Dinner · Instant Pot · Made many times

Pot roast without the all-day wait.

Tender chuck roast, potatoes, carrots, and gravy in one pot. I make Isabel Laessig’s version several times a year because it gets the cozy dinner on the table without tending a stove all afternoon.

About 2 hours, plus pressure buildup6 servingsWine optional
Illustrative image of pot roast with carrots and potatoes
Pat’s low-effort note: No wine in the house? Leave it out. Use a splash of the measured beef broth to loosen the browned bits after the onions and garlic, then continue with the broth and tomato sauce. No special trip to the store required.
Cook along

One pot, dinner handled

0 of 6 done

01

Season and sear

Halve the roast if needed to fit your cooker. Season all over with salt and pepper. Heat the pot on Sauté with half the oil and brown the beef about 4 minutes per side; move it to a plate.

02

Soften the aromatics

Add the remaining oil, chopped onion, and minced garlic. Stir for about 3–4 minutes, scraping the bottom. If using wine, pour it in and let it reduce by about half. If skipping it, loosen the browned bits with a splash of the measured broth.

03

Load the pot

Stir in about half the broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, thyme, and any remaining salt and pepper. Return the beef, then tuck in the potatoes and large carrot pieces. Save the rest of the broth for the gravy.

04

Pressure cook

Seal the lid and cook at high pressure for 70 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes, then carefully vent any remaining pressure according to your cooker’s instructions. The beef should pull apart easily.

05

Make gravy

Remove the roast and vegetables. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved broth until smooth, then stir it into the hot liquid in the pot. Use Sauté briefly if needed, stirring until the gravy thickens.

06

Serve generously

Shred or slice the beef, spoon gravy over everything, and call it dinner. The leftovers are a very good problem to have.

Based on Isabel Laessig’s Instant Pot Chuck Roast at Sunday Supper Movement. This is Pat’s compact cooking companion in his own words; visit the original for its full notes and updates. Cookers vary, so follow your model’s sealing and release directions.