Instant Pot Chuck Roast
Using a pressure cooker to cook a chuck roast dramatically reduces the cook time, and the meat comes out perfectly fork-tender every time! This Instant Pot Chuck Roast recipe uses the drippings to make a creamy mushroom gravy so nothing goes to waste.
★★★★★
Robert says –
“Followed the recipe exactly as written, only used wagyu beef tallow instead of ghee and added a bit of smoked paprika. Smells amazing! Can’t wait to dig in!”
Fork Tender Results in 90 Minutes!
Instant Pot beef chuck roast is a favorite dinner in our household. That’s fine by me because the pressure cooker cuts down the cooking time significantly and I can set it and forget it once the kids are home from school!
I kept this recipe super simple; it makes an ultra juicy boneless chuck roast and a homemade mushroom gravy, and that’s it.
✔ No Braising: Traditional chuck roast recipes involve a lengthy braising process, either in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker. By making the chuck pot roast in my Instant Pot, I can achieve the same fork-tender results in about 90 minutes!
✔ No Mushy Vegetables: I purposely omitted the carrots and potatoes that typically accompany chuck roast recipes because the Instant Pot softens them too much when cooked alongside the meat.
✔ Leftovers Can Be Repurposed: The leftover meat can be used in other recipes as well, from pasta sauces to sandwiches and more!
Enjoy! ~Katie
Grab These Key Ingredients
This easy Instant Pot beef chuck roast recipe makes both the roast and a mushroom gravy for spooning over the meat. You’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand:
- Boneless Chuck Roast: Chuck roast is a specific cut of beef that comes from the shoulder of the cow. It’s known for its rich, beefy flavor and delicious marbling (i.e. visible fat). As that fat breaks down in the Instant Pot, it infuses the entire chuck roast with flavor and keeps it super moist and tender. Heads up: Your local grocery store might also label chuck roast as “cut chuck roast,” “chuck center roast,” or “chuck pot roast.”
- Baby Bella or Cremini Mushrooms: Have a rich, earthy flavor that’s more nuanced than regular white button mushrooms.
- Aromatics: Fresh onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme infuse the chuck roast and mushroom gravy with lots of flavor.
- Red Wine: Here are my top tips for cooking with wine. My main suggestion is to buy a red you’d actually drink! And if you don’t cook with alcohol, feel free to use extra beef stock or broth.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a sweet yet tangy flavor that pairs well with the rich beef.
- Beef Stock: You always need to add some kind of liquid to an Instant Pot so that it can pressure cook correctly. Beef stock is so much more flavorful than water, and it’s what’s going to form the basis of the mushroom gravy later on.
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
My Favorite Method for Cooking Chuck Roast in an Instant Pot
If making chuck roast in an Instant Pot intimidates you, rest assured that it’s a straightforward process. Here’s an overview of the cooking steps:
- Prep the chuck roast and veggies: You’ll need to pat the chuck roast dry, season it with salt and pepper, then sear it on all sides (I used a cast iron skillet because my Instant Pot wasn’t large enough!). Once that’s done, the veggies are lightly sautéed to start developing their flavors.
Katie’s Tip: Technically you don’t have to sear the chuck roast, but I suggest doing so because it creates a golden crust around the chuck roast and adds tons of flavor to the finished dish.
- Assemble and pressure cook the chuck roast: The seared chuck roast goes into the Instant Pot along with all of the fixings, then pressure cooked on HIGH for 75 minutes. When pressure cooking, remember to allow time for a natural release (about 10 to 15 minutes).
- Finish the mushroom gravy: While the chuck roast rests on a plate, keep all of the juices in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Just add a cornstarch slurry, turn on the sauté function, and simmer until the gravy is nice and thick.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
Katie’s Tip: Know Your Cook Times!
A 5-pound roast needs to cook for 75 minutes on high pressure, followed by a natural release of 10 to 15 minutes.
Want to Add Vegetables? Here’s How I’d Do It
You can add vegetables like potatoes or carrots to this recipe, but I find when added at the start time they turn out too soft. As such, I prefer to cook them separately.
If you really want to add veggies to the boneless chuck roast, I recommend adding them at the very end of the cooking process.
- Cut the vegetables in ½ inch thick slices.
- Quick release the pressure of the Instant Pot.
- Add the carrots and potatoes, reseal the Instant Pot, and bring back up to pressure.
- Cook for 2 minutes, then let pressure release naturally as instructed.
Tips for Making Moist and Tender Instant Pot Chuck Roast
- Trim off any excess fat — A chuck roast contains plenty of marbling within the meat itself, so you don’t want any large pieces of fat hanging onto the outer edges of the beef.
- Pat the chuck roast dry for a good sear — You want the beef to start cooking as soon as it hits that hot pan. If there’s any moisture on the beef, it will steam first and then sear. Patting it dry creates a golden crust around the beef, which results in BIG flavor.
- Pressure cook from frozen, if needed — If you forgot to defrost a frozen chuck roast, you can also pressure cook it from frozen. Add 20 to 30 minutes to the total cook time, noting that the flavor might not be as rich since you can’t sear a frozen chuck roast.
- Before making gravy, skim off any excess fat from the pot — You want the mushroom gravy to be thick and creamy, but if there’s too much fat in it the finished gravy will taste greasy.
Side Dish Suggestions
The last time I made boneless chuck roast in the Instant Pot, I served it with parmesan mashed potatoes, roasted golden beets, and garlicky sautéed kale.
Other side dishes that we like include:
- Roasted carrots
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Green beans
- Broccoli twice baked potatoes
- Roasted broccoli
- Duchess potatoes
- Butternut squash salad
- Apple cider roasted acorn squash
More Easy Instant Pot Dinners You’ll Love
I’ve been experimenting with pressure cooking so much more lately. Here are some of our favorite Instant Pot recipes:
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Instant Pot Chuck Roast Recipe
Using a pressure cooker to cook a chuck roast dramatically reduces the cook time, and the meat comes out perfectly fork-tender every time! This Instant Pot Chuck Roast recipe uses the drippings to make a creamy mushroom gravy so nothing goes to waste.
Ingredients
For the Roast
- 1 tablespoon Clarified Butter, Ghee, or Olive Oil
- 5 pound Chuck Roast
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 3 cups sliced Baby Bella or Crimini Mushrooms
- 1 ½ cups finely diced Red Onion
- 6 cloves fresh Garlic, sliced thin
- 1 large sprig fresh Rosemary, leaves removed and chopped finely
- 1 sprig fresh Thyme, leaves removed
- 1 ½ cup Dry Red Wine
- 2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 ½ cup Beef Stock or Beef Bone Broth
- 2 Bay Leaves
For the Mushroom Gravy
- ¼ cup cold Water
- 2 - 4 tablespoons Cornstarch*
Instructions
- Cut any excessive fat off of the roast and discard it. Pat the roast dry on both sides with a clean, dry paper towel. Season both sides of the roast generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the butter, ghee, or oil in the insert of your instant pot set on saute (or in a cast iron pan over medium heat until shimmering). Add the roast and sear until well browned on each side (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the seared roast and set aside on a clean plate.
- Add the onions and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until tender and translucent.
- Then, add the mushrooms to the onions and saute for 5 - 6 minutes, or until they’ve released all of their liquid and are very tender.
- Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme and stir until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the red wine and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the beef broth to the insert of the Instant Pot and stir to combine with the red wine mixture.
- Transfer the roast and any drippings on the plate to the instant pot. Add the bay leaves.
- Secure the lid, making sure the release valve is set to close. Set the controls to high pressure and cook for 75 minutes.
- After the cook time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for 15 - 20 minutes. After that, quick release any remaining pressure. (If at this stage your chuck roast is cooked, but still tough and chewy, that means it needs more time in the Instant Pot. Add another 15 minutes of pressure cooking, then check its doneness.)
- Remove the roast from the instant pot and set aside on a plate or cutting board.
- Whisk the cornstarch and water together until well blended and smooth. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the Instant Pot.
- Turn the heat to saute and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture has thickened.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste, if desired. Serve the mushroom gravy alongside the roast.
Make the gravy:
Notes
*If the gravy isn’t thickened to your liking, add an additional ½ - 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to another ¼ cup of water and add that to the Instant Pot.
Slow Cooker adaptation: Instead of adding the seared meat and sauteed mushrooms and onions to an Instant Pot, add them to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. The gravy will have to be simmered in a saucepan on the stove, however, as it would take far too long to thicken up in a slow cooker.
To store: Leftover Instant Pot chuck pot roast should be stored in airtight containers in the fridge. If stored correctly, it will last up to 5 days. I recommend pouring any extra juices from the meat into the storage container to prevent the roast from drying out. Also note that the gravy is best stored separately.
To freeze: Let the chuck roast cool to room temperature, then freeze for up to 3 months. I prefer using vacuum freezer bags as they’re the best for preventing freezer burn, but any freezer container or freezer bag will work. The mushroom gravy freezes well too, but I recommend freezing it separately from the chuck roast for best results.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 717Total Fat: 44gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 235mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 72g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Try Making Pressure Cooking a Chuck Roast!
Next time you’re looking for an easy Instant Pot dinner, give this chuck roast recipe a try!
Did You Try This Recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and a review below—your feedback helps others and makes my day.
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Brittany T says
If I were to use a bone in chuck roast, how would the cook time differ?
Katie Kick says
I never make it with a bone in roast, so I can’t speak from experience – but I would start by adding 10 minutes and go from there.
KM says
I’m curious if you chose to sear the roast in cast iron instead searing in the IP because cast iron works better? I’m still learning IP and appreciate your help!
Katie Kick says
Sometimes the roast is too big to fit in an instant pot to get a good sear on the sauté setting, and in that case I’ll use cast iron. However, if it fits in the instant pot and is small enough to lay completely flat inside the pot then I prefer to use the IP to sear because all of the brown bits at the bottom of the pan add flavor to the final roast. Plus, less dishes! If searing in a cast iron, you lose that unless you reduce the wine in the pan before adding to the IP. Does this make sense? I’ll update the post with this clarification if it is helpful.
KM says
This makes perfect sense! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your insights. I bought a larger capacity IP in part because I wanted to be able to sear larger cuts of meat. Three cheers for one less pan to wash! Thanks again!
Katie Kick says
You’re welcome! Enjoy!
Robert says
Followed the recipe exactly as written, only used wagyu beef tallow instead of ghee and added a bit of smoked paprika. Smells amazing! Can’t wait to dig in!
Katie Kick says
I bet the beef tallow adds tons of extra flavor! Thanks for stopping by – enjoy!