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Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe (pressure cooker pot roast) + VIDEO

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.88 from 74 votes
Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 13 mins
Servings 8 servings

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This Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe is an easy, comforting dinner that comes together so quickly in the pressure cooker! With tender veggies (not mushy!), a fall apart tender roast and seasoned gravy. With step by step VIDEO

instant pot pot roast in pressure cooker

September is one of the best months of the year, and not just because it’s my birthday month. It means that things like this Instant Pot Pot Roast are back on the table.

If you look around my site for about 5 seconds, you know that healthier comfort food is my jam. Sure, there’s the occasional over the top dessert (it’s all about balance, right??), but you won’t see a lot of green salads or smoothie bowls.

It’s not because there’s 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 aren’t delicious or nourishing — they are! Green salads on the other hand…. 😉

I haven’t always been sold on the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker (I use the Instant Pot brand, but other brands of pressure cookers will work just as well), 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 (surprise!) for certain things, but that it wasn’t 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 (like this Chicken Noodle Soup!), and macaroni when you need it to cook in two minutes.

instant pot pot roast overhead

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 (I’ve got you covered with tutorials for cooking frozen chicken breasts, frozen pork tenderloin, frozen chicken thighs, a frozen whole chicken in the Instant Pot, so you know I’ve been there before!)

This Instant Pot Pot Roast is so tender it falls apart when you try to take it out. It has such great flavor, that you can even skip the searing if you want (I’ll be honest, I am often to lazy to sear my meat first!).

One thing it is missing? Mushy vegetables.

Vegetables in the Instant Pot cook very quickly, often just a few minutes or less. I wanted to really show off the smooth, creaminess of these Little Potatoes and how quickly they can cook in the pressure cooker.

instant pot pot roast on white platter

For this reason, I opted to add my vegetables near the end of the cook time. I know that this is an extra step and you might be wondering if it’s worth it.

Trust me.

If you know me, you know I’m not into any extra unnecessary steps (or dishes, or ingredients!). But Little Potatoes cook under pressure in just a few minutes, and you really don’t want them under high pressure for 60 minutes or more. You can throw them in whole with no washing or peeling (see! We’re saving steps 😉 ), so it’s not going to inconvenience you too much to add them part way through.

Tips for making this Instant Pot Pot Roast:

  • You don’t 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. If you are using a leaner cut of meat, I recommend cutting into smaller pieces so it is more tender.
  • 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 don’t sear, you’ll find that your juices (and therefore gravy if you thicken it) 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 — I know the 8 quarts and different models have different liquid requirements so it’s important to take that into consideration.

Looking for more Instant Pot dinner recipes?

*This post is generously sponsored by The Little Potato Company and I was compensated for my time in creating it — all opinions are, as always, my own.

Instant Pot Pot Roast

written by Ashley Fehr

4.88 from 74 votes
This Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe is an easy, comforting dinner that comes together so quickly in the pressure cooker! With tender veggies (not mushy!), a fall apart tender roast and seasoned gravy. With step by step VIDEO 
instant pot pot roast overhead
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 58 mins
Total Time 1 hr 13 mins
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 8 servings
Calories 407kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons seasoning salt (I use Lawry's)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 lb beef chuck roast cut into 1lb chunks
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup low sodium beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1.5 lb Little Potatoes
  • 3 large carrots peeled and cut into thick slices
  • OPTIONAL: corn starch to thicken juices

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine seasoning salt, garlic, parsley, onion powder and pepper. Sprinkle over roast to season.
  • Turn Instant Pot to saute. When it reads "hot", add the oil and sear roast on all sides. To do this, place the roast in the pot and do not move for 2-3 minutes. When you flip it, it should release from the pan easily.
  • To the Instant Pot add broth, tomato paste, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce -- if there are brown bits stuck to the bottom from the meat, give them a scrape and they should release easily. Stir to combine. 
  • Put the lid on and turn the valve to sealing. Select Manual or Pressure Cook and set the cook time for 55-65* minutes on high pressure, depending how large your pieces are. (see notes below) 
  • When the cook time is over, turn the Instant Pot off and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before turning the valve to venting and opening the lid.
  • Add the Little Potatoes and carrots, put the lid back on, turn the valve to sealing and select Manual or Pressure Cook for 3 minutes.
  • When the cook time is over, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before moving the valve to venting, releasing remaining pressure and opening the lid. 
  • Remove beef from the Instant Pot and slice or pull as desired. Serve with potatoes and carrots.
  • OPTIONAL: If desired, combine equal parts corn starch and water, stir into the remaining juices and turn the Instant Pot to saute. Whisk continuously until juices are thickened. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning as desired, adding a tablespoon of honey if you want to add a little sweetness.

Notes

*Please note that while the cook time is only 58-68 minutes, the total time including the time it takes to build pressure and natural pressure release is roughly 1 hour 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes. 
** All of my recipes are tested in a Smart Bluetooth 6 quart Instant Pot -- please take into consideration your model and its requirements before making the recipe.
***I know that some have found their meat is not tender after 55-65 minutes and have had to add more time. This will vary depending on your model of pressure cooker, the size and type of your roast, if you sear the meat first, how you like your meat cooked, among other things. My roast is fork-tender at 55 minutes, but you may cook yours up to 90 minutes depending on the things listed above.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 832mg | Potassium: 1102mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3875IU | Vitamin C: 18.8mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4.5mg
Keywords instant pot beef roast, instant pot roast, instant pot roast beef, pressure cooker pot roast, pressure cooker roast

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Published on September 10, 2018 / Last updated on March 16, 2020

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  3. Doug K says

    I love the look of this recipe and am going to make it. One question I have is whether or not I need the rack in the IP. Instructions don’t seem to specify.

    Reply

  4. Lena says

    This is going to be my first meat dinner I have ever made in my IP. Thank you for making your recipe so easy to follow.

    Reply

  6. Jerilyn Taylor says

    This is the 2nd time I have used my instant pot. I never make pot roast because as a kid it was dry. My kids also felt the same based on other pot roast they have had. This was AWESOME! I made it exactly as stated above except I did 2lbs baby red potatoes, with a 2.5lbs chuck roast in my 6qt Duo. We are a family of 5. Kids range from 10 to 18. There was no leftovers which I was shocked they ate it all!

    Reply

  7. Melissa says

    This was my first pressure cooker recipe. My mom has a Bella one that I borrowed to try out. I followed the directions, minus the vinegar which I didn’t have on hand, and it turned out great! Thanks!

    Reply

  8. Amanda says

    This was my first time making beef in my IP. My boyfriend and o made this together and it was delicious. We only had xanthan gum to make gravy and it worked! Everything was delicious. I’m not much of a red meat eater but we will definitely be making this again! Thanks!

    Reply

  9. Katie says

    Oh my gosh, the flavor of this was AMAZING!! love it!! And I love the convenience and quickness of cooking this in the instant pot, because cooking this all day in the crockpot makes me impatient! Haha I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply

  10. Doug says

    This is my first go with my new Instant Pot (Duo Nova 6 qt).. what should the pressure level be set to? Also, how does going the pressure cooker route compare to the slow cooking method (also with Instant Pot.. no pressure)? Do you end up basically with the same result.. or is slow cooking a better option if time is not a factor?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Doug! You always want it set to high pressure unless specified in the recipe. I would say the result from a slow cooker is similar, but not better. In fact, I probably prefer the Instant Pot more as it is tender but not as easily overcooked!

      Reply

  11. Laurie Martini says

    Seriously the best pot roast ever! I love that all of the garlic, onions, parsley and such are dried…makes it so easy and still a step above opening up a seasoning “packet”! Thank you for the recipe! It made both my husband and me so happy, and he is the pickiest of eaters!

    Reply

  13. Alison says

    My husband made this as his first foray into Instantpot cooking while I recuperate from surgery. It is such a simple recipe and came out perfectly!

    Reply

  14. Dave says

    If I wanted to make this with 5-6 lbs of roast in a 8 qt instant pot would I just simply double the whole recipe? I’ve made this recipe as written many timeS and love it!

    Reply

  15. Krista says

    If I need to make 10 servings for Christmas Eve dinner, what do you recommend?

    can I just add another 1/2lb of meat for a 3.5lb chuck roast cut into 3-4 chunks?

    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      It depends how hungry your guests are! If you’re serving ten including children than the recipe may be enough, but yes, you can always just add an extra half pound or pound, a few extra potatoes adn carrots and it will be great

      Reply

  16. Lyn says

    Hands down best pot roast I have ever made, and i have made some dang good ones, but this recipie is amazing. Even my incredibly picky 4 year old gobbled it down. Thanks!

    Reply

  17. Laura Clarke says

    2.5 # roast cut in half perfectly tender with 55 minutes + 3 for the vegetables. May use less than 3 minutes for potatoes if using the tiny ones again as they were falling apart. Easy & delicious.

    Reply

  18. Cindy says

    I made this for dinner and it was amazing. It is possibly our favorite instant pot meal yet!! And I will never make pot roast any other way. I sent the recipe on to my daughters and some friends!!

    Reply

  20. Mia says

    I got an Instant Pot just to try out this recipe and it did not disappoint! I had to cook the potatoes for about 8 minutes but that’s ok. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply

  21. Megan says

    I think I must have done something wrong. I followed the recipe with the liquids for a 2.5lb roast. Only a cup of broth? After it pressurized, it had only been cooking for about 10 minutes and the burn alarm came on. I opened it and all the liquid was gone. It actually looks cooked it’s just not super tender. What do you recommend?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      It sounds to me like it wasn’t quite sealed, because if the seal is there you really won’t lose liquid like that. I would check that your seal is in correctly and make sure the valve is set all the way to sealing.

      Reply

  22. Pam says

    Are the potatoes and carrots submerged in liquids whole cooking? If not, do you add any extra seasonings in the vegetables when you add them?

    Reply

  23. Kevin Waitley says

    Made it twice now. Great meal. I cook in 8qt Instapot for 55 mins. I then release the steam. I put in whole red potatoes and large chunks of carrots and cook them for 8 minutes. It is turned out great the last two times I made it. Thanks

    Reply

  24. Deb Brummel says

    I have made this several times now and it is so good!! My family loves it! The beef truly does fall apart and it is definitely worth putting the potatoes and carrots in near the end. When I made it this past week I couldn’t find the Little Potatoes (or any variety of baby potatoes) so I used red potatoes and cut them into small chunks. This worked very well. I also have been making the gravy with it and it is delicious. Thanks so much for an awesome Instant Pot recipe!

    Reply

  25. Shannon Ferger says

    Ashley, I found this recipe last week and thought I just had to try it. I’ve never done a roast in the InstaPot before so I was a little worried, but I really shouldn’t have been. The meat is falling apart, the carrots are perfectly fork tender and I just thickened up the gravy. I did the potatoes on the stove because I wanted mashed, but I”m thinking next time, and there WILL BE a next time, I’m throwing the potatoes into the pot with the roast and carrots. My husband and I are so excited to have a quick and delicious dinner in about an hour and a half. I’ll be making this again and letting everyone else know how great this turned out!

    Reply

  26. Tanya says

    This recipe had a great taste to it!!! However, I must have done something wrong. I just bought my instant pot and this is the first recipe I made. The meat wasn’t tender and falling apart like I was expecting. What can I do differently???

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Tanya! There are a few things it could be. Can you tell me how large your roast was and if you cut it down into 1lb chunks? How long did you cook for? Did you do high pressure?

      Reply

  27. Kevin Waitley says

    I made it tonight, and it was excellent. I used about 6 lbs. of chuck roast. I used 1.5 lbs of baby carrots and about 15 red potatoes cut in half. I cut meat into about palm sized pieces. Followed the recipe exactly. Fantastic meal. The entire family loved it and had seconds. Thanks!

    Reply

  28. Linda says

    Delicious and so quick and easy. My new go to recipe for roast beef. So tender and juicy and tasty. Family loved it. Thank you for such a great recipe.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      I’ve never tried doubling the recipe but it should be the same cook time, provided the roast is cut into approximately 1lb chunks and everything is about the same size. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

      Reply

  31. Mary Workman says

    I tried this recipe last night! My 1st time using th e IP. I followed the cook time but when I opened the pot the roast was not cooked. I then cooked again for another hour, but to no avail….we were hoping for fall apart tender. I wasn’t impressed.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Mary! I’m so sorry to hear that! An hour of additional cook time is quite a bit — do you think it might be the type of roast that you used? You may want to start by adding additional time in 15-20 minute intervals next time.

      Reply

  32. Nikki says

    I add horseradish on top of the meat when I add cream of mushroom soup. So good and a lovely gravy for the roast and veggies.

    Reply

  33. Tracie says

    Am I the only one who keeps getting a burn notice? I keep having to turn the pot off and adding more liquid. It’s taking forever to cook and I don’t think it’s going to be very good when it’s done 🙁 I’m so disappointed.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Tracie! This is a strange recipe to get a burn notice for — I would recommend making sure you deglaze the pot and scrape the bottom really well as it sounds like you might have some stuck on bits on the bottom.

      Reply

  34. Nitul says

    Omg ! The recipe was amazing … the best roast I’ve ever had or made. Turned out perfect ! Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply

  35. Steven says

    So how is the total time in this 1 hour and 13 minutes? By my quick math the active cooking time starting at the searing part and ending at the second 10 minute steam release is nearly an hour and a half.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      The total time listed at the top of the recipe only includes the prep and cook time (it’s calculated automatically), and not the time to build pressure or release.

      Reply

  36. Juli says

    This was my first real attempt at using my 6 qt. Duo Plus IP that I got for my birthday last month. (hard boiled eggs were my first attempt) And O M G!!!! in an hour I have the BEST roast beef I have ever made!! I used an arm roast and it is so tender I can cut it with a fork! I am also amazed that the potatoes and carrots are perfectly done! The flavors are wonderful as well!! I will never cook a roast in my crock pot or my oven again! This is a GREAT recipe and super easy to do. Thank you so much for sharing Ashley~

    Reply

  37. Katharine Trumbull says

    I bought a pressure cooker for Christmas this past year and eadnt sure on what recipes to try. I found this recipe because it peaked my curiosity so I made. My husband is beyond excited everytime I make this. Which I have made several times now. I added a little rosemary and some celery. Other than it is the perfect recipe. Thank you so much for sharing ????

    Reply

  38. Lindsay Irons says

    Thanks for sharing.. the only thing that I changed was adding some crushed garlic and a whole onion sliced as well as increased the cook time extra 10 minutes. Great recipe!

    Reply

  39. Melanie says

    I made this tonight. It was my first time ever making a pot roast so I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. So delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  40. Darci says

    This is my 3rd time making this roast! Turns out delicious everytime!! So simple to make. I have an 8gt Pressure Cooker. I add extra carrots & potatoes. 60 minutes & meat is super tender!! One of my favorites! Thank you for this delicious recipe!!

    Reply

  41. Stacy D says

    I have tried to make fork-tender roasts for years in the oven, with various cuts of meat, cook times, etc. They always turned out tough. But I just got my Instant Pot and tried this recipe. Turned out amazing ! It was exactly what I needed to cook a perfectly tender roast. I seared the meat, and added the veggies for the last 10 minutes of cook time and wallah, perfect. Not mushy and full of flavor. This is a keeper !

    Reply

  43. Sandy says

    This turned out great! I had to make a few adjustments tho. I didn’t have Canola oil, so I used vegetable oil instead and it worked fine. I didn’t have tomato paste, so I omitted that item. I didn’t have balsamic vinegar and used apple cider vinegar instead. I also added 1 teaspoon of sage and i used chicken broth instead of beef broth. I also, put the vegetables in the pot and added the pot roast o top of them to cook. Delicious!

    Reply

  44. Jennifer says

    Omg this is the first time a roast I made came out so tender and tasty!!! Yay!! I will be making this all the time !!

    Reply

  45. Kenneth,will cook anything once says

    Used this recipe and it turned out great. I had to used apple cider vinegar due to being out of balsamic. Also used fresh garlic.

    Reply

  49. Kris Faub says

    So I made this today and it turned out great! I did sub out the Worcestershire and balsamic for a can of cream of mushroom and I only seared it minimally (maybe 45-60 sec on 3 sides or so since the meat had several different sides the way it was cut). But boy did it turn out awesome! This saved me in a bind because I ran out of time to slow cook it for 8 hours and was able to have it ready by 6! Thanks so much for the recipe/directions!!!!

    Reply

  50. Tiffanie says

    We tried this for the first time tonight and honestly I think this is the BEST tasting roast I have ever had!! I will totally be making this again! Oh, and on of that it was so easy to make! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us!!

    Reply

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