Instant Pot Pot Roast
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 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.
Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe Tips
- Don’t skip the natural release time. Allowing the pressure to naturally release makes the meat more tender.
- Be sure to follow the recipe directions to pressure cook the chuck roast on its own first before adding the potatoes and carrots. While it may be tempting to add the vegetables at the very beginning to save a step, don’t. If you pressure cook your potatoes and carrots for an hour they are going to be overcooked and mushy.
- A fresh (not frozen) 3 pound roast will need to pressure cook for 60 minutes at high pressure before adding the vegetables. If your roast is larger, add 10 minutes per pound to the cook time.
- If you prefer to serve your pot roast with mashed potatoes, you can omit the baby potatoes from this recipe. Try my Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipes.
- If you’d like to substitute baby carrots for the chopped whole carrots just know that they will turn out very soft, since they cook more quickly than regular carrots.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Pot Roast
With the gravy and vegetables, this pot roast is a hearty meal that doesn’t need much in the way of side dishes. I like to serve some crusty bread or dinner rolls on the side for soaking up extra gravy. A green salad is a nice, fresh addition to this one pot meal.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Leftover pot roast is a meal to look forward to, and can be even more flavorful on the second and third day. To store in the fridge or freezer and reheat:
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pot roast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cool completely, and then store pot roast in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze the roast, vegetables and gravy in individual portions for quick meals later on. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To Reheat: The best way to reheat leftover pot roast is to heat it in a pot on the stove, covered, over medium heat, adding a little broth or water as needed to thin the gravy. Stir it often to help it heat evenly. You can also reheat pot roast in your pressure cooker using the sauté setting, or in the microwave.
More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes
If you love cooking in the Instant Pot, try one of these Instant Pot recipes next:
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Meatloaf
- Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
- Instant Pot Chili
- Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Pork Chops
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3 pound boneless beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups low sodium beef broth
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1.5 pounds whole baby potatoes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, optional, for thickening gravy
- 2 tablespoons water, optional, for thickening gravy
Instructions
- Cut the beef chuck roast in half.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper on all sides of the beef.
- Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot using the saute setting until hot.
- Place the seasoned beef in the pot and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Do not move the beef until you are ready to turn it; once it has seared it should easily release from the bottom of the pot. After browning the beef on both sides transfer it to a clean plate.
- With the Instant Pot still on saute mode, add the onion to the pot. Cook until softened and lightly browned, stirring often and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and press cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Stir well and scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Place the beef back in the pot. Add the fresh thyme sprigs or dried thyme.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook, high pressure, for 60 minutes. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then quick release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to the venting position.
- Open the Instant Pot and add the carrots and potatoes on top of the beef. Close the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes more on high pressure using the Manual/Pressure Cook function. When the cook time ends allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then quick release any remaining pressure by moving the steam release valve to the venting position.
- Remove the beef and vegetables from the Instant Pot, leaving the juices in the pot. Discard the thyme stems (if you used fresh thyme). Use two forks to shred the roast into chunks.
- Thicken the juices in the Instant Pot (optional): Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode. Stir together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl and pour into the liquid in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until gravy has thickened slightly.
- Serve pot roast with the gravy.
Notes
- Recipe has been updated to reduce the cook time for the vegetables to 5 minutes, after reader feedback that the vegetables were overdone in 10 minutes.
- If your roast is larger than 3 pounds, add 10 minutes per pound to the pressure cook time.
- To cook pot roast from frozen, 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, plus 10 minutes natural release. If your roast is larger than 3 pounds, add 10 minutes per pound to the first pressure cooking time.
- Leftover pot roast can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen pot roast overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat leftover pot roast in a pot on the stove, covered, over medium heat, adding a little broth or water as needed to thin the gravy. You can also reheat pot roast in your pressure cooker using the sauté setting, or in the microwave.
This is a brilliant recipe. I altered only with two changes. I used balsamic vinegar instead of Worcestershire. And added a tbls of red pepper flakes because we love heat. The meat was so tender and flavorful. Next time though I’ll only do the veggies for a few minutes instead of ten.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! The balsamic will be delicious! I have updated the second cook time in the recipe to cook the vegetables less.
This recipe doesn’t tell me what setting to put my instant pot on and I’ve never used one before.
Hi Cristy,
All the instructions are included, please read Step Number 8 which states to use the Manual or Pressure Cook Button (button labeling varies depending on instant pot model) to pressure cook for 60 minutes (see NOTES for from frozen). If you are new to the Instant Pot or are unsure how to use it, I also linked my beginner’s guide in this post, here is that link again, IP guide. Thank you.
Looks lovely and planning to make it tomorrow! However I want to half The recipe, do I also half the cooking time? Its my first time cooking with a pressure cooker.
Keep the cook time the same for a half recipe. Don’t half the amount of beef broth, but you can use just 1 cup. You need to use at least 1 cup of liquid in the Instant Pot because it’s the steam from the liquid that allows the pot to pressurize. I hope you enjoy the pot roast. It’s one of our favorites. 🙂
Hi Christine, thanx for this recipe! It was amazing, my family and I were blown away!
Def will b making this more often. Cheers!
I’m so glad! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
I’m new to the instant pot. How would I adjust for baby carrots? Just trying to use what I have on hand
Baby carrots cook really quickly in the instant pot. I would try 5 minutes plus 5 minute natural release for the second pressure cook cycle. The carrots will be probably be very soft, but you also want to make sure that the potatoes cook through.
Hi, so I’m making this tonight but only using 1.5 pounds of meat since it’s just my husband and I. Same cook time?
Hi Michaela,
Instant Pot cook times depend on the thickness of the meat. The recipe states to cut a 3-pound roast in half. Since you have half the meat to start (1.5 lbs), do not cut your roast in half and then cook it for the full recipe time.
Thank you
Hi!! Would the cook time still be the same if I use already cut up meat?
If your meat is cut into small pieces (like stew meat) I would reduce the cook time. My instant pot beef stew recipe uses cut up pieces of meat and pressure cooks for 35 minutes total. For this recipe, you could try 25 minutes plus the 10 minutes where you add the veggies. Enjoy!
After getting a burn food warning twice I gave up. What did I do wrong. I used a 3 lb roast and 1.5 cups broth (in addition to following recipe to a T)
I’ve written a post about the Instant Pot burn message, hopefully that will help you figure out what is going wrong.
I’m having the same issue, I followed the recipe exactly and thoroughly deglazed the pan but I’ve had two burn notices.
Tip: with such a lengthy time of cooking, up the amount on beef broth to 4 cups (1 box/32oz.) will do the trick!
First time insta pot user and followed to a T and it came out great!
I wish it was a little more flavorful.
Only thing I was unsure of was the quick vs natural release if you could add info on that would be great. I ended up tik toking itand it was fine.
Also wasn’t sure if after the last natural release of I could just open it. Or should I wait
Well liked by all. Due to the long cook time, start this meal at least 2.5 hours before you want to eat.
Do you know how to adjust the cooking time if I use a frozen roast? Would that work in the instant pot?
Hi Caitlin, There are instructions in the post about how to cook a frozen roast. You won’t be able to brown the frozen meat, so you’ll miss out on some flavor. 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 10 minutes more. If your roast is larger than 3 pounds, add 10 minutes per pound to the pressure cooking time.
Three questions:
– If I want to reheat in the IP using the sauté setting, would I put the lid on?
– Your recipe looks wonderful and simple! My mother used to make a wonderful pot roast in her pressure cooker in the 1960s. It had no gravy but was moist, flavorful and the potatoes may have been a bit glazed or brown. She also included celery. Could I reduce the liquid a bit more to see if I could replicate the taste in my memory banks?
– And would I add cut up celery at the same time as the carrots and potatoes?
As a newbie to IPs (Duo Evo Plus less than a week old!), I am so grateful for your recipes and thorough explanations.
Hi Beth, Thank you for your questions. I hope you give this recipe a try!
(1) Leave the pressure cooking lid off when reheating using the saute setting. If you have a clear glass lid, you can put that on. (Find the glass lid and more Instant Pot accessories here.)
(2) You can reduce the broth down to 1 cup. It’s recommended that you use at least 1 cup of liquid in the Instant Pot to allow it to reach pressure.
(3) Yes, add celery at the same time as the carrots and potatoes.
Thank you for the super speedy response! This is probably obvious, but what would be the difference if the glass lid was on versus the IP top? I wonder if the glass lid will fit on the Duo Evo Plus. I’ll search on line and call customer service if that doesn’t work.
Reheating some foods is a little confusing – when to use Steam at 0 minutes with Keep Warm; Sauté; Slow Cook; with containers and water, etc. I’m sure it will slowly come together. The actual cooking has made complete sense so far – it’s just choosing reheating that’s been a mind muddle. : )
Hi Beth, there won’t be much difference whether you use a glass lid or Instant Pot lid, other than you can see through the glass lid. The glass lid is sold by the Instant Pot size (6 quart, 8 quart, etc.) You can only use the glass lid on saute or slow cook. If you want to use steam or any pressure cooker functions you’ll need to use the regular pressure cooking lid. I actually don’t reheat in my Instant Pot – I prefer a pot on the stove or the microwave for reheating. 🙂
Hi. I read that you shouldn’t use tomato paste because thick things can burn when it’s pressure cooking. This will be the first time i use it so I want to be sure I don’t ruin the roast since it was pricey to buy. Has that ever happened? Is there a trick? I’ve also never used tomato paste. Thanks!
You do have to be careful with thick sauces, tomato sauce and beans in the pressure cooker because they can lead to a burn warning. In this case, the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste is thinned out with the broth so it’s not a problem. Enjoy!
Thanks for the recipe! I did alter the meat seasoning. I use a 1 part salt, 1/2 pepper and 1/4 garlic followed by a light coating of Montreal steak season, and let it do its magic for 1 hr. Added for a terrific taste to the roast. Thanks again
Mine burnt when I tried it, how come? It seems like 1 and a half cup of broth was not enough.
I’m sorry that happened. Did you remember to turn the steam release valve to the sealing position? Did you scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot as described in step 6 of the recipe? One and a half cups of broth has always worked perfectly for me in this recipe. What size Instant Pot are you using?
very good
I just have to thank you!! I had my insta pot in my Cupboard for almost two years. I had cooked with a pressure cooker years ago. For some reason I was confused with the settings for the insta pot. Your detailed instructions were so good I couldn’t wait to cook my roast. It was easy I followed your detailed instructions step by step. Thank you again so very much. I will make all of your Recipes !!!
Thank you.
This recipe is the one I’ve been looking for. The meat was perfect as for the seasoning that is a matter of preference. The veggies were overdone but I will adjust the cook time next time I make it. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for your feedback! I have updated the recipe with a reduced cook time for the vegetables.
I just finished making this and it tasted amazing!!!! Thank you so much!! I really appreciate the details in your directions since I haven’t really used my Instapot until now. Definitely will be making this again!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pot roast! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.
Very good. Made it just like the recipe said except for the tomatoe paste. Husband loved it
I am going to try this today! Do you Know how many ponds I can add to the 3lbs before it is to much for the instapot? Or would doubling it be okay?
I’m not sure that a double recipe would fit in a 6 quart. It would probably fit in an 8 quart pot. If you have a 6 quart, I think you could use 5 pounds of meat, leave the potatoes as is, and add a few extra carrots. Just be sure to not fill past the max fill line on your Instant Pot.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but my husband bought a Top Round instead of a Chuck roast. Do you think it will still work?!
Yes, that should work fine. Enjoy the pot roast!
I purchased a 3 lb pot roast but it did sit in my pot like yours did. I had to brown it in 2 parts. Then when I put it in it was overlapping. Will that be okay?
That will be fine. Enjoy!
It didn’t work. I kept getting a burn notice because there was no liquid left ? I am not sure why that happened. I had made this before but with a smaller roast and it worked out perfectly and still had lots of liquid left.
Hi Karen, I’m sorry that you had that problem this time. I’ve just written a post all about the Instant Pot burn message. Hopefully it will help you to figure out what went wrong this time. Next time, I would try adding more liquid. It sounds like too much of it evaporated for some reason.
My roast is a little less than 2 pounds. Do I lessen the cook time?
It depends on what size of pieces you cut it into. For example, I cut my 3 pound roast in half and pressure cooked it for 60 minutes. If you leave your roast that is a little less than 2 pounds whole, I would keep the cook time the same. If you cut it in half, I would reduce the first pressure cook time to about 45 minutes.
I cooked a 3.75 pot roast using your Recipe, cook time…90 min, then add veges for 10. Most of the roast was still tough and didn’t fall off bone. Can I cook the meat more? Not veges, just meat? If so, for how much time? Thanks for suggestions.
I have always used a boneless roast in this recipe, so I wonder if that’s why yours seemed to need more cook time. I think you could cook it for longer, or try using a boneless beef chuck roast.
You must have had instant pot on wrong temp. I cooked 2.75 lbs for 60 min and mine was falling apart.
I am still a newbie with my Instant Pot. Would the 10 min cook time be the same for frozen carrots? Thank you!
It depends on the size of the carrots. 10 minutes is plenty of time for big 1-inch chunks of carrot to cook to very soft. Depending on the size of the frozen carrots, I would adjust the time. It shouldn’t make much difference that they are frozen, as they will thaw quickly as the Instant Pot comes to pressure.
What’s the best way to save the leftovers from this? I am thinking freeze in portion sizes and reheat in a pot. Thoughts? I am so new to cooking & should have halved the recipe, but I was too nervous to alter or “play around” with the recipe.
The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze individual portions. I always reheat in the microwave but reheating on saute in the instant pot (or in a pot on the stove) should work, too.
My first meal with the Instapot and it worked perfectly and tasted delicious ! Thank you for your detailed recipe as well as the pictures. I made the gravy thicker with a slurry and that worked perfectly as well.
Meat turned out perfect and scrumptious but the vegetables were overcooked. Next time I’d do 6 minutes for the vegetables. Carrots were cut in 3” chunks and potatoes were 2” rounds
Thank you! I have updated the recipe cook time for the vegetables.
If I’m cooking a5 lb today, do I need to adjust the ingredients? I know to add 10 minutes per pound over the 3 lbs.
You don’t need to adjust anything else, unless you want more potatoes and carrots to go with the extra meat. (Assuming you have room in the IP for more veggies.)
Is there something else I could use besides tomato paste. My granddaughter is allergic to Tomatoes. I was thinking of just not using it. What’s your thoughts? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Debbie,
You can leave out the tomato paste and it should turn out fine for you.
Should the vegetables be seasoned before adding?
No, I don’t season the vegetables before adding them to the pot roast.
Have this in our Ninja Foodi now! We’re a 6 person family.. 2 of which being teenagers along with my husband. So I ended up buying 5lb roast and cutting it in smaller pieces. I put the time on 70min and will adjust from there. I’m thinking I’m going to remove all of the roast before adding the veggies (adding celery also), because it will definitely exceed the max line all together. Hoping it works out well and tastes as good as it smells! Thanks for this recipe!
After I did 60 minutes with meat and 10 min release, then forced release….I added taters and carrots, but the pot won’t let me cook for more than 4 minutes?! I even took the lid back off and waited a few before trying again (thinking it was temp related). Is there a way around this? Right now I’m sitting during the first batch of 4 min, and figured I would try to add more time once it finishes…I don’t expect an immediate response, but rather…looking for a future work around if you encountered this at all (:
Hmmm, I’ve never had that happen with my pot. I’m always able to use the + and – buttons to adjust the cooking time. I just did a quick search and it might be that it was set at 4 hours, which could be the maximum cooking time possible. Four hours would read 400 vs. 004 for minutes. If you figure it out, let me know as I am interested. Thank you!
Thank you for all these tempting recipes, Kristine! I just ordered an Instant Pot and I can’t wait to try a lot of these out. My question is could you use new red potatoes in this recipe? Thank you in advance for your advice.
How exciting that you are getting a new Instant Pot! Yes, new red potatoes will work well in this recipe.
This recipe is my husband’s favorite! He specifically requested it for his bday dinner! The only thing I do differently is to make the gravy I add a brown gravy pack to the reserved liquid. We absolutely love this recipe!! Thank you soooo much!!
Seriously the BEST pot roast I have ever had!!! I typically cook mine in the crockpot, but I will be making it in the instant pot from now on. The only changes I made were I didn’t have any tomato paste, so I used tomato sauce instead, and I also added celery when I added the carrots and potatoes. SOOOO GOOD! My husband, 3 year old daughter, and 17 month old son were all big fans too! Clean bowls all around! Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!!
I’m making this now. I’m making roasted carrots in the oven and mashed potatoes on the stove top. Will I need to cook the roast for 90 minutes instead of 60 since I won’t be adding the other ingredients?
I would cook it for 80 minutes if you won’t be adding the other ingredients.
Kristine,
I made this tonight for my boys and they loved it. It was delicious! We ate it with toasted French bread to soak the broth. I did wait half the time for veggies to be done and They were perfect (not mushy). Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Hi! I actually have a pork roast for tonight not a beef roast – can I use this recipe exactly the same for pork as beef???
Thanks.
I haven’t tried this recipe with a pork roast, but my best guess is that it would work well. If you try it, let me know how it turns out.
Omg, YUM!! Prob best pot roast ever! This will be made again abs again for sure, thank you so much
Hi, im new to the instant pot family. I was wanting to know if , i need to change anything. I have a 8 qaurt.
You can make the recipe following the same instructions in the 8-quart pot.
How can I print this recipe?
Hi Carolyn,
There is green print button in the recipe card above the ingredient list.
Can I add onions with the veg
Hi Steve, The onions are added in step 5 of the recipe. The flavor is best if you sauté the onions as directed in the recipe, rather than adding them later with the other vegetables.
My first instapot meal and I was not confident in my ability to use the appliance properly but the beef stew was delicious! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes
This pot roast was 100x better than in the crock pot! Thank you for the recipe. It was AMAZING!!
Hi! Can I make this in a 3 quart size instapot?
Hi Bree,
I’m not sure this recipe would fit in the 3 quart pot. You would probably have to scale down the recipe.
I’m in progress of making the pot roast. I made a marinated beef and did everything else like the recipe said. It keeps starting to release with in 7 or 8 minutes. Just did a burn warning I stirred it and put lid back on. What is going on
Hi Mary,
I’m sorry that is happening! I know it is frustrating. Make sure that there aren’t any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. You may also need to add a little more liquid, as well as make sure that your sealing ring is fitted properly. This post about the Instant Pot burn message may offer some other ideas.
I have made this a few times and my boyfriend and I find it so delicious! The only thing I do differently is add a can of cream of mushroom soup. I found that from a different recipe and I think it tastes so yummy! Thanks for laying out everything clearly.
Excellent dinner – made in our Ninja Foodi. My tomato paste went bad, so we just used a little ketchup and it worked fine.
Hi, this looks great! Can’t wait to try it tonight. When you say to use the manual button, my instant pot doesn’t have that. I know it means to just pressure cook but what settings do I want? “High pressure” & “More”? Thanks! I just got my IP so I am new 🙂
You want to pressure cook at high pressure. On some models the button is called Pressure Cook and on others it is called Manual. The more setting doesn’t affect pressure cooking (it’s for functions such as saute). I hope you love the pot roast!
Why can’t we print out the recipes? I send my husband out to shop and it would be so helpful.
There is a green print button in the recipe card at the end of each post. 🙂
If I don’t cut my roast in half what would the cooking time be the same? Or longer. Thank you!!
Hi Jenna,
It is best to cut a large roast in half to ensure it cooks fully and evenly in the time specified in the recipe.
I followed your recipe exactly. The food was awesome. Easy to make only my third thing ever made in a pressure cooker
I made this for my family a couple of weeks ago and followed the recipe exactly as written. It was a hit! We all LOVED it!
I now search for great deals on roasts so I can make this recipe for more people. I made it again tonight and didn’t have any thyme, so I experimented and sprinkled ranch dressing mix on the top of the roast before pressure cooking and it was a great combination.
I am now the designated roast maker. Yay!!
Thanks for the great recipe!!
This was DELICIOUS! I left out the thyme and I didn’t make the gravy. Next time I will add a few more carrots because my family gobbled them up!
This was absolutely the best pot roast I’ve ever eaten! Only the second time of using my new Instant Pot Duo Crisp + Air Fryer. I will definitely fix this again! Thanks for the recipe!
This is a very good recipe and easy to follow. I didn’t have worsteshire so I substituted with a little red wine instead. Also I cut the cooking time and the resting time in the instant pot for the meat to eight minutes each and did the same with the vegetables. I think I will only let the vegetables cook for five minutes when adding them to the meat next time as they tend to be quite mushy and I would like for the meat to be a little less cooked so it isn’t dry.
A longer cook time is necessary to help the meat become tender. The meat shouldn’t become dry with the full cook time. You can definitely reduce the second pressure cook time when you add the vegetables if you prefer the vegetables less tender.
What an amazing recipe. I made it in tonight and even my French-born roommate–who is an incredible cook–said it was fantastic! High praise, indeed. Now I have an great basic recipe to begin experimenting with. Thank you.
Hi! Made your recipe for supper tonight!! Oh my goodness, it was sooo good!! My husband said this is good like many times!!! It’s a keeper for our family that’s for sure!! I added a can of mushrooms (drained) and next time might add turnip and cabbage!! ❤️
What can I say, Kristine hasn’t led me wrong yet! Another delicious and easy to prepare recipe that my husband and I both enjoyed very much! Meat was tender and tasted like it had been cooked for hours. Kristine and by new Instant Pot are my 2 new best friends! TY Kristine ?
My family is crazy about this roast! Thank you so much!
I have to say I will never cook a roast any other way from now on. I’ve made this recipe a few times now and have loved it each time. I’ve even left out the veggies and made the meat and gravy for sandwiches.
We love pot roasts and this was a very good and tasty recipe. My wife especially liked it.
I want to use this recipe to make vegetable beef soup if I follow all the directions but add celery to the onions,Then add my beef stock and vegetables at the end, with the ending part of the recipe be the same or should I change anything? Thank you so much looking forward to giving this a try. I pressure cooked a roast last week per instructions from a XL pressure cooker recipe a very expensive roast was so tough no one could eat it.
Hi Carolyn, You might also look at my Instant Pot Beef Stew and Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipes for ideas on how to make a vegetable beef soup. Depending on which vegetables you plan to use, I think you would be ok with adding them during the second 10 minute of pressure cooking.
Made this for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious!!! I used a London broil roast and it was so tender. Does take a while to prepare but relatively simple to make. And definitely worth it…. Will make this again for sure.
Fantastic! I followed it exactly and it was the best roast I have ever made! Thank you for the great recipe and step by step information!
What size instant pot should be used for this recipe? What kind of onion? White or yellow?
You can use a 6 or 8 quart instant pot. I used a yellow onion. Enjoy!
What a Fabulous recipe! I made this for the first time over the weekend, it was a huge hit! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
I don’t think I will ever cook a pot roast in a slow cooker ever again! First time making this, followed the ingredients and directions to a tee and it was delicious! I am trying to think of any constructive criticism and I honestly have none. A big hit with everyone in my family. Well done, Kristine and TY!!
This is so very delicious. It will definitely be my go to for pot roast from now on.
This was so easy and super delicious!! So much quicker than a crock pot. Thanks for sharing this receipt. We throughly enjoyed the meal!!
This was the best pot roast I’ve ever made! I’m fact, I’ve never been a huge fan but I thought I’d give this recipe a try and I’m so glad I did! I really appreciate your time estimate – that was pretty much spot on. So many internet recipes shave a lot of the time off for some reason and it’s super annoying when you’re trying to plan your evening and dinner takes 2 or even 3 times longer than the recipe says. Will definitely put this in the rotation!
Used your recipe. Have a 4.4 pound chuck. It broke apart into about 6 pieces pressure cooked for 60 minutes with a 10 minute natural release. Seemed tough. Did another 20 with NR. still toughDid another20 with NR. So a total of 1 hour 40 minutes.
Could this just be a tough piece of meat?
Yes, it sounds like your piece of meat was just tough, since that is a lot of pressure cooking time.
I have made a lot of pot roast in my lifetime and I honestly think this was the best pot roast ever! I will use this recipe from now on! The left overs were just as good the second and third time around! The only thing I did different than the recipe was added baby carrots, so there was not chopping! Will be making this for our next church luncheon!
Absolutely wonderful! It tasted even better as second day leftovers! I missed the amendment but the veggies were fine! But I’ll try the time change next time! Loved it! Can’t wait to make it again!
So easy to make and super delicious especially on a cold, snowy day!
I have made this recipe 4 times in the last month. It’s always a hit with guests! Though several steps, it’s worth the time and the enjoyment of those who eat it! It’s on my list to make for tomorrow, but I’m out of beef, so I’m going to try it with Chicken 🙂
Hi Sarah, I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! You’ll want to greatly reduce the cook time if using chicken. Check out my other Instant Pot chicken recipes for guidance on cook times. 🙂
Oh wow ! Delicious ! I made this pot roast for my neighbor who’s recovery from surgery. I had to taste test, just a bit, and it was so great I ran out to get another chuck roast to cook for me !
Fantastic recipe and perfect cooking times! I only left out the thyme and skipped the cornstarch. It was delicious over white rice. My family loved it! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
new to cooking with Instant pot can you use garlic power instead of minced garlic ? Does it change the taste if you leave it out.
You can use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder instead of the fresh garlic. Add the garlic powder when you add the beef broth. The garlic adds to the overall flavor so the pot roast will be slightly less flavorful without it.
This recipe is amazing! I followed instructions exactly except I cooked the potatoes separately because I’m diabetic and used the dry thyme.This makes the best gravy and you have plenty for leftovers. My husband loved it too. I’ll never cook potroast any other way!!
I did everything as instructed and the flavors, meat tenderness, and vegetables were perfect! I know how to make pot roast in the insta pot now. Thanks!
I’ve made this pot roast three times now and every time I’m amazed at how easy and wonderful everything is. I did change one thing on this last go around…. I added coarse mustard instead of tomato paste. I don’t think it changed the outcome too much. I’m going to try horseradish next. This dish is so good and easy. Highly recommend
Soooo good!! Meat comes out so tender and such great flavor! Gravy is such a nice flavor touch!
Sooo yummy! This was a great dinner for my family. The kids even loved it and they never agree on anything. I did add a packet of “pot roast” seasoning just because I added extra potatoes n carrots. It was delicious!
This came out perfect! Thank you for the delicious recipe. My family loved it! We used a rib roast because that’s what we had…so good!
Made for the first time.It was scrumptious! Definitely will make it again! Roast was mist, the spices were perfect, and it was easy! Thank you!!!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful! I am new to using an Instant Pot and had never made a roast before, but the instructions were so easy to follow, and everyone in my household loved the meal. The only thing I might do differently next time is add a bit more seasoning for some extra flavor, but that’s just due to personal preference; the roast still tastes great seasoned according to the instructions.
This was the best pot roast I have ever made and will be my go-to from now on. I think the addition of the tomato paste is the secret ingredient! I HIGHLY recommend following the guidelines on using low sodium beef broth as the saltiness from the meat seasoning and Worcestershire can be a bit much when you couple it with “regular” beef broth. Thank you for this recipe
This was definitely the best pot roast dish I’ve ever cooked. The meat, vegetables and gravy all came out perfectly. I only had ground thyme, so the next time I will try this recipe with fresh or dried thyme. (I was afraid of adding too much, so I didn’t add quite enough).
Wonderful home comfort food. I love that it is in the instant pot for an easy healthy home cooked done on a weeknight. Would adding balsamic vinegar be the same amount as Worcestershire sauce? I have both in my pantry. Do you prefer one over the other? Thank you.
Hi Selina,
I usually use Worcestershire sauce. If you want to use balsamic, yes, you would use the same amount. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This recipe is absolutely amazing and my first thing to cook in my instapot. My son gave my an instapot Christmas 2021 and I just took it out of the box today. I think I was scared and intimidated by it. I found your tutorial on here about how to use it and it was so easy to understand. Thank you so much for the tutorial and the amazing recipe!
I’ve used this recipe at least 20 times, my family loves it!!
My mom is recovering from surgery and was so happy to hear I was making this for her. Comfort food for the win!!
This is my family’s favorite recipe!! It is so tender and OMGoodness so delicious! Thank you so much for this!
The 1 1/2 cups of broth is NOT enough……..I use 2 1/2 cups to ensure it doesn’t cook dry and make sure I have gravy.
HOLY COW!!! I am so very happy with this recipe. I have never had success making pot roast, but I made it for dinner last evening following your recipe. Outstanding! So flavorful and juicy. Delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! If I only have a bone in cut of meat should I change anything?
I haven’t tested this with bone-in chuck roast. You may need to increase the cook time because meat on the bone tends to take longer to cook/become tender.
Did you make this recipe in a 6qt or 8 qt instant pot? I just received a 6qt instant pot today and it doesn’t look large enough to hold the quantities in your recipe and still leave the required room at the top. Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer this!
I have made this in both my 6 quart and 8 quart. The photos in this post were taken in a 6 quart Instant Pot. 🙂
Tis was one of the best pot roast recipes I have ever had. The meat was so tender and the veggies were cooked perfectly. I will never make pot roast in the crockpot again!
Delicious recipe. Definitely will be making this again.
Made this for football Thursday and it was a massive hit. Very flavorful and delicious!
This is the perfect comfort food and more. Because we are empty nesters this one pot roast became three meals. We had it the first night, followed the reheating directions the 2nd night finishing the carrots and potatoes but not all of the meat, so the third night we made burritos with the last of the shredded pot roast.
This was so good that my husband asked for it the next week!
Kristine’s Kitchen recipes never fail!
This has become a staple in our home. I’ve shared the recipe with many family members as well and everyone enjoys it. Thank you
Hi I made the Instant Pot pot roast and it came out perfect and delicious! 😋
This is the only pot roast recipe that has ever worked out for me. It’s delicious and so easy to fallow. You have to give it a try!
Love this recipe. Really easy and easy to follow.
I do add extra spices: basil, parsley, and bay leaves. Also, I add mushrooms with the potatoes and carrots.
The meat is delicious. It just forks apart. This is a keeper!!!!
I have a boneless beef eye of round instead of Chuck roast. Do you think I should cook it a little longer since it doesn’t have all that fat and is very lean?
I would still use the same cook time.
Hi, thanks for this recipe! If I’m not cooking the veggies with the roast, will it be ready after the 60 minute cook time and 10 min natural release? Thanks!
It might be, check the internal temperature with your instant read thermometer and see if it is fall apart tender. If not just add the additional time without the vegetables.
Tried it for the first time and sub Worcestershire sauce for the vinegar and my family and they loved it!
I recently had the pleasure of trying out this recipe at home, and I must say, it exceeded my expectations!
Do I need to adjust anything if I’m using baby carrots instead of medium? They only had that and massive.
No, you shouldn’t have to make any adjustments. Baby carrots may turn out softer than regular carrots.
Really great. Make sure you put the potatoes in the broth, or they will not cook. I was not thinking. Sauce was amazing.
I absolutely loved this recipe the first time I made it, it was amazing! I’m planning on making it again and I wondered if I could add red wine into?
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Since there is no evaporation with Instant Pot cooking, it’s best to avoid cooking with a generous amount of wine. The alcohol won’t cook off and will strongly flavor the finished dish. If you wanted to add red wine, I’d suggest just a small amount (between 1/4 and 1/2 cup).