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
Love pot roast? Try my Easy Pot Roast recipe or my Slow Cooker Pot Roast next!
This recipe was originally posted in 2018, but has been updated to include new step by step photos and video.
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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.
Comfort foods, especially those that are healthy and nourish our bodies, are my favorite kinds of meals!
This Potato Soup, this Rigatoni Pasta Bake, and so many of these Easy Crockpot Meals are popping up on our table again and again (and no one’s mad about it).
When the weather starts cooling off, there is just nothing like a cozy meal to gather around with the family — especially if it’s cooking in the Instant Pot, hands off!
This Instant Pot Roast comes out perfectly cooked and has the best gravy (just check out the reviews below!), plus no mushy vegetables to speak of!
You can even throw the roast in completely frozen if you’ve got a little extra time to let it cook (and it turns out just as great as these Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot and this Instant Pot Whole Chicken you can cook from frozen as well!)
Why we love this Pressure Cooker Pot Roast!
This Instant 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, so it’s better to leave them out while the roast cooks, and add them later at the end.
I know that this is an extra step and you might be wondering if it’s worth it.
Trust me on this one.
This way, you will have a perfectly juicy and tender pot roast, and perfectly cooked but still totally appetizing veggies.
You know I’m not into any extra unnecessary steps (or dishes, or ingredients!), but the potatoes and carrots will cook in just a few minutes and if you buy small, pre-washed potatoes, you don’t even need to chop them.
How to make Instant Pot Pot Roast:
- Season and sear: Cut your roast beef into roughly 1 pound pieces and coat them with the seasoning blend. Meanwhile, turn your Instant Pot to saute, and brown each piece in oil on every side. You can skip this step, but I find it does add a lot of flavor and helps to keep the juices in the meat.
- Remove the beef and cook the onions: cooking the onions adds another layer of flavor to our gravy! Then add the garlic and cook just a minute, so that it doesn’t burn.
- Deglaze the pot: Add the rest of the gravy ingredients (still on saute). Scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot with a wooden spoon to remove any bits that might be stuck on the bottom.
- Add the roast and pressure cook until tender: If your roast is cut into 1 lb chunks, it shouldn’t matter how large it was to begin with — they will all cook in about the same amount of time. I cook mine for 60-65 minutes. Depending on the type of roast you have and how you like your meat cooked, you may want to add additional time.
- Let the pressure release and add the vegetables: at this point you have the option to remove the roast if it is cooked and tender, and shred it while the vegetables cook, or just add the vegetables on top of the roast.
- Once everything is cooked, let the pressure release again and serve: Letting the pressure release naturally, completely (turning it off and not opening the valve until the pin goes down on its own) is the best way to ensure moist and juicy pot roast. Once the pressure is released, open it up and thicken the gravy on saute if desired.
Instant Pot Pot Roast FAQs
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.
Absolutely!
Increase the cook time to 90-100 minutes for a 3 lb roast, and 100-110 minutes for a 4 lb roast, and 120 minutes for anything larger than 4 pounds.
You won’t sear a frozen roast, but you can sprinkle the seasoning on and add the liquids as the recipe calls for below.
Chances are, it just hasn’t cooked long enough. A beef roast will safe to cook long before it is tender, so giving it a little extra time doesn’t hurt anything.
I like to cut my pot roast into smaller chunks so that it cooks and tenderizes more quickly. If you are using a less-than-ideal type of roast (something lean with not much fat), you may want to cut it into even smaller pieces.
It’s up to you! I don’t usually trim much, as the fat makes the roast so juicy as it cooks. It can easily be trimmed once it is cooked.
If you prefer less fat cooking with your fat, you can trim the larger pieces.
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.
Looking for more Instant Pot dinner recipes?
- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin & Potatoes
- Juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breast
- Creamy Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Easy Instant Pot Baked Ziti Recipe
Instant Pot Pot Roast (with the BEST gravy!)
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt (I use Lawry’s)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 lb beef chuck roast cut into 1lb chunks
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely minced)
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ lb Creamer potatoes (or baby potatoes) whole
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into thick slices
- 1 tablespoon ketchup (or honey)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons water
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. You may need to add extra oil to brown all of the pieces and cook them in 2 batches. When browned, removed the meat from the Instant Pot.
- Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened (adding more oil if necessary). Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- To the Instant Pot add broth, vinegar, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce — if there are brown bits stuck to the bottom from the meat, give them a scrape with a wooden spoon and they should release easily — this will help to prevent a burn message. Stir to combine.
- Add the meat back into the pot. Put the lid on and turn the valve to sealing. Select Manual or Pressure Cook and set the cook time for 65 minutes on high pressure (90-100 minutes for a frozen roast).
- When the cook time is over, turn the Instant Pot off and let the pressure release naturally (this should take 10-15 minutes) before turning the valve to venting and opening the lid.
- Remove the roast to a plate, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots, put the lid back on, turn the valve to sealing and select Manual or Pressure Cook for 3 minutes.
- While the potatoes and carrots cook, shred the beef and keep warm.
- When the cook time is over, let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before moving the valve to venting, gradually releasing remaining pressure and opening the lid.
- Remove potatoes and carrots from Instant Pot and place on a platter with the beef.
- Stir in ketchup (it's not necessary but as a nice brightness and contrast to the savory flavor of the beef). Whisk together corn starch and water and stir into gravy.
- Turn Instant Pot to saute and cook, stirring often, until gravy has thickened. Serve with roast beef and vegetables.
Notes
- I added a sauteed onion and garlic to the gravy. You can skip this if you didn’t miss it 🙂
- I increased the broth to 2 cups from 1 cup — this gives us more gravy! I also increase the vinegar, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce to match.
- I removed the roast after pressure cooking to add the potatoes and carrots, but you can still do it either way. This way, the roast has time to rest and we can shred it while the vegetables cook.
- I added a tablespoon of ketchup to the gravy — this just brightens the flavors and adds a subtle touch of sweetness.
Nutrition Information
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Emily Yeh says
My first time making pot roast and this recipe was easy to follow and very tasty. The gravy did not disappoint! Everything was delicious and the meat was so tender! I followed the recipe exactly as described. I was worried with the burnt bits at the bottom of the pot when I seared the meat but it all scraped off once you add in the broth. The next time I make this, I might add another pound of meat so I could have enough left over for a family 4 people the next day.
Kathy says
One of the best pot roast recipes out there! Very flavorful! I made some changes to increase flavor robustness: 1. Deglazed with a little red wine before adding broth. 2. Added a little more dried spices and herbs than recipe calls for (basil, fennel seed, celery seed). 3. Added some chopped celery root and chopped fennel bulb to the onion sautée (really adds flavor). Also used bone broth. Scrumptious.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it Kathy!
Linda says
How long would this take to cook in a pot on the stove top?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Linda, here is my stovetop version: https://www.thereciperebel.com/easy-pot-roast-recipe-the-best-gravy/ Enjoy!
Avery says
Hi Ashley! Is it possible to use a slow cooker method for this recipe using the instant pot? If so, how would you recommend?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Avery, you’ll need to follow this recipe for the slow cooker method: https://www.thereciperebel.com/slow-cooker-pot-roast/ Enjoy!
Kendria Fisher says
Hi! I’m making this tonight but the roast I have is technically beef for stew and is already in smaller 1 inch chunks, not 1 pound chunks. Im still cooking 3 pounds, but since they are cut up smaller how does this affect the cook time?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kendra, sorry just saw this message. How did it come out?
Natalie says
I have cooked this pot roast multiple times and it is my family’s favorite recipe. So flavorful and it makes the perfect gravy!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear! Thank you!
Frank says
completely unreadable due to the pop up ads
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear you are having trouble Frank. Every ad should have a way to exit out from it. Also you can click the “jump to recipe” button and then hit print to see the full recipe without any interruptions. Hope this helps!
Mary says
Love this!!
Turned out fantastic!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Mary!
Kaitlyn says
I never leave comments. I just have to because this was the absolute best roast I have ever made or tasted. I’m eating the leftovers for lunch and they are even better.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you so much Kaitlyn!
Christine K. says
I made this just as recipe stated. Husband and I thought it was greasy. Don’t know where I goofed up.
Flavors were fantastic!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
It’s likely from the beef. Glad you enjoyed it!
Lesley says
I have an 8 quart instant pot. Would you still recommend 2 cups of beef broth or a 1/2 cup more ? I’m not sure if your recipe is for a 6 QT. IP.
Thanks
I haven’t made this yet but based on all the great reviews I will !!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lesley, all of my recipes are tested in a 6qt. I’d still recommend the 2 cups. Enjoy!
Georgette says
Since the weather has cooled down, I’ve been looking for pot roast recipes to make in the IP. This is the best recipe I’ve tried yet! The seasoning blend is perfect, the searing step, the ONION (my husband loved it and we’ll be adding another next time!), and cooking the vegetables separately kept them from getting mushy! Thank you for testing and revising it for a solid recipe and we can’t wait to have it again!
Georgette says
I’m so sorry I accidentally clicked the wrong number of stars!!! This is definitely a 5-star recipe! (If I can edit it, please let me know!)
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Jennifer LeRoy says
I’ve been making pot roast for years and I think this is my favorite recipe so far! Since I’ve used so many recipes before, there were some things I changed up a bit, but just little tweaks: red wine instead of vinegar, and I added some dried rosemary and bay leaf. I chose this recipe for the ketchup! I thought it would be interesting and it was! It made the best gravy! Other than the ketchup, I chose the recipe because the other ingredients were solid components of good pot roast. You can’t go wrong here!
Jennifer LeRoy says
Also, I would add that taking the roast out to sit and to shred it while cooking the potatoes and carrots separately in the pot is the best way to do pot roast so your veggies aren’t mushy and you have a little extra time to shred the roast.
The Recipe Rebel says
So happy to hear! Thank you Jennifer!
KT says
Loved, loved, LOVED this pot roast recipe! I grew up with pot roast made with cream of mushroom soup and a dry onion soup packet–delicious in its own right–but your recipe is amazing!! The gravy is out of this world! The balsamic vinegar with the worcestershire sauce creates this, dare I say, sophisticated gravy!! Sooooo good!
I prepared the recipe as written but had to substitute vegetable broth for the beef–no big deal–the result was still fantastic.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! It will definitely be added to my favorites list!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi KT! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Irina says
How long would you pressure cook 5lb of beef? Not frozen meat
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Irina, I’d add at least another 20 minutes. But I haven’t experimented with it, so I can’t say for sure. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes.
Amanda Leonard says
Do about 20 minutes per pound when it’s frozen and 15 mins per pound when it is thawed.
Linda Brice says
Loved this recipe. The balsamic vinegar adds a wonderful flavor to the sauce. I also liked the fact that the veggies aren’t mush. I wonder if it would be okay to stop the meat cooking three minutes earlier than the set time. Then add the veggies and continue cooking the meat and veggies together, rather than pulling out the meat. The meat was so tender it fell apart as I was pulling it out of the instant Pot. This obviously wasn’t a problem, as who doesn’t like super tender fall apart pot roast??? But, it would save on having to clean the dish you set your meat on while the veggies cook. Just a thought.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Linda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t tested the recipe this way but if you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Amy says
Hi! I’m cooking for just one person, so I’d like to know the cooking time/pressure settings for this recipe cut in half. I’m excited to try it! Thanks for your help!!
Tasha says
Hello! Can I make this with just one on of roast? How would I adjust the time?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Tasha! I’m sorry could you clarify your question? I’m thinking you want to know can you just make the roast without the vegetables?
layana Borghese says
My
Instant pot doesn’t have a pressure cooker setting. Can I use a regular slow cooker ? And if yes, how long should I cook? 6 or more hour?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Layana! The instant pot is a pressure cooker! Hope you enjoy it!
Kelly q. says
This was the BEST roast I have ever made! My husband told me to write this recipe down! Thank you for sharing!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kelly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the kind review!