Tender, falling apart roast beef with potatoes and carrots and a rich wine gravy. All in about 90 minutes! You’ll love this recipe for pressure cooker pot roast. It’s a perfect weeknight or weekend dinner with minimal effort.
Hello!
How is it going? Ready for another instant pot recipe? I hope so, since I have one for you today!
I wasn’t sure what to do with my Instant Pot back when I first got it last year, but it has really come into its own once the weather got chilly and it was time to make comfort food again. Soups and stews and braises are all so simple to make with it. Press a few buttons and walk away!
After I made braised beef short ribs and potato leek soup in the pressure cooker, I thought about what to do next. And what came to my mind was pot roast! Not just ANY pot roast though, but one with Italian flavors, red wine, and plenty of vegetables!
I marinate the beef, to give it plenty of flavor, use all red wine for the liquid, which makes the gravy intense, and add baby potatoes cut in half, since they are the perfect size to cook with the carrots. And I use my favorite secret umami bomb! Anchovy paste. It makes everything meatier. 😮
This is a simple, but flavorful recipe which builds in a few layers. You can skip a layer or two and still have a good dinner, but add them all in and you will have an AMAZING dinner!
Roadmap to Success
- Beefy, chuck roast
- Garlicky marinade
- Getting a good sear
- Medium to full-bodied red wine
- Anchovies (secret weapon of stews everywhere!)
What do you need?
- Chuck Roast – Use a 3 pound roast and cut into a few pieces.
- Garlic Rub – Garlic, spices, and olive oil will flavor the meat.
- Onions – One large yellow (or white) onion, thinly sliced.
- Potatoes/Carrots – I like halved baby potatoes and carrots cut into sticks.
- Red Wine – Use a dry wine you like but isn’t expensive.
- Anchovies – A little is all you need!
How to make this
To make pressure cooker pot roast brown the meat all over, then add the onions, red wine, and herbs. Cook on high pressure until tender then add the potatoes and carrots and cook them until tender as well. Slice the meat and serve with the vegetables and gravy.
1. Marinate the Chuck Roast
To flavor the meat, make a rub of minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Rub this marinade all over the pieces of beef and let it rest for at least a few hours and up to a day.
Tip: Want to get things prepped ahead of time? Rub the beef with the marinade then put it in a freezer bag and freeze until you are ready to make pot roast. Transfer the meat to the fridge the day before and it will be all thawed, marinated, and ready for you.
2. Sear and Saute
First scrape off the marinade.
Why do this? So you don’t burn the garlic! It makes it all bitter and unpleasant. I don’t get too fussy, but I remove most of it and set it aside.
Now get your cooker hot, add some oil and give the beef a good sear on all sides. For three pounds, do the searing in two batches to keep from overcrowding the pot. Once it’s seared, move it to a bowl.
Then add the onions, soften, add the marinade and some flour, stir, and add the wine and anchovies. I like to get the wine boiling before I add it to the pressure cooker since it’s going to take time to heat up anyway and this way the wine gets reduced a bit too.
Tip: For gluten-free, either skip the thickener entirely or whisk 1 tsp of cornstarch into the wine.
3. Pressure cook
After you’ve done all the prep, now you get to seal it up and walk away!
It takes 40 minutes at pressure and 10 minutes of release to do this bit. Spend a few minutes slicing up the potatoes and carrots and go relax.
Then add in the potatoes and carrots and give it another 4 minutes. (Plus, about 10-15 minutes of warm up time!) Set the table, pour the wine, chop up some parsley, hit the quick release, and then EAT!
Tip: When releasing the pressure, put a kitchen towel over the vent to keep the steam from sputtering out everywhere. Also, if you’re worried out the hot steam, use the handle of a long spoon to the press the button.
Do I need to sear the meat?
As I said above, you can skip these flavor steps like searing the meat. However, to make the best and tastiest pot roast you will want to brown the meat and have it undergo the Maillard reaction.
The Maillard reaction is somewhat similar to caramelization, only it’s in relation to proteins. Basically, by browning the meat you are going to add a ton of new and complex flavors to the dish all of which are going to make for a much better dinner.
In other words, YES, sear.
What is the best roast?
A boneless chuck roast is the best cut for pot roast.
Chuck roasts are inexpensive, tough roasts with plenty of connective tissue. This makes them perfect for braises since the collagen will break down, creating tender meat and a rich sauce from gelatin.
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Recipes
- Lemony Shrimp Risotto – risotto with NO stirring!
- Wine Braised Short Ribs – sweet and spicy
- Potato Leek Soup – a classic favorite
If you try my recipe for Pressure Cooker Pot Roast, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.
– Happy pressure cooking, Annemarie
Italian Pressure Cooker Pot Roast
Ingredients
Marinade/Rub
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Pot Roast
- 3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 3-4 pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 lbs baby potatoes, halved
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-2 inch lengths
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Mix together all of the marinade ingredients and rub them over the chuck roast then refrigerate the roast for 8-24 hours.
- Scrape off the rub (and reserve). Set the pressure cooker to saute hot and heat one tablespoon of olive oil until shimmery. Add the roast in two batches and saute until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned meat to a bowl.
- Reduce the saute temperature to low. Add the onion to the pressure cooker and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved rub along with the flour and saute 1 minute.
- Increase the saute temperature to high. Add the wine and anchovy paste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot and add the bay leaf.
- Cover the pressure cooker and seal. Set the cooker to high pressure, 40 minutes.
- Let it natural release for 10 minutes then press the quick release button.
- Once the pressure has released, uncover and add the potatoes and carrots. Then cover the pressure cooker and seal again. Set the cooker to high pressure, 4 minutes.
- Press the quick release as soon as the cooker is done. Stir in the fresh parsley.
- Remove the beef from the pot and slice. Serve with the vegetables and sauce.
Notes
- Marinade - For best flavor get this going the day before so it can have the full 24 hours.
- Make Ahead - You can rub the meat with the marinade and put it right in the freezer for future dinners. Just thaw in the fridge before continuing and it will be marinated and ready to cook.
- Gluten Free - Switch to 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Mix it with the wine to make a slurry and thickened while you boil the wine.
- Wine - Use a medium to full bodied dry red wine.
Marisa F. Stewart says
The Italian Pot Roast makes such a great dinner. Hearty and filling but not really loaded with fat and calories. I wish I did have a pressure cooker but unfortunately I don’t. What I do have is a slow cooker so I’m going to use your ingredients and make it in the slow cooker.
Annissa says
I purchased an Instant Pot about a year ago and it’s become my favorite kitchen appliance. I love how it tenderizes the meat, but keeps in so much flavor! This recipe looks particularly tasty–I love that you brown the meat first. It adds so much flavor!
Dana says
Ohhhh my. I’ve made plenty of pot roasts in the slow cooker. They’re such a great Sunday meal in the cooler seasons. But for some reason I never even thought to throw the same kind of recipe into my Instant Pot. This would be great for a cozy meal on a whim! Not to mention, a great way to enjoy a solid roast on a weeknight. Why reserve it for Sundays if you don’t have to?
Charity says
Still figuring out how to make meat in the Instant Pot. I’ve got soups and desserts that require a bain marie down. I’m going to give this a shot because your instructions are so precise (plus it’s me drool!) Wish me luck!
Tracy says
Wine and anchovy paste in that gravy?! Oooh my, yes please! Talk about a pot roast that takes it to the next level. Pinning this to try!
Debra says
That sure does look good. I’m new to the insta pot, so I appreciate the tips you’ve left—like about using a kitchen towel when releasing the steam. I always forget to. What a great sunday night dinner idea.
Julie Menghini says
It used to take all afternoon to make a beautiful meal like this one so it was always reserved for Sunday dinner. I love my instant pot and that I can make your Italian Pot roast on a work day! It sounds delicious!