Instant Pot Pot Roast with Gravy

I wanted this Instant Pot pot roast to be easy enough to make on a weeknight, but special enough to make for company. (Those kinds of recipes are the best, amiright?) I also LOVE fresh rosemary and garlic — especially together. They make such a delicious pot roast and the gravy is just heaven.

If you own an Instant Pot, please tell me you’ve made an Instant Pot pot roast.

I’m assuming you have because part of the draw of an Instant Pot is to make things like this in just a couple of hours instead of waiting all day for your CrockPot finish. Both have their upsides, but that’s a discussion for another day.

Is this your first time cooking a pot roast in an Instant Pot? I’m glad you’re here! This is a deliciously easy, fool-proof recipe with minimal prep that will have a fall-apart beef roast ready in just a few hours.

I’ve created over 140 Instant Pot recipes for my cookbook and my website – and have made dozens of pot roasts in my Instant Pot. There are a couple of tricks to ensuring your pot roast doesn’t turn out dry and flavorless on the inside! I tried to make this recipe as easy and pain free as possible. You’ll be going back to this family-pleasing recipe over and over.

One of my favorite parts of this recipe is the rosemary gravy that you make from the roast drippings. It’s “dive in head first and swim around” kind of delicious and pairs beautifully with potatoes, noodles, or rice!

Instant Pot Roast Beef and Gravy Ingredients

• Beef roast
• Kosher salt
• Coarse black pepper
• Avocado or coconut oil
• Fresh rosemary
• Dried minced onion
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Garlic cloves
• Beef broth or water
• Coconut aminos (or 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce)
• Tapioca flour

How to make Pot Roast in an Instant Pot

1. Cut the roast into 3 pieces. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over all of the pieces.
2. Turn the Instant Pot to the sautee setting and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the cooker is preheated, sear each piece of roast on a couple of sides. Only sear one or two pieces at a time to get a proper sear. Add additional oil when needed.
3. Place all of the pieces back into the pot and push the Cancel button on the Instant Pot. Sprinkle on the rosemary, dried minced onion, pepper flakes, and garlic. Pour the broth and the coconut aminos down the side of the pot.
4. Seal the lnstant Pot and move the steam valve to the “Sealing” position. Cook the roast on high pressure for 75 minutes and let the cooker release steam naturally for 15 minute before releasing the rest of the steam manually.
5. Transfer the roast pieces to a large plate or platter and break the roast into large chunks.
6. Transfer a cup of the pot liquid to a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk in the tapioca starch until completely blended and then whisk it into the pot with the rest of the pot juices. Turn the cooker to the saute setting and simmer the pot juices for a minute or so until it thickens.
7. Pour some of the gravy over the pot roast and put the rest in a serving dish. Serve with mashed potatoes or your choice of side dish.

Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast Recipe Tips

Cut the roast into roughly 1-pound chunks.

This does a couple of things. First it will help your roast cook even more quickly and evenly. Second, more surface area of the roast will be covered in seasoned cooking liquid resulting in more flavorful meat. The gravy also helps in that department, I suppose.

Should I sear the meat before cooking a roast in the instant pot?

There’s a debate about this and while I’m #teamsear, I will say that searing isn’t always necessary. If you are cooking something in your Instant Pot that’s heavily seasoned like Instant Pot Chicken Curry, searing probably won’t make a noticeable difference.

If you’re making something that’s relying on the meat and juices to be the primary source of flavor (like a pot roast or Instant Pot Chicken Soup), searing will help make the juices/gravy more flavorful and create nice, seared edges on your meat. It’s so easy using the Saute setting on your Instant Pot, too.

Seasoning Pot Roast in an Instant Pot

Large roasts can handle a lot of seasoning. Penetrating 3-4 inches of meat takes quite a bit of salt and spices/herbs, so don’t be afraid to be heavy handed with them.

Let the Instant Pot release most of the steam naturally

When you hear that beep at the end of the pressurization cycle, it’s tempting to flip the steam release valve and get the roast out as soon as you can, but trust me — let it come down naturally. Or at least for 15-20 minutes.

That extra time gives the roast time to relax, redistribute the juices, and it’ll be more tender when you cut into it.

Always return the meat to the juices

When you pull a roast or another large cut of meat out of an Instant Pot, it may seem dry when you’re shredding it up. If the meat is especially lean (like grass-fed beef or chicken breasts), it’ll definitely be the case. 

When you pull apart the meat, ALWAYS return it to the juices or gravy in the pot and let it hang out there for a few minutes to reabsorb some of that flavorful liquid. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference it makes.

I hope that helps! This Instant Pot Pot Roast in particular was a fan favorite around here. Especially with some Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes. (A very good reason to have a second Instant Pot!)

What to Serve with Instant Pot Roast Beef and Gravy

Here are a few other sides that would go beautifully with this pot roast!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes would be a great choice if you have a second Instant Pot!

This Wild Rice Salad with Cucumber & Pesto would be a great make-ahead side dish! The pesto would pair really well with the roast and gravy.

If you’re traditional and love a green bean side, my Most Magical Sauteed Green Beans have such an amazing flavor and are finished in just minutes.

Easy Balsamic Roasted Vegetables go with nearly everything! You can prep and roast them while you’re waiting for the roast to finish.

Crispy Roasted Shredded Brussels or Dill Roasted Cabbage are a couple more of my favorite roasted veggie side dishes!

Pot Roast in an Instant Pot Recipe FAQs

Can I make this in a slow cooker instead?

Sure! I included slow cooker instructions in the recipe notes below.

Why is my Instant Pot roast so tough?

This could depend on your cut of meat as well as the cooking time. Try using fattier cuts like a chunk roast, beef shoulder, any round roast, or even beef cheeks. If you have a larger roast, the cooking time will need to be increased too.

Should Instant Pot roast be fat side up or down?

Continue to Content

Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast

Yield: Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

This pot roast may be simple in ingredients, but it packs a lot of flavor! It's quick to put together and great for both a weeknight dinner and entertaining.

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Ingredients

• 1 beef roast (2 1/2-3 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 2-4 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup beef broth or water
• 4 tablespoons coconut aminos (or 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce)
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour

Instructions

1. Cut the roast into 3 pieces. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over all of the pieces.
2. Turn the Instant Pot to the sautee setting and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the cooker is preheated, sear each piece of roast on a couple of sides. Only sear one or two pieces at a time to get a proper sear. Add additional oil when needed.
3. Place all of the pieces back into the pot and push the Cancel button on the Instant Pot. Sprinkle on the rosemary, dried minced onion, pepper flakes, and garlic. Pour the broth and the coconut aminos down the side of the pot.
4. Seal the lnstant Pot and move the steam valve to the "Sealing" position. Cook the roast on high pressure for 75 minutes and let the cooker release steam naturally for 15 minute before releasing the rest of the steam manually.
5. Transfer the roast pieces to a large plate or platter and break the roast into large chunks.
6. Transfer a cup of the pot liquid to a bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk in the tapioca starch until completely blended and then whisk it into the pot with the rest of the pot juices. Turn the cooker to the saute setting and simmer the pot juices for a minute or so until it thickens.
7. Pour some of the gravy over the pot roast and put the rest in a serving dish. Serve with mashed potatoes or your choice of side dish.

Notes

This would be an excellent reason to have a second Instant Pot! My Easy Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes go beautifully with this roast and they can cook at the same time!

No Instant Pot?

Slow Cooker Variation: No need to cut the roast into pieces. Follow the directions above for browning the roast in a pan on the stove. Or don't sear. It's up to you. Put it all in a slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours depending on the size of your roast. When it's finished, pull the roast out, transfer the juices to a saucepan on the stove. Add the tapioca starch mixture before the juices begin to simmer. Whisk a lot. When it's thickened, I like to pour it over the roast back in the slow cooker and pull apart the meat a bit.

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