Instant Pot Chuck Roast

4.98 from 182 votes

Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots is the perfect Sunday dinner. This Instant Pot version is as tender as a traditional recipe, but less than half the time!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 10

Total Time1 20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Beef Roast, Instant Pot, pot roast

Servings: servings

Calories: 456kcal

Author: Erica Walker

Equipment

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

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.

Video

Notes

*This recipe can easily be converted to be gluten-free. Substitute gluten-free beef broth and gluten-free dry onion soup mix in the recipe.

Update: Since we first created this recipe, we’ve had many comments regarding the success of this recipe (especially with the vegetables). We’ve updated the original post to include some of the most frequently asked questions and comments.

Instant Pot Note: We use a 6-quart Instant Pot brand pressure cooker that we bought in 2016. Different or newer versions may be more sensitive to the "BURN" notice. If you are concerned about the burn notice, please refer to the Instant Pot webpage about Overheat Protection.

Nutrition