Instant Pot Pot Roast (2024)

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The Instant Pot is by far the best way to cook Pot Roast when you are short on time, but still want to enjoy this classic comfort food. This Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe is largely hands-off cooking which makes this a breeze to put together. It’s a hearty and delicious dinner that also happens to be Paleo and Whole30 friendly!

Quick Pot Roast Recipe

An Instant Pot was practically made to cook a recipe like Pot Roast! A Pot Roast is a tough cut of meat that is traditionally cooked slowly in the oven until all of the tough parts of the meat have “melted down” resulting in a super tender and savory roast. When made in the oven, a pot roast can take anywhere from three to four hours, plus any additional prep time. But an Instant Pot Pot Roast cooks in just 50 minutes!

Of course, this method also has prep, plus the time it takes the Instant Pot to come up to pressure, and the 15-minute natural release. Even with all of that, it’s still so much quicker to cook a pot roast in the IP.

And, it’s just so darn tender and flavorful when cooked in the Instant Pot! This recipe makes for a rich, tender, and hearty Pot Roast, with perfectly cooked carrots, potatoes, and gravy.

Ingredients Needed for Instant Pot Pot Roast

• Chuck Roast
• Dijon Mustard
• Spices: Dried Parsely + Garlic Powder + Onion Powder + Celery Seed
• Beef Broth
• Oil
• Small Potatoes (potatoes that are about 2 inches, or potatoes diced to a similar size)
• Carrots
• Tapioca Starch (this is to thicken the gravy)
• Coconut Aminos
• Fresh Thyme + Parsley

How to Customize It

This recipe makes for a complete meal with meat, starch (potatoes), and veggies (carrots) plus that super delicious gravy. You can definitely swap in other veggies that you have on hand, but you will have to play around with the cooking time in the Instant Pot.

You can also play around with the spices added to this dish, though we are quite partial to the deep flavor and nuance that our blend of flavors gives to this pot roast.

What is the Best Cut of Meat for Pot Roast?

We think a chuck roast works best for pot roast, but you can swap in other tougher cuts of beef that with withstand the long cooking time. Other cuts that will work are:

• Brisket
• Rump Roast
• Bottom Round Roast
• Shoulder Steak

Do you have to sear the meat when making a pot roast?

This is not an essential step in making a pot roast, but it does give this dish a ton of flavor. Searing the chuck roast “caramelizes” the meat, contributing a rich umami flavor to the dish. If you absolutely must skip this step, you might want to consider increasing the amount of coconut aminos added to the dish to compensate for the loss of flavor.

Can you overcook a pot roast?

In a few words, yes! You can also undercook it, too. Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast. Undercooking it would result in a tough piece of meat. Unfortunately, this isn’t much you can do if you overcook it, other than making sure to serve it with a lot of gravy. If you undercook it, simply return the meat to the instant pot and cook it for longer, starting with 5 added minutes of time for each pound of meat you are using.

Why do you add the potatoes and carrots separately?

The carrots and potatoes are cooked after the pot roast is finished. This is simply because if you cooked the veggies with the pot roast they would turn to mush. But adding them in separately you can ensure they are properly cooked! You’ll also notice that they are left in larger pieces, and that is for the same reason!

Does the size of the meat matter?

Absolutely. If your cut of meat is either smaller or bigger than the suggested 2-3 pound chuck roast, you may need to adjust the cooking time. Generally speaking, we have found that 20 minutes per pound of beef works well for Instant Pot Pot Roast, plus a 15 minutes natural release.

Ways to Use up Leftover Pot Roast

Leftover pot roast, like many other types of braised meat, can easily be turned into a new dinner on another evening. Leftover shredded meat can be used in:

• soup
• a one-pan rice meal
• savory tacos
• fried rice

Watch the video here:

If you like this Instant Pot Recipe, check out these others:

• Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Brisket
• How to Cook Frozen Chicken Breasts in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Balsamic Chicken
• Instant Pot Beef Short Ribs