Instant Pot French Onion Pot Roast–tender pieces of chuck roast with caramelized onions and gravy. This roast is addicting!
Get the printable recipe! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-french-onion-pot-roast/
I am not a huge meat person. I like meat in things. But I don’t really care for a big hunk of meat as the main thing. You get what I’m saying? Well, this roast may have changed my mind. It was so flavorful with the onions and gravy that I couldn’t stop eating it. My son and I both loved it when it first got done and when my daughter and Greg tried it as leftovers they loved it too.
You’ll start this roast by browning each side. This is an extra step, I know. But it is worth it, in my opinion, because it adds a depth of flavor. After the roast has a little color you’ll toss some thinly sliced onions into the pot with a bit of baking soda. This helps with the maillard reaction (the browning process of onions that gives it that sweet, golden flavor). After a couple minutes the onions will start releasing juices and turning yellow. You’ll add in vinegar, Worcestershire, some seasonings and a can of tomato sauce with the beef. Then it’s time to pressure cook.
My roast was a pretty thin flat roast. It was about 2 inches thick at its thickest section. I decided to use a 60 minute pressure cook time. But if you have a roast that is thick in the middle then you’ll want to add 10 extra minutes per inch of thickness. So if you have a roast that’s 4 inches thick pressure cook for 80 minutes. And, as always, with roasts you’ll want to use a natural pressure release so that the meat stays nice and tender.
I’ll tell you another trick to get nice tender roast. You can quarter the roast. This helps each piece get more sauce on it too. I didn’t quarter my roast this time around but I have a lot in the past and have always liked how they turn out.
Instant Pot French Onion Pot Roast
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
2 pound chuck roast
2 medium onions, halved and sliced
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup beef broth
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme
2 tsp parsley
Cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
Instant Pot Instructions:
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil. Brown the roast on each side for about 4 minutes. Remove the roast and place on a plate.
Add in the onions and baking soda. Toss until the onions start to release moisture and they turn yellow (3-4 minutes). Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking.
Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour garlic, vinegar, Worcestershire, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley on top of the roast.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 60 minutes for a roast that is 2 inches thick. If your roast is thicker add 10 minutes per extra inch of thickness. When time is up let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes then release any remaining pressure by moving valve to venting.
Place the beef on a cutting board. Use a colander or a slotted spoon to separate onions from juices and move them to a platter.
Thicken the juices remaining in the pot with a cornstarch slurry. Turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. In a small bowl stir together 2-3 Tbsp of cornstarch with 3 Tbsp of water, until smooth. Then pour the mixture into the Instant Pot. The cornstarch mixture will thicken up contents of pot quickly. Turn off Instant Pot once gravy is thickened.
Slice or shred beef and serve with the onions and gravy.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
Add onions, broth, roast, garlic, vinegar, Worcestershire, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley into slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Place the beef on a cutting board. Use a colander or a slotted spoon to separate onions from juices and move them to a platter.
Thicken the juices remaining in the pot with a cornstarch slurry. Turn slow cooker to high. In a small bowl stir together 2-3 Tbsp of cornstarch with 3 Tbsp of water, until smooth. Then pour the mixture into the slow cooker. Let the sauce thicken up for 10-20 minutes.
Slice or shred beef and serve with the onions and gravy.
You’ll also like…
Instant Pot 30 MINUTE MEAL– https://youtu.be/p8QAqDyuRdc
9 QUICK Dinners – 30 Minutes or Less — https://youtu.be/zA7c2pXqD6c
EASY Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup — https://youtu.be/iEuyWzqidw8