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Once you try my Instant Pot Roast Beef, you will never fuss over making pot roast again! My recipe for pressure cooker pot roast is tender, juicy, and large enough to feed a hungry family, all in just over 1 hour using simple ingredients.
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Best Instant Pot Roast Beef
Is there anything more comforting than pot roast? Not only is it the ultimate trip down memory lane, but nothing else is as cozy and warm as a beautiful, shred-with-a-fork roast. My Instant Pot recipe uses simple, budget-friendly ingredients. It's perfect for serving your family or entertaining guests!
This easy pot roast recipe saves time and keeps you from having your oven on for half the day. Instead, you only need just over an hour to complete the dish, and I guarantee your meat will come out as juicy and tender as if it were in the oven all day!
If you're worried your pot roast will lose flavor in a pressure cooker, trust me, it won't! The pressure from the Instant Pot intensifies the flavors and blends them together wonderfully.
Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Typically, a chuck roast would take many hours of low and slow cooking for a perfectly cooked roast. With the Instant Pot, you're saving hours of time, and the result is tender and succulent meat finished with a rich liquid that's perfect for making gravy to slather on top!
My Instant Pot pot roast recipe is so simple and easy to make, you can make it all year round. But, it makes a great addition to a holiday table or as a cold winter's night meal. I know you'll love it!
Perfect Cut of Roast Beef
Choose a cut of beef with plenty of marbling and fat for a pot roast recipe like this one. Here are three of my favorite options:
- Chuck roast is the most common cut of beef used for pot roast. It becomes so tender after low and slow cooking (and in the Instant Pot, too!). It has plenty of marbling, which makes it juicy after cooking and adds flavor to the drippings. Cooked just right, a chuck roast is melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
- A bottom or top round cut of beef is what is used when making roast beef. This cut comes from the rear of the cow, which means it's leaner than both brisket and chuck roast. I like to add a little more fat to the Instant Pot when I use this cut to keep it moist (just use a little oil or butter).
- Brisket is a little pricier than chuck roast, but it has a lot of connective tissue that makes it tender after a long day of being cooked slowly (check out our Slow Cooker Brisket). It's also perfect for cooking in the Instant Pot.
- Check out my perfect cuts of beef guide.
How to Cook a Roast in the Instant Pot
- Cut your boneless chuck roast in half. Season one side of each half generously with salt. Set your Instant Pot to saute mode and add vegetable oil. Once hot, add one-half of the roast to the pot salted side down. Sear for 4 minutes, then flip and sear the opposite side for another 4 minutes. Remove, set aside, and repeat with the other half of the roast.
- Add more vegetable oil to the pot along with minced garlic and onion. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant. Then, add red wine. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid of the wine reduces by half.
- Return both halves of the roast to the pot along with beef broth, tomato sauce, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir together and submerge the roast in the liquid. Add the lid back to the pot and set the timer for 60 minutes. Then, let it naturally release the pressure for 20 minutes.After 20 minutes, you can release the vent to get rid of any excess steam before removing the lid. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
- Skim the top of the liquid with a ladle to remove any excess fat, and discard. Then, add corn starch to beef broth and stir until combined. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the Instant Pot and stir until the mixture thickens. Pour the sauce into a serving dish to use as a gravy over your roast.
Pressure Cooker Roast FAQs
You will need to cook for 20 minutes per pound. Depending on the size of your roast, you can adjust accordingly! For this recipe, I use a 3 pound roast and recommend cooking it for 60 minutes.
You can use a frozen chuck roast to make Instant Pot Pot Roast. Simply add about 20-30 minutes to your pressure cooking time if cooking a frozen roast. There is no need to sear it first; just rub the seasoning on the frozen roast and pressure cook as instructed. You can reverse sear the roast after it's done following the same instructions as our Instant Pot Prime Rib.
If you follow the recipe directions and use your Instant Pot correctly, you should have a tender roast each time. Make sure to cook for approximately 20 minutes per pound, and if you aren't certain whether your roast is done or not, check it with a meat thermometer before you take it out of the Instant Pot.
You can make the beef gravy right in the Instant Pot while the pot roast rests using a cornstarch slurry. This is one of the best ways to thicken a sauce. Simply mix equal parts water and cornstarch (start with 1 Tablespoon each) until it forms a paste, then add it to the drippings and mix together. This will thicken the drippings into a gravy.
Pot roast can last for up to 5 days in a sealed and airtight container in the refrigerator.
Discover more ways to cook chuck roast with my best roast beef recipes!
Instant Pot Beef Roast Tips
- It's important to let the pressure release naturally. Leave it for another 20 minutes after cooking to allow it to release.
- After 20 minutes, feel free to release the vent to release any extra steam and allow you to open the lid.
- Don't skip searing the beef - this helps lock in the flavor!
- Halving the roast helps cut down on the cooking time and allows you to distribute the seasoning more evenly. This will give you a more flavorful dish.
Instant Pot Beef Recipes
There's nothing better than Instant Pot Beef Recipes!
My favorite dessert to serve with roast beef recipes is this mini pavlova recipe. It's the perfect ending to a great meal.
Try more of the best beef cuts according to your needs and budget by following my guide on the Best Cuts of Beef and our Popular Beef Dishes!
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📋 Recipe
Amazing Instant Pot Roast Beef Recipe
Equipment
- 6 qt. Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless chuck roast
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion minced
- ⅓ cup red wine substitute extra beef broth if you don't want to use wine
- 1½ cups beef broth
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt divided
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut your boneless chuck roast in half. Season one side of each half generously with salt. Set your Instant Pot to saute mode and add vegetable oil. Once hot, add one half of the roast to the pot salted side down. Sear 4 minutes, then flip and sear the opposite side for another 4 minutes. Remove, set aside, and repeat with the other half of the roast.3 pound boneless chuck roast, 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, 1½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Add more vegetable oil to the pot along with minced garlic and onion. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until soft and fragrant. Then, add red wine. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid of the wine reduces by half.6 cloves garlic, 1 onion, ⅓ cup red wine
- Return both halves of the roast to the pot along with beef broth, tomato sauce, rosemary, thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir together and submerge the roast in the liquid. Add the lid back to the pot and set the timer for 60 minutes. Then, let it naturally release the pressure for 20 minutes.After 20 minutes, you can release the vent to get rid of any excess steam before removing the lid. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.1½ cups beef broth, 15 ounce can tomato sauce, 1½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- Skim the top of the liquid with a ladle to remove any excess fat, and discard. Then, add corn starch to beef broth and stir until combined. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry to the Instant Pot and stir until the mixture thickens. Pour the sauce into a serving dish to use as a gravy over your roast.1½ cups beef broth, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Notes
- It's important to let the pressure release naturally. Leave it for another 20 minutes after cooking to allow it to release.
- After 20 minutes, feel free to release the vent to release any extra steam and allow you to open the lid.
- Don't skip searing the beef - this helps lock in the flavor!
- Halving the roast helps cut down on the cooking time and allows you to distribute the seasoning more evenly. This will give you a more flavorful dish.
Sara says
Husband loved it!
Em Beitel says
That's awesome, Sara! Thank you!