Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast Dinner
This Easy Instant Pot pot roast makes your whole Sunday dinner into one pot: fall apart beef, potatoes, carrots and a rich gravy that cooks right along with them. Cutting the roast into pieces before it goes in is the trick, since more seared edges means more flavor and beef that pulls apart under a fork. Everything finishes together, so there is no side dish to plan and one pot to wash.
Refrigerator: Store the beef and vegetables together in an airtight container with some of the gravy for up to 4 days. Keeping them in the liquid is what stops the meat from drying out.
Freezer: Freeze the beef and gravy for up to 3 months. Freeze the potatoes separately or leave them out, since cooked potatoes get grainy after thawing. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Reheating: Warm gently in a covered skillet or saucepan over medium low heat with a splash of broth, about 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave works too, at 50 percent power so the beef does not toughen.
Meal prep: Portion the beef, potatoes and carrots into lunch containers with a spoonful of gravy over the top. It holds up all week and reheats in about 2 minutes.
A tough pot roast is almost always undercooked, not overcooked. Connective tissue needs time under pressure to break down, so if the beef is chewy, seal the lid and cook it another 10 to 15 minutes at high pressure. Quick releasing the pressure instead of letting it release naturally is the other common cause.
The burn message means food is stuck to the bottom of the pot. After searing, deglaze by pouring in a little beef broth and scraping the base clean with a wooden spoon before adding anything else. Layering big chunks of onion on the bottom, then the broth, then the meat on top also helps, and make sure your sealing ring is seated correctly so the pot can pressurize.
Boneless chuck roast is the best cut for pot roast. It has the marbling and collagen that melt down under pressure into tender, shreddable beef. Brisket and bottom round also work, but leaner cuts like sirloin tip will come out drier and firmer.
Yes. Use the same ingredients and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours until the beef shreds easily. I have a full crockpot version here: Easy Crockpot Pot Roast.
A 6 quart Instant Pot fits this recipe comfortably. In a 3 quart model, halve everything. In an 8 quart, the recipe works as written and you have room to add another pound of vegetables if you are feeding a crowd.
Ingredient Notes
- Beef roast. A boneless chuck roast is the best choice here. The marbling and connective tissue melt down under pressure into tender, juicy beef. Rump roast or bottom round also work, but they are leaner, so they will be a little firmer and slice better than they shred.
- Olive oil. For searing. Any high heat oil works, including avocado or vegetable oil.
- Beef broth. This is the liquid the pot needs to come to pressure and it becomes the gravy. Low sodium is a smart swap here since the soup and gravy packets are already salty.
- Brown gravy mix. Thickens and deepens the sauce. A packet of pot roast seasoning mix works too.
- Onion soup mix. This is the flavor shortcut that does the heavy lifting. If you would rather skip the packets, season with onion powder, garlic powder, dried minced onion and a splash of Worcestershire sauce instead.
- Potatoes. Yukon gold or red potatoes hold their shape best. Russets work but will be softer. Quarter them and leave the pieces big so they do not turn to mush.
- Yellow onion. Big chunks, not slices. They hold up through the whole cook and, laid on the bottom, they help keep the meat off the hot base of the pot.
- Carrots. Whole carrots cut into thick chunks beat baby carrots here. Baby carrots go soft fast under pressure.
- Fresh parsley. For garnish. It is optional, but that hit of green makes the platter look like a Sunday dinner.
How to Make Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast Dinner
- Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add olive oil to the pot and wait for it to heat up. Cut the roast into 3-4 smaller pieces and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place one piece of the roast in the pot at a time, searing on all sides. When all the meat has been seared, place all pieces in a single layer in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Whisk the brown gravy mix and onion soup mix packets in to the beef broth and pour mixture over the meat in the Instant Pot.
- Add the potatoes on top of the meat, followed by the carrots and then the onion to the Instant Pot. Close the lid, set the valve to seal and cook on manual for 35 minutes. When the time is up let the Instant Pot do a natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure.
- Spoon the onion, carrots, and potatoes on the a serving platter and top with the roast. Use remaining liquid in the Instant Pot to pour over the roast, if desired. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast Dinner
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb roast
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 envelope brown gravy mix
- 2 envelopes onion soup mix
- 6 potatoes quartered
- 1 large onion cut in to chunks
- 1 lb carrots peeled and cut in to chunks
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add olive oil to the pot and wait for it to heat up. Cut the roast into 3-4 smaller pieces and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place one piece of the roast in the pot at a time, searing on all sides. When all the meat has been seared, place all pieces in a single layer in the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- Whisk the brown gravy mix and onion soup mix packets in to the beef broth and pour mixture over the meat in the Instant Pot.
- Add the potatoes on top of the meat, followed by the carrots and then the onion to the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid, set the valve to seal and cook on manual for 35 minutes. When the time is up let the Instant Pot do a natural release for 10 minutes and then quick release the rest of the pressure.Spoon the onion, carrots, and potatoes on the a serving platter and top with the roast.
- Use remaining liquid in the Instant Pot to pour over the roast, if desired. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- Crusty bread or garlic bread. You will want something to mop up the gravy. My Three Cheese Garlic Bread is a favorite around here.
- Mashed potatoes. If you skip the potatoes in the pot, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are the natural partner for all that gravy.
- A simple green salad. Something crisp and lemony cuts through the richness of the beef.
- Steamed green beans or broccoli. An easy green vegetable rounds out the plate without adding another pot to wash.
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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Originally Posted: May 2019
Updated: August 2026
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My famiily loves this–so easy and a one pot meal
My family loves this recipe! Do you have any suggestions on how not to get the burnt message. I didn’t get it the first time but now I keep getting it. Not sure what I’m doing different.
I haven’t had that issue with this recipe Sherri, so I can’t say for sure.
Re: the burn message, I have found you have to put big chunks of onion in the bottom, then beef broth, then put the meat on top of that. (This is after you brown the meat). That seems to make a difference.