Instant Pot Recipes For Pot Roast

Tips From The Betty Crocker Kitchens

Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast (Tender and Juicy)

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.

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?

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.

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How To Cook Pot Roast In The Instant Pot

Theres no need to save slow cooked chuck roast recipes for the weekend! Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast is ready in under 2 hours. Smaller cuts of meat means more browning and a quicker cooking time. Balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, and fresh herbs create a flavorful gravy. Layer the carrots and potatoes correctly for perfectly tender veggies in this one-pot meal.

One quick tip before you start! Choose the right cut of beef AND be sure to divide the roast into 4 chunks it will cook faster, plus youll create more surface area for browning.

Divide the roast into 4 chunks, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.

Brown the beef in batches. It isnt necessary to brown all sides, but get a good sear on at least 2 sides.

Remove the beef from the pot, then add the chopped garlic. Cook 1 minute, or until very aromatic.

Deglaze the pot with vinegar, making sure to gently scrape up all those flavored browned bits! Turn off Saute function.

Whisk together broth, tomato paste, and coconut aminos until smooth.

Return beef to the pot, then pour in broth mixture. Add bay leaf and thyme.

Arrange the potatoes then the carrots on top of the beef.

Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, plus a 20 minute natural pressure release.

Remove the potatoes and carrots with a slotted spoon, then remove the beef.

Shred the beef.

Strain the pan sauce, skim the fat, then pour the gravy over the beef and vegetables.

Boneless Chuck Pot Roast

Instant Pot® Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots Recipe

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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Can I Freeze This Dish

Yes, this beef bourguinon will freeze well once its made. You can keep it in an airtight container for up to three months. Be sure to label it and add the date that you made it. If youre anything like me, your freezer is full of leftovers and meals for another day and you dont want to lose track of how old something is.

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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What Is Pot Roast

Pot roast is more of a method than a specific cut of meat. To make it, sear a large cut of beef until browned on all sides, and then cook it with aromatics like herbs, onions, carrots, and broth until its melt-in-your-mouth tender. You can make this in a Dutch oven on the stove-top, in the oven, in a slow cooker, and a pressure cooker. In this recipe, we are using a pressure cooker to make the pot roast. A pressure cooker takes the cooking time down dramatically.

Instant Pot Frozen Pot Roast

The #1 Rated Instant Pot Pot Roast (With Potatoes and Carrots)

You can easily prepare a pot roast using a frozen chuck roast when cooking in the Instant Pot. Unlike slow cookers, the Instant Pot will get hot enough in a short amount of time to safely cook frozen meat.

Skip searing the meat, as you can not sear a frozen cut of meat.
Place the frozen beef roast, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder inside the pressure cooker.
Pour in beef stock around the roast, then top the roast with horseradish.

Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes per pound For a 3-pound roast that would be 90 minutes.

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How Do You Add Flavor To Pot Roast

A delicious mixture of dried herbs and spices adds a TON of flavor to the chuck roast and the gravy. This is the key to flavor and one of the things that sets this recipe apart from others. Many other pot roast recipes are under seasoned resulting in a bland, flavorless roast.

The amounts called for in the recipe will make exactly the amount of seasoning needed. It can be mixed up in advance and stored in an airtight container to save time.

How To Make Gravy

While I find that this Instant Pot Pot Roast is so flavorful and so juicy, there is no need for gravy, you certainly can prepare gravy using the remaining cooking liquid. And you can do this right inside your Instant Pot! Yay for one-pot meals!

After cooking the roast and vegetables, strain off the cooking liquid.

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and let heat up.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the inner pot and let melt. Once the butter is melted, add in 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk together, to form a roux.
Let the flour mixture cook for 30 seconds and then slowly whisk in 1 to 2 cups of the strained liquid.

Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture is thickened.

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What Ingredients Do I Need For Instant Pot Pot Roast

boneless beef chuck roast can also use cross rib roast

Vegetable oil this is to sear the meat to get a nice crust and to lock in the flavor.
seasoning use your favorite steak seasoning or simply salt and black pepper
carrots baby carrots can be used in place of whole carrots.

baby potatoes can also use Russet potatoes cut into large chunks.

Pro Tip: Since we are going to sear the roast, make sure you use vegetable oil or one with a higher smoke point, so it doesnt burn.

How Long Does It Take To Cook A Frozen Chicken Breast

How To Make Pot Roast in the Instant Pot

Cooking frozen chicken breasts can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour and a half. However, some cookbooks recommend cooking the chicken breasts for up to four hours. Cooking frozen chicken bre is a quick and easy process that can be completed in a few minutes. It takes about 48 hours for frozen chicken bre to cook properly, so its important to make sure that you cook it thoroughly and consistently throughout the process.

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Instant Pot Pot Roast With Potatoes

A quick note about adding potatoes, using baby potatoes are totally the way to go. They are the perfect size and they dont get mushy. Potatoes that are peeled and cut tend to get mushy in the Instant Pot when they cook for a A quick note about adding potatoes, using baby potatoes are totally the way to go. They are the perfect size and they dont get mushy. Potatoes that are peeled and cut tend to get mushy in the Instant Pot when they cook for a longer amount of time. By keeping the skin on and not cutting them, the potatoes cook thoroughly while remaining firm. If you would rather use diced potatoes, go with a waxy potato like Yukon gold potatoes or even red potatoes. Russets will get too soggy and are better for mashing.

Why Youll Love This Recipe

Instant Pot meals mean less cook time, dishes and hassle. All you have to do is sear, stir, shred, and serve.

This roast beef recipe serves 8! If you dont have 8 mouths to feed, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Tender beef. The roast will literally fall apart once you take it out of the Instant Pot! Its super tender and moist, and youll be very happy you used the Instant Pot for it.

Pin This Recipe For Later!

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Can I Make This In The Slow Cooker

Yes! If you do not have an Instant Pot, no worries there. In fact, I first adapted this recipe for the slow cooker before I re-adapted it for the Instant Pot. You all loved the slow cooker version so much that I decided to see if I could make it even easier for you. So if you are in the mood for this Americanized comfort food on these last days of cold weather then you have options. Slow cooker or Instant Pot, both so good, both sure to be hits with you and yours.

Why Do You Cut The Roast In Thirds

THE BEST Instant Pot POT ROAST Recipe | With Baby Potatoes and Carrots

Cutting a roast into smaller pieces means you can get it on the table more quickly!

In the pressure cooker, the main factor that determines how long meat needs to be cooked is the thickness. Cutting it in thirds helps it to be able to cook faster since it reduces the distance from the middle to the edges.

Plus, when you cut the roast, its easier to fit in the pot and easier and quicker to brown.

If you dont want to cut your roast, you can always try my Classic Pot Roast and Potatoes recipe. It has a 75 minute cook time and a 15 minute natural pressure release, due to the size of the meat.

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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.

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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Can I Bake Frozen Chicken Breasts

If youre looking to make frozen chicken breasts, you can definitely do so. This species is typically cooked over a stovetop or in the oven, so its easy to cook and enjoy.

However, if you dont have the time or inclination to cook frozen chicken breasts yourself, there are plenty of restaurants that will do this for you. Frozen chicken breasts come in a variety of shapes and flavors, so its important to find one that sounds good to you.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Simple and fast. This recipe for pot roast is made with only 5 key ingredients and in a fraction of the time of classic pot roast recipes. It puts a flavorful dinner on the table with minimal effort and quickly!
You can use a frozen chuck roast. Because of how fast the Instant Pot heats ups, you can safely cook a frozen roast in the Instant Pot.
Flavorful and tender. This recipe for pot roast has incredible flavor and the meat is fall-apart-tender thanks in large part to the horseradish, which was my Papa’s secret ingredient in creating the most delicious roast beef. The horseradish is the key to tenderizing the meat and adding so much flavor. Don’t worry about it causing the roast to be overly spicy, as it only adds a subtle, yet irresistible flavor.

Perfectly cooked vegetables. This recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast includes directions on how to cook the potatoes and carrots so that they won’t get overcooked. No mushy vegetables here!

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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 From The Pillsbury Kitchens

tip 1 You can thicken the juice for serving, if desired. Remove beef and veggies to serving platter, and cover to keep warm. In small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons each cornstarch and cold water, mixing well. Select SAUTE adjust to normal. Heat juices to boiling. Slowly stir in cornstarch mixture cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Select CANCEL. Serve with beef and vegetables.
tip 2 Chuck roast varies in weight. Larger cuts of meat should be divided into 6 pieces to ensure the most tender roast.

tip 3 Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

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