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Pot Roast · Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

Fall-apart pot roast in about 2 hours instead of all day. Cutting the roast into big chunks helps it cook evenly under pressure.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr 45 min
Total
2 hr 10 min
Serves
6
Level
Medium

Ingredients

  • 3 lb boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 3 even pieces
  • 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¾ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, cut into wedges
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth
  • 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 ½ lb baby potatoes, halved
  • 1 lb carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp water

Cook to 145°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

  1. Pat the beef pieces dry and season them all over with the salt and pepper.
  2. Set the pressure cooker to sauté on high and add the oil.
  3. Brown the beef in two batches, turning once, then move it to a plate.
  4. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it softens a little.
  5. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant.
  6. Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot until no browned bits stick. This prevents a burn warning.
  7. Stir in the Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf. Return the beef and its juices to the pot.
  8. Lock the lid and set the valve to sealing.
  9. Cook at high pressure. (The pot takes about 10 to 15 minutes to come up to pressure before the countdown starts.)
  10. Let the pressure release naturally.
  11. Turn the valve to venting to release any pressure that remains, then open the lid away from your face.
  12. Add the potatoes and carrots on top of the beef. Don't stir.
  13. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing and cook at high pressure.
  14. Quick-release the pressure by turning the valve to venting, then open the lid away from your face.
  15. Move the beef and vegetables to a platter. The beef should be fork-tender, well past the safe 145°F (63°C). Throw away the bay leaf.
  16. Set the pot to sauté. Stir the cornstarch and water together, stir it into the liquid and simmer until thickened.
  17. Pull the beef into chunks and serve with the vegetables and gravy.

Tip: If the beef is still firm, lock the lid and cook at high pressure for another 10 minutes.

Tip: Cooking the vegetables in a second short round keeps them from turning to mush.

Tip: Braised beef is safe at 145°F, but chuck only turns tender once it goes much higher (around 200°F), so cook it by tenderness, not by the thermometer.

Tip: Use a separate cutting board for raw meat, and wash hands, boards and knives in hot soapy water after handling it.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours, up to 4 days. Store the beef in its gravy. Freeze up to 3 months.

Estimated nutrition per serving: 730 calories · protein 48 g · carbohydrates 34 g · fiber 5 g · sugars 6 g · fat 45 g (saturated 17 g) · sodium 900 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 15 of 15 ingredients.