(Instant Pot) Pot Roast

I have a hard time thinking of a meal that screams comfort food more than pot roast. I grew up having pot roast on the weekends, cause lets be honest, ain’t nobody got time to let a roast cook for hours on a weeknight. So, you can imagine how excited I was to discover that pot roast in the instant pot is, dare I say, even better?! But seriously, it only takes 45 minutes for the roast to melt in your mouth and since you just put everything in one pot, clean up is a breeze!

Now, you’ll see in my recipe below that I dredge the roast in a flour and spice mixture and brown it before pressure cooking it. This is KEY! It allows a crust to form on the roast and gives it some added flavor that changes the pressure cooking game. The other important thing to note is the layering of the roast and veggies. I’m not gonna lie, the first time I made this I was nervous to add the veggies in – I thought they might turn to absolute mush. As long as you put them in the pot in the order below and don’t mix things up too much, they cook down but still hold their shape. Just make sure you don’t cut them too small – bigger is better when it comes to the veggies!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 3 lb chuck roast
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 cup beef stock
• 3 oz tomato paste (aka half of a small can)
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3-5 sprigs thyme
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4-5 large carrots, cut in 3 inch pieces
• 12 small gold potatoes, cut in half
• 3 tbsp cornstarch

Directions

1. Turn your instant pot on and set it to the “sauté” setting.
2. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Whisk until combined and rub the mixture all over the roast (don’t forget the sides!).
3. Drizzle the oil into the instant pot and let the oil heat up. After about one minute use tongs to place the roast in the instant pot and let sear for 3-5 minutes. Using the tongs, turn the roast onto the other side and let sear again for another 3-5 minutes. Repeat this process until all sides of the roast are browned.
4. Leaving the roast on the bottom of the pot – add in the wine, beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, thyme and bay leaves.
5. Top the beef with the diced onion, carrots and potatoes (in that order).
6. Switch the instant pot to “pressure cook” and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. After the 45 minutes are up, let the pressure release for 15 minutes then quick release any remaining pressure.
7. Transfer the carrots, potatoes, onions and roast onto a platter and shred the roast into smaller pieces. Use a slotted spoon to scoop out any remaining pieces in the broth. In a small cup combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup of cold water – whisk until combined. Switch the instant pot to the “sauté” setting and wait for broth to boil. Slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture and mix until the gravy thickens. Pour some gravy over the roast and garnish with thyme if you’re feeling fancy!