This Easy Instant Pot – Pot Roast recipe is a classic dish that is made in a modern appliance. A tender pot roast that can be made in as little as 2 hours if pressure cooked or slow cooked for 6 to 8 hours.
One of my ideas for this blog was to be able to pass down recipes (and my mothers, grandmothers and …) to my daughters. I would like to dedicate this recipe to my oldest daughter, Lexie and to Cody.
Lexie came to me with struggles on getting a fall apart pot roast. In mine mind, this is such a basic recipe because I have been making it for over 25 years. And Lexie reminded me that pot roast is not just a basic recipe.
If done right, it’s an awesome recipe!! If done wrong, you probably will not want to make pot roast ever again!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY USED. Thank you for your support!
How to Cook A Pot Roast in the Instant Pot
If you are like me, I have discovered the art of combination cooking in the Instant Pot. You ask, what is combination cooking? It’s where you start out slow cooking your potroast for several hours and then pressure cook until the roast is tender.
Depending on how much time I have to cook, I’ll start slow cooking the meat. After a couple of hours cooking and knowing the meat is not tender enough, I will switch over to the pressure cooker mode to finish the rest of the cooking because dinner needs to be on the table in 2 hours. This is combination cooking which is using two or more cooking methods to complete a meal.
How to Cook a Pot Roast
Gather all your ingredients.
Peel the onions, carrots and potatoes. Set the Instant Pot on sauté and normal mode.
Add the butter to the pan and melt. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Place the chuck roast in the Instant Pot and brown both sides.
Hit the cancel button and then the slow cook or pressure cook button. Set the desired time.
Instant Pot Tip: If you get the FOOD BURN message, don’t worry!! Just hit the cancel button and this will stop the heat on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot – Food message Instant Pot – Burn message
You will want to add about half of the beef stock and make sure to lift up the roast to allow the liquid to go under the meat. Top your browned roast with the onion soup mix and sliced onions.
This Instant Pot pot roast onion soup mix recipe is how I have made my roasts for over 25 years. Don’t forget to add the rest of the beef stock.
Do You Put Vegetables on Top or Bottom of Pot Roast?
For the love of god, do not put your vegetables on the bottom of the pot roast!!
I like to add potatoes and carrots to my roast which makes a complete meal. After I browned the roast, topped with the onion soup mix and sliced onions it’s time to add the potato and carrots.
Put the vegetables on top of the roast. If you put the vegetables on the bottom, the roast will crush the potatoes and carrots as they cook and become like mush.
That’s one thing I do not want is crushed vegetables!! Make sure to add any vegetables to the top of the roast.
How Long to Cook a Roast in Instant Pot
Your choices for cooking in the Instant Pot are slow cooking for 8 to 12 hours, pressure cook in under 2 hours or my favorite which is combination cooking between 4 and 8 hours.
With combination cooking, I slow cook for a few hours and then pressure cook the roast until it is falling apart tender. Combination cooking is a little bit of trial and error because there is a lot of variables.
I have slow cooked, pressure cooked and now I can say that I like the combination cooking method the best. You should give it a try and see how you like it!!
How Long Should I Pressure Cook Beef?
Pressure cook the chuck roast 20 minutes per pound. So, if you have a 3-pound piece of meat then you should set the pressure cooker time to 60 minutes.
I like to use a chuck roast when making my pot roast. Chuck roast have a lot of fat marbled throughout the tough meat. Beef stew is 20 minutes per pound and beef ribs are 20 to 25 minutes per pound.
Does Pot Roast Get More Tender the Longer You Cook It?
For the most part, this answer is yes. With the slow cooking method, you want to cook it for a long period of time. 8 to 12 hours is the best time frame.
With the pressure-cooking method just follow the rule of 20 minutes per pound because once the roast if overcooked, there is no way of fixing it.
Why is the Pot Roast Tough?
If your pot roast is tough, then it is probably undercooked. Make sure you have enough liquid. The beef stock helps in the cooking of the roast and also to help prevent burning.
Place the lid back on the Instant Pot and set the timer for 30 to 45 minutes more. Just make sure you are not drastically overcooking the roast which can lead to dry meat.
Easy Instant Pot - Pot Roast
This Easy Instant Pot - Pot Roast recipe is a classic dish that is made in a modern appliance. A tender pot roast that can be made in as little as 2 ½ hours if pressure cooked or slow cooked for 6 to 8 hours.
Ingredients
- Roast, Chuck Eye 3 1/2 lbs (1577g)
- Butter 2 Tablespoons (1 oz) (28 g)
- Salt 1 teaspoon (0,2 oz) (6 g)
- Pepper 1 teaspoon (0.1 oz) (2 g)
- Carrots, 6 medium 12.6 oz (357 g)
- Onion, 1 medium 3.4 oz (96 g)
- Potatoes, 8 medium 2 1/2 lbs (1146 g)
- Onion Soup Mix, 1 packet 1 oz (30 g)
- Beef Stock 32 oz (955 g)
Instructions
- How to Cook a Pot Roast
Gather all your ingredients. - Peel the onions, carrots and potatoes.
- Set the Instant Pot on sauté and normal mode.
- Add the butter to the pan and melt.
- Season the roast with salt and pepper.
- Place the chuck roast in the Instant Pot and brown both sides.
- Hit the cancel button and then the slow cook button.
- Instant Pot Tip: If you get the FOOD BURN message, don’t worry!! Just hit the cancel button and this will stop the heat on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- You will want to add about half of the beef stock and make sure to lift up the roast to allow the liquid to go under the meat.
- Top your browned roast with the onion soup mix and sliced onions.
- Don’t forget to add the rest of the beef stock.
- Make sure to add any vegetables to the top of the roast.
- How Long to Cook a Roast in Instant Pot
Your choices for cooking in the Instant Pot are slow cooking for 8 to 12 hours, pressure cook in under 2 hours or my favorite which is combination cooking between 4 and 8 hours. With combination cooking, I slow cook of a few hours and then pressure cook the roast until it is falling apart tender. Combination cooking is a little bit of trial and error because there is a lot of variables. I have slow cooked, pressure cooked and now I can say that I like the combination cooking method the best. You should give it a try and see how you like it!! - How Long Should I Pressure Cook Beef?
Pressure cook the chuck roast 20 minutes per pound. So, if you have a 3-pound piece of meat then you should set the pressure cooker time to 60 minutes. I like to use a chuck roast when making my pot roast. Chuck roast have a lot of fat marbled throughout the tough meat. Beef stew is 20 minutes per pound and beef ribs are 20 to 25 minutes per pound.
Notes
How to Cook A Pot Roast in the Instant Pot
If you are like me, I have discovered the art of combination cooking in the Instant Pot. You ask, what is combination cooking? It’s where you start out slow cooking your potroast for several hours and then pressure cook until the roast is tender. Depending on how much time I have to cook, I’ll start slow cooking the meat. After a couple of hours cooking and knowing the meat is not tender enough, I will switch over to the pressure cooker mode to finish the rest of the cooking because dinner needs to be on the table in 2 hours. This is combination cooking which is using two or more cooking methods to complete a meal.
Do You Put Vegetables on Top or Bottom of Pot Roast?
For the love of god, do not put your vegetables on the bottom of the pot roast!! I like to add potatoes and carrots to my roast which makes a complete meal. After I browned the roast, topped with the onion soup mix and sliced onions it’s time to add the potato and carrots. Put the vegetables on top of the roast. If you put the vegetables on the bottom, the roast will crush the potatoes and carrots as they cook and become like mush. That’s one thing I do not want is crushed vegetables!! Make sure to add any vegetables to the top of the roast.
Does Pot Roast Get More Tender the Longer You Cook It?
For the most part, this answer is yes. With the slow cooking method, you want to cook it for a long period of time. With the pressure-cooking method just follow the rule of 20 minutes per pound because once the roast if overcooked, there is no way of fixing it.
Why is the Pot Roast Tough?
If your pot roast is tough, then it is probably undercooked. Make sure you have enough liquid. The beef stock helps in the cooking of the roast and also to help prevent burning. Place the lid back on the Instant Pot and set the timer for 30 to 45 minutes more. Just make sure you are not drastically overcooking the roast which can lead to dry meat.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY USED. Thank you for your support!
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 1168Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 132mgSodium 805mgCarbohydrates 178gFiber 22gSugar 16gProtein 60g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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If you enjoy this recipe, you may enjoy the following: Venison Tips and Noodles and Instant Pot Beef Tips and Noodles
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When you say pressure cook for 20 minutes per pound, is that. AFTER the slow cook time?
Is there a combination cooking formula, i.e. x minutes per pound slow cooking and then x minutes per pound pressure cooking?
I really appreciate hearing about combination cooking. I’m anxious to try it in my own Instsnt Pot!
I do not have a formula for my Instant Pot combination cooking because it is something new that I have been experimenting with. I just start slow cooking and then about an hour before I plan on serving my meal, I switch to the pressure cooker. I test the meat in the recipe to see how tender it is and then just figure out how long to pressure cook. Sorry I couldn’t help you any more than that.