Homemade Instant Pot Pot Roast

Best Instant Pot Pot Roast that is so tender it melts in your mouth, with perfect veggies that are not mushy at all. Served with thick and flavorful gravy.

Ingredients

For the Beef:

•  4-5 lbs chuck roast if needed cut into 2 chunks that would fit in the pot
•  3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
•  1/2 cup water
•  1 small onion quartered
•  8 cloves garlic crushed
•  1 teaspoon thyme
•  1 teaspoon rosemary
•  1 teaspoon oregano
•  1 teaspoon paprika
•  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•  1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•  1 cup red wine use water or broth if you want to avoid alcohol
•  1 cup beef broth low sodium
•  1/4 cup soy sauce
•  2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
•  4 tablespoons butter unsalted

For the Veggies:

•  1 lb mini red potatoes whole or cut in half, I prefer whole as they keep their shape better
•  8 oz baby Bella mushrooms whole or halved
•  3 large carrots cut into 1 inch chunks

Cornstarch Slurry:

•  1/4 cup cornstarch
•  1/3 cup water

Instructions

Brown the Beef:

1. Set Instant Pot to Sauté. When it reads "Hot" add the 3 tablespoons of canola oil and wait for the oil to heat up.
2. If need cut the beef in two and brown it in batches, so it fits in the pot. Cook each piece on EACH side for full 5 minutes without turning, until its nice golden brown.
3. If needed, add a bit more oil to the pot when searing the rest of the pieces.
4. Remove browned beef to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
5. Once all the beef has been browned and set aside its time to deglaze the pot.
6. Add the 1/2 cup of water to the pot and using a wooden spoon scrape the bits and pieces that stuck to the bottom and sides of the pot until its cleared.
7. Turn off the sauté mode.

Cooking the Pot Roast:

1. Add the beef back to the pot.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, starting with the onion and finishing with the butter.
3. Close the lid and seal the valve.
4. Cooking: if you have a pot roast that has been cut into pieces, and the pieces are no more than 2 inches thick, cook for 75 minutes on High Pressure. If the beef is thicker than 2 inches, mine was 4 inches at center, cook for 100 minutes.
5. Once the Instant Pot beeps, do a 15 Minute Natural Pressure Release. Release manually the remaining pressure.
6. Open the lid and check if the beef is tender enough to shred. If its not, cook for another 15-20 minutes on HP with a 15 min NPR.
7. Remove beef from the pot and add it to a large serving deep dish.
8. Place a fine mesh over a mixing bowl and sieve the cooking liquid from the pot. Add one cup of liquid to the beef and return the rest to the pot.
9. Shred beef and cover with aluminum foil, place a towel on top to keep it warm.

Veggies:

1. After you added the sieved cooking liquid to the pot, add the prepared veggies to it.
2. If you cut the potatoes in half, cook on HP for 4 minutes, followed by a Quick Release. If you used whole mini potatoes, cook on HP for 6 minutes, followed by a Quick Release.
3. Open the lid, and using a spider strainer, transfer the veggies from the pot to the dish with the beef. Arrange veggies through the sides of the beef.

Make Gravy:

1. Select Sauté and wait for it to read Hot.
2. If you want the gravy to be thicker, mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl until fully combined and cornstarch is fully dissolved.
3. Add the mixture to the pot and gently stir. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes. The sauce will thicken more as it cools off as well.
4. Transfer the gravy to a gravy boat.