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Fall-apart tender, this Instant Pot chuck roast with a from-scratch gravy is the ultimate comfort food. You can get an “it cooked all day flavor” in a fraction of the time, thanks to using a pressure cooker.
This Instant Pot chuck roast is filled with all the classic flavors of your Nana’s recipe, but it’s ready in a fraction of the time. If you could put a hug on a plate, it would be this dinner.
And because not everyone has a pressure cooker (yet!), I’ve also included slow cooking and oven-baking instructions.
Reader Review
“I’m used to waiting hours and hours for pot roast. I’m so happy I found this instant pot recipe. Fastest I’ve ever made it and was so tender and flavorful. Veggies and potatoes turned out perfectly, too! “
Shawna
I used a chuck roast, but you can also use brisket, rump, or round roast. Rump can be a tougher meat to cook compared with the others, but it will still be amazing.
Choose a cut that has decent fat marbling as it will add more flavor to the dish. You will be trimming some of the fat prior to cooking to keep the gravy/broth from being greasy.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you’re pressed for time and perform a “quick release”, the meat will likely become tough. The quick-release option increases the temperature inside the Instant Pot to above boiling. Boiling = tough meat.
- Cut vegetables into large pieces to avoid them becoming too mushy during the cooking process.
- If you prefer veggies al dente, cook the roast without the carrots and potatoes. Remove the meat when the Instant Pot has depressurized and set it aside to rest. Add veggies, lock the lid, press manual>high pressure>4 minutes, and then do a quick release after it has finished cooking.
Tender Instant Pot Chuck Roast With Carrots and Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb chuck roast {or: rump, round, brisket}
- 3 cups beef stock
- 1 lb baby potatoes {whole}
- 4 cups carrots {peeled and cut into very large pieces}
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup onion {chopped or sliced}
- 4 cloves garlic {minced}
- 2 tbsp marinara sauce
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme {dried}
Gravy {optional}
- 3 tbsp cornstarch {or arrowroot powder}
- 1/4 cup broth {taken from the Instant Pot after the meat has cooked}
Instructions
- Cut the meat into 4-6 pieces, somewhat uniform in size. Trim most of the fat (about 75%). Transfer meat to a medium-size mixing bowl and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.3 lb chuck roast, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Add stock, onions, minced garlic, thyme, and marinara to the Instant Pot.3 cups beef stock, 4 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp marinara sauce, 1 tsp thyme, 1 cup onion
- Place the meat into the pot and then top with any veggies you want to cook along with the roast. Add sprigs of rosemary on top.1 lb baby potatoes, 4 cups carrots, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>63 minutes.
- When it has finished cooking, allow the pressure cooker to sit for 15 minutes. Then, carefully flip the steam release handle to "venting" and allow any additional pressure to be released.
- Remove the lid. If you'd like to make the optional gravy for this recipe, carefully remove the meat, carrots, and potatoes and set aside to rest in a baking dish.
- Shred the meat with two forks after it has rested for ~10 minutes.
Optional Gravy
- Combine 3 tbsp of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of broth from the instant pot in a small bowl. Whisk really well.3 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup broth
- Make sure you have removed the meat and vegetables and press "Saute".
- Add the cornstarch slurry to the broth and gently whisk it in. Allow the mixture to cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- You can place the meat and veggies back into the pot or serve the gravy separately.
Notes
- If you want to sear the meat, use the Saute function on the Instant Pot. Add 2-3 tbsp of oil to the inner pot and add the seasoned meat. Allow it to sear for ~2 minutes before flipping the pieces.
- Cut vegetables into large pieces to avoid them becoming too mushy during the cooking process.
- If you prefer veggies al dente, cook the roast without the carrots and potatoes. Remove the meat when the Instant Pot has depressurized and set it aside to rest. Add veggies, lock the lid, press manual>high pressure>4 minutes, and then do a quick release after it has finished cooking.
- Do not skip the 15-minute natural release time. A quick release will result in tough meat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Super bummed, I was really excited for this recipe. I followed each instruction perfectly. I pressure cooked it on high for 21 minutes since it was a one pound chuck roast, like it said to do in the comments. I waited 15 minutes after it was done to release the vent and I waited 10 minuets for the meat to rest. Sadly it came out terrible. I’m just wondering what went wrong.
Hi Alea, without being in the kitchen with you, it is hard to say why this didn’t work for you. As you can see, this is a highly-rated recipe and others have not had the same experience. We make this monthly and it turns out perfectly every time.
When you say the meat didn’t turn out, I need more details to help you troubleshoot it. Was it dry? Not fully cooked? Was the flavor off? Did you cut the meat into pieces? Was it thawed or frozen?
This looks so good!! My roast was frozen and only partially thawed. How would I adjust my cooking time! Thanks!!
I would only add a minute or two to the cooking time. With it being frozen, it will take longer to come to pressure. Which means it is getting some cooking time in.
The hubby and kiddo made this! Well, a version of this (no rosemary or carrots) and it was amazing!
This may have been the first thing the hubby has made in the IP. Thanks for keeping it simple! And delicious!
Hi. There. Curious if the veggies are like mushrooms after cooking for an hour?
Hi Shiela, I’m not 100% sure what you’re asking here. Do you mean do they have the texture of mushrooms? Or are you asking if you’d be able to add mushrooms and cook them for an hour?
I’m going to copy and paste a note from the “pro tips/recipe notes” section of the post in the hopes that it answers your question. Please let me know if it doesn’t!
“If you prefer veggies al dente, cook the roast without the carrots and potatoes. Remove the meat when the Instant Pot has depressurized and set it aside to rest. Add veggies, lock the lid, press manual>high pressure>4 minutes, and then do a quick release after it has finished cooking.”
I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious!!! Could you please tell me how long I would cook it in the instant pot for a 4 lb roast?
Hi Melissa, I recommend 21 minutes per pound, so that would be 84 minutes for a 4 lb roast.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you so much!!
My pleasure! Happy cooking.
One of my favorite things about your recipes is that you reference each ingredient in the directions! I don’t know any other site that does that, including the New York Times Food Section!!! I am sure it takes you a lot of extra time to do it, and I want you to know how much easier it is to follow your recipes than ANYONE else’s and that I really appreciate it. Thank you so much.
I love that aspect too! Makes cooking from the web so much easier.
I wish I could take complete credit for it, but it’s only partially my doing. The software that I use has an option for adding the ingredients in the instructions. A lot of bloggers who use this software don’t know about it. It also requires that we enable and insert those fields. But I love it so much that I pretty much have updated most of my old recipes.
It was like a fall party in my mouth! Most moist meat I’ve ever had. Five stars!
Ha, so glad you enjoyed it!
The first time I used this method, I will admit I was skeptical. Now, it is the only way I prepare it in the fraction of the time.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kevin! I truly love turning a kitchen skeptic into a believer. 🙂
This was delicious! Followed recipe except subbed tomato paste with a pinch dried basil for marinara, and did not put any veg except onion in the instant pot. I’ve never been a fan of carrots and potatoes cooked with roast. Made mashed potatoes and green beans as sides. Thanks for sharing a great and easy recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
And the no veggies makes me laugh because I could take or leave the meat and I only want the veggies. We’d make a good dining partner pair! 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Does it reheat well?
Yes, especially if you reserve some of the sauce/gravy to reheat with it.
This looks so good! What a great way to enjoy the same meal in a shorter amount of time!
Yes! The flavors can’t be beat.
Can i use a tender roast?
Take my advice with a grain of salt because I had to google what a tender roast is. 🙂
It looks like it is a cut that is great for grilling which would make it a “short cooking” cut of meat. Pot roast tends to use chuck or rump roasts which are tougher cuts that need to be cooked slowly to make them tender.
So, hypothetically, yes you could use a tender roast. But it may be a more expensive cut than you want to use for a pot roast. Clear as mud?
Well i got it already. Its a lil over 3lbs.. so do you have any advice? Lol
I would cook it just like the instructions in the post. At 3 lbs x 21 min per roast, it would be 63 minutes. After cooking, wait at least 15 minutes for a natural release before doing a quick release.
Hi.
Do the vegetables get mushy?
To me they are the same texture as if you cooked them in a slow cooker all day.
I have seen some people add them at the end and pressure cook them for 2 minutes after removing the roast. It’s all preference at that point. 🙂
Delicious, simple, and so easy to customize! We loved this Pot Roast in the Instant Pot. I ladled out some of the liquid to steam veggies as an additional side item. Oh. My. Word. My husband now wants all broccoli cooked in with pot roast juices. I move that we now call broth by “juice”. All in favor?
Ohhhh, I have never thought about using the liquid to steam veggies. Brilliant! And I’m 100% in on the new name.
Despite being a long time reader, this was my first time making this pot roast. Ohemgeeeeee this was beyond perfect. I had a 2.5 pound roast so I cooked it for 51 mins (my not so scientific time adjustment). The meat was tender and juicy. I took one of the chunks and shredded it for two people. I fried the veggies in an actual ton of butter after they cooked to make them super crispy. I’m off to my food coma, after I bookmark this recipe.
I think you get to claim “OG reader” status. 🙂
So glad you and the family liked it! The veggie part sounds fantastic and something I need to try.
I am so excited to make this! My chuck roast is about half the weight of what the recipe calls for (1.65lbs). Any idea if I should decrease the cooking time in the instant pot?
I recommend 21 minutes per lb of meat. So that would be about 34 minutes for your 1.65 pounds.
Can I make this with a pork roast?
Yep! I actually did last night. 🙂
But we make it to shred for tacos.
What’s the white stuff in the small bowl in your picture?
Delicious delicious horseradish!
I have cooked pot roast in the instant pot for less time than recommend it in this recipe and the veggies were all mushy and coming apart. I now use a YouTube recipe that explain how to do a pot roast in the IP.
My veggies never got mushy because I used the tips in this post – put them on top of the meat and not in the broth. They’re perfectly cooked every time.
I’m used to waiting hours and hours for pot roast. I’m so happy I found this instant pot recipe. Fastest I’ve ever made it and was so tender and flavorful. Veggies and potatoes turned out perfectly, too!
So glad you liked it, Shawna! I agree, not having to wait all day is such a treat. 🙂
This is the tastiest, fastest Pot Roast recipe ever and making it in the Instant Pot was toooo easy!
The meat was tasty and tender and the veggies were perfect!
So glad you liked it Alison!!