Ingredients For Roast Beef
Our Instant Pot pot roast features only a handful of ingredients: beef and all the bits you need to make the cooking and serving gravy. Lets recap!
- Beef for roasting: For this type of roast beef, cooked in the Instant Pot pot-roast style, you can use chuck, round or topside roast cuts. We used topside roast beef that we cut into two large pieces. You can leave the roast whole if it fits in the pot or fold it in otherwise, cut it into 2-3 pieces.
- For the gravy sauce: Onions, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper are just a few simple ingredients for the broth. Red wine is great for deglazing the pot after searing the meat, plus it adds depth and acidity to the gravy. A lot of the flavor will come from the brown gravy mix. You need about one 28 g/ 1 oz sachet or 2-3 tablespoons of dry powder. Then, its just water and a little flour right at the end if you want to thicken the gravy further.
Pot Roast Vs Roast Beef
The names pot roast and roast beef may refer to the same dish. However, there are a couple of small differences. Pot roast is meat cooked in broth/liquid, although its not always submerged like the meat in a stew, so the top still browns. The cooking broth becomes the gravy in which the meat is served or is poured over.
Roast beef, if strictly speaking, refers to meat cooked dry or out of any liquid. It can sit in its cooking fat and juices but the gravy or sauce is usually prepared afterwards or separately.
Our Instant Pot roast beef recipe is more like a pot-roast, although you will get plenty of browning and the meat can be sliced like roast beef rather than shredded. The cooking broth is made with added gravy mix which flavor the meat and then becomes the serving sauce.
How To Make Instant Pot Roast Beef
Pat the meat dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Set your instant pot to Saute. Once it reads Hot, add a splash of olive oil. Brown the bottom of the beef for 4 minutes, the top for 3 minutes, then the sides for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the instant pot. Saute the onions for about 3 minutes.
Add the bay leaf, rosemary, and garlic. Stir well, and cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
Pour the stock into the pot to deglaze. Scrap up browned bits off the bottom of the instant pot and stir to mix.
Stir in the soy sauce. Put your steamer rack in the instant pot, then place the beef on it. Shut the lid and turn the knob to Sealed. Cook the beef for 3 minutes, then allow 25 minutes of natural release, making sure that it’s set to Keep Warm.
Check the temperature of the beef. It should read 120°F on your meat thermometer.
Remove the beef from the instant pot, loosely cover it with foil and allow it to rest about 10 minutes.
Switch your instant pot to Saute mode and bring the sauce in the pot to a gentle simmer. Use this opportunity to taste it and make any adjustments like adding in more pepper or soy sauce. Whisk in the flour and 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to thicken the gravy.
Once the roast has finished resting, slice it, making sure to cut against the grain of the meat.
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Can I Cook A Frozen Roast In The Pioneer Woman Instant Pot Pot Roast
Absolutely! The cooking time should be increased to 90100 minutes for a roast weighing 3 pounds, 100110 minutes for a roast weighing 4 pounds, and 120 minutes for anything weighing more than 4 pounds. Even though you wont be able to sear a frozen roast, you may still season it with salt and pepper and add liquids as the recipe asks for below.
Is Shoulder Roast A Good Cut Of Meat
Whats great about the shoulder cut is that it makes for a great steak. You can get a blade steak which is thinner as well as a chuck steak. There are bones in it that can add extra flavor to your cook should you choose to leave them in or you can simply cut the meat off the bone after the cook.
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Why Youll Love This Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe:
- A chuck roast prepared in Instant Pot results in a pot roast that is astonishingly tender and tasty, and it may be ready in a fraction of the usual cooking time.
- To prepare this dish, you will only need one pot, which might be your Instant Pot .
- The leftovers are delicious after being reheated. Below you can find further reading about how to reheat a pot roast.
Tips For Making Instant Pot Roast Beef
Chicken stock is wonderful in this recipe, but you can also use beef or even vegetable stock.
Cuts of beef with lots of connective tissue like a chuck roast don’t work as well with this particular recipe.
Don’t be afraid to check on your roast as it’s cooking.
Enjoy instant pot roast beef sliced thin, like you might get out of a deli, or cut thick like a steak.
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How To Make The Best Instant Pot Chuck Roast Recipe
PREP: Generously season the roast. Heat the oil in the Instant Pot using the saute function. Once hot, sear on all sides. Pour in the broth, and secure the Instant Pot lid.
COOK: Turn the steam release valve to seal, and cook on high pressure for 50 minutes. Do a quick pressure release by flipping the seal. Allow all pressure to come out before removing the lid.
ADD VEGGIES: Place the carrots and potatoes around the rump roast. Reseal, and cook on high pressure again for 5 minutes. Perform another quick release.
SHRED THE MEAT: Use two forks to shred the roast on a serving platter.
MAKE GRAVY: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Remove the vegetables from the inner pot, and whisk in the cornstarch slurry. Turn the function back to saute and let it simmer to thicken the flavorful gravy. Add the meat and veggie back to toss or serve the gravy on the side.
- Other seasoning ideas: garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, fresh rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar.
- To make this recipe in the oven or a dutch oven, refer to my classic pot roast recipe.
- Want to make it in the slow cooker? Use my Mississippi pot roast recipe.
How to store leftover pot roast?
Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Why is my Instant Pot Roast tough?
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What kind of liquid should I use for Instant Pot Beef Pot Roast?
There are plenty of different liquids and sauces you can mix in with the meat juices. Try Worcestershire Sauce or tomato paste for some extra flavor. Worcestershire sauce has a more sharp taste so you may only want to use a tablespoon or so. The tomato paste on the other hand is more gentle so you could mix in a few extra tablespoons tomato into the meat sauce. Some other options are mixing in red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. Yet another option is using a little broth along with or instead of the beef stock. Onion Soup mix or barley soup broth could taste great. If you want to add some wine try a cabernet, pinot noir, or merlot.
What seasonings go well on Pot Roast?
There are plenty of seasonings and fresh herbs you can add to the pot roast dry rub. Try adding some rosemary. A large sprig of fresh rosemary or dried rosemary would both work. You could also replace the fresh thyme called for in the recipe with dried thyme if you dont have fresh. Try mixing together a little onion powder, an extra teaspoon kosher salt, and teaspoon black pepper, and garlic powder for the dry rub. A teaspoon onion powder and a teaspoon garlic powder should be enough to add to the pot roast. You could also use Montreal Steak seasoning to change up the flavor of your beef roast. Place the meat on a clean surface and add the dry rub before putting it in the instant pot.
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Expert Tips & Tricks:
- Want to ensure this quick chuck roast recipe is cooked evenly? Allow the meat to rest on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes before cooking. This helps take the chill off.
- For the best sear, pat the beef chuck roast dry with paper towels prior to seasoning. The dry surface and hot oil give you that extra crispy brown crust, which packs in so much flavor.
- Looking for pot roast with potatoes and carrots? Simply omit the parsnips and replace them with an equal amount of carrots.
- Beef Broth vs. Chicken Broth: As youll see in the recipe below, I used chicken broth as the liquid in the recipe. I personally find that my homemade chicken stock produces a lighter pot roast recipe. However, if you prefer beef broth feel free to swap an equal amount of it in place of chicken broth.
- What pressure cooker should I use? I prefer to use my Instant Pot, but any pressure cooker you own will work. Feel free to use your Electric Pressure Cooker, Power Cooker, Presto, Power Cooker XL, or Crock-Pot Express. Just make sure to follow the manufacturers cooking technique, as it varies between each brand.
How To Cook A Roast In A Pressure Cooker
The method for electric pressure cooker pot roast comes together in 3 folds.
First, preheat the pressure cooker by selecting Saute on HIGH and add the vegetable oil. While the oil is heating, season the beef chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add to the Instant Pot and brown the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the meat to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
PRO TIP: If your meat is large and/or uneven in size make sure to follow the directions I used in Inas Pot Roast recipe and tie the beef chuck roast before seasoning and placing it in your Instant Pot. This will prevent it from spreading too much and losing those valuable juices.
If you watch the how-to video in the recipe card below you will see that I failed to do that. The end product was still good, but it would have been easier to manage in the end if I had tied it at the beginning. Here is a helpful video to show you how to tie beef.
Second, add the onion, garlic, broth, and thyme, and give it a stir making sure to scrape the brown bits at the bottom. Put the meat back into the pot and secure the lid. Select Manual, making sure the steam release handle is set to Sealing position, and cook at HIGH pressure for 60 minutes.
Need ideas to put your Instant Pot to good use? Check out all my Instant Pot recipes that are perfect for beginners like me.
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What Side Dishes Go Well With Pot Roast
Well mashed potatoes . Im a huge fan of the two together! However, the potatoes are the second part of this recipe and are easy enough to skip. Other side opportunities include:
- If you want a little greens, consider adding this simple tossed green salad.
- Roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans, or broccoli are easy to whip together while the roast isroasting.
- If you like the idea of potatoes but not mashed potatoes, you could make my favorite Company Potatoes or some simple roasted or baked ones in the oven with a little EVOO or butter and salt and pepper.
- Sometimes I like to go simple with my veggie sides and arrange cut-up carrots, celery, and cucumbers to a dinner plate with some hummus or ranch dressing for dipping.
- Other grain and pasta sides that go great with pot roast include couscous, white or brown rice, and wide egg noodles.
Easy Pressure Cooker Chuck Roast
Busy weeknights just got easier with this simple Instant pot roast beef recipe! If you’ve been utilizing your Instant Pot for a while now, then you know just how ingenious and time-saving they are.
This recipe is one of my go-to’s when we are craving some good old-fashioned home cooking but I don’t have the time for an hours-long roasting session. The meat turns out ultra-flavorful and tender every time!
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How Long Do You Cook A Pot Roast In The Instant Pot
The length of time that a roast must be cooked under pressure is mostly determined by the size of either the roast itself or the pieces that are cut from it. My preference is to chop roasts into pieces that are around one pound in weight .
However, the amount of time needed to cook the pieces is also determined by the thickness of the pieces, so there has to be some leeway. If you want to err on the side of caution, you may always allow for a little more time while pressure cooking the meat. I prefer to cook smaller pieces of meat for around one hour under high pressure.
If your roast has been frozen, or if it is one enormous piece, you will need to add a substantial amount of additional time to the cooking process to guarantee that the flesh is soft enough to come apart.
To Make This Chuck Roast Recipe On The Stove Or In The Slow Cooker
To make it on the stovetop you follow the same instructions except you are browning in a large dutch oven on the stove. You then deglaze it and pour the sauce over the meat. Cover and cook until the meat is tender.
A 3 pound roast can take put to 1 hour and 21 minutes to be medium . Here is a good source for how long to cook beef roasts.
For the slow cooker, brown and deglaze in a large skillet and then put everything in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low. Here are all of my delicious slow cooker recipes if you are interested. And here all my Instant Pot recipes.
I was inspired to make this when I saw IBreatheImHungry.coms recipe for balsamic beef. By the way, she has lots of delicious low carb recipes if you are interested. I hope you like this as much as we did. The nutrition for 1 serving is:
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Where To Buy An Instant Pot
This is the 6-quart Instant Pot I started out with. After a few years, we added an 8-quart partly because I knew I would use two at the same time often enough, partly because it was the Prime Day sale, and also because I wanted more space for certain recipes. Both are a pretty basic model and you dont need more bells and whistles than that!
If youre deciding on size, most people say its better to get a deal on the 6-quart and just have 2 rather than go big, BUT if your family has 5 or more people or you really like to batch cook or do more than a pound of beans, the 8-quart may be the best choice. My full Instant Pot review and buying guide for features, size, and model.
If youd like to shop directly at Instant Pots website instead of Amazon , check them out here.
You can even get a carrying case to travel with it! See my review of the Instant Pot carrying case we have.
If youre still on the fence about adding an Instant Pot to your kitchen appliance arsenal here are my Instant Pot pros and cons.
Is Pot Roast Low Carb
On it’s own, pot roast is a low carb meal, since it’s just a slow cooked beef roast. This recipe includes potatoes and a thick and silky gravy, which makes the recipe a bit high in carbs due to the starch needed to thicken it.
If you’d like to reduce the amount of carbs in this Instant Pot Pot Roast, you should not include the potatoes. You can also either skip the gravy, use keto gravy, or enjoy the broth without thickening it, like an au jus.
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What Meat Cut Is Best For Pot Roast
Chuck, brisket, or round. These are tough and lean cuts with minimal fat. Tough ones are better choices aside from the price point of view.
Since you will be subjecting the meat to high pressure, then, even the cheaper tough cuts can be used. The collagen in these cuts turns into gelatin which makes this dish silky. At the same time, the meat becomes tender enough to be shredded.
What Is The Best Cut Of Meat For This Recipe
When I make pot roast, I typically go for one of three cuts of meat, a chuck roast, a brisket, or a bottom or top round. Heres why:
- A chuck roast is tender and falls apart easily when slow cooked. This is due to the chuck roasts amount of marbling that makes it juicy when cooked down. This also makes it easy to shred. A chuck roast is melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
- A brisket has a lot of connective tissue that makes it tender after a long day of being cooked slowly. However, brisket is a little pricier than a chuck roast so keep that in mind.
- A bottom or top round cut of beef is what is used when making roast beef that you get sliced at the deli. Coming from the rear of the cow, its leaner than the brisket and chuck roast. Because of this leanness, you might want to add a little extra fat while it cooks so it doesnt dry out. You can do this with oil or butter.
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