous flavor profile. The ranch mix complements the tanginess of the pickles and enhances the overall seasoning of the dish.
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following method:
- Brown chuck roast. In a heavy pan, brown chuck roast. Flip every 4-5 minutes, until meat is browned on all sides.
- Make sauce mix & add browned chuck to slow cooker. As the roast browns, in the bottom of a slow cooker, mix 1 packet ranch dressing mix and the juice from one jar of dill pickles. Mix well until there are no lumps. Add half pickles to bottom of slow cooker, then place browned roast over pickles, and top with additional pickles from jar on top.
- Cook. Cover slow cooker and cook 6-8 hours on low (flip once for best texture) or 4-5 hours on high.
- Shred. When roast is tender to a fork’s pressure and shreds easily, remove from slow cooker and shred.
- Optional: remove pickles, chop up, and reserve to be a topping.
- Keep warm: Add pot roast back to pot and keep on warm until serving.
Tips and Tricks to Perfect Pickle Pot Roast
Choose the Right Cut: Opt for a well-marbled cut of beef like chuck roast. The marbling adds flavor and ensures the meat stays tender during slow cooking.
Sear the Meat: Before placing the roast in the slow cooker, sear it in a hot skillet with a little oil. Searing helps develop a flavorful crust and locks in juices.
Use Quality Pickles: Select good-quality dill pickles with a robust flavor. The pickle juice will infuse into the meat, so quality matters.
Experiment with Pickle Varieties: Don’t hesitate to experiment with different pickle varieties like spicy dill, bread and butter, or even pickled jalapeños for a unique twist.
Ranch Dressing Mix: The ranch dressing mix adds flavor and depth to the dish. You can use a store-bought mix or make your own with a blend of dried herbs and spices like garlic, onion powder, dill, and parsley.
Low and Slow Cooking: Slow cookers work best when you cook on the low setting. This allows the meat to become incredibly tender over time. Plan for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
Add Vegetables: For a complete meal, toss in some carrots, potatoes, and onions along with the roast. These vegetables will absorb the flavorful broth and complement the dish.
Skim Fat: After cooking, skim any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid for a cleaner, less greasy sauce.
Taste and Adjust: Before serving, taste the cooking liquid and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add more pickle juice, salt, or pepper to suit your preferences.
Garnish and Serve: Garnish your pickle pot roast with fresh herbs like chopped parsley or dill for a burst of color and flavor. Serve it with the cooking juices spooned over the top.
FAQs
While dill pickles are the most common choice for pickle pot roast, you can experiment with other pickle varieties to change the flavor profile. Spicy dill pickles, bread and butter pickles, or even pickled jalapeños can add unique twists to the dish.
Absolutely! You can make your own ranch dressing mix by combining dried herbs and spices like garlic powder, onion powder, dried dill, dried parsley, and black pepper. Adjust the ratios to suit your taste preferences.
Cooking times can vary depending on the size of your roast and the heat setting of your slow cooker. As a general guideline, cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. The meat should become tender and easily shred with a fork.
Searing the meat before slow cooking is optional but recommended. Searing adds flavor and helps create a flavorful crust on the roast. It also helps seal in the meat’s juices.
Yes, you can add vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions to the slow cooker with the roast for a complete meal. These vegetables will absorb the flavorful pickle broth during cooking.
Skimming excess fat from the cooking liquid is a good practice to reduce the greasiness of the sauce. However, it’s not mandatory. You can choose to skip this step if you prefer a richer sauce.
Pickle pot roast pairs well with side dishes like mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, or a simple salad. The tangy pickle flavor complements a variety of accompaniments.
Yes, you can adapt the recipe for an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Brown the meat using the sauté function, then add the pickles, pickle juice, and ranch dressing mix. Pressure cook on high for about 60-75 minutes, followed by a natural release.
What to Serve With Pickle Pot Roast
Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are a classic side for pot roast. The rich and buttery mashed potatoes complement the savory flavors of the roast and the tanginess of the pickles.
Roasted Vegetables: Roasted carrots, potatoes, and onions are a fantastic choice. The caramelized sweetness of the roasted vegetables balances the savory roast.
Steamed Green Beans: Lightly steamed green beans add a fresh and crisp element to your meal. They provide a nice contrast to the richness of the pot roast. Garlic Chinese Style Green Beans are also amazing with pot roast!
Coleslaw: A side of coleslaw offers a refreshing crunch and a touch of acidity, which pairs well with the rich flavors of the roast.
Garlic Bread: Garlic bread or dinner rolls are excellent for soaking up the delicious gravy from the pot roast. They add a comforting and carb-filled element to the meal.
Caesar Salad: A Caesar salad with crisp romaine lettuce, croutons, and creamy Caesar dressing provides a nice balance to the hearty roast.
Cornbread: Cornbread muffins or slices of cornbread are a Southern-inspired choice that complements the flavors of the roast.
Rice or Pasta: Serve your pickle pot roast over cooked rice or pasta to create a heartier meal. The starch will soak up the flavorful juices.
Pickles and Pickled Onions: To enhance the pickle flavor, consider serving extra pickles or pickled onions as a condiment on the side.
Cranberry Sauce: If you’re looking for a sweet contrast to the savory roast, cranberry sauce can be a delightful addition, especially during the holiday season.
Try these other favorite recipes:
Pickle Pot Roast Recipe
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Pickle Pot Roast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 jar pickles and pickle juice
- 3 lb chuck roast
- 1 package 2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix
Instructions
- In a heavy pan, brown chuck roast. Flip every 4-5 minutes, until meat is browned on all sides.
- As the roast browns, in the bottom of a slow cooker, mix 1 packet ranch dressing mix and the juice from one jar of dill pickles. Mix well until there are no lumps. Add half pickles to bottom of slow cooker, then place browned roast over pickles, and top with additional pickles from jar on top.
- Cover slow cooker and cook 6-8 hours on low (flip once for best texture) or 4-5 hours on high.
- When roast is tender to a fork's pressure and shreds easily, remove from slow cooker and shred.
- Optional: remove pickles, chop up, and reserve to be a topping.
- Add pot roast back to pot and keep on warm until serving.
