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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This was so amazing! I wish it didn’t take an hour to cook but it was so worth it!
This was the best roast I’ve ever made. Thank you for the amazing recipe. I had a smaller roast, so cooked for 45 mins (20 min/lb, then I subtracted 5 minutes as I prefer rare to medium rare. Also, had to substitute the red wine with a rose. It worked out fine.
My 3 lbs of organic chuck roast was not fall apart after 1 hour. I cooked it another 20 minutes and about 1/4 around the edges were tender, so we had enough to eat and I took out the carrots and put the meat back in for another 30 minutes. What went wrong? I had it on high for pressure cook, and I did the quick release after the time was up.
I would have given a 5 star rating because this recipe is so flavorful and easy, however decreasing the initial cook time for the roast to 30 minutes then adding the veggies and cooking for 15 more, turned out an extremely tender roast but almost mushy vegetables. I can’t imagine pressure cooking them for an hour. The meal was enjoyed by the whole family. It’s a keeper!
Fanfastic, savory, tender and delicious
Veey easy to make – thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Made this tonight! It was phenomenal! I didn’t have any worcestershire sauce or tomato paste so I didn’t use it. Wonderful flavor! Will definitely make again.
Just made this pot roast. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I ran out of thyme, husband hates rosemary, so I subbed dried shallots, scallions, and leeks. Wonderful flavor.
What happened to the onions? Nothing in the instructions to remove them at the end.
This recipe turned out excellent! I will be using it from now on.
Overall very delicious with a lot of flavor. I cooked it for 60 minutes and found the meat to be too dry and the potatoes and carrots to be mush. It still worked out though.
Made it last night fantastic and I’m a fussy and very critical about recipes… I made mashed potatoes instead of boiled as my family prefers that I think it made it even more delicious as u can mope up that wonderful gravy I also made Yorkshire puddings.
This was seriously the best pot roast I’ve ever had!
Phenomenal. Only had a 2.18 lb. roast. 20 min. / lb. in the Instant Pot – so set it for 50 minutes high pressure. Doubled the garlic, but other than that followed the recipe 2 a T! Gravy!!!! Phenomenal. If I could post a pic I would in a NY Second!!!
We just had this for dinner tonight. I’m not a big pot roast fan but I did enjoy this. I followed the recipe but didn’t have red wine so I left it out. My son liked so we will definitely be having this again. Thanks for the recipe!
My supermarket had some great roasts on sale and I just made this for the second week in a row (I live alone so I get a set of weeknight meals out of each). The meat almost doesn’t need to be chewed it came out so tender! I didn’t have wine the first time so I used red wine vinegar and it came out fine. Not sure I can tell the difference with real wine the second time around (or maybe I just had too much of it myself!). I added some celery stalks the second time as I had some I wouldn’t otherwise use before they went bad so I chopped them up and tossed them in. Not worth buying just for this, but if you already have some in the fridge it does add a little something.
I’m used to making things gluten free as my Dad has Celiac so I used corn starch to thicken the gravy and of course it came out just fine.
Made this for the first time tonight in my 8QT.
I subbed extra wine for the beef broth because I didn’t have any. I cooked it for 65 minutes.
The gravy came out awesome. I made the vegetables in a separate instant pot and they took 5 minutes. I just poured the gravy over after they came out.
Hubby loved it and I will make it again. Thanks!
Easy and delicious.
Holy Sweet Mother of Mouth Watering Delicacies! An instant pot recipe that transports you to your grandma’s 5-star dinner table. Rich in flavor. Easy to follow. I did add the instant pot juices and a little bit of wine to the gravy which I think took the recipe to next level. My husband was drinking it. My kids were jealous they turned their noses up at boring pot roast. This is not a boring recipe. Even better… I have leftovers for a savory lunch tomorrow! Thanks for sharing the dish!
I absolutely love this recipe. I’m using a 2 lb chuck roast this time. Should I reduce the cooking time?
I used 2lb as well, I just cooked it for 50 mins & it came out perfectly.
Hey, I am a chef, but new to instant pot. I will be trying your recipe this week and I’m sure it will be good (from looking at the recipe. But I can’t figure out why so many people are having trouble with it being done after 60 mins. I just cooked TWO chuck roasts in mine FROZEN SOLID in 60 mins, released pressure, added potatoes and onions and went another 20 minutes and the meat was falling apart tender. It may be a difference in machines. In any case, I am looking forward to using your recipe and will let you know how it turns out. Keep making great videos and recipes. I love your website!!!