Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast

With this easy recipe, a traditional pot roast is cooked in a fraction of the time.

An economical piece of beef can be turned into melt-in-your-mouth tender roast in the pressure cooker. Creamy baby potatoes and carrots make this a complete meal!

Table of Contents

Why We Love The Instant Pot

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 don’t 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.

Ingredients for Pot Roast

Beef – Chuck roast is our first choice for flavor and becoming really tender. Other good choices include sirloin or even a shoulder round.

If you’d prefer, pork butt roast can be substituted (with either beef or chicken broth for the gravy).

Potatoes – Baby potatoes work the best in this recipe, they are creamy and their skins help them hold together. Red or yellow potatoes can be chopped as well.l Russet potatoes will work but tend to fall apart a bit (be sure to peel them first).

Gravy – A tasty gravy is made from the juices. Thicken with either cornstarch or flour and serve over the beef for an elegant presentation (and excellent flavor).

You can add additional seasonings like onion powder, garlic powder, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, or herbs like fresh thyme or bay leaf to the mixture before cooking.

Instant Pot Tips

Be sure to cut the beef into large chunks. This allows it to cook evenly to tender perfection.
After cooking the onions, scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot to avoid the burn notice.

How to Make Instant Pot Pot Roast

Prepare and brown the beef using the “saute” function on the Instant Pot (as per recipe below).
Remove beef, and saute onions. Deglaze the pan with red wine.
Add the remaining ingredients including the browned beef.
Seal the lid and cook on high pressure. Use a slotted spoon to remove beef and vegetables and place them on a plate to rest. Thicken the gravy.

How to Make Gravy

Shake a bit of broth with cornstarch (per the recipe below) in a jar.
Bring the liquid in the Instant Pot to a boil using the “sauté” function.
Whisk in the corn starch mixture and cook until thickened. Taste and season.

Serve the hot gravy over the meat and vegetables.

Leftover Pot Roast?

Leftover pot roast will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
It can be frozen too. Remove and enjoy the leftover potatoes and carrots, since these will not freeze as well. Try shredding the beef in the gravy with two forks. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container. For the best flavor, use it within 3 months.
To reheat, defrost the meat, then heat on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. Try serving shredded Instant Pot beef on homemade hamburger buns or garlic toast for a whole new meal!

Can beef be cooked frozen?

Yes, if the beef has been frozen in large chunks, it can be cooked in the pressure cooker. Increase the cooking time, and skip the searing step. Check the appliance instructions and follow directions carefully for the correct pounds, time, and temperature.

What is natural release?

This recipe uses a natural pressure release for 15 minutes. This means that the InstantPot will rest allowing the pressure in the pot to gradually release. At the end of 15 minutes, you can turn the valve to release any remaining pressure. Find more info about natural vs quick release here.

Instant Pot Recipes We Love

Did you love this Instant Pot Pot Roast? Be sure to leave a comment and a rating below!

5 from 18 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
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Instant Pot Pot Roast

This Instant Pot pot roast recipe makes is a warm and tasty main dish of tender roast beef, veggies, and gravy!

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Natural Release 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes

Cut roast into large 3 to 4″ chunks. Season generously with salt & pepper.
Add olive oil to the Instant Pot and turn on to saute. Sear beef in batches to brown, about 4 minutes per side.
Remove beef and add onions to the Instant Pot (you can add a bit more oil if needed). Cook 2-3 minutes to soften.
Add red wine to the Instant Pot. Scrape the bottom to remove any brown bits (to avoid a burn notice).
Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Add browned beef and stir.
Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Natural release 15 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove beef and vegetables and set on a plate to rest. Discard bay leaf.
Combine broth and cornstarch in a mason jar and shake very well until smooth. Turn the broth in the Instant Pot onto saute to bring to a boil. Whisk in cornstarch and cook until thickened and bubbly, add additional cornstarch as necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve gravy over pot roast.

Gravy can be thickened with additional flour if needed.
Cornstarch can be used in place of flour if desired. Mix equal parts cornstarch and cold water. Whisk a little at a time into boiling broth until thickened.
Baby potatoes are best in this recipe. I have found they hold their shape better while other potatoes tend to crumble or fall apart and become mushy.
Scraping the brown bits is an important step that helps avoid getting burn notice. Don’t skip this step!
Add in extra veggies from your fridge, almost anything goes!
5 from 18 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!