Got a situation that calls for comfort food—or a one-pot meal that’ll impress—fast? We humbly submit this delicious Instant Pot Pot Roast recipe for your consideration. While traditional pot roast might simmer for 3-4 hours in the oven, this Instant Pot version delivers all that fork-tender goodness in under 90 minutes.
In our version, red wine, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce work together to create a depth of flavor that goes beyond your average pot roast! Carrots, potatoes, onions, and leeks make it a complete meal.
The Key Ingredients
- Chuck roast: Look for a well-marbled piece. This is non-negotiable—other cuts won’t break down the same way.
- Leeks: This might seem unusual in pot roast, but I find that leeks add a subtle sweetness. If you can’t find leeks, you can substitute with an additional medium onion.
- Red wine: Allow the wine to reduce by half while you’re still on the sauté setting. This will allow some of the alcohol to cook off (it won’t evaporate properly once you close the Instant Pot). If you don’t consume alcohol, you can substitute beef stock.
- Tomato Paste: I always use a little tomato paste in beef braises of this type. Beef and Tomato are a great match. I think of them as umami multipliers for each other!
- Balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce: Just a touch of each adds brightness and depth, and helps tenderize the meat.
- Baby potatoes: They hold their shape better than larger potatoes cut into chunks.
The Technique
As you can tell by the section above, the key to this recipe is building layers of flavor. First, we sear the meat properly—don’t rush this step or move the meat while searing! Let it develop that beautiful brown crust undisturbed. Then we create a flavor base with our aromatics before adding the liquid ingredients.
The two-stage pressure cooking sets this recipe apart from some others. By adding the carrots and potatoes later, they maintain their texture instead of disintegrating into the sauce. It’s an extra step that’s absolutely worth it.
Use the natural release method as directed. Quick-releasing immediately can cause the meat to become tough.
After testing many versions (and subjecting my family to many pot roast dinners—quelle nightmare!), we’ve found that leftovers taste even better the next day, so don’t hesitate to make the full recipe even for a smaller household! You can also freeze leftovers!
A Note on Instant Pot SIze
We made this in an 8-qt instant pot. It would fit even more comfortably in a 10-qt instant pot. if using a 6-qt, scale down the recipe to a 3-pound roast. (Click on the number of servings in the recipe card, and use the slider to scale the recipe down accordingly.
Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe Instructions
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour on both sides of the roast, and shake off any excess.
Turn on your instant pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil. Place the roast in the pot (it’ll be a tight fit—you might need to cut your roast into pieces and do it in batches), and allow it to sear, undisturbed, for about 6 minutes, or until a nice brown crust has formed. Use a meat fork to flip the meat and do the same on the other side.
Remove the roast from the pot, and add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, onions, celery, leeks, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
Stir in the wine, and cook until it has reduced by half. Then add the beef stock, chicken base, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the beef back to the pot.
Seal the instant pot, and cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes, followed by natural release for 10 minutes (‘natural release’ simply means not touching the pot or steam release valve for 10 minutes after the 40-minute program ends).
After 10 minutes, quick-release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to the venting position. After the pressure indicator drops down and it’s safe to do so, open the instant pot, and stir in the carrots and potatoes.
Close the lid, and cook on manual high pressure for another 5 minutes. Then natural release for 10 minutes before turning the valve to the venting position again to release the remaining pressure.
Serve! We like to drizzle the sauce over some rice along with the pot roast (tell me you’re Chinese without telling me you’re Chinese).
That said, if you want your sauce to have a more gravy-like consistency, you can remove all the vegetables and meat from the pot, and then thicken the sauce with your pot on the sauté setting using cornstarch slurry (about 2 tablespoons cornstarch combined with 3 tablespoons water).
No Instant Pot?
You can also cook this recipe in a Dutch oven. Here’s how:
Complete all the “sauté setting” steps in your Dutch oven on the stove. Rather than 1/2 cup red wine and 1 cup stock, use 1 cup red wine and 2 cups stock. Also add 2 cups water.
Add the beef back to the pot, bring the mixture up to a boil, cover, and transfer to a 325°F/160°C oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, stir in the carrots and potatoes. Cover transfer back to the oven for 1 hour. Serve!
Instant Pot Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 medium onions (cut into 1-inch/2.5cm pieces)
- 3 stalks celery (finely diced)
- 3 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts—1 large leek)
- 8 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- ½ cup red wine (can also substitute beef stock)
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 teaspoon chicken base (or 1 bouillon cube)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 3 sprigs fresh)
- 4 medium carrots (cut into large chunks)
- 1 pound baby potatoes
Instructions
- Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour on both sides of the roast, and shake off any excess.
- Turn on your instant pot to the sauté setting. Add the olive oil. Place the roast in the pot (it’ll be a tight fit—you might need to cut your roast into pieces and do it in batches), and allow it to sear, undisturbed, for about 6 minutes, or until a nice brown crust has formed. Use a meat fork to flip the meat and do the same on the other side. (While the meat’s searing, prepare the vegetables.)
- Remove the roast from the pot, and add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, onions, celery, leeks, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until softened.
- Stir in the wine, and cook until it has reduced by half. Then add the beef stock, chicken base, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the beef back to the pot.
- Seal the instant pot, and cook on manual high pressure for 40 minutes, followed by natural release for 10 minutes (‘natural release’ simply means not touching the pot or steam release valve for 10 minutes after the 40-minute program ends).
- After 10 minutes, quick-release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to the venting position. After the pressure indicator drops down and it's safe to do so, open the instant pot, and stir in the carrots and potatoes. Close the lid, and cook on manual high pressure for another 5 minutes. Then natural release for 10 minutes before turning the valve to the venting position again. Serve!
Tips & Notes:
- Complete all the “sauté setting” steps in your Dutch oven on the stove. Rather than 1/2 cup red wine and 1 cup stock, use 1 cup red wine and 2 cups stock. Also add 2 cups water.
- Add the beef back to the pot, bring the mixture up to a boil, cover, and transfer to a 325°F/160°C oven for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, stir in the carrots and potatoes. Cover transfer back to the oven for 1 hour.
