Instant Pot Bottom Round Roast

Name: Instant Pot Bottom Round Roast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2.25 pounds bottom round roast ((see notes for alternatives)); 1 tablespoon Kosher salt ((this is for seasoning the meat - if you don't have kosher salt, decrease salt to 1.5 teaspoons)); 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper ((use as much as you like)); .50 cup red wine; 4 cups beef broth; 1 medium onion ((cut in half and then in slices)); 1 pound carrots ((washed and cut in chunks); 5 medium potatoes ((Yukon gold, washed and cut in chunks)); 1 stalk celery ((washed and cut in half lengthwise and then sliced)); 1 large sprig roasemary; 1 large sage leaf; 1 teaspoon oregano ((dried))

Last updated on March 31, 2020. Originally posted on November 18, 2019 By Elaine 80 Comments

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One of the things I love about this instant pot bottom round roast recipe is that there is hardly any work involved. Thanks to your pressure cooker, the meat turns out moist, the gravy is tasty and the vegetables cook directly with the meat, which gives them great flavor.

The shredded round roast on a plate with some veggies. There are also veggies in the background as well as gravy and more beef

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you click the link and buy something. You can read my disclosure here.

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Helpful tips

According to this awesome guide from the people who made the Instant pot, allow 20 – 25 minutes of cooking time for your roast per pound.
The Instant pot takes a good 15 – 20 minutes to come to pressure. I do not include that time in the recipe timing but know that the meal will usually take 30 minutes longer than stated. The reason I don’t add the time is because each recipe is different and it depends on how full the IP is.
After the meat has cooked for 60 minutes, you are going to let the IP release the pressure naturally. You won’t have to don the oven mitt but make sure the silver pressure button has dropped down to its resting position before you remove the lid.
After the vegetables have been cooked, you can do a quick release on the IP, make sure you stay safe by putting on an oven mitt before moving the venting knob from the sealed to venting position. Keep your hands and face away from the steam as it will scald you.
If your cut of beef is especially fatty, make sure to cut off as much fat as you can so you don’t finish with overly fatty gravy.
I don’t make a traditional ‘gravy’ with a flour slurry – so I call the juice and broth that is cooked with the meat ‘gravy’. I prefer that over making a flour based gravy.
The meat and gravy freeze well. Just make sure to store them in airtight containers and mark the date when they go into the freezer.
Got a frozen roast? You can add 20 – 30 minutes to the initial cooking time.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil – I use organic, extra virgin. If you have a preferred sautéing oil, you can use that instead.
Bottom round roast – There are many different cuts of beef you can use. I prefer round roasts myself, but any of the chuck roasts would work as well.
Salt – I use kosher to salt the roast.
Pepper – Hubby doesn’t love pepper, but I do, so I only use a little in the recipe. Use as much as you like to suit your tastes.
Onion – Vidalia is my favorite onion because of its slightly sweet taste but a yellow onion would work as well.
Carrots – I use organic and wash them with a vegetable brush but I do not peel them as I like the nutrients in the peel. But you can peel them if you prefer.
Potatoes – I use Yukon gold because they are so creamy in texture but use whatever potato you prefer. I wash the potatoes with a vegetable brush and do not peel them.
Celery – Just one stalk to help flavor the broth.
Beef broth – I use organic Trader Joe’s broth. It is both delicious and affordable.
Red wine – Wine and beef go well together and red broth flavors the broth so wonderfully.
Rosemary – Fresh. You can find it in little packages in the produce section of the grocery store.
Sage – Fresh. You can also find this in the produce section in the grocery store.
Oregano – I used dried organic.

How to make instant pot roast

Pre-step

Get your Instant pot or pressure cooker.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – bottom round roast, onion, beef broth, red wine, salt and pepper.

Bottom round roast, beef broth, onion, wine and salt & pepper on the table

Here is the other side of the bottom round roast package.

Grass-fed beef bottom round roast and other ingredients on the table

Step two

Take the roast out of the packaging and sprinkle kosher salt and pepper on both sides. (A)

Step three

Plug the instant pot in and press the sauté button. Once it heats up (it should read hot on the display), add olive oil and once that heats up, place the roast fat-side down and sauté for three minutes, flip and sauté the other side for 3 minutes.

Press the cancel button and remove roast from the insert. (B)

The bottom round roast on a blue plate with a salt cellar in the background on the left and the meat seared on the right

Step four

Pour red wine into the insert and use a wooden spoon to scrape (deglaze) the bottom of the pan. Place the roast back in and add the sliced onions, beef broth, dried oregano, sage leaf and rosemary sprig. (C)

Step five

Seal the IP, making sure the venting knob is set to sealed and press the pressure cook button. Make sure the mode is set to normal and at high pressure. Set the timer for 60 minutes.

Step six

Once the IP beeps that it is done, you are going to do a natural release which will take roughly 30 minutes for the floating valve (or silver button on top) to depress.

Step seven

While you are waiting for the 30 minutes for the IP to release the pressure, wash the potatoes and carrots and to cut them into chunks. Slice the celery in half lengthwise and then into slices width-wise. (D)

On the left, the seared meat with the onion, herbs and broth in the insert and on the left the potatoes, carrots and celery in a glass bowl on the right

Step eight

Add the potatoes, carrots and celery.

Raw carrots and potatoes in the instant pot with the beef

Step nine

Place the lid back on the IP and seal it. Make sure the venting knob is set to sealed and press the pressure cooker button again. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Note: the IP won’t take as long to come to pressure as it did when it was starting cold.

Once the timer beeps, wait 10 minutes before doing a quick release. (See helpful tips to find out how to do a quick release.)

Take the meat out of the IP and place on a platter. Also remove the vegetables and set aside.

The bottom round roast done and on a platter with cooked carrots and potatoes in background

Step ten

Take two forks and pull the meat apart until it has all been shredded.

The roast shredded on a blue platter with cooked veggies in the background

See how delicious this roast looks? Nice and moist!

Step eleven

Plate the beef with some vegetables; pour some gravy over the meat and veggies.

So delicious!

Overhead view of the shredded roast with veggies, gravy and more meat on a platter

I hope you enjoyed this Instant pot bottom round roast recipe.

Have extra roast and don’t know what to do with it? Here’s a great recipe from my friend Beth that is a must try.

Other popular meat recipe

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love the know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!