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.

My Instant Pot Roast recipe includes a few key secrets to achieve the most tender pot roast. And there are special directions on how to cook the potatoes and carrots so that they won't get over-cooked.

Instant Pot Pot Roast

II grew up with family dinners every Sunday at my grandparent's house. And my papa was known for his Slow Cooker Pot Roast.

His secret ingredient to making the BEST pot roast was prepared horseradish. Not only does the horseradish work to tenderize the pot roast, but it also helps to make it incredibly flavorful--so much better than any other pot roast I have ever had.

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. Not to mention, you can use a frozen beef roast in the Instant Pot, which is a big no-no when cooking in the slow cooker.

Ingredients Needed

• 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.
• 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 horesardish, 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 Pot Roast in Pressure Cooker

• Turn your pressure cooker to the Saute function and pour in 1 tablespoon 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 on a platter.
• 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, so that pressure can build appropriately and you won’t get a burn notice.
• Add seared roast back to the inner pot. Pour in the rest of the beef broth and then sprinkle the with additional salt, pepper, and onion powder. Top the roast with minced garlic and horseradish.

• pound on high pressure. This would be 60 minutes for a 3 pound roast.
• Once the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. This will keep the pot roast super tender.
• Remove the pot roast from liquid and place 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 minute befores shredding or slicing and serving with the cooking juices.

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.

When do you add Potatoes and Carrots?

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. I recommend that once the roast has cooked, remove it from the inner pot. Tent with foil to stay warm while the vegetables cook. Add in the potatoes and carrots and set the cooking time to 10 minutes on high pressure. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked, you can slice up the roast and serve with the perfectly cooked vegetables.

Alternatively, you can cook your Pot Roast for 10 minutes LESS than the total indicated time. So for a 3-pound fresh roast, cook for 50 minutes on high pressure. Then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Open up the inner pot and add the potatoes and carrots to the pressure cooker. Seal the pressure cooker and cook for high for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release for at least 10 minutes naturally, then do a quick release of any remaining pressure. Let the roast rest for 5-10 minutes before serving with the potatoes and carrots.

Recipe FAQs

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

Struggling to master your Instant Pot? Let me help! Get my 5 Secrets to Master Instant Pot Cooking HERE.

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

This recipe remains essentially the same, yet the steps have been simplified for cooking the carrots and potatoes to make it easier to follow.