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This Instant Pot Pot Roast is a tasty weeknight dinner! Made with fall-apart tender beef, potatoes and carrots, it's quick to make in your pressure cooker, and easily feeds a crowd.
Instant Pot pot roast may just be the quickest way to get a full post roast on the table! Seriously though, it reduces the total cook time by at least an hour, making it doable for a weeknight dinner recipe.
Besides being quick, it's also a full meal, rather than just a main dish or side dish. A few of my other "full meal" instant pot recipes that I love are my Instant Pot chicken and rice and Instant Pot white chicken chili, so there's really no need to make anything additional.
Recipe features
- Rather than taking 3+ hours, this recipe comes together in about half that amount of time.
- It's a great way to fit in a meat (protein), carb and vegetable all in one.
Ingredients
Beef chuck roast - A 4-5 lb. roast will serve 8 people, so if you're cooking for a crowd or want plenty of leftovers, that's what you should use. If you're wanting to make less, opt for a 2-3 lb. roast instead. Chuck roast is ideal for this recipe because it's incredibly tender once cooked and falls apart easily, which is exactly what you want with a pot roast.
Carrots - I used a whole pound of carrots because I wanted the beef to veggies ratio to be a little more even. There's no need to peel them; simply chop them into chunks them add them to your pressure cooker.
Potatoes - Baby potatoes work best -- either yellow potatoes or red potatoes.
Beef broth mixture - A combination of beef broth, soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce), tomato paste, and smoked paprika creates a flavorful broth.
Cornstarch - Or, substitute arrowroot if you prefer. Don't omit though; the cornstarch slurry will allow the sauce to thicken into a gravy-like consistency, which is incredibly delicious.
Instructions
Step 1: Sear the beef. Start by adding olive oil to the pressure cooker, the press "sauté" and set it for 9 minutes. Season the beef with salt and pepper on all sides, then pan-sear it for 4 minutes, then flip it over and sear for the remaining time; transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Sauté the onions. Next, reset the sauté function to 5 minutes. Add a splash of broth or water to scrape up the brown bits, then add the onion and sauté for 4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Step 3: Make the broth. In a large bowl, whisk the broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, and smoked paprika together. Then, add the beef back into the Instant Pot, along with the potatoes, carrots and broth mixture. Optional: add a few sprigs of fresh thyme as well.
Step 4: Pressure cook. Place the lid on top, ensuring the valve is in the "seal" position. Pressure cook for 80 minutes for a 4-5 lb. roast, or for 60 minutes for a roast that's smaller. Natural release the pressure for 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest. Carefully transfer the beef to a serving platter and shred it with two forks, then transfer thee potatoes and carrots as well.
Step 5: Make the gravy. Last, stir cornstarch and water together, then whisk the mixture in with the gravy that's still in the Instant Pot. Set the "sauté" function for 5 minutes and allow the broth to simmer and thicken slightly into a gravy-like consistency. Taste test and add salt and pepper as needed.
Tips and FAQs
- If you prefer mashed potatoes instead, simply omit the potatoes from this recipe and serve the roast alongside mashed red potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes.
- You can use baby carrots instead of chopped whole carrots, but the texture will be different because they cook more quickly, so keep that in mind.
- There will be a good amount of broth/gravy once everything is done cooking, but that's a good thing, especially if you're cooking this ahead of time because some of it will get absorbed as it sits in the fridge or freezer.
- If the cook time is up and the beef seems tough instead of tender, you will need to cook it for a little longer, though probably no more than 20 minutes.
Can I cook pot roast on the stove instead?
Yes! Full instructions on how to cook a traditional pot roast on the stove can be found below in the recipe card.
Is frozen beef ok?
Yep! If you're going to use frozen beef, I recommend two things. One, use either a chuck roast as the recipe calls for, or a brisket or top round sirloin instead. And two, increase the total cook time by 20-30 minutes to account for the beef having to thaw in the instant pot.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Wait for the meal to cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Then, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Reheating: It's best to reheat pot roast in the large pot on the stove with a lid over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until it's warmed through, and add additional broth to thin the gravy as needed.
More easy dinner recipes
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Instant Pot Pot Roast
Equipment
- pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4-5 lb. beef chuck roast
- salt and pepper
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 lb. carrots chopped into 1" pieces
- 1 lb. baby potatoes red or yellow
- 32 oz. beef broth (4 cups)
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon water
- fresh thyme or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
instant pot method:
- Pour the olive oil into your instant pot, then set the saute function to 9 minutes. Season the beef with salt and pepper on all sides, then add the beef and sear it for 4 minutes undisturbed, then flip it over and sear it for the additional 4 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- Add a splash of broth or water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits, then set the saute function to 5 minutes. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute for 4 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and saute for an additional minute.
- Add the beef back in, along with the carrots and potatoes. In a large bowl, whisk the broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, and smoked paprika together, then pour the broth mixture into the pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook for 80 minutes for a 4-5 lb. chuck roast, or for 60 minutes for a 2-3 lb. roast. Natural releasee for 10 minutes before manually releasing the remaining pressure. Transfer the beef to a large platter and use two forks to shred it, then transfer the potatoes and carrots as well.
- Last, make the gravy. With the broth still in the instant pot, set the saute function to 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together, then pour it into your instant pot and allow the broth to simmer and thicken slightly. Spoon broth over the beef, garnish with fresh thyme or parsley and enjoy!
stovetop method:
- Heat oil in a dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, then sear the beef for 8-10 minutes, flipping so all sides are browned; transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, then add a splash of broth and scrape up the brown bits. Add the onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the roast back in, along with the carrots and potatoes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the broth, soy sauce, tomato paste, and smoked paprika together, then pour the broth mixture into the pot.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot and simmer for 3 hours or until the beef is fall-apart tender. Transfer the beef to a platter, then shred it with two forks before transferring the potatoes and carrots.
- Last, whisk the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, then add it to the pot with the broth. Bring the broth back to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until it's thickened into a gravy (NOTE: it'll thicken as it sits and cools). Enjoy!
Ceci says
This post roast was so simple to make. Just plop it into the instant pot and there you go. Such a tender roast every time!