This Instant Pot Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots is comfort food at its best. The meat is tender, falls apart, and the vegetables are perfectly soft.
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Why This Recipe Works
When you are thinking of pot roast, you are envisioning a big cut of beef, roasting for hours with carrots and potatoes. Pot roast is a dish made with a tough cut of beef, cooked low and slow to get the meat to a stage when it's tender and easily shreds. Carrots and potatoes are a classic vegetable company to the pot roast. Now, you can cook a rich and flavorful pot roast in your Instant Pot pressure cooker in a fraction of the time.
Braising the meat before cooking is the secret to adding flavor to a pot roast. Since the Instant Pot has a saute setting, it's the perfect appliance to cook the pot roast in. This Instant Pot Pot Roast is cooked in beef stock, water, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar, as well as sauteed garlic, onion, and mushrooms. The flavor is rich and comforting. The meat is tender and falling apart. Carrots and potatoes are soft yet not mushy.
Ingredients
- beef: chuck roast, anywhere from 2 to 4 lbs;
- seasoning: paprika, dried thyme, salt and pepper;
- vegetables: garlic, onion, mushrooms, carrots, Russet potatoes;
- beef stock: necessary for the Instant Pot to build up pressure;
- red wine vinegar: helps tenderize the meat;
- Worcestershire sauce: adds signature flavor to the dish;
- cornstarch: to make the gravy.
How to make pot roast in the Instant Pot?
- Start by mixing seasoning in a small bowl and season the beef on all sides. Cut into 4 large chunks.
- Sear meat on saute setting.
- Add butter to Instant Pot and saute whole garlic cloves, onion and mushrooms.
- Add liquids and place meat back in the IP.
- Arrange carrots and potatoes on top of the meat. Press "manual" setting, and set the timer to 44 minutes (see note below for cooking times). Once the timer is done, let the IP release the pressure naturally.
- Carefully open the lid away from your face. Remove vegetables and meat onto a plate. Press "saute" setting, mix cornstarch and water and add to liquids in the IP. Simmer until it thickens.
Cooking time:
A basic rule for cooking pot roast in the Instant Pot is to cook it for 20 minutes per pound. I add 2 more minutes because we prefer the meat very tender.
My roast weighed 2 lbs and I set the timer for 44 minutes. The IP takes about 12 to 14 minutes to come to pressure. You also need to let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally (so the meat will be tender; otherwise it will be tough if you quickly release the pressure), you need to add another 15 to 20 minutes.
This might seem like a lot of time, but considering that pot roast takes hours to cook in the oven or slow cooker and this Instant Pot Pot Roast tastes and has a texture or a roast that was simmering all day, I say it's the fastest way to cook it.
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The best cut of meat for this recipe:
The best cuts of meat for pot roast are:
- chuck roast: the most popular cut for making pot roast. Has more fat than other cuts.
- brisket: not only for a barbecue! Great for sliced pot roast.
- rump roast or bottom round: leaner than other cuts, which makes it more prone to be drier.
Expert Tips!
- vinegar: some recipes call for red wine but I prefer to use another acidic ingredient to help tenderize the meat. I use red wine vinegar but apple cider or balsamic vinegar works perfectly too!
- Natural Pressure Release: do not switch the valve to venting position once the timer is done. Let the IP naturally release the pressure, which means that once the IP beeps that it finished cooking, press "cancel/off" button and do not touch the valve. It may take 13 to 16 minutes for the valve pin to drop and the pressure to be released. If you quickly release the pressure, the meat will become tough.
- potatoes and carrots: to make sure the vegetables are soft but not mushy, cut them into large chunks. If you think the chunk is too large, it's just fine. It will cook perfectly since the pot roast cooks for at least 40 minutes. You can always place all the potatoes in a bowl and mash before serving with the roast. Choose firmer to the touch vegetables for this dish.
- flavor: instead of using garlic and onion powders, I prefer the vegetables and to saute them in a tablespoon of butter after searing the meat. You can scrape the bits from beef from the bottom of the pot while stirring the onions and mushrooms, then add the liquids.
The gravy:
Once the pot roast is done, remove carrots and potatoes and the meat onto a plate. Press the "saute" setting on your Instant Pot. In a small mixing bowl or measuring cup, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of cold water. Add to the liquid in your IP and simmer until it thickens. Pour over each serving of pot roast with vegetables. The gravy is rich in flavor thanks to the garlic, onions, and mushrooms as well as the Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, and red wine vinegar.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! If your beef is frozen, skip the searing step. Add 10 more minutes per pound to cooking time. I do recommend thawing the meat because you can cut it into 4 pieces and sear which intensifies the flavor of the roast.
To make sure the carrots and potatoes are not falling apart and mushy after pressure cooking, cut each carrot into 3 to 4 large pieces and each potato to 4 to 6 large chunks. I used Russet potatoes and the large chunks were soft but not mushy once the roast was done. You can use small potatoes, just wash them well and place whole in the pot.
Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze the pot roast for up to 3 months. To reheat, use the Instant Pot on saute setting or a pan on the stove. Add water to reheat the gravy.
Not at all. You can use this recipe to cook just the meat and serve it with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. It's delicious!
More Instant Pot recipes:
Check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing a BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 lb chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 6 white mushrooms
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar See note
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 lbs Russet potatoes
- 1 lb carrots
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- Start by mixing salt, pepper, paprika and thyme in a small bowl. Season the beef on all sides. Cut into 4 large chunks. Prepare carrots and potatoes, by cutting them into large chunks. Dice onion and slice mushrooms. Peel garlic cloves.2 to 4 lb chuck roast, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 medium onion, 6 white mushrooms, 2 lbs Russet potatoes, 1 lb carrots, 3 garlic cloves
- Press "saute" setting on your Instant Pot. Wait 2 minutes, then add olive oil. Place meat in the Instant Pot. Let it sear on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove onto a plate.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add butter to Instant Pot. Add whole garlic cloves, diced onion and sliced mushrooms. Stir, trying to scrape the bits from searing the meat from the bottom of the pot. Saute veggies until the onions are almost translucent.1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add beef stock, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce. Place meat back in the IP, in the liquid.2 cups beef stock, 1 cup water, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Arrange carrots and potatoes on top of the meat. Close the lid, set the valve to "sealing" position. Make sure the IP is set to cook on HIGH pressure. Press "manual" setting, set timer to 44 minutes (see note below for cooking times). The IP will take 12 to 14 minutes to come to pressure. Once the timer is done, press "cancel/off" button and do not touch the valve. Let the IP release the pressure naturally. If you quickly release it, the meat will be tough.
- Carefully open the lid away from your face. Remove vegetables and meat onto a plate. Press "saute" setting, mix cornstarch and water and add to liquids in the IP. Simmer until it thickens. Shredd the meat and serve with vegetables and a generous serving of the sauce.2 tablespoon cornstarch, ¼ cup water
Notes
- You can use apple cider or balsamic vinegar in place of red wine vinegar.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
Hope says
Has anyone made this without the mushrooms? Everyone hates them(except me!) & I am wondering if leaving them out will change the flavor too much?
Anna says
Hi Hope! Feel free to leave out the mushrooms and add 2 more teaspoons of the Worcestershire sauce. I hope this helps!
SMPPHL says
YUM! Thank you for creating this delicious recipe and for answering questions-so helpful. But PLEASE increase the Total Time needed. I glance at that to get an idea of when we'll be eating but it was way off. Prep is at least 20 minutes + 44 min cook time + 15 min to come to temp + 30 min release=109 min so twice as long as the 54 minutes noted. Thank you!!
Jason Bullock says
Just got my IP today, first thing I cooked. Wife is an instant believer, whole family is stuffed! Thanks for the recipe, definitely going in the rotation!
Anna says
Great recipe! First time making pot roast in IP and it was great! Thanks!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Anna!
Judy says
Can this pot roast be DNC’s oven? I don’t have an IP.
Anna says
Hi Judy! I am afraid I am not familiar with DNC's oven. So sorry!
Gloria says
This is the first Instant Pot pot roast recipe I have had success with! I didn't have to open the pot halfway though to add veggies, and it turned out great!
Jeanine P. says
Wow. I made this tonight and it was by far the best Pot Roast I've ever had. I'm throwing away all my other Pot Roast recipes as I couldn't find anything that wasn't bland and needed spiced p with ketchup. We wouldn't dare add anything to this; the potatoes, carrots and mushrooms were so delicious and the meat was so tender. Perfect! Thank you for posting this!!! I took my dog for a hike today and was suddenly in the mood for pot roast. So glad I found this recipe. I bought a Chuck Roast on the way home and although I've had my IP for just under a year, I'm still getting used to it. Thank you for the easy to follow instructions and tips!
Bonnie says
I just got a 3qt instant pot today . How do I modify your pot roast recipe for that?
Colleen says
Tasty with some heat. I'll try it again with less pepper. I doubled the corn starch as I enjoy a thicker gravy. The tenderness of the veggies and meat were perfection. Thank you!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Colleen!
Ann says
Hi Anna you said not to touch the valve and to turn ip off at the end off cycle but from my experience you do need to vent the valve and leave ip on to release the pressure and my roast was still as tender as ever
Heather says
I'm preparing for this recipe but wonder if my new 6 at instant pot is big enough...?!
Anna says
Hi Heather! I used my 6qt IP to make it so you are good to go.
Heather says
Thank you for your quick response! I'm so excited to use your recipe for my first try. Just locked down the lid and set it. Thank you!
Anna says
You are very welcome, Heather! I am always happy to help. I hope you love the pot roast! Let me know!
Anna says
Hi Heather! I used a 6qt Instant Pot for this recipe.
Leigh says
Thank you for such a great recipe!!! We made this tonight and it was perfection. The gravy was fantastic too.
Anna says
Yay! That's fantastic, Leigh! I am so glad the turkey was a hit!
Lina Gunnarsson says
This was amazing! My whole family loved it. The only change was I used pomegranate juice instead of wine because I didn’t have any on hand. It was awesome. Will make again!
Franci says
When do you add the spices? I started to make it - step by step reading the recipe. I had the lid on to pressure cook & then noticed that my spices were still on the counter. Read the recipe twice & didn't see when to add them. So I just dumped them in the pot & replaced the lid. Hope that works.
Anna says
Hi Franci! Step 1 says to mix seasoning and apply to the meat. Hope this helps!
Sahar Acla says
I see the nutrition facts, but does anyone what the serving size is? It just says amount per serving, but what is the amount?
Thanks! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Jamie Pelfrey says
Does anyone know how long it takes for the button to go down after it’s turned off? It feels like it’s taking forever.
Carolyn says
Could be 20 or 30 minutes. Don't release the pressure manually, that will wreck the meat.
Suzie says
how would i modify the gravy so it has more of a commercial brown gravy taste. Mine turned out a little more tangy than i liked. besides that preference, this turned out perfect. grateful for your IP expertise.
Holly says
Sometimes mine gets stuck in the up position. If you just barely tap it with your finger, it should go down if all of the pressure has been released.
But if it’s not stuck, it can take a good 20-30 minutes for it to go down.
Rose says
Still licking my lips. This recipe is amazing. I used chicken stock and A1 sauce... Still amazing. Hubby and son couldn't get enough.
Dennis says
Its 86 here today, but I had a chuck roast and I needed a recipe. Well it's about done, just waiting for the pressure to release, but it smells amazing. Not really the right time of year for roast, but who cares. Only thing I did different, was to add about a tablespoon of Trader Joe's tomato paste to the liquids. Curious to see if there is any added flavor. We shall see in about 15 minutes. Thanks!
Randi says
This was absolutely one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. The only thing I’ll change is a bit less pepper, for my kids’ sake. It’s phenomenal and I’ve been telling all my IP friends about it!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Yay! That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Randi!
Joanna says
I have been looking for a pot roast recipe with no red wine, because honestly who has leftover wine to use for cooking! LOL I made this recipe last night and it was amazing! My Hubby already asked me to make it again. It's so good! Thank you for the recipe!!
Erin says
I know for sure this would be a huge hit in my house!
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
Thanks, Erin!