Cooking a frozen roast in Instant Pot is possible! You can still get a tender, flavorful, piece of beef even if it is not thawed out beforehand. Here’s how!
Here we share how to cook a Frozen Roast in Instant Pot here! Yes sometimes I forget to defrost dinner so this is a helpful Instant Pot recipe hack to keep on hand. (affiliate links present)
If you need easy Ninja Foodi recipes, you can use that pot instead.
- If this has never happened to you, bravo.
- I of course have made a pressure cooker roast before, when I have bought it fresh, but straight out of the freezer requires different directions.
- You can use the same recipe below if you’re using a Crockpot Express or as a easy Ninja Foodi recipe too.
If you’re staring at your rock hard piece of beef right now looking for a little guidance, do not fret!! Dinner will come out perfectly and nobody will know you had a forgetful moment. 😉
This is what you’ll need to make a perfectly cooked Instant Pot frozen roast
- 3 lb. beef roast is what was used here
- What is the best cut of roast? A boneless chuck roast is the best choice for pot roast, quite inexpensive too.
- It has outstanding marbling which makes the beef tender and juicy when cooked in any method really.
- What is the best cut of roast? A boneless chuck roast is the best choice for pot roast, quite inexpensive too.
- Beef broth
- Onion
- Carrots
- quartered red potatoes could be added
- Minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
- onion powder and garlic powder could be added as well
I actually wasn’t so sure this would even work and wondered can you cook a frozen roast and still have it come out tender? The answer was a resounding YES!
- Beef, pork, and lamb roasts are safe to cook in the frozen state. The only real big difference is that the cooking time.
- Frozen meats typically take 50 percent longer in the oven, but not in a pressure cooker.
That’s the game changer. Now you can cook an Instant Pot chuck roast from fresh or a frozen state and have it come out perfect! Of course if it’s already defrosted it is quicker to do. Follow our directions Instant Pot beef roast recipes if it’s fresh.
What is one of the most important steps when making an Instant Pot pot roast, or any large piece of meat?
- When you cook a roast in a pressure cooker it is best to do a natural release of the pressure once the cook time is up.
- Following this rule will keep your meat much more tender and almost fall apart when touched with a fork.
- If you choose to quick release it instead a lot of the moisture inside will escape and you won’t achieve the outcome you want.
This step may take about 20 minutes to 30 minutes to complete, beyond the cooking time, but is well worth it.
These are the steps to follow when making this pot roast recipe here.
First of course you will want to unwrap your piece of protein. Since it is frozen you won’t be able to trim it at all but that is okay. For this type of meat you really want the fat in tact because it will make it more moist in the end.
- Place a trivet inside your pot with your frozen roast on top.
- remember that timing below is based on a 3 lb. piece
- if yours is much larger than that you may need to increase a few minutes on high
- Pour your broth or stock on top followed by a sprinkle of your sliced onion.
- Sprinkle any and all seasonings you like on top now.
- the ones we have are just suggestions, if you usually use your own mixture go right ahead and load it on.
- you can also just use these ready made roast seasonings in a packet. These were originally made for the slow cooker but work great using this method as well.
- Close lid and steam valve and set to high pressure for 90 minutes followed by a natural release.
- Lift meat out, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing or shredding.
- If you want to make a gravy out of the drippings, follow our Instant Pot gravy directions.
Want to try this another time defrosted? How long does it take to thaw a frozen roast?
- You can put your frozen roast in the refrigerator for one to three days to soften. If it is rather large it may take up to five days at the most.
- A 4 pound piece takes about 24 hours to thaw, but sometimes longer so plan for a little over a day when you’re meal prepping.
How do you defrost meat? To defrost a piece of beef in cold water, do not remove the outside packaging. Be sure it is on there airtight or put it into a freezer bag free of leaks. –
- Then, just submerge the meat into a bowl or sink full of cold water.
- Make sure to change the water every 30 minutes so that it continues to thaw.
- Small packages may defrost in an hour or less whereas a 3-4 pound roast may take 2 to 3 hours
Then you could follow one of our easy Instant Pot beef recipes.
Sliced or shredded it is always a great meal option because there is a multitude of ways it can be served like:
- Shredded beef inside slider buns
- Served over a bed of mashed potatoes
- With a side of carrots
- Made into soft tacos with small flour tortillas and lots of cheese
There are a lot of different chuck roast ideas out there you can try, most are not able to accommodate a frozen piece though. That is where these directions come in handy.
- If you want to make Instant Pot carnitas, seen below, follow this recipe but the timing below if it’s frozen.
What goes in a roast dinner? Well that is subjective depending on whom you ask really but typically the favorites remain the same.
- Sunday roast typically consists of roast beef, potatoes, and a variety of steamed vegetables.
- We add a TON of vegetables and onions in our Crockpot roast recipe here.
- If it is defrosted you can marinate it like we did with our air fryer roast recipe and it comes out packed with flavor I tell you.
Want to try another method with a thawed out piece of meat? Try our marinated air fryer roast recipe and let us know which you like better.
How long is leftover roast beef good for?
If you store it properly in airtight containers or freezer bags, cooked beef roast will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. You can make an Instant Pot casserole with it, or dice it up into a batch of pressure cooker fried cabbage.
- If you know you won’t eat it all before then, you should freeze it in covered containers free from leaks or wrap tightly with aluminum foil or freezer wrap.
Need instructions on how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot too? We have it!
Ready to take your pulled beef to the next level once it is defrosted? Make it into Instant Pot BBQ beef like we did here!
- If you’re able to defrost it, here’s the recipe for a pressure cooker roast.
Either way they turn out fabulous paired with a vegetable and starch of some kind.
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***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉
Frozen Roast in Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 lbs roast
- 3 c beef broth
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Put trivet inside pressure cooker with your frozen roast on top.
- Pour broth over the top, sprinkle in onions and put any and all seasonings you like on top of your meat.
- Close lid and steam valve and set to high pressure for 90 minutes followed by a natural release.
- If the weight of your roast differs, adjust by 10 minutes per pound.- 2 lbs = 80 minutes- 4 lbs = 100 minutes
- Remove meat and allow to rest if slicing, or remove trivet and shred right in pot with liquid. If you want to thicken liquid, remove meat, set to saute and in a small bowl whisk a few tbsp of cornstarch with some of your hot liquid. Pour that in, stir and allow to thicken, pour this on top when serving.
Tiffany says
Can do have to use the insert with the frozen roast, or can I have it cook in the broth?
Jackie says
You have ruined my oven roast lol! My family all said no more roast in the oven cook it this way! So tender and juicy, thank you. My go to from now no defrosting and so quick.
The Typical Mom says
Lol well I am happy it was a real hit
Lauren says
If I have a 2 lb chuck roast would the cooking time still be the same in a 6qt instant pot? Also, how long would I cook the roast for and then add the potatoes and carrots and how long to cook those for?
Rose Powers says
Second time making this recipe it’s great easy and love the fact I don’t have to start at 8 in the morning for crockpot and I seem to forget to remove the roast the night before so great recipe
Elvira says
Hi, I’m new to instant pot cooking.
What button am I supposed to use for this?
Is the time ment for pressure cooking, roast or slow cooking?
So many buttons and my instruction book sucks.
Thanks in advance.
Karen M Smith says
Use the pressure cook button, or manual if you have that. Think pressure cook to cook and saute to fry.
Max says
Worked great! My wife wanted what she calls- pot roast tacos and challenged me to put my CrockPot Express to the test. We had a 1.50 lb chuck roast in the freezer solid as a brick and she didn’t think it was possible to have tender, fall apart tacos in 90 mins or less. I’m happy to report that’s what I was able to pull off! Only changes I made was:
I didn’t use a trivet. I seared both sides of the beef in my CPE on Saute/Brown feature 3 mins per side.
Through in a cup of water, a can of diced toms, couple splashed of ACV, some S&P, garlic and sliced onions and pressed the Stew/Meat function on High for 90 mins. It was so tender I had to take the roast out in sections as it was falling apart lol. My wife even commented that she wouldn’t have tasted the difference if it had been slow cooking all day long. Thank you Justine!
The Typical Mom says
Yay so glad it was a hit for y’all
Anne Marie says
I was so worried my pot roast would come out tough BUT just the opposite!!!!! This is came out beyond tender the best pot roast ever!! Thank you….only one problem I started it too early, can I keep it on warm without ruining it until dinner ? Thank you again for this recipe!
The Typical Mom says
Yay!!
Holly says
Super great idea… cooking time.. far to long. Thanks for the idea though
The Typical Mom says
Did you try it? If yours was smaller yes it would take less time. Others below and myself have made this several times using weight recommended and it turns out absolutely perfect using the timing listed.
Brenda says
I wonder if some are decreasing the cooking time a bit because they ( like I ) have a larger instapot? I’ve read to decrease time in my instapot which sound backwards but I guess it is because it takes longer to get the larger pots to pressure temp! Anyway- mine is in now so I’ll see what happens. Thanks so much for the recipe and saving me with a frozen roast!;)
DH says
Are the full 3 cups of liquid required for the meat to cook nicely, or is there extra involved in order to have enough to make a gravy? I am hoping to use as little liquid as possible. Thanks!
The Typical Mom says
You can make gravy just with the liquid left in the pot when done. There will actually be a bit more dripped off from the meat when it’s cooking too.
Kala says
Most succulent roast I’ve ever made in 2-3 hours from frozen. Delicious! Set my time for 15 minutes less (thank you previous commenter!) then manually released pressure. Put in halved carrots and potatoes to the fill line and set it for another 15 minutes then let it release on its own. The kids cut up too many carrots and potatoes, so I sliced them into a pan and rubbed olive oil on them. Baked at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes and we loved those more than the ones I threw in with the roast! Next time – bigger roast for IP and two pans of roasted veggies! Thanks for a phenomenal meal!
The Typical Mom says
Yay glad it was such a hit for you too.
Joanne says
Soooo good, especially when it was 12 degrees outside today and snowing. I decided to roast Yukon potatoes and carrots in the oven my husband and I were so happy eating, we didn’t talk much..:) thank you!
The Typical Mom says
OH Yay glad it was a hit, it is really cold here too!
Emily Broyles says
I don’t have a trivet. Will this still work? Thanks!
The Typical Mom says
You need to keep it off of the bottom. Alternatively you can put 4 small red potatoes at the bottom and use that as a “trivet”
Dawn says
Yum! I’m glad I found this. I am notoriously bad at remembering to defrost meat, so this was a life saver. I wondered how I would cook the carrots and potatoes that naturally go with a pot roast, but I found a recipe to roast them in the oven. Perfect!
The Typical Mom says
Glad I could help
June says
Wow wow wow. Followed the directions and everything cooked to perfection. Would definitely cook a roast frozen and add the potatoes and carrots. Perfection.
Jim R. says
Good simple recipe. I know how to cook but (probably my age) have to check on cooking times and temp. times.
Tip to ladies above about the veggies. Cook them separately unless you want everything to taste the same. Start potatoes about half way through and other veggies later according to taste.
Question….. How do you feed 10 people with a three pound pot roast? There must be a loaves and fishes thing going on here.
Thanks for posting this recipe. I don’t use a pressure cooker very often and this was helpful.
Stephanie says
Do you add the vegetables to the 90 minutes or do you cook them differently??
Chel says
Would like to know this as well. Gut tells me not the full 90…
Jennifer Williams says
I definitely wouldn’t put the veggies in for 90 min, I noticed she did not include veggies in her recipe but served steamed veggies on the side. I don’t know if you can cut your interup the cooking time to add veggies or not, I have done this before in other chicken breast recipes about 3 min before cooking time is up add veggies then turn back on.
Kimberly A Fuentes says
I add them the last 15 minutes of cook time. They really don’t take that long in the pressure cooker. I do a quick release and add them
Linda K Grant says
loved the recipe….
The Typical Mom says
So glad!
Kristin says
What size InstantPot did you use? I have an 8qt, but I know that adjustments need to be madeif a recipe is for a 6qt InstantPot. Thank you – I think this is how I’m going to save dinner tonight!
sheena says
Ugh duh how much broth bad recipe!!!
justine says
Ummmm it’s listed right there in the recipe card.
Jen says
3 cups like the recipe lists, you rude moron. Reading is fundamental!
MAURENE says
Sheena, you are rude and unappreciative.
Austin says
Thanks! I just put this in, so here’s to 90 minutes!!
Ashley says
I love using my Instant Pot and this roast was so good. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jen says
I’m so glad I found this! I made a rock-solid frozen 2.5 lb roast and it turned out great! First time I’ve ever used a pressure cooker. I have to admit I was super skeptical that it would turn out as good as slow cooking for 8-10 hours like I usually do but I’m so glad I was wrong. The only thing I would do different next time is add a little more cook time as the center wasn’t as soft as the edges. I let the pressure naturally decrease for 30 minutes. Pretty pleased! Thank you!