Instant Pot Beef Roast with Gluten Free Seasoning and Gravy provides tender, moist, flavourful protein to enjoy without heating up your oven for hours. You can have it on the table in about one hour (depending on size), just enough time to prep the rest of the meal! Maybe a Broccoli Stir Fry to go with it? Now that I have an Instant Pot, I don't think I'll cook a roast any other way!
Cuts of Beef
Names of various cuts of meat have always confused me! There can be different names for the same animal parts depending on the region. Fortunately, there seems to be an effort at the government level to streamline the system between Canada and the United States.
Since we're talking here about cooking a roast in a pot, we can refer to this Primer for cuts of Canadian beef used for pot roasting.
Epicurious gives a good rundown on the cuts of beef suitable for roasts.
Instant Pot Beef Roast
For the video, I used a 1.002 kg (about 2 pounds) boneless bottom blade roast. First, I seasoned it generously with my Gluten Free Spice Mix. Not only does it give the roast a great flavour kick, but also the gravy needs only to be thickened. By the time you make your gravy, enough of the seasonings will have made their way into the beef juices that there will be no need for further seasoning. I like to keep good food preparation as simple as I can!
This is the guide I follow for the time at which my roast cooks at High Pressure.
- 2 pounds (2.2 pounds = 1 kilogram) 50 minutes
- 3 pounds 60 minutes
- 4 pounds 70 minutes
- 5 pounds 80 minutes
You get the idea! Of course these sizes are approximate. Just choose the one that's closest to the roast you have. I'd welcome your feedback on how they work out for you, especially if you use a large roast. Also, please tell me how you like your roast done: rare, medium, well-done?
What to Serve with Roast Beef
- Gluten Free Scalloped Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus
- Garden Salad with Simple Herb Vinaigrette
- Creamy Dairy Free Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Note my method for lump free gravy in the video and recipe. You may use either cornstarch or tapioca starch to thicken your gravy. Whichever way you decide to go, it's important to mix your starch thoroughly into some cold water until it is smooth with no lumps remaining. Bringing most of your liquid to a boil before introducing the starch speeds up the gravy-making process and shortens the time you need to spend stirring. Adding unblended starch to this hot liquid would immediately cook it into lumps. That's how lumpy gravy happens.
If you have stirred cornstarch into cold water until no lumps remain, your gravy will be finished almost as soon as you stir it into the hot liquid. If you use tapioca starch, cook it a little longer.
For more details on the gravy, read Gluten Free Gravy.
Leftovers?
Any leftovers you might have from this roast will be great in Mango Beef Salad with Avocado.
Gluten Free Spice Mix
Click here for the simple recipe for my versatile Gluten Free Spice Mix.
Recipe
Ingredients
Roast Beef
- 2 pounds 1kg boneless bottom blade roast, or beef roast of preference (see links above)
- 2 tablespoons Cathy's Gluten Free Spice Mix
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 cup filtered water
Gravy
- cold water enough to make 2 cups total with beef liquid
- 2 tablespoons gluten free cornstarch or arrowroot starch
Instructions
- Rub Gluten Free Spice Mix generously all over the surface of your roast.
- Select "Saute" setting on your Instant Pot. When the word "Hot" appears, add avocado oil. Sear the roast on each side to brown, about a minute per side.
- Remove roast and set aside for a moment. Add water and stir to deglaze the pot.
- Place Instant Pot trivet into the pot, and set the roast on it over the liquid. Set your pressure cooker for "High Pressure" for 50 minutes, or longer for a larger roast. (See chart above.)
- When cooking time is up, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes. Then open vent for quick release.
- When your Instant Pot is ready to open (the little button has dropped down), remove the roast, and set it aside while you make the gravy. Then slice and serve.
Gravy
- Pour liquid from bottom of Instant Pot into a measuring cup. After noting the amount, return it to the pot. Set Instant Pot at "Saute."
- Measure enough cold water so that you will have a TOTAL of 2-cups liquid (when combined with previously measured hot liquid) into the measuring cup.
- Whisk starch into the cold liquid so that no lumps remain.
- When the drippings in the Instant Pot have come to a boil, whisk in the starch/cold water combination. Your gravy should thicken up immediately and be ready to serve. (If using arrowroot starch, cook it a little longer.)
Chef Markus Mueller says
Wow! This pot roast is the picture of perfection! I haven't done a roast in my instant pot yet..I'm doing a pork shoulder for pulled pork this week though. Do you think the cooking times would be similar or should I cook a bit longer to have it fall apart more?
Love playing with my Instant Pot!!
Cathy says
Thank you, Markus! That's quite a compliment coming from a trained chef! I would cook the pork shoulder longer to have it fall apart.
Colleen says
I love your video and I'm going to share on my FB page! We don't eat a lot of meat, especially beef, but I have always been confused about the cuts of meat, too. It would be great to see some more uniform labeling I have an instant pot that, sadly, is still in the box, but you have inspired me to break it out and make something! Great, classic recipe!.
Cathy says
Why, thank you, Colleen! Enjoy your Instant Pot!
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
I could think of so many uses for this roast, but I think my favourite would be piled high on a sandwich with some horseradish! So comforting on a rainy day like today!
Cathy says
Ooooh! That sounds really good!