Instant Pot Pot Roast

See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.

When you’re craving comfort food, it doesn’t get any better than Instant Pot Pot Roast. This easy recipe has fall apart tender beef, potatoes and carrots in a flavorful gravy. It’s the perfect family-friendly meal for Sunday dinner.

Pot roast with carrots and potatoes in an instant pot.

Pot roast used to be reserved just for days when you had hours to slow cook a roast in the oven. As it has done for so many other classic recipes, the Instant Pot makes cooking a pot roast faster than using the stove or oven. What’s even better is that the pressure cooking process intensifies the flavors of the ingredients and makes the meat unbelievably tender. This truly is the best pot roast recipe I’ve tried!

I would still consider Instant Pot pot roast to be a weekend meal, as it takes just over two hours of total time to make. Most of that time is inactive, so don’t worry that you will spend all afternoon in the kitchen. I don’t have time for that, and I know you don’t either. If you want to make pot roast on a weekday, try my Slow Cooker Pot Roast, which you can prep in the morning and then cook all day in your crock pot. And if you’re looking for a slightly faster Instant Pot beef recipe, try my easy Instant Pot Beef Stew.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Cooking a chuck roast in the Instant Pot makes the most unbelievably tender and flavorful pot roast in a fraction of the time.
You’ll only need one pot – your Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker) to make this meal.
The leftovers reheat wonderfully. Read more about how to reheat pot roast below.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

In this pot roast recipe, simple ingredients come together to make a meal that’s flavorful and satisfying.

Beef Chuck Roast: The best kind of roast to use for pot roast is a boneless beef chuck roast. The marbling in a chuck roast will make your pot roast extra tender and juicy.
Salt & Pepper: To season the beef roast.
Olive Oil: For browning the meat and sautéing the onion.
Onion & Garlic: A yellow onion and fresh garlic bring delicious flavor to the pot roast.
Tomato Paste: Adds savory flavor and thickens the gravy up just a bit.
Worcestershire Sauce: Adds umami flavor and brings out the beef flavor. You can substitute balsamic vinegar if you prefer.
Beef Broth: The broth provides the liquid needed to help the pot come to pressure. It also forms the base for the gravy. I recommend using low sodium beef broth so that you can better control the amount of salt in the finished dish.
Thyme: I season this pot roast with thyme because it complements the beef flavor. You can use fresh thyme or dried thyme.
Carrots & Potatoes: The classic vegetables for pot roast, carrots and baby potatoes make this meal hearty and comforting.
Cornstarch & Water: To make a cornstarch slurry, which is used to thicken the gravy after the roast cooks.

Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below.

How to Make Instant Pot Pot Roast

Here is an overview of the recipe steps. If you are new to using an Instant Pot, you might find my guide on How to Use an Instant Pot helpful.

Season and Sear the Beef: To make this Instant Pot pot roast, you’ll start by cutting the chuck roast in half. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper. Be generous with the seasonings, as they will also flavor the gravy. Then sear the beef in olive oil using the Instant Pot sauté setting. Browning the meat adds so much flavor.
Sauté the Onion and Garlic: Once you have browned the roast on both sides, transfer it to a clean plate and set it aside for a few minutes. Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté until the onion softens and begins to brown. You can use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the minced garlic and then turn off the Instant Pot.
Deglaze the Pot: Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth to the pot. Stir everything together well and make sure that there are no browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This step of deglazing the pot will ensure that you do not get an Instant Pot burn message during the pressure cooking process.
Pressure Cook the Roast: Add the beef back to the pot, along with the thyme. Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook for 60 minutes at high pressure. Then, once the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.
Add the Potatoes and Carrots: Add the vegetables on top of the beef in the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural release.
Thicken the Gravy: Thickening the gravy is optional in this recipe. You can serve your pot roast with the juices in the pot as is, or you can make a quick cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy. It takes about 5 minutes. To make the gravy, you’ll first need to remove the meat, potatoes and carrots from the Instant Pot. Turn on the Instant Pot sauté function. Stir together a mixture of cornstarch and water and stir that into the juices in the pressure cooker. Simmer for a few minutes, until the gravy has thickened.

Cooking a Roast from Frozen in an Instant Pot

I recommend thawing your chuck roast if possible, since you won’t be able to brown a frozen roast and will miss out on the flavor that searing adds to the pot roast. If you don’t have time to thaw, you can cook a frozen roast in your pressure cooker. You will just have to increase the pressure cooking time and skip the step of browning the meat.

Pressure cook a frozen 3 pound beef chuck roast for 90 minutes, followed by a 10 minute natural pressure release. Then add your potatoes and carrots and pressure cook for 5 minutes more. If your roast is larger than 3 pounds, add 10 minutes per pound to the pressure cooking time.