Cooking a 3 pound frozen roast in Instant Pot is possible! How long to get a tender, flavorful, piece of beef that is not thawed out beforehand shared. Not just Frozen Chuck Roast Instant Pot but other cuts work great with these instructions too.
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)
Table of Contents
- How to Cook a Frozen Roast in a Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot Frozen Roast Ingredients
- Can you cook a frozen roast?
- How long to cook 3 pound frozen roast in Instant Pot
- Can you cook a roast partially frozen?
- How long does it take to thaw a frozen roast?
- How do you defrost meat?
- What goes in a roast dinner?
- How long is leftover roast beef good for?
- Frozen Roast in Instant Pot Recipe
How to Cook a Frozen Roast in a Pressure Cooker
If this has never happened to you, bravo. You can use the same recipe below if you’re using a Crockpot Express, Mealthy or as an easy Ninja Foodi recipes using the lid that is not attached. Works just as well no matter what brand you own.
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. 😉 I wasn’t so sure how good frozen roast in a slow cooker would be until I tried it. Yes that is totally possible too! If you want to try another method some day give this one a whirl with veggies and thick gravy.
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.
Instant Pot Frozen Roast Ingredients
- 3 lb. frozen beef roast is what was used here
- Broth or water but Beef broth gives you more flavor
- Onion
- Minced garlic
- Salt and pepper
- onion powder and garlic powder could be added as well
- quartered red potatoes could be added
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. Remember that fat=flavor so don’t choose a piece that is lean (those can be more expensive anyway).
Can you cook a frozen roast?
I actually wasn’t so sure this would even work and wondered can you cook a frozen roast without defrosting it first and still have it come out tender? The answer was a resounding YES! The trick is high pressure AND allowing the steam to naturally release slowly which will continue to break down the connective tissues so it is fork tender.
- 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.
How long to cook 3 pound frozen roast in Instant Pot
90 minutes was perfect for this size. Of course yours may not be exactly this size but you can adjust it rather easily with about 10 minutes per pound with this in mind meaning; 2 pound frozen roast = 80 minutes cook time & 4 pound frozen roast takes 100 minutes to pressure cook.
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.
Can you cook a roast partially frozen?
Yes, even half solid I would follow the same timing though. These are the steps to follow when making this pot roast recipe here. We now have frozen pork roast Instant Pot directions too! Any large cuts have a great result this way. Actually, the longer it cooks the more tender it gets so it is hard to mess up. 😉
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.
How long does it take to thaw a frozen roast?
Want to try this another time defrosted? I mean the outcome is a bit better if you have the time to thaw it in the fridge overnight to make pressure cooker shredded beef inside slider buns for a one pot meal.
- 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
Sliced or shredded it is always a great meal option because there is a multitude of ways it can be served like: Then you could follow one of our easy Instant Pot beef recipes.
- Served over a bed of pressure cooker mashed potatoes
- With a side of Instant Pot carrots
- Made into soft tacos in Instant Pot 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 with defrosted meat in our Crockpot roast recipe here.
- Want to try another method with a thawed out piece of meat? Try our marinated air fryer roast recipe and there’s another one below too.
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.
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! Either way they turn out fabulous paired with a vegetable and starch of some kind.
Need instructions on how to cook frozen chicken in the Instant Pot too? We have it!
Frozen Roast in Instant Pot
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
- 1 trivet
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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can do have to use the insert with the frozen roast, or can I have it cook in the broth?
I have the same question! I want it cooked in juices!
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.
Lol well I am happy it was a real hit
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?
@Lauren, Did you ever figure this out? My roast is about 2lbs also and I wondered about the veggies since I want them cooked in all the juices with the roast. TIA
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
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.
Use the pressure cook button, or manual if you have that. Think pressure cook to cook and saute to fry.
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!
Yay so glad it was a hit for y’all
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!
Yay!!
Super great idea… cooking time.. far to long. Thanks for the idea though
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.
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!;)
Mine was too bland. I used a 3lb roast and added some various seasonings like salt n pepper,, garlic powder, Italian seasoning.. I used canned French onion soup and added reduced sodium chicken broth, and then added cooked carrots and celery after cooking chuck roast for 80 min. (on high pressure and then allowed natural release for 30 minutes. Very tender, fell apart. Not very flavorful. Next time, I will add more seasonings.
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!
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.
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!
Yay glad it was such a hit for you too.
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!
OH Yay glad it was a hit, it is really cold here too!