Instant Pot Pot Roast (Easy Chuck Roast Recipe)

Why This Pressure Cooker Pot Roast Works Every Time

Cooking large cuts of beef can be intimidating. You worry about spending good money on meat only to serve something tough and dry. The pressure cooker pot roast method completely eliminates that risk.

The sealed environment traps all the steam and forces it back down into the food. Connective tissues in the beef break down rapidly under this intense environment.

What starts as a stubborn block of protein transforms into ribbons of soft, buttery meat.

Plus, everything happens in one single stainless steel insert. You sear the beef, cook the vegetables, and boil the gravy without dirtying a single extra pan. It makes cleanup ridiculously fast.

This hands-off approach leaves you free to tackle other things around the house.

Ingredients for a Tender Chuck Roast Instant Pot Meal

You need very simple, accessible groceries to make this happen. Skip the expensive cuts of meat and focus on finding something with great fat distribution.

• Chuck Roast: Look for a 3 Lbs./1.3 kg boneless beef chuck roast. You want to see thick, white webbing of fat running through the red meat. That fat melts down under pressure to keep the beef juicy.
• Cooking Oil: Use 2 tablespoons/30 ml of a high heat oil like avocado or canola oil. You need a high smoke point so the oil does not burn when you sear the crust.
• Beef Broth: Grab 2 cups/470 ml of a high-quality beef stock or broth. This dark liquid acts as the savory backbone for your final brown gravy.
• Yellow Onion: Chop one large yellow onion into chunky pieces. The onion releases sulfur compounds that break down into a sweet, mellow base note.
• Garlic Cloves: Smash 4 large garlic cloves with the side of your knife. The raw garlic gets completely muted by the pressure, leaving behind a soft, roasted profile.
• Carrots: Peel and chop thick carrots into 2 inch/5 cm chunks. You must cut them large, otherwise they will disintegrate into mush during the intense cooking cycle.
• Potatoes: Use 1.5 Lbs./680 grams of baby Yukon gold potatoes. Keep them whole so they hold their firm, waxy texture inside the hot liquid.
• Fresh Herbs: Toss in 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary and 3 sprigs of fresh thyme. The hot steam extracts their woody oils, filling your kitchen with a sharp, piney aroma.
• Seasoning: You need 2 teaspoons/10 grams of coarse kosher salt and 1 teaspoon/5 grams of coarse black pepper. Generous seasoning is mandatory for such a massive piece of unflavored protein.
• Cornstarch: Keep 3 tablespoons/24 grams of cornstarch handy. Mixed with cold water, this white powder turns your thin boiling broth into a glossy gravy.

How to Make Instant Pot Pot Roast

Building deep flavors happens in distinct stages. Do not skip the searing phase, as it provides the crucial savory crust that flavors the entire meal.

• Step 1
  Sear the Beef

  Start by patting your large cut of meat completely dry with paper towels. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear.

  Rub the kosher salt and black pepper aggressively all over every single side.

  Press the sauté button on your machine and let it get roaring hot. Pour in your cooking oil. Carefully drop the meat into the hot oil and let it sizzle violently.

  Leave it completely alone for five minutes per side. You want to build a deep mahogany crust.

  Use heavy tongs to flip the meat, searing the edges until the whole thing is browned. Remove the meat to a clean plate.

• Step 2
  Deglaze the Pot

  Your pot will have dark, sticky bits stuck to the bottom. This is pure flavor.

  Pour half a cup/120 ml of your beef broth straight into the sizzling hot pot.

  Grab a flat wooden spoon and scrape the bottom of the stainless steel insert aggressively. The cold liquid will lift all those dark, savory bits right off the metal.

  Important

  This step prevents the dreaded burn warning during the pressure cycle. Never skip it.

• Step 3
  Pressure Cook the Meat

  Turn the sauté function off. Pour the remaining beef broth into the pot along with the smashed garlic, chopped onion, and fresh herb sprigs.

  Gently lower your browned meat back into the dark liquid, pouring any resting juices from the plate right in with it.

  Secure the heavy lid on top and make sure the steam valve is sealed.

  Set the machine to cook on manual high pressure for 60 minutes. It will take about ten minutes for the machine to build enough pressure before the timer actually starts counting down.

• Step 4
  Add the Vegetables

  When the sixty minutes are up, do not touch the steam valve. Let the machine sit naturally for 15 minutes.

  This slow resting period allows the violently boiling juices inside the meat to settle down.

  After 15 minutes, carefully flip the valve to release the remaining steam. Open the lid and drop your large carrot chunks and whole potatoes directly into the bubbling broth around the meat.

  Seal the lid again. Set the machine to manual high pressure for just 3 minutes. When this short timer finishes, perform a quick release by immediately opening the steam valve.

• Step 5
  Thicken the Gravy

  Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the soft vegetables and the falling-apart meat to a large serving platter. Cover them loosely with foil to keep them steaming hot.

  Turn the machine back to the sauté setting so the leftover beef liquid begins to bubble rapidly.

  In a small cup, whisk your cornstarch together with 3 tablespoons/45 ml of cold water until smooth.

  Pour this milky slurry directly into the boiling beef broth. Stir constantly for about two minutes.

  The thin liquid will suddenly transform into a glossy, thick gravy that coats the back of your spoon. Ladle this hot gravy generously all over your platter.

Pro Tips for an Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast

Always pay attention to the grain of your meat before you cook it. When you finally pull the beef apart to serve, you want to apply pressure across those long muscle fibers. Breaking the fibers creates a much better mouthfeel.

If you are cooking a cut that is larger than 3 Lbs./1.3 kg, you need to adjust your timing. The general rule for chuck is 20 minutes of high pressure per pound of meat.

For a different flavor profile during the week, check out my Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken. It provides a similarly rich, gravy-heavy experience but uses a creamy garlic and sun-dried tomato base.

Variations and Customizations

You can easily adapt this base method depending on what you have lurking in your pantry. Root vegetables are incredibly forgiving under pressure.

If you hate peeling carrots, buy a bag of thick baby carrots and throw them in whole. Just make sure they are not too skinny, or they will turn into pure orange mush during the vegetable cooking cycle.

Parsnips or thick chunks of celery root are excellent additions. They add an earthy, slightly sweet bite that cuts through the heavy beef fat beautifully.

How to Store and Freeze Leftovers

This meal makes fantastic leftovers. The beef sits in the congealed gravy overnight, soaking up even more salt and garlic flavor.

Store any remaining meat and vegetables in a glass airtight container. Pour the leftover gravy directly over the top to keep everything submerged and moist. Keep it safely in the fridge for up to four days.

To reheat, place the cold, gelatinous leftovers into a skillet over medium-low heat. The gravy will melt back into a smooth liquid in minutes.

Serving Suggestions for Sunday Dinner

You really do not need much else to complete this heavy, savory meal. The meat, starch, and vegetables are already piled high on the platter.

However, a crusty loaf of warm sourdough bread is highly recommended. You will absolutely want something porous to drag through the bottom of your bowl to catch every last drop of the brown gravy.

A sharp, acidic side salad also works wonders. Toss some peppery arugula in a simple lemon vinaigrette.

The bright, grassy bite of the greens cleanses your palate between heavy bites of beef.

Frequently Asked Questions