This Instant Pot chuck roast is an easy way to whip up a hearty dinner for your family in just 1 hour. The Instant Pot cooks the roast to perfection, resulting in juicy, melt-in-your-mouth meat that's infused with rich flavors. This easy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or when I want a comforting, home-cooked dinner. The combination of savory seasonings and the tender chuck roast makes every bite delicious.
Serve with mashed potatoes smothered in pot roast gravy. Throw in an easy vegetable side dish to balance things out and you have one delicious family dinner. Enjoy!
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Busy weeknights just got easier with this simple Instant pot roast beef recipe. If you've been utilizing your Instant Pot for a while now, then you know just how ingenious and time-saving they are.
This recipe is one of my go-to's when we are craving some good old-fashioned home cooking but I don't have the time for an hours-long roasting session. The meat turns out ultra-flavorful and tender every time.
🥘 Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to pull off the perfect roast. I used a 2-pound roast, but you could go up to 4 as long as it fits in your pressure cooker.
- Tallow - 1 tablespoon of tallow, extra virgin olive oil, or bacon drippings for searing the roast.
- Beef Chuck Roast - A 2-pound beef chuck roast (between 2-4 lbs beef roast that fits into your Instant Pot)
- Kosher Salt - 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt or 1 ½ teaspoon of regular salt.
- Pepper - ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Onion - 1 cup of diced yellow or white onion.
- Garlic - 4 cloves of garlic crushed.
- Beef Broth - 1 cup of beef broth.
- Worcestershire Sauce - 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Your pressure cooker does all the heavy lifting, so this recipe is pretty darn simple. You'll need an Instant Pot (or any brand of pressure cooker), measuring utensils, silicone tongs, and a sharp knife, as well as some foil.
A 2-pound roast will serve about 6 people, but you can get as big as what will fit in your Instant Pot.
- Melt the tallow. Set your Instant Pot to saute and melt 1 tablespoon of beef tallow (or bacon grease, or EVOO).
- Season. While your Instant Pot is heating, pat a 2-4 pound chuck roast dry using paper towels then season with 2 teaspoons of Kosher salt and ½ a teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Sear. Once your Instant Pot is fully heated, place the chuck roast in and allow it to sear. Use kitchen tongs to make sure each side is seared (about 2-3 minutes per side), then remove the chuck roast and set aside. *Make sure to quickly sear the sides too!
- Add remaining ingredients. Add 1 cup of sliced yellow onions and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add in 4 crushed garlic cloves and saute for an additional 30 seconds. Pour in 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup of beef broth then stir with a wooden spoon to break up any browned bits on the bottom. Place the trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot and return the seared chuck roast.
- Cook. Seal and cook on the manual high setting for 20 minutes, it will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure, then NPR (natural pressure release) for 20 minutes for a medium-rare roast. Finish venting the knob and remove the chuck roast to a cutting board or platter.
- Rest. Cover loosely with a square of aluminum foil and allow your chuck roast to rest for 5 minutes. After resting slice against the grain and serve.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- If time allows, set your meat out to come to room temperature (about 1 hour will usually suffice). This will help it to cook evenly and in a timely fashion.
- This roast would also be delicious with my pot roast seasoning blend. If you already have some prepared, you could use it instead!
- A medium-rare roast should be about 130°F (54°C) internally. To cook your roast more, you can use the 'keep warm' mode. This will raise the internal temperature by about 5-7°F every 5 minutes. Aim for the following temperatures to achieve your desired level of doneness:
- 135-145°F/57-63°C for Medium
- 145-155°F/63-68°C for Medium-Well
- 155-165°F/68-74°C for Well-Done
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🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To freeze it, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and place it in the fridge freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Thaw any frozen leftover roast in the fridge overnight before reheating. Place the meat in an oven-safe pot with a splash of broth and reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 8-10 minutes.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Technically, you can. It will add 20-30 minutes to the overall cooking time.
For the best and most reliable results, however, I recommend using thawed beef.
20 minutes per pound of beef is a good rule of thumb when using a pressure cooker. This also depends on your desired level of doneness (rare meat will take less time than well done, of course). If the meat is cold or frozen, it may take longer.
A pot roast is more the cooking method than it is a cut of beef. Chuck brisket, and round, are all common choices. Normally, these cuts cook low and slow until tender. The pressure cooker speeds this time up considerably!
😋 More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese - A super creamy, super cheesy, macaroni you can make in just 10 minutes from start to finish.
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken - This easy shredded chicken is perfect for sandwiches, soups, tacos, and more!
- Instant Pot Jambalaya - A zesty Cajun-style jambalaya loaded with chicken, andouille sausage, and shrimp!
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs - Your Instant Pot or pressure cooker can quickly make perfectly coked hard-boiled eggs that are easy to peel!
- Instant Pot Collard Greens - It's never been easier to make this classic Southern side dish than it is now!
- Instant Pot Braised Red Cabbage - This classic German side dish is slightly sweet, slightly tangy, with lots of warm spices!
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📖 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tallow (or extra virgin olive oil, or bacon drippings)
- 2 lbs beef chuck roast (between 2-4 lbs beef roast that fits into your Instant Pot)
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup yellow onion (diced, or white onion)
- 4 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Set your Instant Pot to saute and melt the beef tallow (or bacon grease, or EVOO).
- While your Instant Pot is heating, pat your chuck roast dry using paper towels then season with salt and pepper.
- Once your Instant Pot is fully heated, place the chuck roast in and allow it to sear. Use kitchen tongs to make sure each side is seared (about 2-3 minutes per side), then remove the chuck roast and set aside. *Make sure to quickly sear the sides too!
- Add the sliced onions and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add in the garlic cloves and saute for an additional 30 seconds. Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth then stir with a wooden spoon to break up any browned bits on the bottom. Place the trivet in the bottom of your Instant Pot and return the seared chuck roast.
- Seal and cook on manual high setting for 20 minutes, it will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure, then NPR (natural pressure release) for 20 minutes for a medium rare roast. Finish venting the knob and remove the chuck roast to a cutting board or platter.
- Cover loosely with a square of aluminum foil and allow your chuck roast to rest for 5 minutes. After resting slice against the grain and serve.
Notes
- If time allows, set your meat out to come to room temperature (about 1 hour will usually suffice). This will help it to cook evenly and in a timely fashion.
- This roast would also be delicious with my pot roast seasoning blend. If you already have some prepared, you could use it instead!
- A medium-rare roast should be about 130°F (54°C) internally. To cook your roast more, you can use the 'keep warm' mode. This will raise the internal temperature by about 5-7°F every 5 minutes. Aim for the following temperatures to achieve your desired level of doneness:
- 135-145°F/57-63°C for Medium
- 145-155°F/63-68°C for Medium-Well
- 155-165°F/68-74°C for Well-Done
- Cook at high pressure for 30-40 minutes for chuck roast that can be pulled or shredded.
- Store any leftover Instant Pot chuck roast in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To freeze it, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and place it in the fridge freezer for up to 3 months.
- Thaw any frozen chuck roast in the fridge overnight before reheating. Place the meat in an oven-safe pot with a splash of broth and reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 8-10 minutes.
Mary says
Thank you for the specifics in the recipe; they make the work so much easier. Roast came out perfect!
Cyndi says
This was the best chuck roast I've had - mine was just over 2 pounds. I salted it with Lawry's on both sides, I seared it for 3 minutes on each side and I used EVOO. I pressure cooked it in my Ninja Foodi for 40 minutes and did a natural release for about 10 minutes and then made gravy. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Stephen Pickering says
I made this recipe for Sunday dinner yesterday. I had a 2 lb roast, and I followed the steps for preparation, and the times given for medium rare roast. Yet it was well done. Based on the flavor profile, I would give it 5 stars. But I really wanted medium rare.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Everyone complained when I had the instructions for the med-rare roast. They asked for pull apart tenderness, so I edited (but missed noting the difference in timing). I'll be adding dual instructions back in, but I only cooked the med rare in the photos for 4 minutes then NPR for 20 (no change there). I hope you give it another go for the medium-rare chuck roast!
Anonymous says
Looks just like a prime rib, all about the spices right here
Amber L. says
I loved the simplicity of the recipe. The flavors were what I was hoping for too. The only sub I made was half red wine and half beef stock instead of all beef stock. We had this 2 nights in a row. The first night, I made the recipe medium rare. The meat tasted good, but it had some bite to it. The second night, my Mom cooked the meat in the instant pot for 30 minutes and then it stayed on warm for 50 minutes until I got home from work. I shredded the meat and added it to your pot roast gravy I made the first night. It was a hit! I served it with some instant, buttery flavored mashed potatoes. My picky 10 year old son gave me a hug for making such a good dinner and my mom enjoyed 2 plates herself. Thanks for the recipe!