Instant Pot Pot Roast
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A complete pot roast Sunday dinner in just 60 min? Yes, please! With the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth tender beef!
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why i love this easy pot roast dinner recipe
- Faster cooking time. Hello, super speedy pot roast dinner! With the help of your pressure cooker, the Instant Pot® will create the most lovely, oh-so-cozy, tender pot roast in just 1 hr – and it tastes as if its been simmering and braising all day. This gives you more time to take a nap, do the laundry, drop off the kids at basketball practice, binge something quick like Parks and Recs – all of the things.
- Classic Sunday comfort food. This is just one of those dishes that brings you back to those cozy Sunday suppers. It’s simple, it’s wholesome, and the house just smells like home, a true family friendly meal, not to mention perfect for weekend company and holiday dinners.
- Fall apart beef. No more dry pot roast here. We’re talking moist, flavorful, fall part, melt-in-your-mouth shredded beef. Not to mention, a gravy you’ll want to pour on all your buttery mashed potatoes and crusty bread, of course.
- Leftovers taste even better. Similar to lasagna, pot roast tastes even better the very next day, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify even further overnight in the fridge.
- Freezes like a dream. Pot roast freezes beautifully, and can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months, repurposing the leftovers into so many different dinners (think soups, ragu, quesadillas and shepherd’s pie to name a few).
how to make pot roast in the instant pot
- Season the beef with salt and pepper, seasoning generously
- Sear the beef until a dark crust forms, sealing all the flavors inside
- Add the onion, garlic and tomato paste
- Deglaze the bottom of the pot with red wine (those browned bits have all the flavor) – this is a crucial step to avoid that dreaded BURN warning
- Add beef stock, seasonings and herbs, cook for 45 minutes
- Add in the vegetables and cook for an additional 10 minutes
- Shred the beef using two forks
- Add in the cornstarch slurry for the most flavor-packed gravy
- Spoon the gravy over the shredded beef, potatoes and carrots
tips and tricks for success
- Look for marbling. When choosing a chuck roast, make sure it is well-marbled to ensure flavorful, tender pot roast. Look for visible fat streaks throughout the meat – the fat will melt throughout the cooking process, yielding rich, juicy, beefy goodness.
- Sear the meat. Searing the chuck roast first will add all the extra, deeper flavors here, sealing all the juices inside.
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste adds body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the pot roast. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry red wine (cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir or merlot) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Fresh herbs are best. Although you can certainly substitute dried herbs, fresh herbs are ideal here, delivering the best kind of flavor.
- Cook the vegetables after. Add the potatoes and carrots to the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes after the beef has cooked through. Cooking the vegetables with the meat will lead to overcooked, mushy veggies.
- Make a cornstarch slurry. Adding cornstarch directly into the Instant Pot can cause lumps. Always use a mixture of cornstarch and cold liquid (aka cornstarch slurry) to thicken the sauce, yielding a smoother, gravy-like consistency.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking in the pot roast drippings!
- Repurpose leftovers. The leftovers make for great nachos, sliders, enchiladas and breakfast hash for breakfast (or dinner!).
freezing and storage
Prep
Pot roast can be made 1 day in advance, storing the meat and vegetables separately in airtight containers in the fridge.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Pot roast can be reheated over low heat on the stovetop or in the oven at 300°F in a baking dish, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through. Be sure to use some of the leftover juices and drippings to prevent the meat from drying out.
Freeze after cooking
Let the pot roast cool completely; portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating over low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the oven at 300°F in a baking dish, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
what to serve with instant pot pot roast
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Pot Roast: Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend using chuck roast for the best results possible. Brisket or rump roast (bottom round roast) can also be used.
Additional beef stock can be used for red wine as a non-alcoholic substitute. Stock will be less acidic and more mild in flavor than red wine.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
A cornstarch slurry is a mixture of cornstarch and cold liquid (such as water or stock) used as a thickening agent. To avoid over thickening, always add the cornstarch slurry towards the end of cooking time.
Yes! Here is our favorite slow cooker pot roast recipe.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Pot roast is very freezer-friendly! Freeze in individual servings, thawing overnight and reheating on the stovetop or low oven to avoid overcooking or drying out the meat.
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, excess fat trimmed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ pounds baby red potatoes, whole
- 4 large carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
- 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
Equipment
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting.
- Season beef with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Heat canola oil; add beef and cook until evenly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in red wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in beef stock, Worcestershire, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Top with beef. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 45 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Add potatoes and carrots; select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 6 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Remove beef, potatoes and carrots from the Instant Pot®; shred beef, using two forks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water; set aside.
- Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more beef stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve beef, potatoes and carrots with juices immediately.
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I love that you’re a Friday Night Lights fan. I could binge that forever!
I haven’t tried a roast in the Instant Pot yet for some bizarre reason. I’m gonna use your technique with a couple minor substitutions for lunch.
Do tell! What substitutions? Thanks
Delicious!
I have made this pot roast several times now… It is the best that I have ever had, and it turns out delicious every time. I have made it for company on numerous occasions, and all have raved about it. The only change that I made was leaving out the red wine, as we have no alcohol in our home ever. It is perfect without it! Thanks so much for sharing!
I had the same problem with the Magic Chef. It has done very well with everything else I’ve tried so I was surprised and disappointed. .
Question – what can I substitute for red wine?
You can substitute additional beef stock for the red wine.
Grape juice, similar tart juices/liquids.
Could I substitute boneless lamb for the chuck roast?
Lamb is usually served rarer than pot roast. You can try it, but not sure if it will seem tough. I would reduce the cooking time of the meat first to see how it goes. Just my thoughts.
DELICIOUS!!! Soupy Pot Roast has been my favorite home cooked meal since childhood. This was spot on…just like mom’s!!!!
Yours was the 3rd IP pot roast recipe I have attempted.
The first 2 were “OK”.
This pot roast was wonderful. The flavors and mouth feel is as good as those I have long made, in the oven. The whole baby red potatoes are just right. The finished gravy is excellent. I used baby carrots, which I keep on hand. They are a bit overcooked so, I will use larger chunks of carrot in the future.
I followed your recipe except, I did not use the wine as I don’t care for it. What I did do was, added a half dozen pepperoncini and a bit of the juices before sealing and setting the timer to 60 minutes and walking away from the kitchen.
The finished roast is as good as it gets.
Thank you for this recipe.. It will remain my go to winter roast.. :O)
Excellent
Best damn pot roast I have ever made. Thanks for the recipe!
I decided to try this recipe for some company on a chilly Sunday night. It was only my 3rd try with the instant pot and I was a little nervous. The finished product was really good. My only complaint was that the recipe did not say that it would take 30-40 minutes for my instant pot to get to the right pressure to begin cooking once I added the potatoes, carrots and beef. Therefore, my dinner was delayed more than I had expected. Please consider this in your future recipes.
Thanks, Kathryn!
OMG this pot roast was soooo yummy! It was my very first insta pot meal to prepare and I knew to come to your site to find my recipe. The directions were easy to follow and even though the insta pot intimidated me a bit (okay, truthfully it intimidated me a lot) this meal was so delicious that I cannot wait to try another one of your meals. Thank you!
This is in the instant pot now! Thanks so much for such a great recipe! It smells deliCious!
This was indeed damn delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for making our family dinner supreme!
This was so easy and delicious! I have a clunky stove-top pressure cooker, but it worked just fine. Thank you!
OMG! This was absolutely fantastic. I have never made pot roast before. I was turned off by the long cooking time. Then I got an Instant Pot. Last week, roasts were on sale, so I picked one up, and then found this recipe. It was so delicious. My husband was licking the bits of gravy left on his plate. Definitely will be making this one again.
So I am cooking this recipe as we speak. But the post does need one major clarification it says cook it for 60 minutes. But is that from the time the pressure cooker reaches a pressure and that little silver tab pops up on the lid and on mine it then starts the timer. Or 60 minutes from the time you close the lid and turn on the cooker on high. I have an instapot.
Made this tonight and it was perfect. Very easy and very tasty – I made slightly more meat 3.5-4pounds (family of 5 with 3 teenagers) in a 8 quart Instant pot but kept the other ingredients and timing the same. Would highly recommend.
I made your pot roast recipie tonight and we loved it. Made the gravy and it was delicious.
I used Montreal Steak Spice all over the roast and rubbed it over the roast. It’s a spice mix I love using on meats.
I will continue to make this my first choice for pot roast. Thanks!
My 2nd “Damn Delicious” adventure was with this Pot Roast Recipe. The meat was super tender and the sauce was delicious! I could not find 3 pounds of chuck so I bought a 2.3 pkg and reduced cooking time by 11 minutes thanks to suggestion/response shown in comments section. I REALLY appreciate how specific your instructions are—Huge help for me! Thanks.