If you’re craving comfort food that delivers big, bold flavors with minimal effort, this Yankee Pot Roast recipe is here to save the day! Using the Instant Pot, I’ve transformed this classic New England dish into a quick and easy one-pot wonder that’s perfect for busy weeknights or cozy family dinners.
What is Yankee Pot Roast?
Yankee Pot Roast is a hearty, old-school comfort food that hails from New England. Traditionally, it’s a braised beef roast cooked low and slow with root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and onions in a savory broth. The magic happens as the beef becomes tender and the veggies soak up all that meaty, flavorful goodness.
In the past, Yankee Pot Roast was a thrifty, resourceful way to turn a tougher cut of beef—like chuck roast—into something melt-in-your-mouth amazing. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug on a chilly evening, and it’s a staple for Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings. Of course, I’ve given it my own Nom Nom Paleo spin to make it healthier and faster to prepare—because who has time to spend hours over the stove?
A faster Yankee Pot Roast in the Instant Pot!
These days, I can’t imagine anything more satisfying than sharing a steaming bowl of meaty stew and veggies with friends and family. But if you’re like me, you don’t have the patience to babysit the stew while it simmers for hours on the stove or in the oven.
That’s why I converted my classic recipe for Yankee Pot Roast (on page 218 of our first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans) for the Instant Pot, a.k.a. the crazy-cool kitchen gadget everyone (me included) has been telling you about. They’re right, you know: This electric pressure cooker is amazing because you just set it and forget it!
Let me show you how to make this iconic meal with all the nostalgic vibes, but in a fraction of the time!
Cooking Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Yankee Pot Roast
- Definitely use collagen-rich chuck roast and not a lean roast like bottom or top round. These lean roasts will dry out in the Instant Pot, and no one likes powdery meat. (Ick.)
- If your pot roast isn’t tender enough when the timer goes off and after the pressure drops naturally, cook it for 10-15 more minutes under high pressure or until a fork pierces the meat easily. Chuck roast is a forgiving cut, and it actually gets more tender with additional cooking time.
- The sauce won’t be super thick, but you can puree the veggies with a stick blender to bulk up the liquid (a.k.a gravy). It’s a gluten-free way to thicken it up without flour!
- Feel free to add other root vegetables (e.g., cubed potatoes, parsnip, sweet potatoes, etc.) besides carrots at the end!
- Leftover pot roast freezes well, which makes it a great make-ahead-and-reheat dish. If you’re taking a pre-cooked unsliced roast out of the freezer, thaw it before you reheat it to ensure even cooking. There’s nothing more disappointing than slicing into a pot roast only to hit an icy center.
Ingredients
- Boneless beef chuck roast: Don’t go bigger than a 3½-pounder ’cause it’ll take too long to cook through. If you’re looking for an even speedier recipe, cube the meat and make this beef stew instead.
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Ghee or your favorite high temperature cooking fat (avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil)
- Leeks: I love the mild flavor of leeks, but feel free to substitute the leeks with onions or shallots.
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic cloves
- Tomato paste
- Aged balsamic vinegar
- Dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Bone broth, chicken stock, or beef broth/beef stock: To keep things Whole30-compatible, I like to use broth as the liquid as opposed to red wine.
- Fresh Italian parsley
How to make Yankee Pot Roast in an instant pot
Pat the roast dry with paper towels, and season it with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a few generous grinds of pepper.
Press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of ghee or your preferred cooking fat to the cooking insert. Once the fat’s melted, sear the roast until evenly browned, about 3 minutes per side. (Yes, you can skip the searing if you’re too busy—it will still taste good.)
Transfer the beef to a platter.
Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee in the now-empty insert, and toss in the finely chopped leeks, celery, and carrots along with a pinch of salt. Sauté the vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Pour in the vinegar, and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom.
Nestle the roast back into the Instant Pot, and throw in the porcini mushrooms and thyme.
Add the broth.
Lock the lid. Make sure the valve on the lid is in the sealed position. Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and set the cooking time to 75 minutes under high pressure.
When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure to drop naturally (about 20 minutes). Take off the lid and stab the roast to make sure it’s fork-tender. If the meat is still tough, cook under high pressure for another 10-15 minutes and let the pressure drop naturally.
Fish the roast out of the pot and lightly tent with foil. Skim the fat off the top, if desired. Taste the sauce, discard the thyme, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Then, add the carrot slices to the Instant Pot. Cover and cook the carrots under high pressure for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the chuck roast against the grain into ½-inch slices.
When the carrots are done cooking, vent the pressure manually.
Ladle the sauce and carrots over the pot roast. Top with Italian parsley. Serve with roasted veggies and Garlic Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes”!
Make ahead instructions
If you’re serving the pot roast later, you can stop after the roast is cooked, before adding the carrot chunks. Refrigerate the roast (and liquid) in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, take the hardened fat shell off the top of the sauce…
…and cook under high pressure for 10 minutes. Release the pressure manually. Add the carrot chunks and cook for 3 minutes under high pressure. Release the pressure manually (again). Finish by slicing the roast and topping with the sauce and carrots. Garnish with Italian parsley.
More beef stew recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Instant Pot Yankee Pot Roast
Ingredients
- 3½ pound whole boneless beef chuck roast
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons ghee divided
- 2 medium leeks white and light green ends only, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves smashed and peeled
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup aged balsamic vinegar but not the super expensive stuff
- ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms rinsed
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup bone broth or chicken stock
- 3 medium carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Pat the roast dry with paper towels, and season it with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a few generous grinds of pepper.
- Press the “Sauté” button on your Instant Pot and add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the cooking insert. Once the fat’s melted, sear the roast until evenly browned, about 3 minutes per side. (Yes, you can skip the searing if you’re too busy—it will still taste good.) Transfer the beef to a platter.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of ghee in the now-empty insert, and toss in the finely chopped leeks, celery, and carrots along with a pinch of salt. Sauté the vegetables until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Pour in the vinegar, and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom.
- Nestle the roast back into the Instant Pot, and throw in the porcini mushrooms and thyme. Add the broth.
- Lock the lid. Make sure the valve on the lid is in the sealed position. Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and set the cooking time to 75 minutes under high pressure.
- When it’s finished cooking, allow the pressure to drop naturally (about 20 minutes). Take off the lid and stab the roast to make sure it’s fork-tender. If the meat is still tough, cook under high pressure for another 10-15 minutes and let the pressure drop naturally.
- Fish the roast out of the pot and lightly tent with foil. Skim the fat off the top, if desired. Taste the sauce, discard the thyme, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Then, add the carrot slices to the Instant Pot. Cover and cook the carrots under high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the chuck roast against the grain into ½-inch slices. When the carrots are done cooking, vent the pressure manually. Ladle the sauce and carrots over the pot roast. Top with Italian parsley.
- If you’re serving the pot roast later, you can stop before adding the carrot chunks in the step above. Refrigerate the cooked roast (and liquid) in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, take the hardened fat shell off the top of the sauce, and cook under high pressure for 10 minutes. Release the pressure manually. Add the carrot chunks and cook for 3 minutes under high pressure. Release the pressure manually (again). Finish by slicing the roast and topping with the sauce and carrots. Garnish with Italian parsley.
Notes
- Definitely use collagen-rich chuck roast and not a lean roast like bottom or top round. These lean roasts will dry out in the Instant Pot, and no one likes powdery meat. (Ick.)
- Don’t go bigger than a 3½ -pounder ’cause it’ll take too long to cook through. If you’re looking for an even speedier recipe, cube the meat and make this beef stew instead.
- If your pot roast isn’t tender enough when the timer goes off and after the pressure drops naturally, cook it for 10-15 more minutes under high pressure or until a fork pierces the meat easily. Chuck roast is a forgiving cut, and it actually gets more tender with additional cooking time.
- The sauce won’t be super thick, but you can puree the veggies with a stick blender to bulk it up.
- Leftover pot roast freezes well, which makes it a great make-ahead-and-reheat dish. If you’re taking a pre-cooked unsliced roast out of the freezer, thaw it before you reheat it to ensure even cooking. There’s nothing more disappointing than slicing into a pot roast only to hit an icy center.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love, love, love your recipes but I recently had to give up all nightshades, therefore tomatoes. Is there anything you would suggest to sub for the tomato paste?
Thanks !!!
You can leave it out!
Someone has suggested you substitute purée carrots like from baby food jar for tomato paste.
I can’t believe I have not reviewed this. It’s like my signature dish. I make it all the time, for guests, for just us, etc. My family loves it, it’s such a treat. I keep the dried Porcinis in the house and all the other stuff except the leeks which I get with the roast. I find I have to cook it a little longer but it seems that is often the case with my Instant pot and these recipes. When I have time to make the carrots it’s absolutely heavenly. I will admit I’m not a Paleo follower so I make it with egg noodles or potatoes. It’s sizzling right now.
Can you make this into a crock pot recipe?…..PLEASE!!!!!
I’d try cooking it on low for 9 to 11 hours.
Absolutely fabulous! Love your beef stew recipe but had a whole roast. Didn’t have mushrooms so I used your mushroom powder. Turned out amazing.
Made this last night to celebrate NYE. It was so good and got tons of compliments. The best part is that it was super easy. It also filled the house with an amazing aroma. I pureed some of the sauce with an imersion blender, and definitely recommend doing that and pouring it over the meat before serving. I’ve made this recipe before and there is a reason it’s one of my faves.
Just made this recipe for the first time. We bought 1/2 a beef a while back and the meat turned out SO gamey that I have had trouble trying to figure out how to use it. This recipe masks the gamey taste of the beef and makes it actually taste good!! This is my new favorite pot roast recipe! If it can be this good with my subpar beef, I can only imagine how good it would be with high quality meat. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!