Instant Pot Pot Roast

Instant Pot Pot Roast is simply the easiest, tastiest way to prepare pot roast. Made with carrots and potatoes, this tender, flavorful Pot Roast Dinner is a family favorite.

I grew up with family dinners every Sunday at my grandparent's house. And my papa was known for his Slow Cooker Pot Roast. It cooked for hours and hours and while delicious, it was not a FAST recipe.

I have taken his famous pot roast recipe and made it Instant Pot friendly. This method for cooking a pot roast in the instant pot is every bit as delicious as the classic recipe but takes a fraction of the time.

Why You will Love this Recipe

• Simple and fast. This recipe for pot roast is made with only 5 key ingredients and in a fraction of the time of classic pot roast recipes. It puts a flavorful dinner on the table with minimal effort and quickly!
• You can use a frozen chuck roast. Because of how fast the Instant Pot heats ups, you can safely cook a frozen roast in the Instant Pot.
• Flavorful and tender. This recipe for pot roast has incredible flavor and the meat is fall-apart-tender thanks in large part to the horseradish, which was my Papa's secret ingredient in creating the most delicious roast beef. The horseradish is the key to tenderizing the meat and adding so much flavor. Don't worry about it causing the roast to be overly spicy, as it only adds a subtle, yet irresistible flavor.
• Perfectly cooked vegetables. This recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast includes directions on how to cook the potatoes and carrots so that they won't get overcooked. No mushy vegetables here!

Notes on Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chuck Roast: For a tender roast, you really want to select a cut of beef that is well-marbled, like a chuck roast. A round roast or brisket will work, but won't be as tender. Chuck roast is always my #1 choice when making pot roast.
• Beef Broth: Use low-sodium beef broth or stock to control the sodium content.
• Horseradish: Use prepared horseradish, not horseradish sauce. Prepared horseradish comes in a jar in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (usually by deli meat), and is simply grated horseradish, water, vinegar, and salt.
• Potatoes: You can use any potato you like--russet, red, Yukon Gold, or baby potatoes. They all work great and help to round out this pot roast dinner.
• Carrots: Use baby carrots or whole carrots that have been peeled and chopped.

How To Make Instant Pot Pot Roast

Step One: Sear Roast

Searing the meat will help to seal in the juices of the roast and add a bit of texture to the final product. While you technically don't have to sear the meat, if you have a few extra minutes, it is worth the extra step to sear your chuck roast before pressure cooking.

• Turn your pressure cooker to the Saute function and pour in 1 tablespoon of oil.
• While the pressure cooker is heating, liberally season the chuck roast on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Place the seasoned roast into the heated inner pot, and sear the roast for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned.
• Turn the instant pot OFF from the saute function and remove the pot roast from the inner pot and place it on a platter.

Step Two: Deglaze Inner Pot

Anytime you sear ANYTHING in the inner pot, it is crucial to scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot. This will allow pressure to build appropriately and prevent a burn notice from occurring. Once the pot is deglazed, you can add the ingredients to pressure cook the chuck roast.

• Pour in about ½ cup of the beef broth and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
• Add seared roast back to the inner pot. Pour in the rest of the beef broth and then sprinkle with additional salt, pepper, and onion powder. Top the roast with minced garlic and horseradish.

Step Three: Pressure Cook

Chuck roast needs to be cooked on high pressure for 20 minutes per pound. It is also crucial you let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes after pressure cooking, as this will help ensure the roast stays super tender and does not seize up.

• Hit manual or pressure cook on the Instant Pot and set the cooking time to 20 minutes per pound. This would be 60 minutes for a 3-pound roast, which is the average size of a roast.
• Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. That means just leave the instant pot alone for at least 10 minutes and do not try to do a quick release of any pressure. Do not ignore this advice. If you do a quick release of pressure, your meat will likely become tough.

Step Four: Rest Meat

Anytime you cook beef, it is a good idea to let the meat rest after cooking. This allows the juices to redistribute through the beef, ensuring every bite is juicy and flavorful.

• Remove the pot roast from the liquid in the inner pot. and place it onto a platter or cutting board. It is okay if it falls apart as you are removing the roast. It should be fall-apart tender.
• Tent the meat with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes before shredding or slicing and serving with the cooking juices.

Step Five: Cook Vegetables

For a complete meal, potatoes and carrots always pair perfectly with a tender pot roast. However, I do not recommend cooking small potato chunks or baby carrots the entire time you cook your pot roast, as your vegetables will turn to mush. Instead, it is best to cook your potatoes and carrots AFTER the roast has cooked, when the meat is resting.

• Add the potatoes and carrots to the cooking liquid left in the inner pot.
• Set the cooking time to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes for just tender vegetables and 10 minutes for super tender potatoes and carrots.
• After the cooking time has elapsed, you can do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
• Slice the rested roast beef and serve the pot roast with the vegetables and cooking liquids.

How to Make Gravy

While I find that this Instant Pot Pot Roast is so flavorful and so juicy, there is no need for gravy, you certainly can prepare gravy using the remaining cooking liquid. And you can do this right inside your Instant Pot! Yay for one-pot meals!

• After cooking the roast and vegetables, strain off the cooking liquid.
• Turn the Instant Pot to saute and let heat up.
• Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the inner pot and let melt. Once the butter is melted, add in 2 tablespoons of flour and whisk together, to form a roux.
• Let the flour mixture cook for 30 seconds and then slowly whisk in 1 to 2 cups of the strained liquid.
• Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture is thickened.

Instant Pot Frozen Pot Roast

You can easily prepare a pot roast using a frozen chuck roast when cooking in the Instant Pot. Unlike slow cookers, the Instant Pot will get hot enough in a short amount of time to safely cook frozen meat.

• Skip searing the meat, as you can not sear a frozen cut of meat.
• Place the frozen beef roast, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder inside the pressure cooker.
• Pour in beef stock around the roast, then top the roast with horseradish.
• Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes per pound (instead of 20 minutes per pound.) For a 3-pound roast that would be 90 minutes.

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftover pot roast with the leftover cooking liquid in a sealed container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. The liquid will help keep the meat from drying out. Leftover potatoes and carrots can be stored with the leftover meat as well.

More Instant Pot Comfort Food Recipes

• Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches
• Instant Pot Chili
• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
• Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
• Instant Pot Lasagna

If you enjoyed this easy recipe for Instant Pot Pot Roast, please be sure to leave a comment and review below!

This recipe remains essentially the same as when originally published in 2018, yet the steps were simplified in 2020 for cooking the carrots and potatoes to make it easier to follow and the photos were updated in 2022.