Instant Pot Pot Roast is a comforting one-pot meal featuring fall-apart tender beef, perfectly cooked carrots and potatoes, and a rich savory gravy. This pressure-cooker version of the classic pot roast delivers the same homey flavors in a fraction of the time.
Turn a tough chuck roast into melt-in-your-mouth beef served with vegetables and gravy—ideal for a hearty Sunday supper. If you enjoy family-style mains, try other comforting recipes like roasted pork tenderloin, slow-cooker pork chops with gravy, or classic mini meatloaves.
Pressure Cooker Pot Roast
This tender roast with vegetables uses a handful of simple ingredients but yields deep, satisfying flavor. It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner that comes together quickly in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients for Pot Roast:
- Chuck roast – Affordable with good marbling; it becomes tender and juicy when pressure-cooked.
- Onion – Adds depth to the roast, vegetables, and gravy; can be served or discarded after cooking.
- Baby Yukon Gold potatoes – Waxy potatoes like Yukon or red hold their shape; if using large potatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces.
- Baby carrots – Convenient and ready to add; if using large carrots, peel and cut into finger-sized pieces.
- Beef broth – The base for the gravy; stock or water with bouillon works as well.
- Tomato paste – Rounds out the sauce and boosts savory flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds acidity and umami that help flavor and tenderize the meat.
- Garlic – Fresh-pressed garlic gives bright, savory notes.
- Salt & pepper – Season well—meat and potatoes benefit from enough salt.
- Paprika – Adds color and a mild, smoky flavor to the roast and gravy.
- Ginger – A warm spice that complements this cozy dish.
- Cornstarch – Mix with equal parts cold water before adding to the braising liquid to thicken the gravy.
How to make Instant Pot Pot Roast:
Time needed: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Juicy tender beef with tender vegetables and a savory gravy, all cooked together in the Instant Pot in under two hours.
- Prep
Add oil to the bottom of the Instant Pot and select the “sauté” function.
- Season and sear
Combine spices and rub evenly over the roast pieces. Sear each piece for 2–3 minutes per side until browned, then remove from the pot.
- Deglaze the pot
Wipe excess oil from the pot, add 1/2 cup broth, and scrape any browned bits from the bottom to prevent burning. Turn off sauté.
- Cook
Whisk the remaining broth with tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Return the roast to the pot with the broth mixture, bay leaves, and onion. Seal and pressure cook on high for 40 minutes, then allow a 10-minute natural release. Release remaining pressure, add carrots and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then seal and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural release.
- Shred and plate
Release any remaining pressure, remove vegetables to a platter, and transfer the meat to a cutting board. Shred the beef and add it to the platter. Cover with foil to keep warm.
- Make gravy
Set the Instant Pot to sauté, bring the cooking juices to a simmer, then whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook 2–3 minutes until thickened. Adjust seasoning, turn off the pot, and serve the gravy with the roast and vegetables.
FAQs
After searing, browned bits cling to the pot bottom. Deglazing with broth and scraping those bits prevents them from burning during pressure cooking and triggering the burn error.
Roasts need longer pressure time to become tender. Adding vegetables later prevents them from overcooking and becoming mushy.
A natural release lets pressure drop gradually, similar to resting meat after cooking. This helps the roast remain tender rather than becoming tough from a sudden pressure change.
Cornstarch added directly to hot liquid will clump. Mixing it with cold water first creates a smooth slurry that thickens evenly when added to the hot juices.
Tools used to make this Instant Pot Pot Roast:
- 6-quart Instant Pot – Pressure cooking drastically reduces cook time while producing tender results.
- Metal tongs – Useful for safely flipping and removing hot roast pieces.
- Whisk – Helps blend the gravy and the cornstarch slurry smoothly into the cooking juices.
Looking for more beef dishes?
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Mississippi Pot Roast
- Classic Beef Pot Roast
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Instant Pot Pot Roast
10
1 30
1 40
Equipment
-
6-quart Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 pounds chuck roast, cut in two
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sweet onion, quartered
- 1.5 pounds baby Yukon potatoes, whole
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water, mixed together
Instructions
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Place oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot and press the “sauté” button.
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Mix the spices together and rub all over both cuts of roast.
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Sear each piece of meat 2–3 minutes per side until browned, then remove from the pot.
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Wipe excess oil from the pot, add 1/2 cup broth, and deglaze by scraping browned bits from the bottom. Turn off the pot.
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Whisk remaining broth with tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Add the roast back to the pot with the broth mixture, bay leaves, and onion.
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Seal the pot and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes, then allow a 10-minute natural release. Release remaining pressure, add potatoes and carrots, season with salt and pepper, reseal and cook on high for 8 minutes followed by a 10-minute natural release. Release any remaining pressure and open the lid.
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Place vegetables on a platter, shred the meat on a cutting board, add to the platter, and cover with foil to keep warm.
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Set the Instant Pot to sauté, bring juices to a simmer, whisk in the cornstarch slurry, and cook 2–3 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve the gravy over the meat and vegetables.