Whole30 Pot Roast {Pressure Cooker Pot Roast}

Fall-apart tender, this Whole30 Pot Roast is the ultimate comfort food. You can get an “it cooked all day flavor” in a fraction of the time thanks to using an Instant Pot. But don’t worry, I have slow cooker and oven instructions for you too!

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Listen, people, this is about to be your family’s new favorite dinner. Just sit back and prepare for the accolades and appreciation to be heaped all over you.

This Instant Pot pot roast is filled with all the classic flavors of your mom’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.

Do You Have to Sear Pot Roast?

Nope! It does help lock in the juices for a deeper flavor, but it’s not necessary. In fact, I don’t include that step in this recipe because I feel that it intimidates people from making these kinds of meals. It’s those kinds of extra step that is a barrier for some home cooks. 

Just like this Instant Pot Beef Tips and Gravy recipes, we’re not searing and still getting great results! Instead, follow the instructions for the cooking and release times (Instant Pot) and your roast is going to be amazingly tender. Cross my heart.

Whole30 Pot Roast Ingredients

This recipe is rocking:

• Chuck roast (mine was about 3 lbs)
• Beef stock (related: where to buy bone broth)
• Veggies – carrots, potatoes, garlic, and onions
• Spices – kosher salt & pepper, smoked paprika, fresh rosemary, and dried thyme
• Secret ingredient – just a bit of marinara sauce (related: Sugar-Free Spaghetti Sauce)

When it comes to Whole30 pot roast, my focus is the veggies. I’m in it for the carrots and potatoes…everything else is an afterthought. If you’d like to use more or fewer veggies or add your own take on it, the overall cooking time remains the same.

Pro tip: set aside the carrots and make this Easy Carrot Mash for a fun new take on mashed potatoes.

What Type of Meat is Best For Pot Roast?

I used chuck from Butcher Box, 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 if you cook it the right way.

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.

How Long Do You Cook a Roast in a Pressure Cooker?

I have found the sweet spot is 21 minutes per pound of meat. This was a 3 lb cut, so I cooked it for a total of 63 minutes. That does not take into account the amount of time it took getting up to pressure or the natural release time after it was done cooking.

I used an 8 quart Instant Pot and it took 27 minutes for this to get up to pressure. This recipe calls for a 15-minute natural release and then a quick release. If you prefer a 100% natural release, my Instant Pot took 34 minutes to fully depressurize.

Here’s How to Make it:

*You’ll find a detailed and printable version of this recipe at the bottom of the post.

Start by cutting the meat into 4-6 pieces, somewhat uniform in size. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and the smoked paprika. Pro tip: if you really 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.

Add stock, onions, minced garlic, thyme, and marinara to the Instant Pot. Place the meat into the pot and then top with any veggies you want to cook along with the meat. Throw a few springs of rosemary on top.

Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>63 minutes. <—–If you have any questions about those terms, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.

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 and potatoes and set aside to rest in a baking dish. Shred the meat with two forks after it has rested for ~10 minutes. It’s going to be bonkers tender. GET EXCITED.

If you’d like to make gravy for your Whole30 pot roast, combine 3 tbsp of arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup of broth from the instant pot in a small bowl. Whisk really well.

Make sure you have removed the meat and vegetables and press “Saute”. Add the arrowroot 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 in with the gravy or serve it separately.

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. As it can take ~12 minutes to depressurize the pot manually, you’re essentially boiling the meat for that time. Boiling = tough meat.
• Cut vegetables into large pieces to avoid them becoming too mushy during the cooking process. I used baby potatoes and left them whole. We were able to easily cut them in half with just our forks when serving.
• If you’re not following a Whole30 or paleo way of eating, you can use cornstarch in place of the arrowroot. You may also want to replace 1/3 cup of the beef stock with red wine.
• Use whatever veggies you prefer (mushrooms, etc.) but anything that is small (ex: green beans) will probably get mushy if cooked with the meat for the full amount of time. 

What To Serve With Pot Roast

This meal calls for lots of additional veggies on the side! We love these dishes to go along with the main dish:

• Roasted Frozen Broccoli
• Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
• Spicy Green Beans
• Air Fryer Cauliflower
• Check out all these Whole30 + Paleo Side Dishes

More Delicious Easy Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Orange Chicken
• Pressure Cooker Chicken Tacos
• Whole30 Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
• Check out all my Paleo + Whole30 Instant Pot Recipes

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Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Whole30 Pot Roast {Pressure Cooker Pot Roast}

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr 3 mins

Pressurizing/depressurizing42 mins

Total Time1 hr 55 mins

Fall-apart tender, this Whole30 Pot Roast is the ultimate comfort food.

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Instant Pot Pot Roast, Paleo Pot Roast, Whole30 pot roast

Calories: 547kcal

Author: Sarah Cook - Sustainable Cooks

Ingredients

• 3 lb chuck roast {or: rump, round, brisket}3 lb chuck roast {or: rump, round, brisket}
• 3 cups beef stock3 cups beef stock
• 1 lb baby potatoes {whole}1 lb baby potatoes {whole}
• 4 cups carrots {peeled and cut into large pieces}4 cups carrots {peeled and cut into large pieces}
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup onion {chopped or sliced}1 cup onion {chopped or sliced}
• 4 cloves garlic {minced}4 cloves garlic {minced}
• 2 tbsp marinara sauce2 tbsp marinara sauce
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp thyme {dried}1 tsp thyme {dried}

Gravy {optional}

• 3 tbsp arrowroot powder3 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup broth {taken from the Instant Pot after the meat has cooked}1/4 cup broth {taken from the Instant Pot after the meat has cooked}

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Instructions

• Cut the meat into 4-6 pieces, somewhat uniform in size. Trim most of the fat (about 75%). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the smoked paprika.
• Add stock, onions, minced garlic, thyme, and marinara to the Instant Pot.
• Place the meat into the pot and then top with any veggies you want to cook along with the roast. Throw a few springs of rosemary on top.
• 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 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 arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup of broth from the instant pot in a small bowl. Whisk really well.
• Make sure you have removed the meat and vegetables and press "Saute".
• Add the arrowroot 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 really 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.

 

Do not skip the 15 natural release time. A quick release will result in tough meat.

 

Slow cooker instructions - cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the meat is fall apart tender.

 

Oven baking instructions - place in a dutch oven casserole dish and bake covered at 275 degrees F for 4-5 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Whole30 Pot Roast {Pressure Cooker Pot Roast}

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 547 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 156mg52%

Sodium 456mg20%

Potassium 1630mg47%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 7g8%

Protein 49g98%

Vitamin A 14364IU287%

Vitamin C 23mg28%

Calcium 95mg10%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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