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 normally do not comment on recipes due to my having to “fix” it. This recipe however was excellent! I do not add vegetables with the meat. After removing the meat I strain the liquid, poured back in pot and added the potatoes n carrots. Pressure cook 5min. Removed veg and made the gravy.Used 2 more cups broth, 4T cornstarch and 1/3c red wine with one packet of instant gravy mix. Put meat back in pot on warm. Perfect. Thank U for the recipe.
I genuinely never leave reviews but had to leave one today – we just had this for dinner and it is definitely a winner! The beef was so tender and flavourful and the potatoes and carrots were cooked without being mushy. Adding this one to the books for sure!
This is my second time making this and it was absolutely incredible both times. Ugh! So so good. Thank you!!
Thisis the best recipe for instant pot Roast. I use this recipe anytime I want Roast. Give it a try you will not be let down.
Thank you so much, Susan! I’m so glad you love this recipe!
Made this twice and it’s our new favorite comfort food go to. The flavors are amazing!
Thank you so much, Elaine!
Chose this to try as our Easter dinner this year(currently cleaning up the mess) and OH MY LORD, the flavour is amazing! My picky husband and our picky children all went back for seconds-which never happens in our house!! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipe! I will definitely be adding it to my recipe box, it’s a keeper!
Thank you so much, Brittani! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed this recipe 😉
This recipe is crazy perfect! I used a 2#6oz shoulder roast. Prepared it exactly as stated with the exception of shaving just 3 minutes off the time due to meat being on the smaller side. I also reduced a few potatoes and carrots accordingly..
The meat was sooooooo tender and shredded beautifully. Gravy perfectly to my liking.
I placed all in serving casserole to reheat tomorrow. That is my only unknownright now.
This recipe is a certain repeat for me.
Thank you so much, Barbara! I’m so glad you loved this recipe 😉
I grew up with mom’s all-day pot roast on Sunday. Who has time for that? I tried this recipe in my new Instapot and it was a huge hit. Husband said it was the best ever. It is now in my regular rotation. What a great way to serve a superb meal with a cheaper cut of meat. Great recipe.
Thank you so much, Sandy! I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the recipe 😉
Can you slow cook this recipe?
Hubby gives this recipe 5 stars and I agree. I had a chuck roast in the freezer that I wanted to use and because it’s the end of July, the temp and humidity here in New England is pretty brutal, I looked for a recipe that didn’t involve the oven. So glad I found this one. Meat was very tender, veges were soft, but that’s the way we like them, and seasoning made the gravy delicious. I don’t generally have good luck getting a tender pot roast but this recipe was wonderful and easy.
Thank you for a fantastic dinner. Yum!!
Thank you so much, Pam! So happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe 😉
Wow this is super flavorful, tender and delicious. I followed the recipe exactly except my meat was about 2.7 lbs so I cooked for 35 minutes instead. And I added extra corn starch and the end since it was still too thin for me. But I’m so happy with this dish! Very hearty!
Thank you so much, Valerie! I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
Did you still use the same amount of seasoning? I have a smaller roast for this recipe and I’m curious if I should change amounts.
Thanks!
I love your pot roast recipe. Was going to make it today. However, I took out the pork roast instead. I wasn’t going to use it, but my Mom said it would still taste good. OMG it was sooooo good! I had to cook it a little longer, but seriously this was so good.
Thank you so much, Debbie! This is good to know that pork also worked in this recipe!
Made this as a Valentine’s dinner tonight for my boyfriend and I and it was AMAZING! So much good flavor, everything has great textures, and we have leftovers. I doubled the spices for the meat and filled the instant pot to the max line with baby gold and red potatoes, carrots, and 1/4 of the onion from the recipe in chunks on top. The timing was perfect, vegetables were soft but not mushy, meat was delicious and the gravy was wonderful. We’ll definitely have it again!
Thank you so much, Emilee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I used this recipe for Christmas dinner yesterday and it was a hit! So easy to follow and tastes great. I think I might add an extra type of veggie like Brussel sprouts or fresh green beans next time. Thank you!
Thank you, Carmen! I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe!
Hello, This is my first recipe I’ve cooked in the Instant Pot, turned out great! I used a Blade roast as well as regular carrots and potatoes. Gravy was excellent. I expected to be able to split the meat across the grain but it also split with the grain, it was that tender! My four year old grandson was also impressed! This will be a regular task for my Instant Pot. Thank you for taking the time to develop this recipe, much appreciated:)
Yaay! Thank you so much, Roger! I’m so happy you liked it!
Excellent pot roast recipe! Made this last night and it was fork tender and the vegetables were good also. I was skeptical that it would cook in 40 minutes, but my 2.75 pound chuck roast was super tender. The only changes I will make when I cook this next time would be to either add a little more salt as I had used UNSALTED beef broth and it need it bit more salt. OR I will use regular salted beef broth instead of unsalted. I will be sure to check out your other recipes! Thanks for sharing this one.
Thank you so much, Marlene!