September 13, 2019 Comfort Meals

Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe

Juicy and tender Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe made with potatoes, carrots, and gravy is a great family friendly dinner idea.

Pot Roast is a classic comfort food. I think we all grew up with memories of our moms or grandmas making this dish on weekends or holidays. It’s a perfectly tender meat cooked for a few hours in a pot with carrots and potatoes, and served with delicious gravy.

Previously, I was always hesitant to make this dish myself, just because it takes too long to cook. However, when I got my Instant Pot, I found out that you can make this classic dish in just a fraction of the time, without compromising on flavor!

Here how you can make it too, in just under 2 hours:

What meat to use for Pot Roast

The most popular cut of meat for this recipe is Beef Chuck Roast. It has beautiful marbling, which makes the braised meat juicy and tender. This type of meat comes from the front shoulder. In different stores you might find it under different names, like shoulder roast, blade roast, or chuck eye, but they all come from the same area.

Dry Rub for Pot Roast

This dry rub makes the whole meal so special, bringing out delicious sweet, smoky, and spicy flavors.

For this recipe, I use the same dry rub as for my Instant Pot Pulled Pork but in different proportions.

Here is what we need to make the dry rub:

Smoked paprika
Salt
Cayenne
Onion flakes
Garlic powder

Mix all the ingredient together and rub it into the meat, coating evenly.

How to make Instant Pot Pot Roast

Set the Instant pot to “Sauté” function.

Add olive oil and let it preheat.

When the oil is hot, place the meat in the Instant Pot and let it sear for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until it gets a golden/brown crust. Then remove the meat from the pot.

Now, we can add chopped onion and sauté it for about 5 minutes, or until it gets golden in color. Then add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping off the burnt bits. Then add tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything, cook for another minutes, then turn off the “sauté” function.

Put the meat back in the pot, place baby potatoes and carrots on top. Cover with the lid and make sure your venting knob is turned to “sealing”.

Cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes. When done, do a quick pressure release.

How long to cook Pot Roast in Instant Pot

The cooking time depends on the amount of meat you are using and its size. In this recipe, I use a 3-4 pounds beef roast. I like to cut the meat in 4 pieces, to reduce the cooking time.

I found that 40 minutes of cooking time is perfect for this recipe. After that, we can quickly release the pressure.

Because I cook the meat together with potatoes and carrots, shorter cooking time helps the vegetables to get evenly cooked without being too mushy.

How to make gravy for Pot Roast

After the meat and vegetables are done, quickly release the pressure. Take the meat and veggies out. You can put then on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Turn on the “Sauté” function again and let the liquid get to boil. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Then mix cornstarch (or tapioca flour) with water and add it to the pot. Stir and cook another 5 minutes, until the gravy gets thicker to the desired consistency.

How to serve Pot Roast

While the gravy is cooking, take two forks and shred the meat.

I like to serve it on a large serving plate with meat on one side and vegetables on the other side. Pour some grave over the dish before serving.

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