Name: Instant Pot Roast Recipe with Potatoes and Carrots
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 13 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 5 lb chuck roast; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoon vegetable oil; 4 cups beef broth; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 1/4 cup horseradish; 2 lbs russet potatoes, quartered; 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

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One of the best and first recipes I ever tried in my electric pressure cooker was this Instant Pot roast recipe. Loaded with flavor, faster than any method I had ever used before, and of course, including the classic carrots and potatoes, it became a fast favorite. This recipe cuts back on time usually needed to tenderize an otherwise tough cut of meat. You'll love how easy it is to prepare and how delicious the results are when on your dinner table!

Instant Pot Roast

Nothing in the world, to me, is better than a plate of pot roast with vegetables. It's a comfort food I grew up eating and this recipe brings that delicious flavor while being deceivingly simple to create. The tender beef is perfect as is but also ideal for use as a base for many other dishes in your menu. That makes this a wonderful dish to meal prep early in the week and eat over a few days.

If you want a little bit different flavor with your roast beef, check out the always popular Mississippi pot roast recipe. This one is made in the slow cooker and is a unique blend of flavors that is popular with many.

What Size Instant Pot is This Recipe For?

This recipe is best made, as is, in the 6-quart or larger Instant Pot. Of course, you can use any brand of electric pressure cooker. If you want to make this recipe in the smaller, 3-quart, pressure cooker, you will need to make adjustments.

To cut this recipe to fit in the 3-quart pot, you will choose a smaller cut of beef, and reduce the beef broth by 1 ½-2 cups. The salt, pepper, onion, and garlic should remain the same but the horseradish sauce would need to be reduced by half. Additionally, you won't want to reduce the number of potatoes and carrots to fit in the pot without going above the fill line.

What is the Best Cut of Beef for a Roast?

While I have used all manner of beef for roasts, I always go back to a classic chuck roast. They are affordable, have tons of good marbling, but not overly fatty, and will always result in tender beef once done cooking.

You can also use the eye of round, top roast, rump roast, or sirloin tip roast for this recipe with good results. Choose what is available and make sure you allow the steam to naturally release when done cooking for the most tender meat.

What Other Vegetables Can I Cook with Pot Roast?

Classic pot roasts are served with potatoes and carrots, but you can add whatever you prefer into the Instant Pot to go alongside yours. While my mom always added onions, potatoes, and carrots, I have seen other options that sounded delightful. Below are a few options that are popular to include with roasts.

Yellow or white onions
Whole mushrooms
Turnips
Rutabagas
Radishes
Celery

Do I Have to Brown the Meat Before Cooking a Roast?

While it is not mandatory, the reason behind doing so is to seal in the juices and add more flavor on the outside of the meat. With the saute feature of the Instant Pot, it's easier than ever to make this an all-in-one recipe.

Note: When you brown meat in the Instant Pot, always make sure you properly deglaze the pot before setting it to cook. Stuck on food on the bottom can result in the burn notice and stop your cooking process.

Do I Have to Add Horseradish to My Pot Roast?

No. This adds a kick of flavor that after cooking down is not overly strong in the roast, but if you prefer not to add or don't have any on hand, that is okay. Simply skip this step.

Can I Add Other Herbs or Seasonings to My Roast?

If fresh herbs are available, I love adding in a sprig of thyme, rosemary, or tarragon. Additionally, 2-3 bay leaves thrown in while cooking can add a nice flavor, especially to the broth that could then become gravy. While none of these are necessary, they can add additional flavor that is pleasant with the resulting beef roast.

Why is My Instant Pot Roast Tough?

While I have never had this issue, some have asked why their roast turned out tough in the Instant Pot. Two factors are at play when a roast is tough. The first is that it wasn't cooked long enough and the second is that the pressure was quickly released once the cooking process ended.

For a 4-5 pound chuck roast, I always recommend the total cook time be at least 1 hour. Cooking longer definitely won't hurt, but cooking less may give you cooked meat but still tough. The pressure in the pot helps to tenderize, but with a larger cut of meat, it needs those few extra minutes to make that happen.

When the cooking process ends, you have a choice of immediately moving the pin/sealing button over to release the steam right then, or you can wait for it to naturally and slowly release before opening your pot. There are two things at play with this. One is that the food continues to cook in the heat of the pot while pressure is releasing, and the other is that it can create a huge mess. Letting the pressure release slowly finishes the cooking and also lets the liquids inside stop foaming and/or settle so they don't spray out the top and create a mess.

Ingredients

Chuck roast
Salt
Black pepper
Vegetable oil
Beef broth
Onion powder
Horseradish
Potatoes
Carrots

Handy Kitchen Tools

Instant Pot DUO 6-quart electric pressure cooker
Tongs
Instant Pot trivet (can be used to place the roast into the pot so it doesn't sit on the bottom of the pan)
Spatula

How to Make an Instant Pot Roast

Season the roast on all sides with salt and black pepper.

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and use the adjust key to turn it to "more" which is medium heat (more info on how to do this on InstantPot).

Add the vegetable oil to the pot and place the roast into the pot.

Sear both sides for 3-4 minutes until a nice brown crust develops the remove it from the pot and set it aside.

Into the Instant Pot pour the beef broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze and remove any bits of stuck-on food.

Once the food has been scraped up, add the roast back into the pot into the liquid.

Sprinkle the top of the roast with onion powder, and fresh garlic then spread the horseradish over the top.

Place the lid and secure then set to seal and turn the heat on to manual high pressure and set the timer for 40 minutes.

Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes once the cooking cycle has completed then remove the lid and place the potatoes and carrots into the pot on top of the roast.

Place the lid back into place and secure then set to seal and turn the heat back onto manual high pressure and set the timer for an additional 20 minutes.

Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Remove any remaining pressure manually, then remove the lid.

If gravy is desired, you may remove the meat and vegetables, then turn the pot back to saute and add a cornstarch slurry of 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 4 tablespoons of the remaining broth and let it simmer for 5 minutes to thicken before serving.

Shred the meat with forks and serve alongside the potatoes and carrots.

More Instant Pot Recipes

If you are just starting out with your Instant Pot and want some more great recipes to add to your menu, I recommend starting with this huge list of Instant Pot comfort food meal recipes. We also have a delicious Instant Pot pork tenderloin and Instant Pot pulled pork recipe that is sure to please everyone at your dinner table.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 8

Instant Pot Roast Recipe with Potatoes and Carrots

Let your pressure cooker do all of the hard work in this delicious Instant Pot roast recipe with hearty potatoes and carrots! A perfect meal that tenderizes beef in just one hour!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Additional Time 3 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 13 minutes

Ingredients

5 lb chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup horseradish
2 lbs russet potatoes, quartered
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

Instructions

Season the roast on all sides with salt and black pepper.
Turn the Instant Pot to saute and use the adjust key to turn it to "more" which is medium heat (more info on how to do this on InstantPot).
Add the vegetable oil to the pot and place the roast into the pot.
Sear both sides for 3-4 minutes until a nice brown crust develops the remove it from the pot and set it aside.
Into the Instant Pot pour the beef broth, and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze and remove any bits of stuck-on food.
Once the food has been scraped up, add the roast back into the pot into the liquid.
Sprinkle the top of the roast with onion powder, and fresh garlic, then spread the horseradish over the top.
Place the lid and secure then set to seal and turn the heat on to manual high pressure and set the timer for 40 minutes.
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes once the cooking cycle has completed then remove the lid and place the potatoes and carrots into the pot on top of the roast.
Place the lid back into place and secure then set to seal and turn the heat back onto manual high pressure and set the timer for an additional 20 minutes.
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Remove any remaining pressure manually, then remove the lid.
If gravy is desired, you may remove the meat and vegetables, then turn the pot back to saute and add a cornstarch slurry of 2 tablespoons cornstarch to 4 tablespoons of the remaining broth and let it simmer for 5 minutes to thicken before serving.
Shred the meat with forks and serve alongside the potatoes and carrots.

Notes

Add 20 minutes of cook time in the Instant Pot for every 1 pound of beef roast.

Instant Pot Roast Recipe with Potatoes and Carrots

Instant Pot Roast

What Size Instant Pot is This Recipe For?

What is the Best Cut of Beef for a Roast?

What Other Vegetables Can I Cook with Pot Roast?

Do I Have to Brown the Meat Before Cooking a Roast?

Do I Have to Add Horseradish to My Pot Roast?

Can I Add Other Herbs or Seasonings to My Roast?

Why is My Instant Pot Roast Tough?

Ingredients

Handy Kitchen Tools

How to Make an Instant Pot Roast

More Instant Pot Recipes

📖 Recipe