Looking for the BEST Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe? You’ve found it! This pot roast recipe (using fresh or frozen meat) is tender, flavourful and the perfect one-pot meal. Suitable for Keto, Paleo, Whole 30 and gluten-free dieters. Recipe also includes Weight Watchers points.

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Yummly

LinkedIn

Instant Pot Pot Roast. I have checked that phrase at least 10 times now because I keep getting one of those red squiggly lines telling me ‘delete repeated word.’ Instant Pot Pot Roast. What’s wrong with that??

I guess technology is fab until it isn’t. But we can still make easy Instant Pot Pot Roast no matter how wrong my computer says it is…

And this Instant Pot Roast is soooo good guys. Fall-off-the-bone meat, stock seasoned to perfection and loaded with carrots (or potatoes if you prefer) and mushrooms. And in only a fraction of the time as the traditional roast. #happydaysright?

It is a dreamy anytime comfort dinner (especially on chilly nights) and also makes a simple but memorable addition to Easter dinner or Thanksgiving menu. (Your guests will looove being greeted by the smell of this pressure cooker pot roast.)

Have I mentioned it’s also the easiest one-pot meal ever?? (Well, at least as easy as my Instant Pot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Potato Soup or Instant Pot Chili …and Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage.. I sense a trend here..)

What is Pot Roast?

What is pot roast exactly? The story goes that French immigrants to the United States made a variation of the French dish boeuf à la mode, which was then modified by German immigrants to become what is known as pot roast.

To make pot roast, a large piece of beef (usually a tough cut) is browned and then slow cooked in liquid with aromatics (or put in the Instant Pot these days). It is often served with carrots, potatoes and onions.

So pot roast is actually a cooking method.

What Is The Best Cut Of Meat For Pot Roast?

Any tougher cut of meat is good as pot roast because of the way it is cooked. This is because these cuts are full of connective tissue, which is broken down during the roasting into rich, succulent flavourful meat. Oh and the resulting gravy is just wow. Let’s look at two types of meat that you can use.

CHUCK ROAST

In the US, chuck roast is what is commonly used. It is generally tough but when it cooks it will become moist and tender and packed full of gorgeous rich beef flavour. Some cuts of beef chuck roast come with fat all around it. You can cook the pot roast with this fat on which definitely adds to the flavour. But if you plan to make gravy from the cooking liquid, you may want to separate the fat.

However, you can also trim it before you cook, or ask your butcher for a leaner cut of beef. It may be worth getting an already trimmed chuck roast for cooking so you know exactly how much meat you have (you will loose some of the weight when you trim off the fat otherwise).

If you are cooking this with meal prep in mind and plan to make a whole chunk extra and freeze for later, then I suggest you start with really fatty chuck roast. The fat will make it prevent it from drying out the meat and keep it juicy and tender when you get round to defrosting and reheating.

I suggest you try cooking both the trimmed or the lovely fat on chuck roast and decide with version you like best.

RUMP ROAST

You can also use rump roast, which is from the back of the animal. This cut of meat works great as pot roast, and is one of the cuts my OH loves. This cut is leaner than a chuck roast so you do need to be careful when you cook it.

What is great about rump roast is that you don’t have to worry about trimming lots of fat off it. But be aware that it is a bit more expensive than chuck roast – so it is a question of fat versus budget.

Guys, the great thing about this pot roast recipe is that you can use the cut of beef you prefer. Hey if you are as obsessed as me, grab a few different cuts when there is a sale on. Then have fun cooking them all, get your friends round and have a pot roast tasting party and get them to vote for the best one.

Personally, I prefer the beef chuck roast cut, as I love the extra favour and tenderness from the fat.

Instant Pot Chuck Roast Recipe Materials

Ready to make chuck roast in Instant Pot? Then gather all your ingredients and let me show you….

How to Make Instant Pot Pot Roast – Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1. Season meat with salt and pepper. Step 2. Select the sauté function of Instant Pot, add 1 tablespoon oil and wait till it says hot. Step 3. Then sear the meat for 5 mins on each side till browned. Step 4. Use tongs to remove meat from the pot and set aside. Step 5. Add remaining oil, use spatula or wooden spoon to scrap the bottom of the Pressure Cooker insert to remove any bits of meat stuck on. Step 6. Then sauté the onions for 5 mins before stirring in the garlic for 30 seconds. Step 7. Cancel the sauté function and deglaze with 2 tbsp of beef broth. Step 8. Add in the beef chuck roast, mushrooms, carrots, beef stock, balsamic vinegar, anchovies, mixed herbs and thyme and season with any extra salt and black pepper if needed. Step 9. Cover the Instant Pot, select Pressure Cook or Manual (depending on the model of your pot), high pressure and set the time for 50 mins. Cook till done then let the Instant Pot naturally release pressure and remove the Instant Pot Chuck Roast. And here you have the simplest Instant Pot Chuck Roast recipe ever.

Chef’s Tip: The anchovies add umami, that indescribably ‘mmm’ savoury and rich flavour, to this pressure cooker pot roast.

Optional step: You can make the liquid into a gravy. Make a corn flour paste with 1 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsps water. After the roast is cooked, remove meat, add this paste and sauté till you get the thickness you like.

To serve: Remove the pot roast from Instant Pot, slice or shred, and serve with vegetables and sauce poured over top.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Pot Roast Recipe

I am kind of obsessed with making my Instant Pot recipes perfect…lucky for you. Here are some of my best tips for making perfect pot roast in the Instant Pot.

Cut up the Chuck Roast (or Rump Roast) Joint

This tip depends entirely on the size of your beef chuck roast and the size of your pot. If you have only a small beef joint then you can cook it whole.

If you have a big lump of meat then cut it into 2 or 3 smaller beef chunks so they can fit inside the pot. They can then be easily browned and present maximum surface area for all the seasoning you are going to be adding in. Cooking the meat more fully in the beef broth can also result in more juicy meat.

Season the Beef

Seasoning the meat is one easy way to also add flavour to the pot roast and gravy. As a starting point you want to add awesome Stone House Seasoning.

Or if you prefer you can just some salt and ground black pepper. Then from there you can start experimenting with some other flavours to your taste.

You can use a dry rub of your choice that is either store bought or homemade. If using homemade beef dry rub, make it up ahead of time so you have it on hand, for this recipe and various other recipes. Add a little more rub than you think you need to your pot roast, as flavours can become a bit muted in the Instant Pot.

Homemade dry rub ingredients can include:

Poultry seasoning

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Cajun seasoning

Baharat spice blend

Italian seasoning

Thyme

Cumin

Allspice

PS => another great idea is for you to make and extra batch of your favourite dry rub, put it in little labelled spice jars and gift it to your fellow Instant Pot foodie friends. They will certainly appreciate it.

Brown the Instant Pot Chuck Roast

Ok, you are not going to always have time to sear the meat and if that is the case skip the browning step – this recipe is all about easy.

However, if you have time then please do brown the beef. Browning the pot roast adds a lot of lovely flavour to the end dish and it also keeps the meat nice and moist.

You can brown the meat on the stove top using a skillet or you can do so in your Instant Pot. To brown the chuck roast in the instant pot, you would select the sauté function of Instant Pot, add oil and wait till it says hot. Then sear the meat for 5 minutes per side till browned and using tongs, remove beef from the pot. If your meat is in more than one piece, then you might have to sear it in batches.

Don’t forget to deglaze the pot with some beef broth after browning the meat to avoid the dreaded burn notice.

Add in Some Wine

You can easily replace some of the beef broth with wine for a different kind of flavour. You can add in about a third of a cup of your favourite red wine. The rest of the wine is totally payment to you, the rather awesome cook.

Firm Carrots, Yes Please

To make sure the carrots stay whole, cut them up in really big chunks (baby carrots will not work here). For firmer carrots, don’t add them in with the meat. Instead, cook the meat till done, remove from the pressure cooker and then pressure cook the carrots in the remaining sauce for 5 mins on high. You can start with large carrots which you cut down into chunks, or you can make your life even easier by starting with baby carrots. Ps same with potatoes.

Natural Pressure Release

Natural release is a must when cooking meat in the Instant Pot. Otherwise you might end up with really tough dry beef. So don’t be tempted to do a quick release.

Make Instant Pot Pot Roast and Gravy

You can totally convert the remaining beef broth into gravy. Because pot roast beef and gravy are a match made in foodie heaven, right? To whip up some gravy, make a corn flour paste with 1 tablespoon corn flour and 2 tablespoon water. After the roast is cooked, remove meat, add this paste into the juices remaining in the pan, press the sauté function and cook till you get the gravy thickness you like. Feel free to add extra seasoning in at this point.

Instant Pot Pot Roast and Potatoes

You can also add potatoes to the Instant Pot Pot Roast. This certainly adds bulk to the recipe and makes it a more complete meal. Quarter the potatoes and add them to the carrots or instead of the carrots. You can also use baby potatoes if you prefer. It all depends on what you like or have in the pantry.

Instant Pot Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes

Yes the juicy Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes combination is so awesome. Simply whip up a batch of these easy and creamy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes and serve it along with your roast. Make enough for leftover and your next day’s lunch is totally sorted.

Make Instant Pot Pot Roast With Onion Soup Mix

Want another flavour idea? Then make this Instant Pot Pot Roast With onion soup mix. Simply add one packet of dried onion soup mix in with the beef broth. Be careful with other seasonings though when you add this, as you don’t want to over-flavour your food. Other flavourful sauces you can add in are Worcester sauce or soy sauce. If you want to keep this gluten free, then make sure you use a gluten-free soy sauce.

Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast

Another variation of this pot roast recipe is the rather famous and delicious Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast. And boy is this good. You just need to get the cornerstone ingredients to whip this up, aka au jus gravy mix, ranch seasoning, pepperoncini, pepperoncini juice, butter and of course your chuck roast. You can add other flavours according to your taste.

Make Your Pot Roast In The Slow Cooker

Yeap, you can make this a slow cooker beef pot roast instead – because sometimes nothing but your slow cooking will do.

First thing season your meat as you normally would, then brown and add into your crockpot. Then add in the rest of your ingredients, then cover and cook on high for about 4 hours or on low between 7-8 hours. Test the meat and if not done, then cook for another hour or till done. Then dig right in.

Storing Your Pot Roast

How To Store Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

You can store this Chuck Roast recipe in the fridge really easily. What you need to do is let it cool completely, and then add into an airtight container. One tip is to keep the sliced or shredded meat in a little bit of the gravy to keep it moist. Then keep your leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Great for quick easy lunches and sandwiches.

Related Link : Best Glass Meal Prep Containers.

How To Freeze

Prep your pot roast ahead of time and freeze it for when you need it for an easy weeknight supper or lunch. What you need to do is let it cool completely first. Grab a sharp knife and slice so that it cools down a lot quicker.

Place the sliced beef in an airtight container or ziploc bag and pour over some gravy to prevent the beef from drying out, and then close the lid. Label the container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

If you are going to eat this over period of time, then what I suggest is for you to portion the pot roast in appropriate sizes, so you just reach in to the freezer and grab what you need. Make sure you choose the right cut of meat that freezes well (such as the fatty beef chuck roast).

How To Reheat

If you are starting with frozen roast, then take it out of the freezer and let it defrost. Feel free to take it out of the freezer the night before you want to use it. Scoop of any extra fat which normally solidifies on the top.

Then grab a few slices as needed and some of the juices, and warm gently in a microwave using a covered mixing bowl or heat in a saucepan over medium heat.

How Long Do You Cook a Roast in an Instant Pot?

On of the main questions people have is ‘how long do you cook a roast in a instant pot pressure cooker?’ This depends on the size of your beef and if you are cooking from fresh or frozen.

For this particular recipe using fresh beef you need 50 minutes under pressure. The actual cook time will be a bit longer as you wait for the Instant Pot to come to pressure at the beginning and then naturally release pressure at the end.

Check further below for cooking frozen pot roast. However, don’t forget to check the temperature of the meat when done using a meat thermometer.

How to Cook Instant Pot Frozen Roast

Yeap, you can throw a rock hard frozen roast into the Instant Pot and get wonderful results.

To cook Instant pot frozen roast –

Add about 20 mins to your cooking time.

You would not season the meat – but add seasoning to the beef broth

You would not sear the meat but just add it in frozen.

If you get a large chunk of meat before freezing, then use a sharp knife and cut it into chunks before freezing.

Also you can season the meat before freezing if you are a planner (unlike me)

Guys, this is so easy you might always do Instant Pot frozen roast…

How Can I make Keto Pot roast?

To make this into a keto pot roast recipe, omit the carrots as they are high in carbs. If you want to make keto gravy then you would need to use something like xanthum gum instead to thicken your gravy

What to Serve with Chuck Roast Instant Pot

Well you chuck roast Instant Pot recipe already has carrots (and/or potatoes) ready-made. But if you want to server more stuff with your pressure cooker pot roast, then here are a few ideas for additional sides.

Pictures From One Of My Lovely Readers

I love seeing when my readers make my recipes. Jason said ‘Made this tonight – thanks for the recipe and tips!’

More Instant Pot Recipes

There you have it, folks. A super easy Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe. Sooo easy and soooo good.

How many Weight Watchers Points are in Instant Pot Pot Roast?

If you replace the 1.5 tbsp olive oil used for frying with a calorie-controlled cooking spray, there are:

13 Blue Plan SmartPoints per serving



Thank you for reading my IP Pot Roast recipe post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

*IP Pot Roast Recipe Video**

Get The Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe: