Instant Pot Pot Roast
II grew up with family dinners every Sunday at my grandparent’s house. And my papa was known for his Slow Cooker Pot Roast.
His secret ingredient to making the BEST pot roast was prepared horseradish. Not only does the horseradish work to tenderize the pot roast, but it also helps to make it incredibly flavorful–so much better than any other pot roast I have ever had.
This method for cooking a pot roast in the instant pot is every bit as delicious as the classic recipe but takes a fraction of the time. Not to mention, you can use a frozen beef roast in the Instant Pot, which is a big no-no when cooking in the slow cooker.
Easy Pressure Cooker Pot Roast
- 1 boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch seasoned salt, or to taste
- 1 pinch onion powder, or to taste
- 1 can beef broth
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 large onion, cut into 4 wedges
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- Step 1
Heat oil in a pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides in the hot oil season with pepper, seasoned salt, and onion powder.
- Step 2
Pour in beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, add the quartered onion, and seal the lid. Bring the cooker up to full pressure. Reduce heat to low, maintaining full pressure, and cook for 30 minutes.
- Step 3
Use the quick-release method to lower the pressure. Mix in carrots and potatoes, seal the lid again, and return the pressure cooker to the heat. Bring the cooker up to full pressure and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Use the quick-release method again and transfer the roast and vegetables to a serving dish.
Preparing Your Instant Rib Roast
The first step is to prepare your rib roast for the instant pot is deciding how you wish to cut it and if you are eating it bone in or boneless. And if any leftover meals are going to be planned, or if its just a one off roast beef for a Sunday dinner or a special occasion.
What we did in preparing our rib roast was to separate it into two.
Our rib roast was a 4 rib roast and weighed more than 5 kilos which is 11 pounds. Even if we had wanted to cook it all, there is no way that it would have fitted in our instant pot pressure cooker.
Therefore, Dominic was kind enough to slice down the middle and create two ribs of beef.
Of course, these would fit in the kitchen gadgets easily.
BUT we find that rib of beef in the instant pot is much better, if you go with a boneless version.
Plus, if we do a boneless version, we can cut out the ribs and then use the rib bones for an amazing soup.
Of course, you might not need to consider this, as you might have a ribeye roast that has been rolled and is already prepared for you.
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Classic Roast Beef And Vegetables
Last but not least is everyones favorite old standby: sliced roast beef with vegetables. Its something you can throw into the slow cooker and cook while youre working all day, or its something you can serve up for a special Sunday dinner. Peas, carrots, potatoes and green beans are all great options for sides. Just dont forget to make the gravy.
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How To Fix A Tough Pot Roast
To avoid a tough pot roast from the get-go:
- Make sure you are using good quality meat
- Look for a roast with even marbling of fat throughout
- Cook for an appropriate amount of time
If you end up with a tough roast, there are a few things you can do to help it
- Cut it against the grain and put it back into the pot juices to soak up some moisture
- Pressure cook it for another 10 15 minutes
- Put chunks into a food processor and pulse to shred it. This works good if youre using it for quesadillas, enchiladas, etc
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No Browning Required For Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Many beef roast recipes call for you to brown your roast in a hot pan with a bit of oil prior to cooking it. I have been making beef roasts for years and I personally havenât experienced any boost in flavor from browning. To me, itâs a waste of time .
If you would like to brown your gluten-free pot roast ahead of time, by all means, please do so. You can do it directly in the Instant Pot, using the Saute button/function.
How To Make Instant Pot Chuck Roast:
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Cook The Pork On Low And Cook It Slow
After seasoning the meat, we put together a mixture of cooked onions, garlic, tomato paste, and spices. Thats poured over the pork, and were ready to cook.
When I said the slow cooker shines in this recipe, I meant it. Its pretty tricky to overcook pork shoulder. Its because of this that we happily cook the pork on low for many hours.
In our recipe below we call for at least 8, but you really can go beyond that. The pork should be so tender that a spoon can cut through it. Doing all of this in a slow cooker makes it easy. Do it overnight or while you are away from the house.
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How Do You Make Instant Pot Pot Roast
Start by browning your roast in the pot. Remove the roast from the pot, then saute the onions and garlic until tender. Add a little red wine to the pot, along with an assortment of herbs and spices. Next, pour in beef broth and place the roast back in the pot. Cook the roast, then manually release the pressure. Add carrots and potatoes to the pot, then bring it back to pressure and cook for a few more minutes until the veggies are tender. Remove the roast and veggies to the pot, then stir corn starch into the pot liquid to turn it into a gravy. Shred the meat, then serve with the gravy, carrots and potatoes.
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Instant Pot Frozen Beef Roast
This instant pot frozen beef roast is one of the recipes that are full of taste. You can serve it with carrots and potatoes and that what I recommend people to make if they have them some free time. A frozen beef roast is a bit difficult to cook for many people because you need to prepare it before. Today you will turn this simple recipe into a meal youve ever had.
How Long Do You Cook Instant Pot Pot Roast
Ive experimented with three different size chuck roasts one of 1.5 lbs, two of 1.5 lbs at the same time and a big single piece 4 lbs. They ALL cooked in 60 minutes on high plus natural pressure release.
It seems like the size doesnt really play that big of a role but rather the thickness. Regardless of that, however, Im confident your roast will be perfect and fall-apart tender within 60 minutes no matter how big or thick it is.
You may want to add another 20 minutes if you are cooking a gigantic chuck roast of 6 lbs or something like that.
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How To Make Pot Roast In A Pressure Cooker
In our photos, we are using a 6-quart Instant Pot, which is an electric pressure cooker. Other brands make electric pressure cookers, too. If you own one of them, you should be able to use this recipe without any problems .
Step 1, Season the beef and bring to room temperature. Ive already touched on this above, but Ill quickly do it again, here. After testing, we found that when we left the beef out on the counter to come closer to room temperature before cooking it, the pot roast was much more tender at the end of the cook time. I also love that the beef gets a chance to sit with the salt for about an hour before cooking. In this time, the salt seeps into the meat and helps to season and tenderize it.
Step 2, Brown the beef on all sides. By browning the beef on all sides before cooking at high pressure, we add color to the meat and add lots of flavor to the pot. For a one pot meal, brown the beef right in the pressure cooker using the Saute function. If your pressure cooker does not have this function, simply brown the beef in a heavy pan on the stove. After browning, I remove the beef so I can move onto the veggies.
Step 5, Pressure cook until the beef is tender. As I mentioned above, the time you need to cook will vary depending on how large the piece of beef is that you are cooking. We have found that a 3-pound roast takes 60 minutes at high pressure before it is tender.
Pressure Cook Pot Roast
First, add 1 cup unsalted chicken stock, 1 tbsp regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 pinch of dried rosemary, 1 pinch of thyme, and 2 bay leaves in Instant Pot.
Then, taste the seasoning and add more kosher salt and ground black pepper if desired.
Now, place the chuck roast and all its meat juice in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.
With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
- Pressure Cooking Method: Pressure cook at High Pressure for 45 minutes + Full Natural Release .
Open the lid carefully.
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Why Use An Instant Pot
Have you joined the instant pot craze??
I put it off, like I usually do with new kitchen gadgets, because I was afraid it was a funky trend that would fizzle out but after friends raving non stop about theirs, I broke down and got myself one.
Im obsessed! Where has this thing been all of my life?
And just to clear things up, I say Instant Pot because thats the brand that I own and is most familiar with everyone, but these recipes are not sponsored by the brand in any way and any pressure cooker will do just fine! I dont care what brand it is, just get your hands on one pronto. Its seriously takes one pot cooking to a whole new level of awesome.
Perfect Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe + Video
This Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe is an easy, comforting dinner that comes together so quickly in the pressure cooker! With tender veggies , a fall apart tender roast and seasoned gravy. With step by step VIDEO
If you look around my site for about 5 seconds, you know that healthier comfort food is my jam. Sure, theres the occasional over the top dessert , but you wont see a lot of green salads or smoothie bowls.
Its not because theres anything wrong with those things, I just really believe in nourishing our bodies with real food, full flavors, and enjoying every bite.
Not that smoothie bowls arent delicious or nourishing they are! Green salads on the other hand.
I havent always been sold on the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker , but at the beginning of the year I set out to really give it a chance and see what all the hype was about.
I discovered that I actually liked it for certain things, but that it wasnt going to replace my slow cooker, stove top or oven.
My favorite things to cook in the Instant Pot? The recipes that also usually do well in the crock pot, but in the Instant Pot they take just a fraction of the time. Large, tough cuts of meat, roasts, soups with lots of veggies , and macaroni when you need it to cook in two minutes.
It is also great for those days when you forget to take the meat out of the freezer to thaw and you need a dinner option in record time
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What Vegetables To Serve This With
My personal favorite is to serve this with some sauteed Brussels sprouts, but I know potatoes and carrots are a much more popular option.
I think the potatoes and carrots will taste best if you roast them separately in the oven, or you could try making my popular Honey Glazed Carrots!
If you want to cook the potatoes and carrots in the Instant Pot with the roast, youll need to decrease the cooking time by 15 minutes and do a quick release. Then add in halved potatoes and carrots. Cook everything for the remaining 15 minutes and then proceed with the natural release for 30 minutes.
Make Gravy & Serve Instant Pot Roast
Taste the sauce one last time and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Mix 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water, then mix it into the yummy pot roast gravy one third at a time until desired thickness.
Then, slice the pot roast against the grain. High five your family!
Serve this Easy Instant Pot Umami Pot Roast and Potatoes with Gravy, and enjoy this umami filled dish youve just cooked!
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How To Prepare The Beef For Instant Pot Pot Roast
One of the goals of pressure cooking is to speed up the cooking process and cutting large cuts of meat down into chunks is the best way to achieve this. It can cut the cooking time in half versus tossing in a whole roast. The other benefit is that you can season the individual chunks with the dry rub, covering more surface area of the meat which means more flavor. It also gives you the opportunity to more effectively trim the fat which will yield a better gravy.
Using a sharp knife, cut the roast into 4 to 6 chunks. How many chunks will depend on the size of your roast. If you are using a highly marbled cut of chuck, cut it at the seams where you see veins of fat running through it. Trim and discard the fat from all the edges of each piece. Just do the best you can. There will be small fat deposits left and that is just fine. If you are using a 4 pound highly marbled piece of chuck, you may end up trimming as much as 1/2 pound of fat. This is one of the reasons I prefer using a leaner cut of chuck. They are easier to trim and youll end up with more meat. More bang for the buck! And, trust me, it will still get tender. None of these cuts stand a chance against the Instant Pot.
Sprinkle the dry rub over both sides of the chunks of beef and use your hands to press it into the surface of the meat. I like to do this on a foil lined board for easy cleanup.
The seared chunks of beef are added back to the pot and tucked down into the liquid.
Now, go forth and eat pot roast!
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Our Favorite Bone Broth is made in a pressure cooker. Think of bone broth as a more intense, velvety broth. It can be used in recipes calling for stock or broth, but also doubles as a delicious and comforting soup to enjoy by itself.
- Instant Pot Pot Roast is so tender, it melts in your mouth. This easy recipe makes ultra-flavorful beef guaranteed to satisfy the entire family.
- Our Ultimate Pulled Pork is amazing when made in a pressure cooker. See our tips as well as how to make it in a slow cooker.
- These Instant Pot Eggs could not be simpler! If you are looking for a 100% foolproof method for how to cook hard or soft boiled eggs, this is it.
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Brown Beef Roast In Instant Pot
Press Saute button to Sauté More function to heat up Instant Pot. It will switch to ON on the screen.
Wait until it says HOTon the screen .
*Pro Tip: Make sure Instant Pot is as hot as it can be in order to induce a Maillard reaction.
Add 1 tbsp olive oil in the Instant Pots inner pot. Ensure the whole bottom is coated with olive oil.
*Note: In total, there are 6 sides to a beef roast. We are browning 4 sides of the beef roast excluding both ends .
Pat dry the beef roast with paper towel. Generously season one side of the beef roast with kosher salt and black pepper.
Place the beef roast in Instant Pot .
Brown the first side for 4 minutes. Generously season the other side with salt and black pepper.
Brown that side for 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
Finally, brown the other 2 sides for 2 minutes and 30 seconds per side .
Set aside the browned beef roast.
