Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe Tips
- Dont skip the natural release time. Allowing the pressure to naturally release makes the meat more tender.
- Be sure to follow the recipe directions to pressure cook the chuck roast on its own first before adding the potatoes and carrots. While it may be tempting to add the vegetables at the very beginning to save a step, dont. If you pressure cook your potatoes and carrots for an hour they are going to be overcooked and mushy.
- A fresh 3 pound roast will need to pressure cook for 60 minutes at high pressure before adding the vegetables. If your roast is larger, add 10 minutes per pound to the cook time.
- If you prefer to serve your pot roast with mashed potatoes, you can omit the baby potatoes from this recipe. Try my Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipes.
- If youd like to substitute baby carrots for the chopped whole carrots just know that they will turn out very soft, since they cook more quickly than regular carrots.
Why I Love My Instant Pot For Pork Roast
There are three things that I really love about cooking a pork roast in my Instant Pot .
The first is the sauté function. Using it creates a lovely, caramel-colored layer on the pork. Which means I dont have to pull out another pan and get it dirty. Love it!
After searing the roast, I remove it from the Instant Pot and put the trivet that was included to get the roast up out of the cooking liquid and off the bottom of the pot. I think it helps to maintain the color from the searing as well as ensuring that the bottom doesnt burn.
The second thing that I love is the fact that once the lid is locked on and cooking time is set, Im free to focus on something else.
Finally, the result is like a slow-braised, tender pork roast, but in the Instant Pot, it cooks in much less time.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Leftover pot roast is a meal to look forward to, and can be even more flavorful on the second and third day. To store in the fridge or freezer and reheat:
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pot roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, and then store pot roast in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze the roast, vegetables and gravy in individual portions for quick meals later on. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: The best way to reheat leftover pot roast is to heat it in a pot on the stove, covered, over medium heat, adding a little broth or water as needed to thin the gravy. Stir it often to help it heat evenly. You can also reheat pot roast in your pressure cooker using the sauté setting, or in the microwave.
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How Long Do You Cook Pot Roast In An Instant Pot
No more having to start a meal like this in the early afternoon. With the help of your Instant Pot you can have perfectly tender pot roast on your table in just over an hour. To speed the cooking process along, I cut the roast into chunks so that it cooks in one 35 minute cycle with the vegetables. This is about half the time it can take to cook a whole roast.
Why Are We Browning The Chuck Steak As A Whole
- Retain More Moisture: Browning the chuck steak as a whole retains more moisture due to less surface area.
- Brown Faster & Better: Since maillard reaction excels in a dry and high heat environment, the chuck steak will brown faster and better compared to cubed stew.
- Richer & Flavorful: The caramelized flavors from browning results in a richer & more flavorful dish.
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What Are The Best Cuts Of Meat For Instant Pot Pot Roast
In general, tougher cuts of meat work best for making a Instant Pot pot roast.
These are the cuts of meat that contain a decent amount of fat throughout and connective tissue, so if they were grilled, fried, or cooked quickly in some other way they would be as tough as old boots!
When cooked with a slow cook time, over a low heat, the collagen will eventually break down and melt, creating a fork tender piece of meat.
We want to make that same fall apart tender piece of meat over a much shorter cook time in our pressure cookers!
My favorite, no fail, piece of beef for my Instant Pot Pot Roast is the boneless chuck roast, it works for me every time.
How To Make Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe
Thanks to an electric pressure cooker, a pot roast can be on your table in 1.5 hours total. However, this sirloin tip roast takes the same time and is differently delicious. Another affordable must-try beef roast recipe!
- Make dry rub: Combine seasonings on a large plate and stir together.
My favorite pot roast dry rub is a combination of salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. See optional add-ins and variations for other seasoning combinations to try!
- Season roast: Dip roast in a large shallow plate with homemade dry rub making sure all edges are covered well. It will create a delicious outer crust.
- Sear the meat on all sides: On the Instant Pot, press Sauté and wait until the display says Hot. Only then add oil and sear for 3-4 minutes per side. I would not recommend skipping this step like you can with Instant Pot pulled pork because it adds a lot of flavor to a pot roast.
- Cook onions and deglaze the pot: Add the slices from 2 large onions and sauté for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Then add beef stock, red wine, and vinegar to deglaze the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom. You want to avoid the Burn notice but you also want that extra flavour!
- Put the roast back and add mushrooms: Once youre done deglazing, press cancel. Add the roast back into the pot and lay the mushrooms on top of the roast.
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Can I Pressure Cook More Than One Pot Roast At A Time
Yes! I have a 6qt machine and Ive frequently cooked two pot roasts in one go. The trick is to not lay them on the bottom like Ive done in this recipe, if you put them one on top of the other like that they may take much longer to cook. What I do is simply stand them up sideways on opposite sides of the pot, the cook time then is exactly the same as it would be for one pot roast, win win!
How To Make Pressure Cooked Pork Roast
Start by adding brown sugar, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to a dish or large zip-able plastic bag. Add in pork shoulder and rub to coat the pork well.
Next, set your Instant Pot to the saute function.
When its hot, pour in a splash of olive oil, then add the pork. Sear for 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Set aside on a plate for later.
In the Instant Pot, add the onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Then, add in the tomato paste and stir until well-mixed. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth.
Quick tip: At this point, make sure to scrape any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. Otherwise, the Instant Pot might give you a burn warning!
If you have one, place a metal or silicone trivet at the bottom of the Instant Pot. .
Next, place the seared pork in the Instant Pot. Put on the lid and set the valve to seal, then select the meat/stew setting for 70 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, wait 10 minutes to allow some pressure to release naturally. Then turn the valve to vent and release any remaining pressure.
Take the roasted pork out of the Instant Pot, and its ready to serve!
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What Are The Best Cuts Of Meat To Use
The best cuts of beef for pot roast are tougher cuts of meat like chuck, brisket, and round.
Traditionally, the beef cooks at a low temperature for a long time. Its because of this that tougher cuts of beef work so well. When I say tougher cuts of meat, Im talking about the leaner cuts with lots of connective tissue.
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.
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How To Make Pot Roast In Instant Pot
STEP 1: SEAR THE ROAST. Select SAUTE on instant pot to preheat the pressure cooker. Season pot roast with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to bottom of the pot and cook roast 5 minutes per side, to brown. Remove roast to a plate. Set aside.
STEP 2: SAUTE THE ONION. Add onion to the pot and continue to saute for about 3 minutes, until softened, scraping up the bits of browned meat from the bottom of the pan.
STEP 3: PRESSURE COOK THE BEEF. Stir in beef broth, tomato paste, and worcestershire sauce. To the top of the roast, spread dijon mustard and onion soup mix. Using a fork make a paste. Add roast to the pressure cooker.
As a non mustard lover, I promise this mustard and soup mix is a delicious combo after cooking!
Lock the lid in place, select high pressure, and cook for 75 minutes.
Once the cook time ends, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes, then do a quick release. When the valve drops, open the lid and remove the roast to a cutting board, cover with foil.
STEP 4: ADD THE VEGETABLES. Add your carrots and potatoes to the pressure cooker liquid that remains in the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
When the time ends, use a quick release and remove vegetables to serving platter.
STEP 5: MAKE THE GRAVY. In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch with water. Turn pressure cooker to saute and whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, while continuously whisking the gravy.
How Long To Cook Pork Roast In The Instant Pot
When you roast a pork butt in the oven, it takes about 40 minutes per pound. The Instant Pot is MUCH quicker.
In the Instant Pot, you should cook a pork butt for 15 minutes per pound. What does that mean? That means that you set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 15 minutes per pound. If the roast is 3 pounds, you set it to pressure cook for 45 minutes.
The roast ends up being in the Instant Pot for longer than just those 45 minutes though. Before the pressure cooking starts, the Instant Pot spends time coming up to temperature. That can take as long as 10-15 minutes.
Then, after the pressure cooking time is up, the pressure needs to be released. I do what is called a natural release for 10 minutes. A natural release happens if, when your pressure cooking time has reached zero, you do nothing. Basically, the heater of your Instant Pot stops heating at that point, and then the pressure inside slowly dissipates.
I do the natural release for 10 minutes whenever cooking meat in the Instant Pot because a quicker release results in a drastic change of temperature that can make meat seize up and get tough.
So do the natural release for 10 minutes and then switch the valve to Venting and let the remaining pressure escape. You then open up the Instant Pot and take out the roast.
Also Check: Pot Roast In Instant Pot Time
Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens
- 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.
Delicious Video Of Our Easy Pot Roast Recipe
How is Our Pot Roast Recipe Juicy and Tender?
In about an hour, this boneless beef chuck roast becomes a tender and fall-apart-juicy dinner. Its amazing how quickly, when cooked under pressure, meat breaks down and cooks. Even in this short amount of time, theres tons of flavor in the broth. You can add what ever vegetables you like, just time the vegetables accordingly based on their texture. If you like vegetables that are more firm with bite, cook them for less time. The best part about this Instant Pot is that it sears. So much flavor comes from the onions, garlic and beef. So unlike most slow cookers that cant sear, this one can do it easily AND cook food quickly at the same time. This beef pot roast recipe is quick and the meat is super juicy and tender. Click here for all our great > Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes
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Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast Recipe
My easy Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast recipe is a must-try for everyone who loves a good pot roast! This delicious Mississippi roast pairs with pepperoncini peppers and a flavorful blend of seasonings for a uniquely delicious dish you will love. Plus, it’s ready in just a little over an hour, so you can have a roast beef dinner on the table in no time!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
In this pot roast recipe, simple ingredients come together to make a meal thats flavorful and satisfying.
- Beef Chuck Roast: The best kind of roast to use for pot roast is a boneless beef chuck roast. The marbling in a chuck roast will make your pot roast extra tender and juicy.
- Salt & Pepper: To season the beef roast.
- Olive Oil: For browning the meat and sautéing the onion.
- Onion & Garlic: A yellow onion and fresh garlic bring delicious flavor to the pot roast.
- Tomato Paste: Adds savory flavor and thickens the gravy up just a bit.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds umami flavor and brings out the beef flavor. You can substitute balsamic vinegar if you prefer.
- Beef Broth: The broth provides the liquid needed to help the pot come to pressure. It also forms the base for the gravy. I recommend using low sodium beef broth so that you can better control the amount of salt in the finished dish.
- Thyme: I season this pot roast with thyme because it complements the beef flavor. You can use fresh thyme or dried thyme.
- Carrots & Potatoes: The classic vegetables for pot roast, carrots and baby potatoes make this meal hearty and comforting.
- Cornstarch & Water: To make a cornstarch slurry, which is used to thicken the gravy after the roast cooks.
Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.
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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 it 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 cooking 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 on to the veggies.
Step 3, Lightly brown vegetables. For extra flavor, we add onions, carrots, and celery to our pot roast, but I like to cook them in the bottom of the pot a bit first.
Step 4, Deglaze the pot and place the beef and vegetables back in. By deglaze, I mean to add liquid and scrape the bottom of the pot until it is clean.
