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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Does this recipe also work with frozen chuck? If not, how does it change?
I recommend thawing prior to using, Daniel. 🙂
My husband and I really loved this recipe. I added another onion just halved and added in with the other vegetables and it turned out perfect. Will definitely be making this again.
Would cooking Sherry be an acceptable substitue for the Red wine?
I made it for the first time tonight….awsome!!!! So easy to make …
Just made this tonight, it was absolutely delicious! Thank you!!
I’m making this tonight for dinner and expecting great things, so I’m going to go ahead and give it 5 starts…plus I need to ask a question 🙂
I bought a 2.71lb roast. Should I adjust the 60min cook time any or is it close enough to the 3lbs? I don’t want tough meat.
Thanks! I’ll be back to review a little better once I’ve actually cooked this.
Hi Jennifer! The cooking time should stay relatively the same but as always, please use your best judgement when making substitutions and modifications. We hope you like it!
I have a question! I’m making this right now, why is it a quick release at the end? I was told that for tender meats it’s best to do a slow or natural release. Is it because of the vegetables? Thank so much for your help!
Anne, I made this pot roast in my Instant Pot this evening, with a few tweaks. I used an quick release after letting the pressure come down naturally for about 15 minutes. The meat was fall-apart tender. I ccooked the vegetables right along with the meat. They were soft enough to be cut with a fork but were not mush. In fact, the potatoes were almost creamy and easily fork-mashed. The Instant Pot is, among other things, a pressure cooker. You need sufficient liquid to start with in order to build up enough pressure. The idea that a quick release will toughen and dry out the meat is a MYTH. If that’s happening, then you aren’t adding enough liquid to the pot. Some online sites say 1/3 of a cup to one cup liquid is enough, but my Instant Pot directions recommend AT LEAST 2 cups of liquid for any of the pressure functions
I used 2 cups of chicken broth (didn’t have beef broth) and about a third of a cup of red wine along with about 3# of chuck (browned in a skillet), half a dozen medium-size potatoes (cut in half), a half dozen carrots (cut into thirds), 4 stalks of celery, and a large onion, cut in half crosswise. I used the “Meat/Stew” setting and increased the time to 60 minutes. I thickened the resulting broth with a slurry of 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup flour. The result was an absolutely delicious dinner.
My 3 lbs of chuck was still tough at 60 minutes. Back in for 30 more
Made this last night and it was perfect!! Thanks so much.
When you put the roast on top of everything, could you use the trivet (with handles up) to lay it on?
Read where it’s easier to remove the toast???
I just finished making this and my house smells… well, Damn Delicious! I followed your directions exactly and the result is a savory comfort meal my dad will really enjoy (this is one of his favorite dishes – I’m visiting him tomorrow and he will devour it, probably before he can freeze any of it as leftovers). It was so easy to prepare – thank you for the recipe!
If I make this in the afternoon, and leave it on keep warm for a few hours will the vegetables turn mushy?
Would you recommend adjusting the time for 4.3 lb roast?
I want to make this today but I don’t have cornstarch. Will it turn out ok without it?
Flour works too
You can also use flour
The pot roast is excellent, made in slow cooker.
My favorite Spring dish is spatch cocked Cornish hens with asparagus and spring vegetables, followed by homemade key lime pie.!!!
I made the pot roast recipe and it was scrumptious!!! My favorite Spring dish is fiddlehead greens and ramps! I forage for them every year! YUM!!!
That’s awesome!
QUESTION: If one does not have an Insta-Pot, how can this recipe for INSTA POT POT ROAST be made via stovetop or oven?
We just added a new pot roast recipe for a slow cooker!
https://damndelicious.net/2019/04/12/slow-cooker-pot-roast/
Oven: 325°F, covered with foil, for 3 hours.
Cooked. 4 1/2 lb outside round roast in the 6 quart Instapot following this recipe. Absolutely delicious. Cooked it for 60 mins. Was even a little pink in the middle. Did not add vegetables but followed the broth instructions. Do take the time to sauté the meat, well worth it. Looked and tasted like an expensive oven roast.
Question- Has anyone used sweet potatoes instead of red?
I’m looking forward to making this recipe for my in-laws. Thank you!