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I bet that many of you have an new Instant Pot and want to learn how to cook a roast in your Instant Pot! My favourite thing to cook in my Instant Pot is an excellent roast so read on to learn how and see some recipes!
This is the BEST Way to Cook a Roast in your Instant Pot!
Raise your hand if a good blade or chuck roast is your favourite roast beef to make.
Me, me and me again.
There is nothing like a long, slow cooked chuck roast where the fat melts away and leaves you with tender, juicy bits of delicious beef. It also is fantastic that you can cook it for a good 9-10 hours in a crockpot.
Who bought themselves an Instant Pot this past year?
While they have been around for a while, I think that NOW they are really becoming mainstream, as in not only food bloggers have Instant Pots, that type of mainstream. I bought mine last summer when they were on for an incredibly cheap price on Prime Day and I swear that it hasn’t left my counter for more than three days since then.
The very first thing that you need to learn is how to make a blade/chuck roast in your Instant Pot. Seriously. You will thank me for this later.
If you use a slow cooker/crockpot, you need to own one of these. I kid you not, I can’t remember the last time I was so happy with an appliance. The ability to cook a blade/chuck roast in your instant pot in 120 minutes thanks to the high pressure option is incredible. I was running late that day and had these two roasts that I had picked up to make for supper. I put them on at 4 pm and we were eating by 6.
CRAZY AMAZING THIS INSTANT POT IS.
Sorry for the Yoda talk there briefly.
However, cooking those two blade / chuck roasts in the Instant Pot at the end of a very busy day was a lifesaver. I popped them in, threw some ingredients on top ( in the recipe below) and we were eating the best blade roast ever.
What usually takes a day in the slow cooker was achieved by the high pressure setting on my Instant Pot in two hours.
I usually make two roasts so that I have leftovers to eat all week, because there is nothing like leftover blade roast with eggs on top for a massive protein hit in the morning for breakfast.
Leftover blade roast is amazing on salads, in sandwiches and just by itself. I always make sure to make extra!
I honestly don’t know how I used to live without my Instant Pot. I use it for slow cooking, I use it for soup at least once a week ( the high pressure cooks soups in a SNAP! Love it!) and now this whole Best Blade Roast Ever in the Instant Pot? Ugh. In love. I’ve been trying to convince my mom and sister that they need an Instant Pot and I think after my mom saw how quickly it cooks a roast, she’s on board.
How to Cook a Roast in the Instant Pot Tips & Tricks
- You really do need to cook a blade or chuck roast for 120 minutes. Blade and chuck roasts are very tough and have fibers that absolutely need to be broken down by cooking, and cooking for a long time. Theses roasts take 8-10 hours in the crockpot, so 2 hours in the Instant Pot is definitely the way to go!
- You need liquid and not just liquid you need DELICIOUS liquid. Food can be a bit bland when pressure cooking so you need to spice up!
- If you have a roast that is from a quality butcher, you can try cooking it at 90 minutes. Grocery store roasts are generally lower quality. Play it by ear based on the meat quality of the roast you are cooking.
- Thick roasts may need to be cooked a little longer as it’s thickness that determines how those fibers are going to break down inside.
Just writing this post up makes me want to make this roast again. It’s similar to that Mississippi roast in the fact that I use a package of dry Ranch dressing in it, but there’s no peppers. Trust me, the dry Ranch dressing makes this delicious!
Happy cooking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
How to Cook a Roast in Your Instant Pot
- Prep Time
- 1 minute
- Cook Time
- 2 hours
- Total Time
- 2 hours
- Course
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 511
- Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 5 pounds blade or chuck roast – boneless
- 1 pack gravy mix
- 1 pack Ranch dressing mix
- 1 pack onion soup mix
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place the water in the bottom of the Instant Pot, the place the roast on top.
- Sprinkle the rest of the packages on top of the roast.
- Close the Instant Pot and seal it.
- Press the meat/stew button and set for a 120 minute cook time. Let it decompress. Remove and serve!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Sarah Endris says
Thank you for an easy and flavorful recipe. It is now my go to for roast and my kids will never complain again about it being dry. I am not one to use packets of seasonings but this is perfect.
Gay knoll says
How about a rump roast???
alicia says
can you use a frozen roast if so how long do you cook it? I have one that is around 4 .5 pounds.
danny says
i just bought instant pot on your recipe cook 3-5lb beef roast blade set time for 120min but when you set it for 120min, it counts down too100 and goes back too 59min and down. so thats only 80 min. instead 120 min. very good recipe thank danny
Sarah C. says
I found this recipe on Pinterest. I consider myself a seasoned cook and InstantPot user. I was looking for something simple as far as prep so I decided this was the recipe for me to try. I love that you didn’t have to sear the roast, literally everything into the pot then set and forget. My husband and I loved this, it was very flavorful. After I first put it on I had the thought of I should have mixed the seasoning packets together before putting them on the roast? but everything turned out fine and flavorful.
Some of the other comments mention searing and the useage of the packets regarding sodium. I believe the whole intent of this recipe is for first time Instant Pot users or those who just don’t have time and want to throw things in the pot without extra steps. I feel you want to sear do it, no need to comment about the lack of it in this recipe. If you don’t like the use of the seasoning packets, don’t use them, make your own recipe.
I loved it and will make it again.
Karlynn Johnston says
Exactly! So many people look at their new Instant Pot and are scared to use it. Not every recipe has to be complex and multi steps. This gets people using their IP’s and then they can lose that fear and move on to other things!
I am so glad that you liked it!
Ivy says
I used a can of beef broth. Hope thats just as good.??
Sharon Davies says
In the instant pot booklet it says cook beef 20 min per pound these recipes say 2 hours for a 3lb roast . I am confused .
Karlynn Averil Nicole Johnston says
Hi Sharon, It’s all about the type of roast. This is a recipe for a chuck or blade roast and those take a good 8-10 hours of slow cooking, so 2 hours is perfect for pressure cooking. Those types of roasts are tough and need a lot of cook time to break down into tender meat!
Joanne says
This recipe makes the best roast ever with no browning required. Succulent and tender every time. The gravy also is divine!! ☺️ The only thing I do differently is make slits all through the roast and stick in garlic cloves or spoon in that pureed garlic.
Thanks so much!! ??♀️
Sarah says
Is this a good recipe for Eye of round roast? I’m new to cooking and I’m not familiar with my cuts. I’m also new to an instant pot and this will be my first time using it. Curious on the time. Thank you.
Karlynn Johnston says
No, that roast type doesn’t need to be cooked a long time, this is for a blade or chuck roast only!
Stefanie says
I cooked the round eye roast (2.5lbs) for 1.5 hours and it came out dry 🙁 Even with lots of broth in it
Karlynn Johnston says
Yes, you can only cook the roast that I specify, the other kinds will be leather!
John Bryant says
Using the soup mixes may be fast but the sodium is off the scale for this. I wonder if your nutrition info is off. The amount of fat in a 6oz serving can’t possibly be accurate, it would be pure fat. I think you have the whole recipe, not the 6oz portion.
Granulated garlic, onion powder, herbes de provance, (thyme, sage, rosemary etc)
Perhaps a small amount of cumin.
Who eats ranch? Foul stuff. A lazy cooks crutch.
Not browning the roasts prior to cooking them is a cardinal sin, 10 minutes to rub the roasts with salt and pepper and brown them. Do it, every time with pot roast.
Cooking some aromatics in there wouldn’t hurt but they will be pulverized. Onions and mushrooms with some broth and wine will make a nice gravy, puree the broth with any chunkies left.
Honestly, you really should work on the suggestions. The recipies are typically doused is salt, soaked in saturated fat and avoid the 15 min prep and knife work that a decent meal requires. You clearly know how to cook, making it accessible is good, but there is a lot of room between Julia Childs and your recipes that aren’t much better than processed foods.
Karlynn Johnston says
I love feedback, given in a good, helpful manner however! This recipe encouraged hundreds of new cooks on the IP facebook page to actually COOK with it because it IS so easy. Don’t forget that there are people that need to learn how to cook and making recipes that are super easy helps them LOVE cooking. Comments like yours are actually what make people shy away from learning to cook! There is nothing wrong with cheater recipes to get people interested in cooking instead of eating out at fast food restaurants. I have tons of other from scratch recipes on here, those would be for you, not this one.
Becky says
How much garlic, onion powder, herbes de provence did you use?
Helena says
I just put my roast into the Instapot, so I will have to determine the final outcome. However, I was attracted to this recipe because it was very similar to my favorite pot roast recipe, “Mississippi Pot Roast”. I love that it is simple and easy and uses prepackaged mixes. Mississippi Pot Roast comes out wonderful and tasty every time and is a family favorite. If this makes me a “lazy cook” so be it. I’d rather remain in that category than be a food snob.
Melpowers says
Your very rude,this recipe is s very good one.And like she said some of us are new to IP cooking and this gets us ready to try some other more involved recipes like searing a roast before.I’m 51 and I’ve never seated a roast before putting in a crockpot and I’ve never had any complaints they’ve always came out beautiful and delicious.Not everyone sears their meat,it’s a personal preference.And lots of people like the packaged seasonings,thank you very much.
Caroline says
This recipe sounds like I need to break out my insta pot out of it’s box that I’ve had for a couple of months …. LOL sad but soo true 🙂 looking forward to more from you all ….. HAPPY NEW YEAR !
Kate says
I do not use packaged mixes because of the excessive amounts of salt. This recipe has tons of unnecessary salt. Make this r roast with unsalted beef stock, red wine, whole garlic, sliced onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and “herbes de provence”. You will have a wonderful tasty roast much better for you.
Renee says
How long would you cook 9lbs of roast?
jodie says
Curious to know if you think a top sirloin (3lbs) would work with this recipe too? This sounds delicious!
Karlynn says
No, I have another post on how to cook a sirloin roast, use the search bar and it will pop up! They shouldn’t be cooked long.
Jay says
What about potatoes, cabbage, carrots etc we usually cook with our roasts. Can you put it all in the instapot with the roast or will those things be overcooked after 2 hours? We are New to the instapot & need advice, thanks!
Brenda Estes says
Was surprised a nutrition , calories and sodium, this must be fo r entire recipe?
Barbara voss says
Could you use onion soup mix and cream of mushroom soup instead of water to cook a roast.
Jennifer Polovitch says
Excellent. I did add some sliced onion and mushroom. I was ok with the onion disappearing into the meat, adding more flavor. Served this with some parsley buttered new potatoes.
peggy courtney says
couldnt you use beef broth instead of water? i havent made this yet, the reason for 1 star.
Jennifer Polovitch says
I think its unfair to give a recipe 1 star when . you have not made it.
shenna says
Completely unfair.
Terri says
I think before you give anyone a 1star, you had better tried cooking the recipe first!!!! I’ve made this and it was AMAZING. It was eaten in 2 days and the family asked me to make again. Yes, you can use beef broth, wine, apple juice, water…..any liquid will work, but you need to 1 cup. I hope this has helped.
lori prescott says
If you do it right you wont need beef broth!!!
Lisa says
I wish I had some way to contact you before trying this, but it is literally in my instant pot as I type. I laid the roast directly in the water, which is actually beef broth since I don’t have any gravy mix. I didn’t see any mention of using a rack so I hope that’s correct.
Also, my roast is 3.5 lbs instead of 5. A 5 lb roast for 120 mins=24 min/lb, so I though 85minutes for mine? Well, mine was still a bit frozen so I added 20
Minutes because I got nervous. I’m wondering if it’ll be done…
ALSO, I have the IP Lux model. My meat/stew function allows for less-normal-more setting. I seriously don’t even know what that means…pressure? Heat? I kept it at medium. Thoughts?
Jenice says
I made this using a 3 lb. chuck roast so I cut the time to 90 minuted. I did brown on the sauté setting first but followed the remaining directions exactly, including allowing it to release naturally for about 15 minutes. I wanted it falling apart as it will be used for sandwiches and it was perfect!
Sharon Streicher says
May I ask why you don’t brown the roast first? You’re missing out on some serious flavor. I think I’m going to place my roast in a steamer basket above the water (also going to use beef broth in place of the water) Hoping it works
Chris says
Do you Place the roast on the rack or just directly on the bottom?
Stefanie says
I just put directly on the bottom. I used the rack for boiling eggs.
Susan Henderson says
Thanks for the recipes!!!
Leora Rowley Bradford says
I really enjoyed the information and learning about the pressure pot cooking. Thank you.
Michele Marentette says
Our family enjoys mushrooms with our roast do you think they will turn out mushy? Also, husband hates ranch can you taste it?
Becky says
I cooked a blade roast for 40 minutes and it was super tough and didn’t shred….do you think cooking it longer would help?
Karlynn Johnston says
Absolutely.Blade roasts have to be broken down, cook a small, thinner one for 90 minutes and a larger one for 120.
Julie says
What if you have a smaller roast – how long is the cooking time per pound? This looks delicious but 5 lbs is way too much for a family of 3.
Karlynn Johnston says
It is about the thickness of the roast, the pressure has to get the heat to the inside. So if you have a thick smaller roast it will still take a long time! Usually the larger roasts are simply longer, so they all would take relatively the same amount of time. If it’s thinner, try 90 minutes.
George Webb says
Can you cook veggies at the same time as you cook roast?
Karlynn Johnston says
The vegetables will turn to mush, you can’t cook them together!
mike Tinklin says
i have seen a number of recipes on line that have potatoes and veggies like carrots cooking in the pot with the roast. why do you say you cant do that?
Karlynn Johnston says
For example, mashed potatoes take 10 !! minutes only in an Instant Pot. Those recipes are wrong. I can’t imagine cooking vegetables for 120 minutes. Mush. Absolute mush. Those recipes must have you release pressure and add the vegetables on top in a steamer at the very end which is a waste of time since you have to wait to bring it to pressure again.
Cheryl says
Hi – I’m confused! On your buckets of gravy roast in the instant pot, it calls for a 3-4 lb roast and you say that it MUST be pressure cooked for 2 hours, with an additional 20 min (at least) for each additional lb. How can it be then that for this basic roast preparation recipe, which also calls for a blade or chuck roast, you say to cook a 5 lb roast for ONLY 90 min???
If your info about the need to cook for at least 2 hours for a 3-4 lb roast on your other buckets of gravy recipe is correct, then shouldn’t your pressure cook time for this recipe’s 5 lb roast be 2 1/3 hours (2 hours plus 20 min – 140 minutes)?
Marcela Castillo says
I’m curious in the reply. I’m a newbie and haven’t made more than a handful of meals always looking for more recipes
Emily says
Do you quick release or natura release for a certain amount of time? I threw potatoes in with it and hoping they all turn out!!!
Nicole Jubleew says
What kind/brand of gravy and ranch dressing mix do you use?
Karlynn Johnston says
I used a no-name ranch and a Clubhouse gravy I do believe. I couldn’t find Hidden Valley. They are all really close tasting.