Instant Pot Pot Roast with Carrots

Name: Instant Pot Pot Roast with Carrots
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 to 4 pound chuck roast; 1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces; 1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, halved; 1 large onion, quartered; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 cups beef broth; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; Fresh parsley, for serving

Published by Fork Around & Find Out Kitchen — presented in the Lila editorial voice. Editorial standards

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Pot roast should surrender when you touch it with a fork. If you need a steak knife and determination, the roast has won. This Instant Pot version starts with a three-to-four-pound chuck roast seasoned generously with thyme, salt, and pepper before getting a hard sear on both sides. Onion, garlic, and tomato paste go into the browned pot before beef broth and Worcestershire lift the fond from the bottom.

Chuck has plenty of connective tissue, so the 60-minute pressure cook is not excessive—it is the mechanism. A 15-minute natural release gives the meat more time in a gentler heat while pressure drops. Carrots and baby potatoes cook alongside the roast, absorbing the beefy liquid as the chuck turns tender enough to slice loosely or shred.

The finished cooking liquid is part of the meal, not packaging material. Spoon it over the beef and vegetables so all that searing, tomato paste, Worcestershire, garlic, and rendered beef flavor actually makes it to the plate. It is Sunday-dinner food on a compressed schedule, which feels a little like cheating until you remember nobody awards medals for making chuck roast take longer.

Prep20 minutes

Cook25 minutes

Total45 minutes

Serves4 servings

DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

Servings

3 to 4 pound chuck roast
1 pound carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 pounds baby potatoes, halved
1 large onion, quartered
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cups beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

1Season chuck roast generously with salt, pepper, and thyme.
2Set Instant Pot to sauté. Heat olive oil and sear the roast 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Remove.
3Add onion and garlic, cooking 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute.
4Pour in broth and Worcestershire. Scrape up browned bits.
5Return roast to the pot. Add carrots and potatoes around the sides.
6Lock lid, high pressure for 60 minutes. Natural release 15 minutes.
7The roast should be fork-tender and falling apart. Slice or shred and serve with vegetables and cooking liquid.

Nutrition Information

Estimated per serving: 1 of 4 servings.

1270Calories

83 gProtein

47 gCarbohydrates

83 gTotal Fat

31 gSaturated Fat

8 gFiber

9 gTotal Sugars

1680 mgSodium

300 mgCholesterol

Estimated from the ingredients and quantities in this recipe using standard food-composition values. Brand choices, trimming, cooking loss, optional ingredients, and actual portion size can change the numbers. How we calculate nutrition estimates.

Pro Tips

Searing the roast isn't optional — it builds layers of flavor through the Maillard reaction.
60 minutes at pressure with natural release gives you Sunday-dinner pot roast in under 2 hours.
Chuck roast is the correct cut. Leaner cuts like sirloin will be tough and dry.

Substitutions

chuck roast → bottom round (leaner but less tender) Chuck has more fat and breaks down better under pressure.

baby potatoes → Yukon Gold, quartered Same result with a slightly creamier texture.

beef broth → red wine for half the liquid Wine adds depth. Use the other half as broth.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate in the cooking liquid for up to 4 days. The flavor improves overnight.

Make Ahead

Make it a day ahead and reheat. Pot roast is one of those dishes that is genuinely better the next day.

Freezing

Yes. Cool the pot roast completely and freeze it in airtight portions with braising liquid, carrots, and potatoes. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat gently; the potatoes may be somewhat softer after freezing.

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