Instant Pot Chuck Roast With Potatoes and Carrots

Cook an entire meal in one pot to get a juicy, tender chuck roast with a side pf potatoes, carrots and a creamy, smooth gravy. Cooking it in the Instant Pot makes it a simple meal to prepare and cooks much more quickly than using the stove or oven. 

One of my favorite things about using the Instant Pot is how quickly it transforms really tough cuts of meat, such as the chuck roast or a pork shoulder into succulent and tender morsels of goodness that just fall apart.

A good pot roast meal takes a few hours to cook, but in this case, in just about an hour, not only will you have a completely cooked roast that is so tender it melts in your mouth, but you’ll also have a side of potatoes, carrots and some luscious and creamy gravy to pour on top of this family-pleasing dinner. The gravy is so smooth, creamy and rich, but doesn’t have an ounce of cream and isn’t based on a flour and butter roux. Isn’t that awesome? All of this is cooked in one pan too!

It’s so simple to come together, but you’ll be rewarded with a 5-star meal. With just a few steps of prep, you step away and let the machine do the work for you. I like putting this on my menu plan when I have a lot of other things going on that day and need something easy and not time-consuming. It’s also especially perfect when you’re craving something comforting.

Put this on your next menu plan; your family will appreciate it. 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 – 3 lb chuck roast

salt, ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons dry herbs, herb mixtures, spice blends, etc. (divided)

1 Tablespoon oil (avocado, grapeseed, olive, sunflower, etc,)

1 (14 oz) package frozen pearl onions, or 2 large onions, peeled and sliced

4-5 carrots, divided, one sliced and the rest cut into carrot sticks

1-2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

2-3 sprigs of thyme

1-2 dry bay leaves

3/4 cup dry red wine

3/4 cup broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)

1 1/2 lbs small/new potatoes (red or yellow)

1 Tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, dill, etc.)

Instructions:

Dry the chuck roast really well on all sides with paper towels. (This is a really important step whenever you are searing and browning meat. If the meat is wet, it will start to steam instead of sear when you put it into the pot or skillet.) You can use a bigger roast if it’s thicker, but make sure that it will fit into the pot. You can use a much thicker roast, but if it’s a lot wider, you might have to cut it in half so that it will fit into the pot. You can also use a pork roast instead of the beef roast. I recommend the Boston Butt or the shoulder roast.

Season the roast with salt, ground black pepper and any combination of dry herbs, spices or spice mixtures that you like. Today, I was using Onion Salt and 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s.

Heat the oil in the Instant Pot by turning on the “Saute” option, and adjusting the heat to high. When the oil is hot, sear the meat on both sides. Take it out of the pot and set it aside.

Add the frozen pearl onions (you can use 2 large onions instead,  in which case, peel the onions and slice them), one sliced carrot, the celery and the garlic cloves. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Continue cooking on the “Saute” mode, high heat, for about 5 – 7 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and get some slightly golden. If you are using frozen onions, they will exude more liquid as they thaw and will deglaze the bottom of the pot, which is great. Otherwise, you might need to cook the vegetables a few minutes less.

Add the tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and more dry herbs. Mix to combine, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot again, and then add the broth. If you don’t want to use wine, substitute with more broth. Bring the liquid to a boil. Season with more salt and seasonings, if it needs it.

Return the chuck roast to the Instant Pot, nestling it on top of the vegetables.

Close the Instant Pot and turn on to “Manual” mode. Cook on “High Pressure” for 40-50 minutes, depending on how big your roast is.

Meanwhile, wash the potatoes (you can also use regular sized potatoes, just cut them into 1 1/2 – 2-inch pieces). Cut the carrots into 2 – inch long sticks (or use packaged baby carrots). Mix the potatoes and carrots in a bowl with salt, ground black pepper, and more spices. (I love the Onion Salt from Trader Joe’s as well as a combination of dry herbs that is called “Grilling Seasons for chicken by the Simply Organic brand.” Mix to combine. When the roast has cooked and released pressure (you can either release it manually using the Quick Release method or let it release naturally. At this point, check the meat and make sure that it is as tender as you want it to be. If you need to, you can cook it longer.

If you want to cook this on the stovetop or oven, you can do all the same steps until this point, but cook the roast on the stovetop at a simmer, on low heat for 2-3 hours, or in the oven, 300 degrees Fahrenheit, also for 2-3 hours. Use a dutch oven. 

Place a steaming basket on top of the chuck roast and place the potatoes and carrots in the steaming basket. Close the Instant Pot and continue cooking on “Manual” Mode, High Pressure for 8 minutes. If you are using very small potatoes, you might want to cook them for only 5 minutes. When the potatoes have cooked, use the Quick Release Method to open the Instant Pot. Take out the potatoes and carrots.

If you are cooking this on the stovetop or oven, cook the potatoes and carrots for 20-3o minutes, until the potatoes and carrots cook through.

Take out the roast and set it aside to rest for at least 5 minutes. Meanwhile, skim off as much fat as possible from the top of the broth and wine mixture. Discard the thyme sprigs and dry bay leaves. Place the vegetables that the roast cooked in (onions, carrot, celery, and garlic) into a blender along with the broth and wine mixture. Blend until smooth. I got the idea the vegetables from America’s Test Kitchen and it works like a dream.

If you want a very light and brothy sauce to spoon over the roast, just strain the broth and wine mixture and discard the veggies. Season the sauce to taste, adding more salt if needed, or maybe adding a Tablespoon more of wine or balsamic or sherry vinegar.

Slice the roast when it is rested (it should be so tender at this point, your knife will glide right through it like butter). Serve the roast with the steamed potatoes and carrots. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with the sauce, either rich and creamy if you pureed all the veggies, or light and brothy if you strained it. Either way, this is a phenomenal, comforting dinner.

Instant Pot Chuck Roast With Potatoes and Carrots
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2½ - 3 lb chuck roast
  • salt, ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons dry herbs, herb mixtures, spice blends, etc. (divided)
  • 1 Tablespoon oil (avocado, grapeseed, olive, sunflower, etc,)
  • 1 (14 oz) package frozen pearl onions, or 2 large onions, peeled and sliced
  • 4-5 carrots, divided, one sliced and the rest cut into carrot sticks
  • 1-2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2-3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1-2 dry bay leaves
  • ¾ cup dry red wine
  • ¾ cup broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
  • 1½ lbs small/new potatoes (red or yellow)
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, dill, etc.)
Instructions
  1. Dry the chuck roast really well on all sides with paper towels. (This is a really important step whenever you are searing and browning meat. If the meat is wet, it will start to steam instead of sear when you put it into the pot or skillet.) You can use a bigger roast if it's thicker, but make sure that it will fit into the pot. You can use a much thicker roast, but if it's a lot wider, you might have to cut it in half so that it will fit into the pot. You can also use a pork roast instead of the beef roast. I recommend the Boston Butt or the shoulder roast.
  2. Season the roast with salt, ground black pepper and any combination of dry herbs, spices or spice mixtures that you like. Today, I was using Onion Salt and 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's.
  3. Heat the oil in the Instant Pot by turning on the "Saute" option, and adjusting the heat to high. When the oil is hot, sear the meat on both sides. Take it out of the pot and set it aside.
  4. Add the frozen pearl onions (you can use 2 large onions instead, in which case, peel the onions and slice them), one sliced carrot, the celery and the garlic cloves. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Continue cooking on the "Saute" mode, high heat, for about 5 - 7 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and get some slightly golden. If you are using frozen onions, they will exude more liquid as they thaw and will deglaze the bottom of the pot, which is great. Otherwise, you might need to cook the vegetables a few minutes less.
  5. Add the tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves and more dry herbs. Mix to combine, and cook for another 2 minutes.
  6. Pour in the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot again, and then add the broth. If you don't want to use wine, substitute with more broth. Bring the liquid to a boil. Season with more salt and seasonings, if it needs it.
  7. Return the chuck roast to the Instant Pot, nestling it on top of the vegetables.
  8. Close the Instant Pot and turn on to "Manual" mode. Cook on "High Pressure" for 40-50 minutes, depending on how big your roast is.
  9. Meanwhile, wash the potatoes (you can also use regular sized potatoes, just cut them into 1½ - 2-inch pieces). Cut the carrots into 2 - inch long sticks (or use packaged baby carrots). Mix the potatoes and carrots in a bowl with salt, ground black pepper, and more spices. (I love the Onion Salt from Trader Joe's as well as a combination of dry herbs that is called "Grilling Seasons for chicken by the Simply Organic brand." Mix to combine. When the roast has cooked and released pressure (you can either release it manually using the Quick Release method or let it release naturally. At this point, check the meat and make sure that it is as tender as you want it to be. If you need to, you can cook it longer.
  10. Place a steaming basket on top of the chuck roast and place the potatoes and carrots in the steaming basket. Close the Instant Pot and continue cooking on "Manual" Mode, High Pressure for 8 minutes. If you are using very small potatoes, you might want to cook them for only 5 minutes. When the potatoes have cooked, use the Quick Release Method to open the Instant Pot. Take out the potatoes and carrots.
  11. Take out the roast and set it aside to rest for at least 5 minutes.
  12. Meanwhile, skim off as much fat as possible from the top of the broth and wine mixture. Discard the thyme sprigs and dry bay leaves. Place the vegetables that the roast cooked in (onions, carrot, celery, and garlic) into a blender along with the broth and wine mixture. Blend until smooth. If you want a very light and brothy sauce to spoon over the roast, just strain the broth and wine mixture and discard the veggies. Season the sauce to taste, adding more salt if needed, or maybe adding a Tablespoon more of wine or balsamic or sherry vinegar.
  13. Slice the roast when it is rested (it should be so tender at this point, your knife will glide right through it like butter). Serve the roast with the steamed potatoes and carrots. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve with the sauce, either rich and creamy if you pureed all the veggies, or light and brothy if you strained it. Either way, this is a phenomenal, comforting dinner.
Notes
If you want to cook this on the stovetop or oven, you can do all the same steps, but cook the roast on the stovetop at a simmer, on low heat for 2-3 hours, or in the oven, 300 degrees Fahrenheit, also for 2-3 hours. Use a dutch oven. Then cook the potatoes and carrots for 20-30 minutes until cooked through.

9 Comments

    • olgak7

      If you use a slow cooker, you would need to cook it much, much longer and I’m not sure of the exact times for the meat and then the potatoes. Plus, you would need to brown the meat and the vegetables in another skillet first before adding them to the slow cooker.

  • Carol

    Ok so I could get used to this. Two weeks in a row my husband has praised my cooking tremendously. Last week I made a really really delicious parsnip cake. Full of flavor and deliciously moist.
    So many things that I try that I come across online do not result in such great things.
    Then today I made this instantpot recipe you have here. OH gosh, is it ever lovely! You would never believe it, but I have had that instantpot for a couple of months but have not had proper time to catch up on how to use it safely and I see a lot of recipes and things you can make, but with working shift work and just no real good inspiration I kept putting off making something. I am so glad that you posted this. I know I can always trust your recipes and the instructions are so easy to follow.
    You can be sure I will be using instantpot a lot more now and it was such a pleasure to find your recipe, thanks so much!

  • Lena

    One quick question. If I took two chuck roast and cooked them on it’s side… (it would fit In the instant pot) would I have to took the meat longer and should I tie the meet up a little with twine so that it doesn’t fall apart when I lay it flat again? ( pretty much have to double the recipe)

    • olgak7

      Hi Lena,
      I haven’t tried it this way, but you will most likely need to cook it a bit longer. I don’t know exactly how much time, since I don’t have personal experience with it.

  • Amanda

    I’m a little confused do I messed all the vegetables with a chuck roast on top for 40 minutes? Or do I just cook the roast for 40 minutes and cook the basket of veggies?

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