Minimize time while maximizing flavor in this delicious Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe. Tender beef paired with veggies and a juicy gravy for the perfect comfort food without the fuss!
Looking to learn how to make a quick pot roast? This tutorial shows you step-by-step directions on how to make a pot roast in the Instant Pot! Read on for more.
Maven’s Quick Tips
Use the correct cut of meat. We’re partial to a chuck roast but I’m sharing a couple other tougher cuts of meat than can withstand longer cooking in the Instant Pot.
Do not overcook. I’ve tested this recipe with different sizes of roast and truly find the magic number is around 50 minutes for a 2.5-3 lb cut of chuck roast.
Cook meat and veggies separately. While it would be great if these could be cooked together the veggies get VERY mushy if they’re left to cook with the meat. So do yourself a favor and remove the meat before cooking the veggies.
Thicken your gravy. After you cook your chuck roast and veggies you’ll want to turn your Instant Pot back to saute mode and stir in your slurry. Not only does this help to thicken your gravy but it also will cook off any remaining alcohol since alcohol doesn’t cook off in a closed pressure system.
Ingredients in Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Chuck Roast – You’ll use a 2.5-3 lb cut of meat for this recipe. Anything bigger will require a much longer cooking time. If using slightly smaller cook for a little less time (just note I haven’t tested it).
- Olive oil
- Salt + Pepper
- Yellow onion
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Tomato Paste
- Beef Broth
- Red Wine
- Tamari or Soy Sauce
- Bay Leaves
- Fresh Thyme
- Carrots
- Potatoes
- Cornstarch
What is the Best Meat for Pot Roast?
I personally find that a chuck roast is the best cut for making a Pot Roast in the Instant Pot. That being said, you could swap in another tougher cut of beef if desired. Here are a few options:
- Rump Roast
- Brisket
- Shoulder
- Bottom Round Roast
How to Cook Pot Roast In the Instant Pot
STEP 1: SEAR CHUCK ROAST
Season your chuck roast with the salt and pepper and then cut into 4-5 large chunks. Place your Instant Pot on saute mode and add your olive oil. Sear your chuck roast to brown on all sides (2-3 minutes per side). Remove meat and set aside.
STEP 2: COOK MEAT
Add onion, shallot, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth, red wine, tamari (or soy sauce) to your Instant Pot and stir to combine. Nestle seared chuck roast pieces into mixture and top with bay leaves. Close top and set valve to seal and pressure cook on HIGH for 50 minutes. Allow for natural steam release for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining steam. Use tongs to remove pot roast and bay leaf and cover roast with foil to let rest.
STEP 3: COOK VEGGIES
Add carrots and potatoes into gravy and close top and set valve to seal. Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. Quick release all pressure immediately when done.
STEP 4: THICKEN GRAVY
In a small bowl combine cornstarch and 1 1/2 tbsp of warm water and stir to combine to form a slurry. Set Instant Pot to saute mode again. Pour slurry into gravy with potatoes and carrots and let cook until simmering and gravy has thickened.
STEP 5: SERVE
Slice or shred your chuck roast between two forks and serve with cooked potatoes and carrots on the side. Drizzle with gravy as desired.
How to Customize Your Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Use different veggies – traditionally pot roast is made with potatoes and carrots, however you can swap in your favorite hearty root vegetables instead. Think turnip, rutabaga, celery root, butternut squash (or other winter squash) and sweet potatoes. Note that if you try other vegetables you’ll need to adjust cooking time.
Use a different cut of meat – I shared some options for other hearty cuts of meat you can use instead. Try to stick to chuck roast if you can since I’ve tested the recipe with that.
Make the slurry – I typically use cornstarch or tapioca starch to make the slurry. You could sub in arrowroot powder too. If you don’t have any of these a little all-purpose flour will do the trick in a pinch.
Change the herbs – I like using bay leaf and fresh thyme. You could sub in different herbs if you’d like. Fresh rosemary or sage would both be delicious!
Do I Have to Cook the Veggies Separately?
I would recommend cooking the chuck roast in your Instant Pot first followed by the veggies. Cooking them together will results in very mushy carrots and potatoes.
Do I Have to Sear My Chuck Roast First?
This step is not essential but it does add a ton of flavor so I would highly recommend it. If making in the oven I typically do a reverse sear but when you’re cooking your Instant Pot Pot Roast and don’t have that function I’d suggest doing a quick sear on saute before pressure cooking.
Can I Make This Pot Roast in the Oven?
Yes you definitely can. If you don’t have an Instant Pot simply add your meat to a large dutch oven or covered pan (after searing) and then top with with veggies and sauce. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and then cook for 2.5-3 hours. Crank the heat up to 425 degrees F, uncover pot and then cook for 10 minutes to do a reverse sear. Shred meat with 2 forks.
Can I Make This Quick Pot Roast in a Slow Cooker?
Yes! Of course this kind of defeats the purpose of it being “quick” but you can certainly make this pot roast in your slow cooker. I would cook it on low for 8 hours. Your veggies will get a little mushy so feel free to add them in halfway through cooking instead. Shred with 2 forks when meat is done.
FAQs
Make sure you keep your carrots and potatoes relatively large when chopping them. Also be sure to steam release right after pressure cooking them.
I’ve only made this pot roast in an Instant Pot but you can definitely make it in a different pressure cooker – I just have not tested cook times so it may vary.
You could sub in an extra 1/2 cup of beef stock and 1-2 tbsp of red wine vinegar instead if you’d like.
Technically no, you don’t have to but I would still recommend sautéing it to cook off any remaining alcohol in the gravy.
Up to you! I personally like it shredded but you could slice it if preferred.
Storage Instructions
Fridge: Store your Instant Pot chuck roast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend pouring your gravy into a separate mason jar or container so the fat doesn’t all congeal on the meat and veggies.
Freezer: If you’d like to you can freeze your pot roast in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. I personally think meat tastes best when it’s frozen before cooking but that’s up to you!
More Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Minimize time while maximizing flavor in this delicious Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe. Enjoy the perfect comfort food without the fuss in this perfect meal in one chuck roast in the Instant Pot!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
- 2.5–3 lb chuck roast
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 lb fingerling potatoes, sliced lengthwise
- 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca starch)
- Season your chuck roast with the salt and pepper and then cut into 4-5 large chunks.
- Place your Instant Pot on saute mode and add your olive oil.
- Sear your chuck roast to brown on all sides (2-3 minutes per side). Remove meat and set aside.
- Add onion, shallot, garlic, tomato paste, beef broth, red wine, tamari (or soy sauce) to your Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Nestle seared chuck roast pieces into mixture and top with bay leaves.
- Close top and set valve to seal and pressure cook on HIGH for 50 minutes. Allow for natural steam release for 10 minutes and then manually release any remaining steam.
- Use tongs to remove pot roast and bay leaves and cover roast with foil to let rest. Discard thyme and bay leaves.
- Add carrots and potatoes into gravy and close top and set valve to seal. Cook on HIGH for 3 minutes. Quick release all pressure immediately when done.
- In a small bowl combine cornstarch and 1 1/2 tbsp of warm water and stir to combine to form a slurry.
- Set Instant Pot to saute mode again.
- Pour slurry into gravy with potatoes and carrots and let cook until simmering and gravy has thickened.
- Slice or shred your chuck roast between two forks and serve with cooked potatoes and carrots on the side. Drizzle with gravy as desired.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in microwave or on stove top.
