How To Cook Pot Roast In The Instant Pot

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What Vegetables To Serve This With

Instant Pot Classic Pot Roast | Boneless Chuck Roast Recipe

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.

Tips For Making The Best Instant Pot Pot Roast:

  • Like I mentioned before, please do not add the veggies for the first cook time. You do not want your veggies cooking an extra 60+ minutes under high pressure! 3 minutes and they are perfectly tender and fluffy.
  • You can skip searing the meat if you need to cut out some prep time, but it does add significant flavor to the dish overall. If you dont sear, youll find that your juices will be more beefy and you will taste less of the other flavors.
  • If you need to save some time, cut the roast into 2-3 chunks and pressure cook for 40-50 minutes, or save even more time by using pre-cut stewing beef.
  • All of my Instant Pot recipes are tested in a 6 quart Instant Pot.

How Long Do I Cook Roast In The Instant Pot

It really depends on both the size of your roast and if your roast is frozen.

For every pound of fresh beef youll add on 20 minutes of cooking time. 3 lbs = 60 minutes, 4 lbs = 80 minutes, 5 lbs = 100 minutes, and so on.

If your roast is frozen, you can either add on time or allow your pot to release pressure naturally.

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Why Cook Pot Roast In An Instant Pot

So, if traditional pot roast with vegetables is such a classic, why change it up?

First and foremost, using your Instant Pot or pressure cooker takes the cooking time of this pot roast from hours and hours to just about 2hours .

But also, have you ever wanted to just throw out your Dutch oven after braising a roast for hours? Ugh, the clean-up. Especially after gorging yourself on pot roast and potatoes. That is SO not a problem using the Instant Pot no scrubbing or soaking required thankyouverymuch.

About The Vegetables In An Instant Pot Beef Roast

Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast (with the BEST gravy!)

One of the big challenges of making a pot roast in the Instant Pot is avoiding mushy vegetables. Many recipes put them in with the roast, which leads to disintegrated onions, mushy carrots, and mashed potatoes. Other recipes wrap the veggies in foil to protect them a bit, but those too get reports of mushy veggies. Plus, I like to have my carrots and potatoes soak up the wonderful flavor of the beef broth and onions. They wont get that wrapped in foil. I also am not the biggest fan of pressure cooking foil with my food, although I do occasionally do so.

My solution is to pressure cook the beef roast first, remove it to a plate and tent it with foil, add the vegetables to the broth, and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Use 2-3 minutes for firmer vegetables and 8-10 for softer. It doesnt hurt the meat to rest a bit like that anyway. I do cook initially with onions as well, but I add more at the end to have some firmer onions in the mix.

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Best Instant Pot Roast Beef

Is there anything more comforting than pot roast? Not only is it the ultimate trip down memory lane, but nothing else is as cozy and warm as a beautiful, shred-with-a-fork roast. My Instant Pot recipe uses simple, budget-friendly ingredients. It’s perfect for serving your family or entertaining guests!

This easy pot roast recipe saves time and keeps you from having your oven on for half the day. Instead, you only need just over an hourto complete the dish, and I guarantee your meat will come out as juicy and tender as if it were in the oven all day!

If you’re worried your pot roast will lose flavor in a pressure cooker, trust me, it won’t! The pressure from the Instant Pot intensifies the flavors and blends them together wonderfully. This roast beef recipe is only rivaled by my Mississippi Pot Roast – it is so hard for my family to choose between these two recipes!

What Is The Difference Between Pot Roast And Roast Beef

Pot roast is a classic, but you might be wondering what the difference is between a pot roast and regular roast beef. The key is in the tenderness of the beef, and the cooking style. Regular roast beef is usually made with a somewhat lean, tender cut of beef, like top or bottom round.

In order to keep the meat tender and juicy, roast beef is usually cooked medium, medium rare, or possibly medium well. From there, its thinly sliced and served hot or cold.

Pot roast is made with a tougher cut like rump roast or chuck roast. To tenderize these cuts, they have to be cooked low and slow until they are fall-apart tender . Pot roast is always served hot, usually with plenty of the juices or gravy that the meat was cooked in.

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Why Do You Qpr When Cooking The Roast Won’t That Make It Tough

  • Multiple Cook Times. Since we are cooking the beef pot roast a second time when we add the veggies to the Instant Pot, it will still come out super tender.
  • Overcooking. I use QPR for the first cooking cycle because NPR allows the ingredients to cook for longer in the residual heat. If I were to use NPR for both cooking cycles, the meat would get overcooked from all the residual heat.
  • Hybrid Release. I like to use both QPR and NPR for recipes that are cooked in multiple cycles so that meats don’t get overcooked. You simply use QPR after the first cycle where you cook the meat and then NPR after cooking the meat with the veggies. I use this same technique with my Pressure Cooker Beef Stew.

Boneless Chuck Pot Roast

Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast (Tender and Juicy)

A traditional chuck pot roast is a rectangular, highly marbled cut thats easy to find at most grocery stores. Nothing rivals a chuck pot roast in terms of a tender result, but it has quite a bit of fat and requires more trimming. As an example, we used a chuck pot roast in the video for this recipe so take a look at the recipe card below to see it in action.

Cutting the chuck roast into chunks allows you to cover more surface area of the meat with the seasoning mix which means more flavor. It also gives you the opportunity to more effectively trim the fat which will yield a better gravy.

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Brown The Chuck Roast Instant Pot

Ok, you are not going to always have time to sear the meat and if that is the case skip the browning step this recipe is all about easy. However, if you have time then please do brown the beef. Browning adds a lot of lovely flavor to the end dish and it also keeps the meat nice and moist.

You can brown the meat on the stove top using a skillet or you can do so in your Instant Pot. To brown the chuck roast in the instant pot, you would select the sauté function of Instant Pot, add oil and wait till it says hot.

Then sear the meat for 5 minutes per side till browned and using tongs, remove beef from the pot. If your meat is in more than one piece, then you might have to sear it in batches.

Dont forget to deglaze the pot with some beef broth after browning the meat to avoid the dreaded burn notice.

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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What Does It Mean To Naturally Release The Instant Pot

After pressure cooking in an Instant Pot, the pressure has to be released from the machine before you can safely open the lid. Some recipes call for “quick release” which means that you manually open the valve and let all the pressure out at once. Here we’ll let the roast manually release, which means that we just let it sit, undisturbed for 10 minutes.

Natural release lets the pressure slowly dissipate from the Instant Pot.

Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens

How To Make Pot Roast in the Instant Pot
  • tip 1 If desired, cut the beef into bite-size pieces, discarding fat and cartilage if necessary. Return beef to the mixture in the insert and serve.
  • tip 2 Leftover beef from this Instant Pot® roast recipe makes a great sandwich, especially with a creamy horseradish spread.
  • tip 3 Be sure to stir in the cornstarch mixture gently since the vegetables will be very tender.
  • tip 4 Wondering what to do with your pressure cooker roast leftovers? Try our recipe for Roast Beef Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions, It’s the perfect lunch follow-up.
  • tip 5 You can also enjoy any leftovers from this Instant Pot® beef roast recipe as a delicious Pot Roast Casserole with a clever shortcut using Betty Crocker Au Gratin Potatoes.

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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.

Instant Pot Beef Roast Recipe Tips

  • It’s important to let the pressure release naturally. Leave it for another 20 minutes after cooking to allow it to release.
  • After 20 minutes, feel free to release the vent to release any extra steam and allow you to open the lid.
  • Don’t skip searing the beef – this helps lock in the flavor!
  • Halving the roast helps cut down on the cooking time and allows you to distribute the seasoning more evenly. This will give you a more flavorful dish.
  • Try using my roast beef seasoning.

Discover more ways to cook chuck roast with my best roast beef recipes!

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Instant Pot Pork Roast

by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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This Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe is a great recipe for busy weeknights. Instant pot recipes do all the hard work with a short cook time compared to a roast in the oven or slow cooker and the end result is a tender pork roast that is fall apart delicious.

Why We Love The Instant Pot

The #1 Rated Instant Pot Pot Roast (With Potatoes and Carrots)
  • Pot roast is a favorite, but it needs to cook for a long time. Pressure cook for a meal that needs less time than the oven and comes out just as tender and delicious!
  • A whole meal is made in just one pot, in just one hour with vegetables, potatoes, gravy, and meat.
  • Use an economical cut of beef to achieve tender and juicy chunks of fork-tender meat!

No Instant Pot? No Problem!

If you dont have an Instant Pot, follow our Perfect Pot Roast to cook in the oven or in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.

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When Do You Add Potatoes And Carrots

For a complete meal, potatoes and carrots always pair perfectly with a tender pot roast. However, I do not recommend cooking small potato chunks or baby carrots the entire time you cook your pot roast, as your vegetables will turn to mush.

Instead, it is best to cook your potatoes and carrots AFTER the roast has cooked, when the meat is resting. I recommend that once the roast has cooked, remove it from the inner pot. Tent with foil to stay warm while the vegetables cook. Add in the potatoes and carrots and set the cooking time to 10 minutes on high pressure. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked, you can slice up the roast and serve with the perfectly cooked vegetables.

Alternatively, you can cook your Pot Roast for 10 minutes LESS than the total indicated time. So for a 3-pound fresh roast, cook for 50 minutes on high pressure. Then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Open up the inner pot and add the potatoes and carrots to the pressure cooker. Seal the pressure cooker and cook for high for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release for at least 10 minutes naturally, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure. Let the roast rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with the potatoes and carrots.

Instant Pot Pot Roast Faqs

What is the best cut of meat for pot roast?

  • You dont have to spend big money on a great cut of meat to make a pot roast the Instant Pot tenderizes an inexpensive roast in an hour or less! This is one time where you can save a little and still have an amazing meal.
  • With that being said, chuck roast or blade roast is the most common choice for pot roast. It is not an expensive cut, but it has great marbling which leads to very tender meat. You can use other varieties, but one that is labelled pot roast in Canada will be your best bet!
  • How long do you cook a pot roast in the Instant Pot?

    The short answer? About 1 hour.The long answer:How long a roast will need to be pressure cooked depends mostly on how large the roast or the pieces are that you cut it into. I prefer to cut my roasts into chunks that are approximately 1 lb in size . However, the cook time also depends on the thickness of the pieces, so there has to be some wiggle room. To be on the safe side, you can always allow for a little extra time pressure cooking the meat I opt for about 1 hour pressure cooking on high for smaller pieces. If your roast is frozen, or it is in one large piece, you will want to add a significant amount of time to ensure that your meat is fall apart tender.

    Can I cook a frozen roast in the Instant Pot?Why is my pot roast tough?Do I have to trim my roast?

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    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.

    Best Ever Instant Pot Pot Roast

    Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe

    Looking for the BEST Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe? Youve found it! This pot roast recipe is tender, flavorful and the perfect one-pot meal.

    Suitable for Keto, Paleo, Whole30 and gluten-free dieters. Recipe also includes Weight Watchers points.

    This Instant Pot Roast is soooo good. Fall-off-the-bone meat, stock seasoned to perfection and loaded with carrots and mushrooms. And in only a fraction of the time as the traditional roast. #happydaysright?

    It is an absolutely delicious, dreamy anytime comfort dinner and also makes a simple but memorable addition to Easter dinner or Thanksgiving dinner. Your guests will looove being greeted by the smell of this pressure cooker pot roast.

    Have I mentioned its also the easiest one-pot meal ever??

    • Quick and easy it is super easy to cook for lunches, Sunday dinner and more.
    • Filling this tender roast a hearty and satisfying meal loved by the whole family.
    • One pot minimal prep and fuss-free.
    • Great For meal prep you can store in the fridge to eat the next day or two.
    • Dietary suitable for gluten free and dairy free diets.

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