Instant Pot Roast Beef and Gravy is quickly replacing my oven version in my fall and winter dinner lineup. It is SO easy, and it makes the most fall-apart tender pot roast that I’ve ever had before. What’s not to love?

Instant Pot Roast Beef and Gravy

Okay so maybe the Instant Pot doesn’t warm up your kitchen on a crisp winter evening in the same homey way your oven does. I’ll give you that. But if you are like me, you probably don’t really have time for logs on the fire. It is temperature controlled, programmable thermostat around our house, just so I don’t have to deal with the danger/cleaning/upkeep of a wood stove.

Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE wood stoves. I prefer it, even, and sitting around a crackling fire brings back some of the best memories for me. It’s amazing. I just…can’t, right now.

You know when your schedule just cannot hold any more things, period, and you have to start either dropping items or making the things you are juggling a little less…heavy?

No? Just me?

Well, that’s where I’m at right now with the wood stove, and having an organized house, or going all-out on decorating for any holiday. That just isn’t my reality, right now. And THAT’S OKAY.

It is not that I have anything against it, I just am out of minutes in my day and at the point where anything extra? It is not in the cards.

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Thankfully I know this is only a season, and seasons pass, but in the meantime, if my family wants roast beef – it might not be the version that takes me the better part of an afternoon and a whole lot of brainpower and care. They like both versions and are just glad to have dinner to eat, so why should I worry about it so much?

Last year I don’t think I even baked a cookie during the holiday season. THAT’S CRAZY. But it is also OKAY.

This year I’m slowing errrrrything down a little bit, and taking some very purposeful time to enjoy the season. Whether it is fall, the holidays, or just your circumstances in life right now; it is okay to take a minute.

Just because life is crazy and I can’t make everything 100% from scratch, or sometimes my kid goes to school in two-day-old socks, or someone forgot to brush one night, or OMGosh my house doesn’t look it could be featured in BHG, or even accept visitors with less than 2 hours notice…I can still make some killer meals that are GOOD ENOUGH. Not only good enough, but pretty freaking good, too. And everyone is OKAY.

I get into this funk sometimes where if I’m not being innovative and adding new, exciting things to our menu all the time…why bother? Or if things in my work or my blog or my family aren’t progressing along as the rate I think they should. Or if I forgot to buy something, or didn’t get to do as much as I wanted to prep for a birthday party, or ANY of those things that the little jerky voice in my head likes to come down on me about.

But hey guess what. Is my family fed? Are my coworkers glad to work with me? Is my blog hanging in there?

Bonus points if most of those are a yes AND if I can say, “NOPE NOT COOKING TONIGHT OR EVEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE IS EATING TONIGHT.” –  and I can be pretty certain they’ll just…figure it out.

I think that means I win.

Even those of us who genuinely enjoy feeding our families for fun, and not only necessity, get to enjoy those days sometimes.

Whether you work full time, or you stay home.

Whether you have zero kids or ten kids.

Whether your site gets 10 hits a day or 10,000.

Whether you guys are eating something that took you all day using ingredients you grew yourself, or you’re tossing a couple frozen pizzas in the oven or letting your kids eat cereal or PBJs they made themselves…

You are most likely doing just fine. Give yourself a break. Be kind to yourself. Talk to yourself like you’d want your best friend to talk to you.

Maybe you guys just intuitively “get” this, but for me, it was a LONG process. And not a fun one, either. So many people were telling me that they didn’t know how I could POSSIBLY do it all (meaning that as an encouragement), I kind of started questioning…maybe I wasn’t doing it?

But what they don’t tell you in, “Holy crap you are an adult now” land is that NO ONE IS DOING IT ALL WELL. Not even if it appears so, from the outside. Everyone struggles. Everyone has doubts. Everyone gets scared sometimes.

Reach out to the people around you when you are feeling that way, even if you aren’t sure how they’ll react. I think they’ll surprise you. And it’ll be okay.

Do you want more awesome recipes to keep filling your Instant Pot? Check out my collection of my Favorite Instant Pot Recipes.

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Yield: 8 servings

Instant Pot Roast with Gravy

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This quick and easy Instant Pot Roast with Gravy is a perfect winter or fall meal that doesn't require a ton of babysitting! You're going to love it!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil
• salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, seasoned salt, {generous amounts}
• 3-4 pound beef shoulder chuck roast
• 1 large onion
• 3-4 large carrots, {peeled}
• 1 qt beef broth
• 1 packet beefy onion soup mix

Cornstarch Slurry

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup cold water

Instructions

1. Place the oil in the bottom of the Instant Pot, and turn it on Saute HIGH.
2. Season the piece of beef well with the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, and seasoned salt. 
3. Place the roast into the pre-heated Instant Pot, and let cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the bottom is well-browned.
4. Carefully flip the roast over onto the other side and brown that side well for another 5-6 minutes.
5. Place the sliced onion, carrots, onion soup mix, and beef broth into the pot. Stir to combine the soup mix with the broth. Close the lid, and turn the pot to high pressure and set the timer for 65 minutes.
6. When the timer goes off, allow the cooker to naturally release the pressure (NPR) for 15-20 minutes before venting. 
7. Remove the lid after venting, and remove the roast from the pot. Scoop out the onions and carrots, and set aside on a platter with the roast. Cover with foil to retain heat. 
8. Mix together the cornstartch and cold water. Turn the Instant Pot to HIGH saute again, and let the mixture in the pot bubble. 
9. Whisk in slowly the cornstarch slurry. Start with half, stir constantly and let it thicken, and slowly add the rest if you'd like it thicker. The amount of liquid remaining in the pot will vary based on several different factor, so you might need more or less slurry to get to the thickness you prefer.
10. Serve with your favorite roast or mashed potatoes, crusty bread, and corn.

Notes

If you get a particularly tough roast, and it isn't fall-apart tender when you open the lid, don't be afraid to shut it again and do another pressure cycle. I recommend no more than 10 additional minutes at a time though. It can go from MEH to PERFECT very quickly in the IP!

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  Instant Pot

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 760Total Fat: 50gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 206mgSodium: 839mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 64g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!

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