This is the best Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe! The meat is so tender and falling apart, soaked in delicious gravy, you’ll want another helping! Made with flavorful dry rub, then seared, and cooked with potatoes and carrots in Pressure Cooker, this will be your new favorite Sunday dinner meal!
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 roast 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 Pressure Cooker, I found out that you can make this classic dish in just a fraction of the time, without compromising on flavor!
There are many classic recipes you can make in less time, like Instant Pot Italian Wedding Soup, Instant Pot Turkey Chili, Instant Pot Chicken Wings, Instant Pot Boneless Short Ribs, Instant Pot BBQ Ribs Recipe, Instant Pot Beef Stew, Instant Pot Taco Soup, and many more!
Also, if you want more dinner ideas made in a pressure cooker, check out my post for Instant Pot Recipes for Beginners.
Table of contents
How to make Dry Rub?
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.
Ingredients:
- Smoked paprika
- Salt
- Cayenne
- Onion flakes
- Garlic powder
Mix all the Dry Rub ingredient together (Photos 1-6).
Add the seasoning to the beef roast and mix well, until evenly coated (Photos 7-10).
How to make it
Set your Pressure Cooker to “Sauté” function.
Add olive oil and let it preheat.
When the oil is hot, place the meat in the 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 (Photos 11-13).
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 (Photos 14-17).
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 minute, then turn off the “sauté” function.
Put the roast 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” (Photos 18-23).
Cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes. When done, do 10 minutes natural pressure release.
How long to cook
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 it 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 do 10 minutes natural release the pressure.
How to make gravy
After the meat and vegetables are done, take the meat and veggies out. You can put them 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
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 gravy over the dish before serving.
Tips for Best Results
- If your Beef Roast is more than 3-4 pounds, just cut it in 6 pieces instead of 4. This way each piece will be small enough to cook and get tender.
- Don’t skip the searing part. That char will provide the most flavor!
- Because we cook vegetables with the roast, they will be soft (but not mushy). If you don’t like soft carrots, use large carrots instead of baby carrots, so they will better keep their texture.
Storage and Reheating
How to store. You can refrigerate it in an air-tight container for about 3-4 days.
How to reheat. You can reheat it in a pot or a deep skillet over a medium heat.
How to freeze. If you decide to freeze this recipe, I would suggest to freeze only the meat with the gravy, without vegetables. You can transfer the meat with gravy to an air-tight container and freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, just leave it in the fridge overnight, then reheat and mentioned above.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most popular cut of meat for this recipe is Beef Chuck Roast. It has beautiful marbling, which makes the braised beef 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.
Most likely, you didn’t cook it long enough. If your meat is bigger in size than stated in the recipe, you might need to add additional cooking time or cut the roast in smaller pieces.
If the meat has some extra fat around it, I prefer to trim it, so the gravy won’t be too greasy.
Instant Pot Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Ingredients
Ingredients for Dry Rub:
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon onion flakes
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Ingredients for Instant Pot Pot Roast:
- 3-4 pounds beef roast cut in 4 pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 pound baby potatoes
- 1 pound baby carrots or 4 medium carrots
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca flour
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, mix dry rub ingredients together (½ tbsp smoked paprika, ½ tbsp salt, ½ tsp onion flakes, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp cayenne) and set aside.
- Rinse the chunk of meat, pat dry, and cut in four equal pieces. Add dry rub ingredients and rub it into the meat, coating evenly.
- Set the Pressure Cooker to “Sauté” function.
- Add 3 tbsp olive oil and let it preheat.
- When the oil is hot, place the meat in the Pressure Cooker 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.
- Add chopped onion and sauté it for about 5 minutes, or until it gets golden in color. Then add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add 2 cups beef broth and deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping off the burnt bits. Then add 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Mix everything, cook for another minute, then turn off the “sauté” function off.
- Put the meat back in the pot, place 1 pound baby potatoes and 1 pound 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 10 minutes natural pressure release.
- After the meat and vegetables are done, take the roast 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 2 tbsp cornstarch (or tapioca flour) with water and gradually add it to the pot. Stir and cook another 5 minutes, until the gravy gets thicker to the desired consistency.
- 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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in 2019, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in Feb of 2020.
I tried it in the fall, it was excellent, going to make it again this weekend.
Yaay! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me on Instagram @VeronikasKitchen !)
I made this today. Plan to take to our daughter, who is away at college. She had to work all weekend, and we are going to her to have dinner tonight. Thought my baby girl needed a good home cooked meal. I have taste tested everything and it is all delicious! And that gravy is amazing! BTW, I did not have the tomato paste. Used 2 TBSP tomato sauce. Worked great as a sub.
Thank you, Denise, for your review! I’m sure your daughter will appreciate homemade meal!)
Family member is allergic to tomatoes- can I just skip the tomatoe paste or what should I substitute?
Hi Claire! You can easily skip the tomato paste! I like to add it for additional flavor, but it’s not the main ingredient. Let me know how it came out!
Hi! It’s more a question then a comment. Won’t the veggies be mush? We love pot roast with potatoes and carrots. Every time we have those in the instant pot they come out too soft/ mush
Hi Valeska! The veggies come out soft, but I wouldn’t say mushy. The baby potatoes will be perfectly cooked inside, like if you would make a stew. For the carrots, they will be a bit soft, but I don’t mind it. It’s a bit similar to my Instant Pot Short Ribs recipe, and I have a lot of great comments from people!)
Would like to make this in my mini. Can I make the whole recipe or do I have to only make half?
Hi! Do you have a 3 Qt? The meat will definitely fit it, but I’m not sure about the vegetables…. You might just reduce the amount of potatoes and carrots… Let me know how it cane out!)
Oh I love how this roast looks like. So delicious! Rub sounds like a dream really. Flavors are amazing. I must save this recipe and make it for my family.
Pot roast never looked this good! Making in instant pot makes it so juicy and flavorful. Delicious!
Quintessential comfort food – made so much quicker and easier in the Instant Pot! I really do love using my pressure cooker, but I have to confess that I’ve actually never made beef pot roast in it – can you believe that?!? I mean, Instant Pots were basically MADE for beef pot roasts! Thank you for so clearly walking me through how to do it right, with great method photos and tips the whole way!
I love a good Instant Pot recipe! And I just want to dive right in to this pot roast, it looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it all fall long.
Pot Roast Sundays were my favorite day of the week growing up. Nothing beats that comforting smell of pot roast and warm bread. Thank goodness we no longer have to wait hours for it to cook up. The IP is truly wonderful! Your roast looks positively scrumptious!
I love a good pot roast and have, over the years, made it frequently in the oven and in the slow cooker. But, I’d never made it in the instant pot until last night when I made this recipe. It came out perfect – tender and delicious. Thanks so much for a great recipe! This one is a keeper!
Hi Rebecca! I’m so happy you liked the recipe! It is amazing how fast Instant Pot can cook the meat, while keeping all the flavors!)
Looks yummy Those carrots and potatoes definitely enhances the recipe.
Hi Gunjan! Yes, I love cooking potatoes and carrots together with the meat, they absorb all the flavors and stay moist!)
The spices in the dry rub must make this pot roast incredibly tasty! And it looks so tender! Perfect meal for the upcoming season.
Hi Nicoletta! Yes! The dry rub gives the meat so much more flavor! Plus, it gives more flavor to the gravy!)
Your pot roast looks stunning! The meat looks tender and the veggies look cooked perfect! This will be impressive to serve for my family.
Hi Denise! Thank you) The meat is really perfectly cooked as well as the vegetables) And I love that it’s all cooked in the same pot!)
Hmm yum! This is making me super hungry! I wish it’s dinner really soon. This Instant Pot roast recipe looks really deliicous.
Hi Dennis! Thank you! This pot roast really comes out so tender and juicy! I’m ready to eat it any time of the day)
Awww yeah. I can’t wait to make this. I recently started getting more into my Instant Pot, and I can tell a big difference in the food I make. That looks tasty.
Hi Ben! Oh yes, the Instant Pot can make wonders with the meat! The best part is it cook so much faster than in the oven or on the stove!)