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Make this tender, flavorful Instant Pot Pot Roast with potatoes & carrots in under 2 hours! Quick and delicious comfort food perfect for Sunday dinners.
Quick and Delicious Sunday Comfort Food
Pot roast has always been a favorite Sunday dinner in our family. It’s the ultimate comfort food. Sometimes we serve it with creamy mashed potatoes on the side, other times we add carrots and potatoes right in with the roast (like with this recipe). Either way, it’s always a hit. The only problem? I’m notorious for forgetting to put the roast in the oven or slow cooker early enough. More often than I care to admit, I’ve walked in the door from church and thought, “NOO! I forgot the roast!” If you have been there too, this Instant Pot version is for you!
If you haven’t joined the Instant Pot crowd yet, now’s the time! It’s one of the most convenient tools in my kitchen. I love that I can sear the roast, sauté the onions, and pressure cook everything in the same pot. No pile of dirty pans and cleanup is a breeze. Best of all, it’s quick: from start to finish, you can have a tender, flavorful pot roast on the table in about two hours, a fraction of the usual time. The meat turns out perfectly juicy and shreds super easily. It’s every bit as good (maybe even better!) than most slow-cooker versions I’ve tried.
🩷Erica
Table of Contents
- Quick and Delicious Sunday Comfort Food
- Key Ingredients and Supplies for Instant Pot Chuck Roast
- What Cut of Beef is Best for Pot Roast?
- What Potatoes are Best?
- How to Make Pot Roast in the Instant Pot
- How Long Do I Cook a Pot Roast in an Instant Pot?
- Make it in the Crock Pot
- Instant Pot Roast Gravy
- Tips For Making the Best Pot Roast
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Roast Recipes
- Instant Pot Chuck Roast Recipe
- Pot Roast Side Dishes
Key Ingredients and Supplies for Instant Pot Chuck Roast
- Beef chuck roast: I usually do a beef chuck or a bottom round roast but any kind of roast will work. I will go into more detail on this below.
- Seasonings: For this recipe I usually keep it pretty simple with a little salt, beef broth, and some dry onion soup mix. Depending on my mood and if I want an added flavor boost, I will often add some fresh garlic, a splash of red cooking wine, a little Worcestershire sauce, or some fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
- Veggies: You don’t have to add vegetables to this recipe at all, but I feel like the veggies give it more of a rounded out, Sunday dinner feel. I always use onion, baby potatoes, and baby carrots or large pieces of carrot because they are all just so easy to throw in with the roast.
- Additional optional ingredients (for more flavor): For extra flavor, try adding thyme, onion pearls, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic cloves, celery stalks, fresh rosemary, or a splash of balsamic vinegar.
- Instant Pot (or pressure cooker): This recipe isn’t limited to the “Instant Pot” brand. It works with any pressure cooker. Just follow the steps below using your cooker’s settings for a tender, flavorful roast.
What Cut of Beef is Best for Pot Roast?
For this recipe, we use a boneless chuck roast, but there are several different cuts of meat you can use. Choose a well-marbled cut of beef for optimal tenderness and flavor. These cuts are ideal for slow cooking and will result in a melt-in-your-mouth pot roast. Here is a list of the best cuts of meat to use for pot roast:
- Chuck roast
- Ribeye or Eye of round roast
- Brisket
- Top sirloin petite roast
- Bottom round rump roast
- Top round roast
What Potatoes are Best?
A quick note about adding potatoes – using baby potatoes is totally the way to go. They are the perfect size and they don’t get mushy. Potatoes that are peeled and cut tend to get mushy in the Instant Pot when they cook for a longer amount of time. By keeping the skin on and not cutting them, the potatoes cook thoroughly while remaining firm. If you would rather use diced potatoes, go with a waxy potato like Yukon gold potatoes, or even red potatoes. Russets will get too soggy and are better for mashing.
How to Make Pot Roast in the Instant Pot
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels and rub generously with salt; set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté, add a little oil, and sear the roast for 4–5 minutes per side until browned.
- In a large zip-top bag, toss the vegetables with olive oil and onion soup mix until evenly coated. For very soft veggies, add them now. For crisp-tender veggies, wait to add them later.
- Pour in beef broth, lock the lid, and cook on High Pressure — about 60 minutes for a 3 lb roast or 80 minutes for a 5 lb roast (see below for more sizes). Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick-release.
- For crisp-tender vegetables, quick-release 20 minutes before cook time ends, add veggies, then cook the remaining time. Allow a 10 minute natural release before venting.
- Remove the roast, shred, and serve with vegetables. For gravy, strain broth if desired, set pot to Sauté, whisk in a cornstarch slurry, and simmer 2-3 minutes until thickened.
How Long Do I Cook a Pot Roast in an Instant Pot?
Cooking time depends on the size and thickness of your roast, but a good rule of thumb is 20–25 minutes per pound on high pressure. Here is a quick guide:
- 2-pound roast: 45–50 minutes
- 3-pound roast: about 70 minutes
- 4-pound roast: 80–100 minutes
- 5-pound roast: 90 minutes to 2 hours
Always let the pressure release naturally (meaning wait to open the lid until it naturally unlocks instead of switching the venting tab to quickly release steam) for the most tender results. Don’t forget that times can vary slightly based on the shape of the meat and your Instant Pot model.
Make it in the Crock Pot
Due to convenience and saving time, I am hooked on whipping up a pot roast quickly in the Instant Pot. However, sometimes I like to take it slow and just let it cook all day. If this is the way you want to go, we have a great Crock Pot Roast recipe too – see our Slow Cooker Roast Beef and Vegetables Recipe. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you will definitely want to give the slow cooker version a try!
Instant Pot Roast Gravy
Making gravy in the Instant Pot is a breeze. The easiest method is to remove the pot roast and vegetables when they are done cooking, then switch the cook setting to “sauté”. If there aren’t enough beef drippings to make a gravy, add some beef broth. Combine a little cold water and a couple tablespoons cornstarch in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl to form a cornstarch slurry. When the drippings and broth start to simmer, whisk in the cornstarch mixture a little at a time until it becomes a gravy consistency. Simmer about three minutes, adding more beef broth to thin if needed. Add salt, black pepper, and a little garlic powder to taste.
Tips For Making the Best Pot Roast
- No Instant Pot? No Problem: Pot roasts can be made using many different cooking methods. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can try our recipes for making pot roast in the slow cooker or in the oven.
- Sear the Meat: Before pressure cooking, sear the meat on all sides in the Instant Pot using the saute function. This step adds a rich caramelized flavor to the roast and helps to lock in the juices.
- Easy Freezing: If you have leftovers, roast can easily be shredded and frozen to eat at a later date. Just remove any vegetables (potatoes and carrots don’t freeze well) and place leftover pot roast in a Ziplock bag or a freezer-safe, airtight container to freeze. When ready to reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat or add to your favorite shredded beef recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
A general guideline for Instant Pot Pot Roast is to pressure cook for 20-25 minutes per pound of meat. Here’s a quick reference:
2-pound roast: 45–50 minutes
3-pound roast: about 70 minutes
4-pound roast: 80–100 minutes
5-pound roast: 90 minutes to 2 hours
First, set the Instant Pot to sauté and add olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the pot roast to the Instant pot and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side.
It probably wasn’t cooked long enough. It is always ok to put the meat back in the Instant Pot and continue cooking. You can cook for 20 minutes at a time until it reaches your desired tenderness.
Yes, but skip the sear and add extra time. Usually 30-40 minutes more than a thawed roast of the same size.
Read Next: 27 BEST Instant Pot Recipes
More Roast Recipes
Have you tried this Instant Pot Pot Roast? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how you liked it. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸🍴
Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Video
Ingredients
- 3-5 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1 teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups beef broth, *can use gluten-free beef broth
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix, *can use gluten-free onion soup mix
- 1 onion, white or yellow, quartered
- 1 pound baby potatoes, (see notes above)
- 1 cup cut carrots, (baby carrots work too)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
- Pat roast dry using paper towels. Generously rub roast with salt and set aside.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of oil to Instant Pot and set to "Sauté". When oil becomes hot and shimmery, add pot roast and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- In a gallon-sized Ziploc bag, add vegetables, 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, and onion soup mix. Shake until vegetables become evenly coated with mix. For Soft Vegetables: Add the veggies at this point. They will become very soft after cooking for such a long time in the instant pot. They will mash very easily.For Crisp-Tender Vegetables: Wait to add vegetables until instructed below.
- Add beef broth and place lid on Instant pot with steam valve closed.
- Switch Instant Pot setting to "manual" and set for 60 minutes for a 3 pound roast and 80 minutes for a 5 pound roast on "high" pressure (see more sizes and times above). Do a natural release for at least 10 minutes, then quick release by turning the tab to vent.For Crisp-Tender Vegetables: Do a quick release 20 minutes before the cook time is over. Remove lid and add vegetables. Set time for the remaining 20 minutes, do a natural release for at least 10 minutes, then quick release by turning the tab to vent.
- Remove roast from Instant Pot, shred, and serve with vegetables.
- Use a strainer to remove any left over pieces of onion and bits from the broth in the pot (optional). Set instant pot to “saute” setting. Whisk together water and corn starch in a small bowl making a slurry. Once broth is at a simmer, whisk in corn starch mixture and bring to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes as the gravy thickens. Pour over the pot roast or serve on the side.
Equipment
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Pot Roast Side Dishes
Because this pot roast includes potatoes and carrots, you have a full meal in just one pot! You can even serve it all on one big serving platter. You can never go wrong with a simple green salad, but if you are looking to add more side dishes, here are some great ideas:
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Sweet Sauteed Asparagus
Homemade Mashed Potatoes
Nuts about Berries Salad
Cheesy Cauliflower
Honey Glazed Carrots
Can I use a 5 pound round roast for this recipe?
Your biggest issue with a 5 Lb roast will be getting it to fit! With the vegetables you will need a little wiggle room. Other than that, you should be able to make it just fine as written in the recipe. Some are saying that they are reducing the time for a 3lb roast so it sounds like it might be just right for 5lbs!
Just made this tonight — second instant pot dish I’ve tried and the first time in my life that I’ve made a pot roast. It was amazing! Definitely saving this recipe for the future. Thank you!
So glad you liked it!
I have made roasts in my instant pot and have done differrent times. One recipe said to cook on high for 25 minutes. I personally thought it was a bit tough (chuck roasts as a general rule are never tough!) I made a recipe similar to this one (no soup mix and peeled potatoes) Cooked it for the 70 minutes and it was awesome. I can only assume that this will be even more awesome because I have the soup mix.
Thank you so much for sharing! Glad it worked out well for you!
Can you use a rump roast instead? If so what adjustments would you make?
Yes, you can use a rump roast. You can make it just the same, as long as it is the same size. Hope this helps!
Yummy, Followed it to a T, except for I substituted 1 cup of beef broth with 1 cup of white wine! I did 70 minutes, manual cook time on high, sliced my vegetables bigger then normal, and used the small whole round potatoes instead of big one’s sliced ! 70 minutes in the IP and 15 mins. natural release and then quick release ! I opened the lid, stuck my serving fork in to test the meat, and when I pulled the fork out, the meat fell apart! Tender and moist!! Thank you for a gorgeous recipe, I;ll be making this again!,
So glad you liked it! Love your substitution ideas!
I’m an IP newbie – I have a 2 1/2 lb. chuck roast. How much should I alter the cooking time since it’s not quite 3 lbs.? Also, can I add more beef broth if I want more gravy? Thanks – can’t wait to try it tonight!
Yes, you can definitely add more broth. You can also reduce the time by probably 10-15 minutes if it is a smaller roast. Hope this helps!
Can you use a frozen roast like you can in the slow cooker?
Yes, you should be able to. Just cook it for the full amount of time, maybe even 10 minutes longer.
Excellent!! My Chuck Roast was 2.3 lbs. I filled the pot to the top with veg. I cooked for 60 mins since my roast was smaller. Veg a bit too done, but roast was delish! I think with that size meat I will try 50 mins next time…OR do what someone else said and cook roast for 30 and then add veg for last half. It was still delicious and my husband loves anything I cook so he loved it anyway! I put pot on saute after pulling out meat and veg and thickened it up and added a pack of Au Jus mix. that was yummy.
Thank you for sharing this Lori! It’s always helpful to know experiences people have with our recipes.
This was AMAZING! Going off the comments I did it just a tad different. I used a can of cream of mushroom soup and 3/4 cup of beef broth for the liquid. I pressure cooked for 45 minutes. I had to run to get my son from hockey so it had a 29 min slow release. Then I put the veges in and cooked another 20 mins, 7 min slow release then quick release. I added 2 tbs cornstarch (with 2 tbs water mixture) and put on saute to thicken the gravy up. So delicious! I def will be making again! (I had a 2.75 lb roast)
Jena, thank you for sharing your additions and cook times for this recipe! I’m glad you liked it!
What happened? I put in the oil as directed and it sautéed my meat but sprayed hot oil everywhere!!!
How long was the oil heating? It sounds like your oil got way too hot for some reason. I’m so sorry it splattered everywhere. You are supposed to add the meat when it is just hot enough to be shimmery.. not much longer or it will get too hot. It should only be heating for 20 seconds or so because it gets hot so fast. :/ I am guessing that was the issue.
How would you adjust things if the roast was completely frozen?
Great question! Try adding 20 minutes or so to the cooking time and that should do it. Just be sure to check with a meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked through. Hope this helps!
Made this tonight and my husband said “this is amazing!” It was a huge hit with me and the kids as well!! I did coat the roast with kosher salt and then browned it. Thank You for such a great recipe! Oh and I just turned the instant pot to sauté after taking the roast and veggies out added a cornstarch slurry and made a gravy!! Yum-O!!!
Thanks! So glad you liked it!
80 minutes is just way too much time in an IP for a 3 lb roast. The instructions that come with the IP say 3lb roast on high for 25 minutes. If your cooking anything in an IP using the same amount of time you would use in an over, something is wrong. Other than the time issue, this is a nice recipe.
Nothing is wrong, you just dont understand the point of a pressure cooker. Yes you can cook a
3# roast in 25 minutes, it wont be tender. The whole point of a pressure cooker is to give you slow cooker results in a fraction of the time. There is a huge difference between meat cooked enough to eat without getting sick and meat that is tender and juicy. You think something is wrong if you cook it for what you claim is oven time? Cook a roast in the oven for 70-80 minutes and one in a pressure cooker for the same amount of time and the difference will be obvious. For all the people complaining about the time, the cut,size and fat content will have an impact on how long it takes, just like any other meat recipe regardless of cooking method.
I broke in my new 6qt Instant Pot with your pot roast recipe!
I discovered that my roommate ate my carrots and used up my Onion Soup Mix, so I had to improvise a few things. But in the end, I was very happy with the results!
I added a tablespoon of red chili flakes to the salt and pepper to season the roast, which I find really draws out flavors. I seasoned the potatoes and onions with salt and garlic powder and tossed a couple of bay leaves into the pot. The idea of coating the vegetables with olive oil and soup mix is brilliant and I’ll definitely do it next time!
I did use the fingerling potatoes and they held up beautifully to the 70 minute cook time, just as you advised. I did find that the onions broke down a bit more than I might like, so next time I’ll try adding the veg after 40 minutes.
My roast was tender, my potatoes were just firm enough, and altogether we enjoyed the pot roast very much – Thank you!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I had a 3 pound chuck roast and experimented with the meat/stew setting. I sauteed per the recipe then set it for 35 minutes on meat/stew. I let it come down from pressure naturally for 10 minutes then added peeled potatoes cut in thirds and carrot sticks and onion. I set it for 10 minutes on high. Then let it naturally release (while we waited for my college aged son to find his way home). It was on low for 20 minutes. The roast, potatoes, and onions were perfect. The carrots were over cooked because I cut them quite thin. Hope this helps anyone wondering about other timing options.
Thank you for sharing this! 😀
Thanks so much! Hubby bought me an Instant Pot over 2 months ago but I’ve been afraid to use it and the hubs has been very disappointed. Today I’ve been stuck working and, because of this recipe I’m going to give it a try! I’ll let you know how it goes. My family don’t like the veggies in the slow cooker anyway but I like the flavor they add to the roast so I’m going to follow your recipe to the tee.
Good luck! let us know how it works out for you 🙂
seriously AHHHHHmazing! yum. My son wanted seconds and thirds at bedtime! I didn’t have carrots so put an extra onion in. Cooked it for 60 min-fall apart tender. Thanks!!
Thank you for the comment– so glad you (and your son) liked it!
I was very nervous when I cooked a 3.2 lb roast in the instant Pot. First I browned it a little bit with onion. Cut the roast in approx 6-8 pieces poured the sauce I use over the roast. And pressed “Manuel”. It was done in 40 minutes. Was delicious, really tender & flavorful. I was scared to death I would ruin it, but it turned out perfect, I did not add vegetables to the roast though.
Perfect!
I used my pressure cooker xl.
3lb roast, seared. 1 pack onion soup mix and one chopped onion.
Cooked for 40 minutes and then added one bag of chopped carrots and 8 halved potatoes
( coated in Brown gravy powder)
Veggies were tender, meat was perfect.
Thanks
What size Instapot is this recipe for?
The one I used was the 8-qt, 7 in 1 Instant Pot. Hope this helps!