Perfect Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe + VIDEO

Name: Instant Pot Pot Roast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 58 min
Total time: 73 min
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

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.91 from 143 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 with potatoes and carrots

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 on large white platter with potatoes and carrots on one side on a grey background

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!)

Why we love this Instant Pot Pot Roast!

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 with bag of little potatoes in the background

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.

What is the best cut of meat for 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.
With that being said, chuck roast (as it will be called in the United States) or blade roast (as it is called in Canada) 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 roast in the pressure cooker?

The big question!

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 (so if you have a 3lb roast, you’ll cut it into 3 pieces). 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.

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 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.

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Instant Pot Pot Roast

written by Ashley Fehr

4.91 from 143 votes

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 407cal

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 58-6 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

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 5, 2021