Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (2024)

This Instant Pot pot roast is unbelievably delicious. It has melt-in-your-mouth tender beef and a gravy that’s out of this world. I cannot wait for you to try this easy recipe!

Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (1)

I’ve fallen hard for this Instant Pot pot roast recipe. I use my 6-quart Instant Pot, but any electric pressure cooker works for this recipe.

The beef in this pot roast is so tender. I love shredding it and serving it over mashed potatoes (which I make with potatoes cooked in the Instant Pot with the beef). Delicious!

Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (2)

Key Ingredients

  • Chuck roast:I use beef chuck for this Instant Pot pot roast. You really want to use a tough cut of meat like chuck, rump roast, or brisket.
  • Beef broth and bouillon:I use good-quality beef broth and add more flavor with beef bouillon cubes or mix. This makes the gravy extra rich and beefy.
  • Herbs and spices:We pack in lots of flavor with onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, fresh garlic, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, and a bay leaf.
  • Veggies:We keep things classic with onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes. The onions melt into the gravy, which I love. I use baby potatoes, which you can serve whole or mash before serving. Since they are cooked with beef, they taste amazing.
  • Cornstarch and cream:These are optional, but I love using them to thicken and finish the gravy to serve over our tender beef.

How to Make Instant Pot Pot Roast

I’m so excited for you to make this Instant Pot pot roast! You’ll do everything in your pressure cooker for this recipe. Start by using the sauté function and sear your seasoned beef on all sides until golden brown then transfer to a plate.

There will be some rendered beef fat left from searing the beef, so that’s what we will use to cook the vegetables (hello flavor!).

You’ll notice a bunch of browned stuck bits at the bottom of the Instant Pot, so we want to scrape them up before adding back our beef. Remove the veggies, then pour in beef broth, bouillon, and apple cider vinegar and simmer with a wooden spoon to scrape everything off the bottom of the pot. This step is building even more flavor!

Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (3)

It’s time to return the beef and veggies to the pot. Then add the fresh herbs and potatoes. Seal the Instant Pot and cook at high pressure.

The cooking time depends on how much beef you have. I like to assume 20 minutes for every pound of meat. So, for my 3-pound beef chuck, I will need to cook at high pressure for 1 hour. After the hour, I release the pressure and shred the tender beef.

Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (4)

When the beef is done, you can make our optional gravy. You’ll remove the beef, veggies, and herbs from the pot and use the sauté function to simmer the liquid until it reduces a bit. Then, you’ll whisk in a simple mixture of cornstarch and water and a splash of cream.

Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (5)

More Instant Pot Recipes

  • Easiest Bone Broth
  • Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
  • Ultimate Pulled Pork – slow cooker recipe, but Instant Pot instructions provided
  • Instant Pot Eggs
  • Homemade Applesauce
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Best Instant Pot Pot Roast

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This easy Instant Pot pot roast recipe creates incredibly tender, flavorful beef. It’s perfect for the whole family. I use my Instant Pot, but this recipe works with any pressure cooker.

For this recipe, use tougher cuts of beef, such as chuck, brisket, or round. In the pressure cooker, these become melt-in-your-mouth tender. I love adding baby potatoes. They become very soft, so I mash them to serve with the pot roast. We also add carrots, celery, and garlic for extra flavor. Since they get soft during cooking, we consider them flavor additions rather than side dishes. If you’d like to serve this with carrots, I highly recommend these roasted carrots.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Watch Us Make the Recipe

You Will Need

For Pot Roast

3 pounds beef chuck, brisket, or round, see notes

Salt

1 ½ teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 large onion

5 medium carrots (12 ounces)

4 celery stalks

5 to 6 garlic cloves

1 ½ tablespoons high heat cooking oil

3 cups beef broth, try homemade beef broth

1 to 2 bouillon cubes or use bouillon mix, optional, see notes

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

4 rosemary sprigs

4 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

12 ounces baby potatoes, optional

For Optional Gravy

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons cream, optional

Directions

  • Cook Pot Roast
  • 1Season beef with salt (I use 2 to 3 teaspoons). Then, let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

    2Meanwhile, stir the onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper together.

    3Peel and cut the onion into large chunks. Peel the carrots and remove the ends. Slice the carrots and celery into thick, long sticks. Smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and peel away the skins.

    4Pat the beef dry the beef with paper towels, then rub all over with the spice mixture.

    5Heat the oil in your Instant Pot with the Sauté setting on high heat. Brown the beef on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove beef to a plate.

    6Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves to the pot. Cook until softened and lightly browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Remove to a plate.

    7Add the beef broth, bouillon, and cider vinegar, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. (This adds flavor and prevents an error from the Instant Pot while cooking at pressure).

    8Turn the Sauté function off. Return the beef and vegetables to the pot. Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, and potatoes (optional). It’s okay if the liquid does not cover all of the beef and vegetables.

    9Cook at High Pressure for 60 minutes (adjust time for your meat’s weight, assuming 20 minutes for every pound).

    10Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick-release the rest (be careful to keep your hands and face away from the venting steam).

    11Remove the beef and shred it to your desired size on a cutting board. Then serve with the potatoes (whole or mashed). I find the carrots and celery too soft, but you can serve them if you’d like.

  • Optional Quick Gravy
  • 1Remove vegetables and herbs from the cooking liquid. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté (high heat). Boil until the liquid reduces by about a quarter.

    2Whisk cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Slowly whisk this into the reduced liquid, simmering until thickened.

    3Turn off the heat. Season to taste with salt, pepper, or other spices. If desired, add a splash of cream for extra richness.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

  • Our pressure cooker: We have the 6-quart Instant Pot.
  • Cooking time: When cooking a pot roast in an Instant Pot, allow 20 minutes for every pound of meat. For example, cook a 2-pound pot roast at high pressure for 40 minutes and a 3-pound pot roast for 60 minutes.
  • Frozen beef: I highly recommend thawing your beef for this recipe, since you cannot sear the frozen beef. If you must use frozen beef, assume 30 minutes per pound.
  • What to do if your pot roast is tough: Your pot roast should be incredibly tender and fall apart easily with a fork. If it’s still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes.
  • The provided nutrition facts are estimates. Sodium content will vary based on the ingredients you use.

Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/8 of the recipe / Calories 456 / Total Fat 19.3g / Saturated Fat 6.5g / Cholesterol 183.6mg / Sodium 882.6g / Carbohydrate 14.2g / Dietary Fiber 2.9g / Total Sugars 3.5g / Protein 57g

AUTHOR: Adam and Joanne Gallagher

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Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (2024)

FAQs

Why is my roast tough in Instant Pot? ›

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes. The provided nutrition facts are estimates.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook a pot roast? ›

Taste: For overall taste, the pressure cooker was the hands-down winner. Beef, carrots, and potatoes all retained their rich flavors. After 8 hours in the slow cooker, they emerged bland and seemed to need salt.

Can you overcook roast in Instant Pot? ›

In a few words, yes! You can also undercook it, too. Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast.

What is the best cut of roast for pot roast? ›

What Is the Best Meat for Pot Roast? The best meat for pot roast is a beef cut with abundant connective tissue, like chuck roast, beef brisket or bottom round roast.

Does too much liquid make pot roast tough? ›

If you add too much liquid, the meat might end up boiling instead of braising. Boiling meat can result in an unappealing texture and won't allow the development of the rich, complex flavors that braising provides.

Does quick release make meat tough Instant Pot? ›

Quick release does not necessarily make your meat tough. There are many recipes that have a longer cook time, so doing a quick release is better. It really just depends on what you are making. However, if the recipe calls for a natural release and you do a quick release, then yes your meat could come out tough.

Should pot roast be submerged in liquid Instant Pot? ›

It is best if the roast is not completely submerged, so pour in a little less broth if necessary. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 75 minutes. Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally (about 30 minutes). Carefully remove the roast, cover it, and set it aside to rest.

Is pork shoulder better in Instant Pot or crock pot? ›

Slow cooking the meat means it never has the chance to toughen up and will be extra silky and tender. Pressure cooking is faster, though you may lose a little bit of the tenderness. If you're going for the pressure cook method, be sure to get a pork shoulder or pork butt, as opposed to a pork loin.

When to add potatoes to pot roast? ›

Add the carrots and potatoes to the pot when there's about an hour of cooking time left, turning the roast over when you do. To serve, spoon any excess fat off the surface and slice or shred the beef to serve with the veggies, drizzled with sauce. Serves 6-8.

How much water do I put in my Instant Pot for a roast? ›

I recommend adding 1/2 cup of liquid (water or low-sodium beef broth) to the Instant Pot for a roast. Typically you need at least 1 cup of liquid in the Instant Pot; the remaining 1/2 cup comes from the juices released by the chuck roast and the tomato sauce.

Should roast be covered with liquid in a pressure cooker? ›

While you may cover meat almost completely for a conventional braise, use just enough liquid for the cooker to reach pressure – during pressure cooking the meat will release it's own juice and braise in that flavorful liquid, instead. DO use fresh herbs.

How do you keep meat moist in a pressure cooker? ›

The tightly sealed cooker creates a high-pressure environment that quickly and efficiently steams whatever is inside of it at an extra-high heat. This technique also forces moisture into the food quickly.

What kind of onion is best for pot roast? ›

Though you can use white onions, sweet onions, or red onions, we recommend using yellow ones because of their unique flavor profile. Yellow onions are a widely used onion type in the US and is great with meat dishes such as pot roast, roasted chicken, lamb rack, stew, and more.

Is chuck or bottom round better for pot roast? ›

Chuck pot roasts have more fat, and therefore more flavor, than those from the round. Beef round roasts suitable for pot roasting are round tip, round rump, bottom round and eye round roasts. Most beef round and chuck pot roasts can be used interchangeably, with only slight adjustments in cooking time.

What cut of roast has the best flavor? ›

The Rib-Eye Roast is the boneless center cut of the rib section. Very well-marbled, tender and flavorful, it is the most desirable and the most expensive of the roasts.

Can you soften tough meat in Instant Pot? ›

Just cooking it in a pressure cooker will make it tender. Cook it anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour; you may have to experiment to get the time right. How do I make my meat soft?

How do you fix a tough pot roast? ›

You may need some sweetness and acidity to bring up the tough meat. Simmer in liquid. Just like for burnt meat, if your meat gets tough and dry then you can simmer it in a little bit of broth for a couple minutes. Don't allow it to overcook again but just allow the liquid to penetrate the meat.

Why is my pot roast tender but dry? ›

It sounds odd, but meat can become dry even when it's cooked in moisture. The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture.

How to make tender meat in a pressure cooker? ›

Add the meat, juices and all to your pressure cooker . Pressure on high for 25 minutes and let the pressure come down naturally. When that's done remove the lid and simmer to preferred thickness. Serve over rice, polenta, mashed potatoes or grits.

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