Instant Pot Pot Roast – WellPlated.com

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Instant Pot Pot Roast – WellPlated.com

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September 7, 2022

Welcome to my Grandma Dorothy’s! Instant Pot Pot Roast is based on the classic pot roast she cooked for us on Sundays after church.

One of my most prized possessions is a small notebook of Grandma’s recipes.

It contains the comfort foods of my Midwestern childhood and has inspired recipes here like Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff and Stuffed Mushrooms.

Today’s Instant Pot pot roast and potatoes and carrots is directly based on my Grandma’s recipe.

This easy pot roast recipe doesn’t require any browning.
The gravy is made from the roast’s own cooking juices.
It’s savory, luscious, and the gravy makes the already juicy beef all the more scrumptious.

Pot roast is inexpensive, feeds a crowd, and will make your kitchen smell homey and inviting, all reasons I still love it to this day!

How to Make Instant Pot Pot Roast

I adapted Grandma’s original roast to be an Instant Pot beef recipe.

An electric pressure cooker such as the Instant Pot is fantastic for speeding up the cooking time for tougher, fattier cuts of meat like chuck roast.

Instant Pot pot roast cook time is 60 minutes on high pressure, plus 10 minutes of natural release. This does not include the time it takes the Instant Pot to come to pressure (10 to 15 minutes).
From there, add the baby carrots, pressure cook for 5 more minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes.
Add it all together (including the time it takes for the pot to come to pressure), and your total cooking time for pot roast in the Instant Pot is about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The best Instant Pot pot roast on a plate

A Note on the Original Recipe

Grandma’s pot roast calls for a 6-ounce can of V8 juice as the cooking liquid. Since I suspect most of us don’t drink V8 on the reg like she and Grandpa did, I swapped it for regular tomato juice and upped the seasonings slightly to compensate.
I added extra liquid to make sure the pressure cooker didn’t trigger a burn warning. I recommend adding ½ cup of liquid (water or beef broth) to the Instant Pot for a roast.

Typically you need at least 1 cup of liquid in the Instant Pot; the remaining ½ cup comes from the juices released by the chuck roast and the tomato sauce.

The Ingredients

Chuck Roast. Once cooked, chuck roast becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender and full of rich flavor. It’s also a wonderful source of protein, iron, and zinc.

Market Swap

Boneless chuck roast is the best cut of meat for pot roast. It’s what my Grandma Dorothy used (it’s also what I use in Instant Pot Beef Stew and Beef Bourguignon), but you could swap it for a round roast or brisket.

If you’re looking for a way to use short ribs, try my Braised Short Ribs recipe instead.

Garlic. For tasty garlic flavor.
Rosemary. Earthy, woodsy, and delicious in pot roast.
Potatoes. Cooked until tender and flavorful, potatoes help make the pot roast extra hearty and comforting. Potatoes are rich in fiber, which will help keep you fuller for longer.
Tomato Sauce. The key to a rich and flavorful pot roast.

Substitution Tip

If you want to make this recipe just like my Grandma Dorothy, use a 6-ounce can of V8 instead of the tomato sauce; reduce the Worcestershire to 2 tablespoons.

Worcestershire. For an umami boost.
Carrots. I love the pop of color and sweetness that carrots add to a pot roast. Packed with antioxidants and vitamins, they’re also a nutritious addition. You can use baby carrots or cut regular carrots.
Cornstarch. Using a cornstarch slurry in the juices helps create a thick and luscious gravy.

The Directions

Dry and cut slits in the roast. Stuff the peeled and cut garlic and rosemary into the slits. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the water and beef to the bottom of the pot.

Place the potatoes, garlic, rosemary, and salt on top of the beef.

Tomato sauce being poured on top of potatoes

Add the tomato sauce and Worcestershire. Cook pot roast on HIGH pressure for 60 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.

Add the carrots. Cook on HIGH for 5 minutes more, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure. Remove the meat, vegetables, and any large pieces of fat from the pot.

Instant Pot pot roast broth in an Instant Pot

With the Instant Pot off, whisk the corn starch slurry into the cooking juices. Turn the Instant Pot to its sauté function and stir.

Potatoes, carrots, beef, and herbs on a plate

Turn the Instant Pot off, and return the beef and vegetables to the pot. DIG IN!

Storage Tips

To Store. Refrigerate pot roast in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can refrigerate it in the gravy or store the gravy separately.
To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave, spooning gravy over the pot roast before reheating.
To Freeze. Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

Up to 1 day in advance, cut and stuff the beef. Chop the rosemary and scrub the potatoes. Refrigerate until you’re ready to finish the recipe.

Instant Pot pot roast served on in a white dish

What to Serve with Instant Pot Pot Roast

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Instant Pot. Perfect for making this Instant Pot pot roast recipe.
Whisk. Easy to use and dishwasher safe.
Slotted Spoon. Easily remove the beef and vegetables without the liquid.

The Best Instant Pot

Quickly prepare your favorite Instant Pot recipes with this high-quality pressure cooker. It has multiple functions and cleans up easily.

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought!

Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.

Instant Pot pot roast, you are a Sunday kind of love!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Add More Vegetables to My Pot Roast?

If you’d like a veggie-packed pot roast, feel free to include additional vegetables. You could add onions with the potatoes or diced parsnips, green beans, or mushrooms with the baby carrots. You could also add celery stalks to your pot roast if you enjoy them.

Why is My Roast Tough?

If your roast is tough in the Instant Pot, it likely needs to be cooked longer. Chuck roast will become more tender the longer it cooks, so extra time may be needed. However, you can overcook beef in the Instant Pot, so keep an eye on it if you add extra time.

Can I Use Frozen Beef?

If your beef is frozen, you can still use it for this pot roast but you will need to thaw it first. Let it thaw completely in the refrigerator before beginning the recipe.

2 ½ to 3- pound boneless chuck roast cut in half
6 cloves garlic divided
2 long sprigs fresh rosemary cut into thirds (or 3 shorter sprigs cut in half)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus a few pinches
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
1 pound baby red potatoes scrubbed and left whole
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce*
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 cups baby carrots** see note
2 tablespoons cornstarch plus 2 tablespoons water to create a slurry

Pat the roast dry and cut 6 1-inch deep slits in the top. Peel the garlic cloves and cut them in half. Stuff each slit with a half clove of garlic and a piece of cut rosemary spring. Season all over with the salt and black pepper. In the bottom of an Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker or multi-cooker, pour in the water, then add the beef, nestling the pieces in snuggly.
Arrange the potatoes on top of the beef. Mince the remaining garlic and scatter on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary all over the potatoes and beef. Then, sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of the potatoes.
Pour the tomato sauce and Worcestershire over the beef.
Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on Manual/High Pressure for 60 minutes. It will take 10 to 15 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, then the countdown will begin. When the cook time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
Carefully open the lid and add the baby carrots on top.
Reseal the lid and cook on Manual/High Pressure for 5 minutes more. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes (this natural release is KEY for a tender roast). Quick release any remaining pressure. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat and vegetables to a large platter or bowl, discarding any large pieces of fat.
Make sure the Instant Pot is off. In a small bowl, briskly whisk together the slurry of 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smoothly combined. While whisking the cooking juices in the Instant Pot, slowly pour in the slurry. Turn the pot to SAUTE, then cook, stirring frequently, until the juices have thickened into a thin gravy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot.
Add the beef and vegetables back to the pot and stir to warm through (the potatoes, veggies, and meat will all break down a little and be tender and delicious). Serve hot, ensuring each serving gets a little bit of everything.

*Grandma used a 6-ounce can of V-8 juice, which is sold in multipacks. If you are a regular V-8 juice drinker, feel free to swap it here; reduce the Worcestershire sauce to 2 tablespoons.
**If you add the baby carrots at the beginning, they will be fairly obliterated by the time the roast is done, which is why this recipe directs for you to add them at the end. Growing up, we ate our veggies fairly mushy, so if you don’t mind your carrots very soft (we’re talking completely falling apart), you can add the baby carrots at the beginning for ease. Or use regular carrots, scrubbed and chopped into large (2-inch) chunks; these cook more slowly and can be added with the potatoes. Set your cook time to 60 minutes as directed, let release naturally for 10 minutes, then vent and proceed with the gravy.
TO STORE: Refrigerate pot roast in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days. Spoon the gravy into a separate storage container.
TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave, spooning gravy over the pot roast before reheating.
TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months, storing the pot roast and gravy in separate containers. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving: 1(of 6)Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 39gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 130mgPotassium: 1271mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 7572IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 82mgIron: 6mg

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