An Instant pot can make one of the quickest Pot Roast recipes in a fraction of the time! Making dinner is easy with the instant pot and cooking a pot roast is a breeze in this pressure cooker.

instant pot pot roast recipe

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Cooking pot roast is a simple method. It’s basically a seasoned chunk of meat that is cooked along with liquid and pretty commonly braised with veggies like carrots and potatoes to make a complete meal. There are SO many different ways cook a roast but what makes this pot roast stand out is the flavor factor…. Ketchup and steak seasoning will boost up any beef cut and the aroma here is so lovely!  My goal was to keep the ingredient list short yet create a flavorful roast without straying too much from the classic.

What is Pot Roast?

Pot roast is a method of braising a large chunk of meat in liquid and sometimes an addition of veggies to create a complete comforting meal.

Can I cook a pot roast in the slow cooker?

Yes! The most common way to make pot roast in a slow cooker is to place seasoned thawed meat into the crock pot with at least 2 cups of water and an overnight low setting, for melt in your mouth results. Seasonings can include garlic powder, liquid smoke, onion salt, and etc… Adding veggies like carrots and potatoes are recommended to cook the last 4-5 hours of cooking if using. If using frozen beef, cook over high overnight and turning it to a low setting in the morning.

What is the best cut of beef for Pot Roast?

The top three cuts of beef for Pot Roast include the following;

  1. Beef chuck Roast-  Beef chuck roast is boneless, has some marbling, is tender & juicy and more affordable than other front cuts like sirloin. Cuts from the same area include, chuck eye, blade roast, shoulder roast, shoulder steak, arm steak arm roast, cross rib roast or seven bone roast.
  2. Beef Brisket- Beef brisket is cut from the chest and is a pricier cut.
  3. Bottom round roast- Is the rear part of the cow and is leaner than chuck or brisket. Can also be called bottom round, rump roast and London broil when sliced.

How do I make pot roast in the oven?

Making pot roast in the oven should take around 3 hours to roast for a 3 lb roast and 4 hours for a 4-5 lb roast. You would first want to season your roast then sear and transfer to a roasting pan with desired herbs or spices and veggies. Add about 2 cups of liquid and roast covered until tender.

How long do you cook a roast in an instant pot?

Cook every pound of roast for 25 minutes in the instant pot. So if your roast weighs 3 lbs you would want to cook it for 75 minutes.

Can I roast potatoes or veggies with my pot roast?

Yes! Roasting potatoes makes for a more heartier meal. If using an instant to make pot roast you’d add them before pressure cooking.

Ingredients for instant pot Pot Roast-

  • 3-5 lb roast
  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 2 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 8 small golden potatoes
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 3 TBSP ketchup
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

How to make EASY pot roast in the Instant pot or pressure cooker?

  1. Select the sauté button and add 4 tbsp of oil. Season the roast with salt, pepper and steak seasoning.
  2. Sear meat 4 minutes on each side.
  3. Add the broth and veggies.
  4. Set instant pot on manual high pressure for 75 minutes.
  5. Do a natural release for 10 minutes then quick release. Remove the beef and veggies from the liquid to serve.

How to make instant pot roast gravy?

To make a gravy for your pot roast in the instant pot, simply remove the beef and veggies leaving the liquid in the instant pot. Select the sauté button and bring mixture to a simmer. Meanwhile, make a slurry from an even mixture of cornstarch and water and add it to the liquid until mixture thickens. Serve over roast.

Instant Pot Pot Roast

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Alyona Demyanchuk
The instant pot can make one of the quickest Pot Roast recipes in a fraction of the time! Making dinner is easy with the instant pot and cooking a pot roast is a breeze in this pressure cooker.

Ingredients

  • 3 lb roast
  • 4 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 8 golden potatoes small
  • 2 cups baby carrots
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 3 TBSP ketchup
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

  • Select the sauté button and add 4 tbsp of oil. 
  • Season the roast with salt, pepper and steak seasoning.
  • Sear meat 4 minutes on each side. Add the broth, veggies and remaining ingredients. 
  • Set instant pot on manual high pressure for 75 minutes.
  • Do a natural release for 10 minutes then quick release. Remove the beef and veggies from the liquid to serve.

Notes

A great substitute for beef broth is 1 cup of water with 1 TBSP of better than beef bullion paste or beef bullion.
This recipe works great for a 3-5 lb roast.
To make gravy slurry stir together 1/4 cup of cornstarch and 1/3 cup of water. Slowly pour into the liquid when simmering at the end.  

Nutrition per serving

Serving: 1servingCalories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 42gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 3228mgPotassium: 1327mgFiber: 5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 4460IUVitamin C: 98.3mgCalcium: 550mgIron: 9.8mg

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6 comments

    • Julie

    Shoulder Roast turned out amazing! But veggies were way overcooked. Maybe add veggies halfway?

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      Hi Julie, you could add the veggies halfway or use bigger pieces of veggies.

    • CRE

    It would be useful to have some suggestion about serving: slides, pull pork alike…

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      Hi Cre, Pot roast is usually eaten with the stewed veggies its made with.

    • Greta B

    There is no direction on what to do with the ketchup and worcestershire sauce…….

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      It would go in with the broth and veggies. Thank you for catching that.

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