Instant Pot Italian style pot roast is tender, shreddable chuck roast cooked with stewed tomatoes, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Serve it on a bun with the juices spooned over the top.
This is the pot roast I make when Italian beef sandwiches sound good but I do not want to watch the oven all afternoon. The Instant Pot does the work in an hour.
Why This Instant Pot Italian Style Pot Roast Works
Sear the chuck roast in three large pieces, not one. Three pieces give you more browned surface area. More browning means deeper flavor in the final sauce. Cut the roast, season it, and sear it right in the Instant Pot on Saute.
Deglaze the pot before you pressure cook. Scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon after searing. Any browned bits left stuck to the liner will trigger the burn notice. A quick scrape with the onions and garlic fixes it.
Stewed tomatoes go on top. Do not stir them in. Layering the tomatoes on top of the meat keeps them from sitting on the bottom of the pot and scorching during the pressure cook. The liquid from the tomatoes drips down through the roast as it cooks.
Red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce do the heavy lifting. Together they give the sauce a tangy, savory depth that plain broth cannot match. A teaspoon of sugar and a little brown sugar round out the acidity.
Natural release for fifteen minutes. Do not quick release. Chuck roast needs the gradual pressure drop to stay tender. Quick release makes the meat tough and hard to chew.
How to Make Instant Pot Italian Style Pot Roast
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute. Add the olive oil.
- Cut the chuck roast into three large pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Place the pieces in the hot Instant Pot and sear on all sides.
- Press Cancel. Scrape the bottom of the liner to deglaze. Any stuck bits must come up.
- Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, red wine vinegar, sugar, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Pour the stewed tomatoes on top. Do not stir.
- Close the lid. Set to Manual or Pressure Cook. Set the timer for 60 minutes.
- Once the time is up, allow the pot to naturally release for 15 minutes. Then open the lid.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the pot roast and veggies. Shred the meat with two forks. Spoon the juices over the top.
- Serve on hamburger buns with extra sauce.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Season and sear the chuck roast pieces in a skillet on the stove. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Add the onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, sugar, brown sugar, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the stewed tomatoes on top. Do not stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours. The roast is done when it shreds easily with a fork.
- Shred and serve on buns with the juices.
Quick Tips
- Cut the roast into three pieces for more browning. More surface area, more flavor.
- Scrape the bottom after searing. Burn notice means start over.
- Stewed tomatoes on top, do not stir. Keeps them from scorching.
- Natural release only. Quick release makes chuck roast tough.
- Thawed roast cooks 20 minutes per pound. Frozen cooks 30 minutes per pound.
Make Ahead and Storage
Store the shredded pot roast and juices together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The meat gets better overnight.
Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of water.
More Instant Pot Recipes
For more Instant Pot dinners, try my Instant Pot Sloppy Joes or my Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Sandwiches. Both are weeknight favorites.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Italian-Style Pot Roast Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb beef chuck roast*
- 1 white onion - sliced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 15 oz stewed tomatoes - with liquid
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar - packed
- salt and pepper - to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - for searing
- 8 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Cut chuck roast into 3 large pieces and place in the Instant Pot to sear on all sides.
- Press Cancel on the Instant Pot, and scrape the bottom of the liner to deglaze the pot.
- Add in the onion, garlic, vinegar, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.
- Pour in the stewed tomatoes on top of the chuck roast - Do Not Stir.
- Close the lid and set to MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK (Whichever setting your pressure cooker has).
- Set timer for 60 minutes.
- Once the time is up, allow the pot to Naturally Release for 15 minutes before opening the lid.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the pot roast and veggies.
- Serve alone or serve on sandwiches.
Notes
- This recipe uses a 3 lb chuck roast. Pressure cooking times vary. Thawed chuck roasts cook for 20 minutes per pound and frozen chuck roasts cook for 30 minutes per pound. Natural release times stay the same.
- Sear the roast in three pieces for more browning. More surface area, more flavor.
- Deglaze the pot after searing or the burn notice will trigger.
- Stewed tomatoes on top, do not stir. Keeps the bottom from scorching.
- Natural release for 15 minutes. Quick release makes the meat tough.
- Sear the roast in a skillet first. Transfer to slow cooker. Cook on low 8-9 hours or high 5-6 hours.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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