Super Tender Instant Pot Pot Roast – the best pot roast ever! The entire meal cooks directly in the Instant Pot (or Crock Pot), is very simple to make, and is full of flavor. The beef is so juicy and tender, it practically falls apart coming out of the pot!
This recipe is perfect for these cool autumn days. Perfect for easy-meal lovers. Perfect as a freezer meal. Simply perfect all around.
SAY GOODBYE TO SEASONING PACKETS
That is certainly one thing you will never have to worry about finding in any of my recipes: seasoning packets. I am not a fan and neither should you be! Sure, they are great for convenience and a no-brainer when it comes to seasoning your foods. But that’s the only thing they have going for themselves.
The worst part is that many of these convenient packets contain an excessive amount of sodium, are guaranteed to contain MSG (monosodium glutamate), sugar, and various other chemicals that only cause harm to our bodies.
So break the habit and start making your own! Don’t be hesitant. You learn as you go – I promise. If you can take the time to meal prep, you can take the time to throw together your own seasoning blends.
One of my favorite recipe seasonings to throw together is: Homemade Taco Seasoning. It’s great on any kind of meat for tacos (obviously); ground chicken, ground beef, or ground turkey.
MEAT SO TENDER AND JUICY
There’s nothing worse than forking over the extra money for beef chuck roast, dedicating the time and effort to cook it, and ending up with dry, flavorless meat! That is not the case with this Super Tender Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe.
The meat is so tender and juicy it falls apart as you’re trying to get it out of the pot! So be careful removing it and remember to share! 😉
The best part of this recipe is that it doesn’t take all. day. long. to cook like the traditional pot roast. In fact, once the Instant Pot gets to pressure, it was only 60 minutes of cooking. How amazing is that?? Proof is in the pot roast. From start to finish, this meal can be on your table in approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. The only thing you need to do is prep it, do a little sautéing, and then let the Instant Pot do the rest.
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TOOLS USED IN MAKING THIS RECIPE:
- Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker – this is the exact Instant Pot that I have and absolutely love it!
- OXO Good Grips 2 Piece Cutting Board Set – I love OXO for a lot of reasons, but mainly because they have great products. I have had these cutting boards for years and they work perfectly!
- Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer for Skimming – perfect for skimming soup or broth-based meals for fat and clearing the broth to make gravy!
- Crock Pot Cook n’ Carry 6-Quart Stainless Steel Slow Cooker – instructions for cooking this recipe in a Crock Pot are listed below in the recipe – below the Instant Pot instructions.
MORE WARM, COMFORTING DINNERS:
- Easy Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup – another super simple and flavorful Instant Pot recipe that you’re guaranteed to love!
- One Pan Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes – a one pan, easy to make dish that your family will be asking for seconds of.
- Easy Crockpot Chipotle Chicken Carnitas – one of my favorites! The crock pot does all the work, it’s great for a meat meal prep option, and is great in tacos or on nachos: Loaded Chipotle Chicken Carnitas Nachos
- Easy Crockpot Mexican Style Shredded Chicken – perfect in a burrito!
TIPS ON MAKING THIS POT ROAST:
- Potatoes – I used red potatoes, but you’re more than welcome to swipe them out for yukon potatoes or russet potatoes.
- Searing – It is essential to sear the outside of the beef chuck roast prior to cooking it in the pressure cooker. Searing it will help to caramelize the meat, creating a crust, which will in turn give the dish some extra flavor.
- Carrots – I chose to use baby carrots for this recipe for the sake of saving time and the effort of peeling and slicing regular carrots. Either will work. Just keep in mind that baby carrots will cook faster than traditional carrots that need peeled and sliced.
- Gravy – I used cornstarch to thicken some of the leftover broth to create a gravy. You can swap this with flour or arrowroot. The recipe below recommends 3 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup of water to be mixed into the beef broth. Start with adding only half of the cornstarch mix to the broth, whisk well while it’s simmering, and add the second half if the gravy has not reached the desired thickness. Preference on this varies, so add as much or as little as you need.
- Roast – this recipe calls for a thawed roast, but you can use a frozen one, as well (of the same 3 lb. size). Simply add 20-30 minutes onto the time to cook. Skip the searing process and add the seasonings to the pot with the beef broth.
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Super Tender Instant Pot Pot Roast
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 lbs beef chuck roast
- 1.5 tsp salt, (more or less, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp pepper, (more or less, to taste)
- 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth, (stock or water *see notes below)
- 4 cloves garlic, (minced)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb red potatoes, (quartered *see notes below)
- 1 lb carrots, (baby or regular *see notes below)
- 1 large yellow onion, (sliced, approximately 1.5 cups)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch + 1/3 cup water, (mixed (for gravy))
Instructions:
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS:
- Turn Instant Pot to the 'saute' setting. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and allow it to heat.
- While the olive oil is heating, rub the salt and pepper all over the roast, making sure to get all sides.
- With the pan and olive oil heated, add the roast to the bottom of the pan and sear each side for 3-5 minutes.
- To a small bowl, combine the beef broth/stock, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk to combine.
- ADDING VEGETABLES: You can add the vegetables with the roast, but they will be on the softer side when the roast is done. Adding them to the broth mixture with the roast will help to add flavor to the broth and dish as they cook down. If you prefer more firm carrots and potatoes - add them at the end with some additional time attached.
- Once you've seared the second side of the roast - cancel the 'saute' setting. Pour the broth mixture over the roast, place the lid on, lock it, and make sure the vent is set to the 'sealed' position. *As noted in the instruction above, you can add the vegetables now or wait.
- Turn it to the 'pressure cook' setting, on high, and set the timer for 60 minutes. If using a larger roast, increase your time by 10 minutes per pound.
- When the timer goes off: *IF YOU ADDED THE VEGGIES WITH THE ROAST: Do not do a quick release. Do a 10-minute natural release followed by a quick release. *IF NO VEGGIES: do a quick release to remove any pressure from the pot. Once all pressure is released, remove the lid. Check the roast. If it is fork tender (to your preference), then remove it now and cover with foil to keep warm. If not, leave it in for the next step to allow it to cook even more.
- Add the potatoes, onions, and carrots. Put the lid back on, and turn the valve back to the 'sealed' position. Select the 'pressure cook' setting and set the timer for 10-15 minutes. Time will be dependent on how large your potatoes are cut, as well as how firm you like your vegetables.
- When the timer goes off, allow for a 10-minute natural release, before doing a quick release for any additional pressure prior to removing the lid.
- Remove the vegetables and beef to a serving bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. If the broth has any leftover chunks from the meat or vegetables, use a skimming spoon to filter the broth.
- Safely taste test the beef broth and add any additional salt and pepper, to taste. If you're using regular beef broth or stock, you may want to skip adding more salt.
- Gravy: Turn the Instant Pot to the 'saute' setting on high. Combine the cornstarch with the water, whisk to fully mix. Allow the broth to come to a slight boil, then whisk in half of the cornstarch mixture. Whisk to thoroughly combine with the broth, allowing it to thicken as you whisk. If desired, add the second half of the cornstarch mixture to reach desired thickness. Depending on how thick you like your gravy, you may need to add more cornstarch.
- Serve gravy with pot roast. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or thyme (optional).
SLOW COOKER/CROCK POT:
- Heat a large pan over medium heat with the olive oil. While the olive oil and pan are heating, season the roast with salt and pepper.
- Once heated, place the roast into the pan to sear/brown for 3-5 minutes per side.
- To the crock pot, add the carrots, potatoes, onion, and minced garlic.
- Once the roast has browned, add it to the crock pot atop the vegetables. In a small mixing bowl, combine the beef broth, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours. Time will be dependent on your crock pot. You will know when it's done - the roast should be fork tender.
- Once the roast is done, remove the vegetables and roast to a serving bowl or platter and cover with foil to keep warm.
- If the broth has any leftover chunks from the meat or vegetables, use a skimming spoon to filter the broth.
- Taste test the beef broth and add any additional salt and pepper, to taste. If you're using regular beef broth or stock, you may want to skip adding more salt.
- Safely transfer the leftover beef broth to a saucepan placed over high heat.
- Combine the cornstarch with the water, whisk to fully mix. Allow the broth to come to a slight boil, then whisk in half of the cornstarch mixture. Whisk to thoroughly combine with the broth, allowing it to thicken as you whisk. If desired, add the second half of the cornstarch mixture to reach desired thickness. Depending on how thick you like your gravy, you may need to add more cornstarch.
- Serve gravy with pot roast. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or thyme (optional).
Notes:
- BROTH/STOCK: This recipe calls for low-sodium beef broth. You can swap for regular beef broth or beef stock. Beef stock will have more flavor. I used beef broth because I wasn't able to find low-sodium beef stock. If you use low-sodium beef broth, you may want to taste test the broth prior to making the gravy to adjust the seasonings (add salt to taste).
- POTATOES: Red potatoes are used in this recipe and quartered. You can swap with Yukon or peeled russet potatoes. Cooking time will be dependent on how thickly cut the potatoes are.
- CARROTS: Baby carrots are used in this recipe, but keep in mind that they will cook faster than regular carrots that need peeled and cut. You can use either.
- GRAVY: I used 3 tablespoons of cornstarch whisked together with 1/3 cup of water. Add approximately half of the mixture to the broth initially, whisk, and allow the broth to simmer to thicken. Add more and whisk as needed to thicken to preference.
- POT ROAST: This recipe calls for thawed beef chuck roast, but you can certainly use frozen. Simply skip the searing step and add 20-30 minutes to the cook time. If the roast is not fork tender when the timer goes off at 60 minutes, pressure cook for an additional 10 minutes. Time can vary depending on the size/thickness of your roast.
- ADDING VEGGIES: Depending on how firm you like your vegetables, you can add them with the roast or after the roast has cooked. If you like them on the softer side, add the potatoes, carrots, and onion with the roast for the 60 minutes. If you prefer more firm vegetables, add them to the pot after the roast has cooked. Do a quick release of the pot, remove the lid, add the chopped vegetables. Place the lid back on, seal the valve, and cook under 'pressure cook', on high, for an additional 10-15 minutes. Allow for a 10-minutes natural release when done, followed by a quick release.
DELICIOUS!!! Soupy Pot Roast has been my favorite home cooked meal since childhood. This was spot on…just like mom’s!!!!
That’s wonderful!! Thank you!!
So delicious!
Thank you, Melissa!