Instant Pot Italian Pot Roast

Get the intense, slow braised flavor of traditional pot roast using your pressure cooker. Instant Pot Pot Roast is ready in half the time, without sacrificing any of the full bodied taste and texture you love in this comfort food classic.

Jump to:

• Why Cook Pot Roast in an Instant Pot?
• How to Cook Pot Roast in the Instant Pot
• Chef’s Tips!
• What is the Best Meat for Pot Roast?
• How to Thicken the Gravy?
• What Size Roast Do I Need?
• Cook Time for Instant Pot Pot Roast
• Recipe

Let me tell you a secret – roast does not need to be reserved for Sunday! While I occasionally don’t mind the care and tending required for a red wine pot roast over a lazy weekend, I typically reserve a pot roast for midweek dinners. For one, you can’t beat the leftovers. And two, in my house Sundays are for sauce.

So just how, you may ask, am I able to make time for a pot roast dinner on a weeknight? I’d love to say that I frequently plan ahead enough to make pot roast in the slow cooker. But that would be a lie. When life gets the best of me, it’s the Instant Pot to the rescue!

Not only is the Instant Pot quick (you can cook a whole chicken in 30 minutes!), it’s a terrific way to break down tough cuts of meat in a fraction of the time. Instant Pot carnitas and Instant Pot pulled pork create tender shredded pork in under an hour, and Instant Pot Beef Ragu makes a hearty meat sauce in a fraction of the time.

Before you go purist on me, please know that not only is a pot roast in the Instant Pot ridiculously easy – and relatively fast – it’s also insanely flavorful. Balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, and fresh herbs transform simple chuck roast into rich, intensely flavored pot roast with gravy.

And I’ll do you one better – Instant Pot roast is everyone friendly! The little one devoured practically every carrot (huge win), my picky oldest ate a full plate (bigger win), and my husband said this pot roast rivals his Grandmother’s recipe (gold medal win).

Seriously guys, so much winning here.

For a condensed post with “just the facts” click to view the web story for this recipe!

Why Cook Pot Roast in an Instant Pot?

So, if traditional pot roast with vegetables is such a classic, why change it up?

First and foremost, using your Instant Pot or pressure cooker takes the cooking time of this pot roast from hours and hours to just about 2 hours (including time for the pot to come to pressure and depressurize – AKA, loads of hands-off time).

But also, have you ever wanted to just… throw out your Dutch oven after braising a roast for hours? Ugh, the clean-up. Especially after gorging yourself on pot roast and potatoes. That is SO not a problem using the Instant Pot – no scrubbing or soaking required thankyouverymuch.

How to Cook Pot Roast in the Instant Pot

There’s no need to save slow cooked chuck roast recipes for the weekend! Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast is ready in under 2 hours. Smaller cuts of meat means more browning (and flavor!) and a quicker cooking time. Balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, and fresh herbs create a flavorful gravy. Layer the carrots and potatoes correctly for perfectly tender veggies in this one-pot meal.

One quick tip before you start! Choose the right cut of beef (see below) AND be sure to divide the roast into 4″ chunks – it will cook faster, plus you’ll create more surface area for browning.

1. Divide the roast into 4″ chunks, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Brown the beef in batches. It isn’t necessary to brown all sides, but get a good sear on at least 2 sides.
3. Remove the beef from the pot, then add the chopped garlic. Cook 1 minute, or until very aromatic.
4. Deglaze the pot with vinegar, making sure to gently scrape up all those flavored browned bits! Turn off “Saute” function.
5. Whisk together broth, tomato paste, and coconut aminos until smooth.
6. Return beef to the pot, then pour in broth mixture. Add bay leaf and thyme.
7. Arrange the potatoes then the carrots on top of the beef.
8. Cook on high pressure for 50 minutes, plus a 20 minute natural pressure release.
9. Remove the potatoes and carrots with a slotted spoon, then remove the beef.
10. Shred the beef.
11. Strain the pan sauce, skim the fat, then pour the gravy over the beef and vegetables.

Chef’s Tips!

• Cutting the beef into smaller 4″ chunks helps this recipe in 2 important ways: (1) it further reduces the total cooking time; (2) you’ll brown a larger surface area of the meat – this adds tons of flavor and really helps your Instant Pot pot roast achieve that “slow roasted for hours” flavor.
• Layer the vegetables properly – first potatoes, then carrots – and do NOT mix the vegetables with the beef pieces or they’ll become too soft and soggy.
• Trim any large chunks of fat from the meat. Don’t remove all of the fat (fat=flavor!) but do remove more than you would for a pot roast cooked in the oven.
• Baby Yukon gold potatoes (simply cut in half with skin on) have great flavor and a buttery texture. Baby new red potatoes also work, or mature sizes of either cut into 2-3″ chunks.
• Use whole carrots instead of baby carrots, and cut into 3-4″ chunks. Whole carrots will maintain their shape and texture, while baby carrots can easily go from cooked to mush in the Instant Pot.
• Store leftover pot roast in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftover pot roast can be frozen for up to 2 months (do not freeze cooked potatoes and carrots).

What is the Best Meat for Pot Roast?

I use chuck roast. It’s cheap, readily available in a variety of sizes, and packed with lots of fat (flavor) and connective tissue (gelatin). If you’re looking for alternatives to chuck roast, this article from The Kitchn is a terrific resource for selecting a cut for pot roast.

How to Thicken the Gravy?

For a thicker gravy, follow these steps:

1. Skim the fat, then strain to remove solids. (If you’re not sure how to skim the fat, watch this video from America’s Test Kitchen).
2. Return the liquid to the instant pot.
3. Press the “Saute” function and bring to a simmer.
4. Add a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch whisked with 1 tbsp water) and simmer 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.

What Size Roast Do I Need?

You’ll want to allocate about half a pound of uncooked meat per person. A 4-pound chuck roast is more than enough for a large family dinner of 8 people, or for a smaller dinner plus leftovers (our little family of four always does the latter – the leftovers are terrific).

Cook Time for Instant Pot Pot Roast

Allocate 15-20 minutes per pound of pot roast, including the time to depressurize! These cook times also assume you have cut the chuck roast into smaller pieces and browned first.

• I found 50 minutes on high pressure plus 20 minutes to depressurize perfect for my 4-lb chuck roast.
• For a 3-lb chuck roast, start with 40 minutes on high pressure, plus 20 minutes natural release.
• For a 2-lb chuck roast, start with 25 minutes high pressure plus 15 minutes natural release.

Did you make this instant pot pot roast recipe? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.

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Recipe