Best Instant Pot Pot Roast (2024)

FAQs

Why is my roast tough in Instant Pot? ›

If you find that it's still tough after cooking, you'll need to cook it for another 10 to 20 minutes at high pressure – it just needs a bit longer to continue to brine and break down the connective tissue.

Low and Slow is the Way to Go

Whether you cook your pot roast using a stovetop, oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker method, you'll always get the most tender and flavorful results if you use low temperatures over a long period of time.

Some people prefer a roast that has more substance, so if you do, the Instant Pot is the winner. I have tried cooking a roast for up to 120 minutes in the Instant Pot and the texture still didn't match a slow cooker, but every 10 minutes of added pressure cooking will definitely make the meat more tender.

The best meat for pot roast is a beef cut with abundant connective tissue, like chuck roast, beef brisket or bottom round roast.

Overcooking the meat would result in a very dry tasting pot roast. Undercooking it would result in a tough piece of meat. Unfortunately, this isn't much you can do if you overcook it, other than making sure to serve it with a lot of gravy.

There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.

Incorporate herbs such as rosemary, thyme, or bay leaves, and spices like garlic powder, paprika, or a hint of cumin. These seasonings build layers of flavor that penetrate the meat during the slow-cooking process. Slow cooking is key to a mouth-watering pot roast.

Coat your roast in flour and seer every side in butter. This locks in the moisture and helps keep your roast tender. Place your roast into the crockpot fat side up. This allows the fat juices to flavor the meat and helps tenderize it.

Don't Skip the Extra Liquid.

I recommend adding 1/2 cup of liquid (water or low-sodium beef broth) to the Instant Pot for a roast. Typically you need at least 1 cup of liquid in the Instant Pot; the remaining 1/2 cup comes from the juices released by the chuck roast and the tomato sauce.

Should pot roast be submerged in liquid Instant Pot? ›

It is best if the roast is not completely submerged, so pour in a little less broth if necessary. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 75 minutes. Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure release naturally (about 30 minutes).

An all-in-one multicooker is the way to go for most home cooks, especially if you struggle to prep meals ahead of time. However, if you have no interest in pressure cooking but want something that slow cooks well, go with a Crockpot.

Yellow Onions

This is one of the best onions to use when cooking almost anything. Use them when making meat dishes (roasted chicken, pot roast, rack of lamb etc.) or as a base for many sauces, stews and soups.

Chuck pot roasts have more fat, and therefore more flavor, than those from the round. Beef round roasts suitable for pot roasting are round tip, round rump, bottom round and eye round roasts. Most beef round and chuck pot roasts can be used interchangeably, with only slight adjustments in cooking time.

Chuck roast comes from a cow's shoulder portion. The hindquarters and shoulder area are both well-used parts of the cow, so these two cuts of meat are naturally pretty tough. Most people agree that roasted rump is the more tender of the two.

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes. The provided nutrition facts are estimates.

How can you fix a tough oven roast? If the roast is already cooked, put it in a pot with some stock and wine and simmer it until tender — pot roast. If the roast is raw, sear it on all sides in a heavy pot and then add stock and wine and simmer until tender — pot roast.

Yes, pot roast absolutely becomes more tender the longer it cooks. Roasts are generally made from tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck or brisket, which contain a lot of collagen, connective tissue, and fat. These tougher tissues require a long cooking time to break down and for the collagen to converts into gelatin.

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.