Instant Pot Pot Roast
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
A complete pot roast Sunday dinner in just 60 min? Yes, please! With the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth tender beef!
Featured Comment
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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Very good but I’m not sure on the cooking time either. The edges shredded great but the middle was still hard. Threw the middle back in for 15 min. Probably needed 20. Also cooked the potato’s last 10 min with carrots. Potatoes perfect minus the hour of flavor from the liquid. My husband loved what I fed him.
The amount of time indicated in this recipe is inadequate. We had a 2.5lb pot roast and it took twice as long in our Instant Pot. It was delicious but dinner was late by almost an hour.
This has become the most requested meal from my family, especially for special occasions. It’s utterly delicious!
So damn delicious! I had adjusted the recipe for a 2.15 pound boneless chuck roast and reduced the cooking time to compensate for smaller roast (oops…my bad for the adjustment). I had to put the center roast part (soft ball size) back in to cook for another 25 minutes because it wasn’t wanting to shred easily like the outer part did (a little tougher I guess). There was plenty already shredded for dinner. The meat, potatoes, and carrots were just so tasty, and the gravy was just the right consistency. I can’t say enough nice things about the flavor and simplicity of this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it!
This came out wonderfully, although I had to make a few changes. First my baby red potatoes would have disintegrated had I added them in with the meat. Instead I added them in the last 10 min with the carrots. Also the juice/gravy was a bit bland, so I added a tsp of Beef Better Than Bouillon.
Yum! Made this several times for my family and everyone loves it!
Such a delicious recipe. It’s been our go to ever since we made it the first time
This is my go-to roast anytime we want one. Delicious!
Great flavors. Even better leftovers. Very tasty with dried rosemary and thyme, too.
Thank you for this recipe! I followed most of it to a T, except I did not have the baby potatoes and went ahead and cut my regular potatoes about the same size and cooked the meat, potatoes and carrots as directed. My hubby & I went for a walk while the meat & potatoes cooked, I came back in and added the carrots, finished our walk just in time to make the gravy. I was amazed how it all turned out. I also think those who had to cook their meat so much longer don’t realize they can toggle between the low & high-pressure cooking, as well toggle on low, med & high on the sauté button. I only realized that I also loved the quick cleanup of the few dishes into the dishwasher including the IP, so satisfying. A win-win after working a full day working at school! 🙂
Can you tell us your method for toggling between low & high pressure cooking settings to get the meat to be cooked on time without the veggies being mushy?
I’ve made this roast often and it turns out great every time. You can tinker with the ingredients a bit based on taste and preference for the amount of juice/gravy. Yum!
I’ve made this recipe with a few tweaks every time, but I finally nailed it. After the 45 minutes, take the potatoes out and then put the carrots in for the remaining 10 minutes. It keeps the potatoes from being mushy. This is really the only thing I changed. This is a huge crowd favorite every time.
Perfect recipe, definitely a keeper!
One small tweak that worked for me: set InstaPot to 45 minutes, quick release, remove potatoes. Cook only meat for another 25 minutes, quick release. Then add carrots, cook for 10 minutes. Quick release. Make gravy as described. Chef’s kiss!
Everything was great except the carrots were still crunchy. When I make it again I am going to put the carrots in with the potatoes. The gravy was really good though and everything else was tasty!
It is delicious however as I was reading the directions I almost put the carrots first and did the potatoes last and yes I should have. The potatoes turn to mush so I took them out and cooked the carrots and the meat. Besides that situation it was very very good! Thank you fir the recipe.
This pot roast recipe is the best I’ve tried. This will be my go to recipe. I added about 5 more minutes to the cooking time and it was perfect. When I opened up to put the carrots, the meat was already in the shredding point and that’s what I wanted. The gravy was very good as well. I served with just a homemade sliced french bread and it was perfect, with some green salad on the side! Thank you for a great recipe!
This was delicious! I threw in a little extra wine for good measure and substituted the tomato paste for 3tbsp of tomato sauce. Definitely will be making it again.
This was delicious. The gravy was the best I’ve had since Mama’s. This one’s a keeper.
This was so good! I didn’t have any wine, so I left it out. I didn’t have any fresh herbs, so I used dried. I didn’t have any Worcestershire sauce so I used a substitute I found on Google. While I was nervous about the QR for meat because I’ve always heard to do an NR on meat, I did a QR. And I needn’t have worried because it came out so tasty and tender. The gravy was so much easier to make than the pot roast recipe I’d seen for the Crock Pot. I’ll make it this way from now on!
Excellent taste and so very Tender! My Family insist we have this D. Pot Toast at least once a week! I must confess It was my best BEEF POT ROAST. THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPES!!