Boneless pork roast in Instant Pot or in Ninja Foodi comes out tender melt in your mouth delicious. Slice and serve as sliders for dinner. We shared how to cook an Instant Pot frozen pork roast a while back but this time it is fresh. Both are amazing.
There is nothing worse than dried out meat but when pressure cooking you can seal it all in if you do it right. Add a dry rub if you like or just stay with simple salt and pepper for seasonings. Just one of many quick Instant Pot recipes we love.
Boneless Pork Roast Recipe
We typically use a 2 pound to 2.5 lb size as you see here. You do want a layer of fat on one side. I am not a fan of it on the whole to consume however it is a must for the cooking process, keeping it nice and moist. You can trim it off when it is done before serving but don’t do so beforehand, believe me.
Ninja Foodi (Option)
If you are planning to use a multi function pot such as this one, it will work just fine as well. To make as a Ninja Foodi recipe you will use the lid that is NOT attached with the pressure cook button on the front. You can in fact switch at the end to air fry if you wanted to make the outsides crisped at the end but that really isn’t necessary.
How long to cook 2 lb pork roast in Instant Pot
15 minutes per pound is what you are looking for. Then you need to account for a natural release at the end to keep it moist. OR brown on saute function, allow to rest for 5 minutes and then slice into 1/2″ slices. If sliced like this it only takes 5 minutes to cook with a natural release at the end.
Ingredient Notes
A 2 lb boneless pork roast was what was used here, this is our size preference to feed the 4 of us with a few side dishes. You want to slice thin to melt in your mouth.
You will need to sear the outsides in the first step with some Olive oil or avocado oil after it has been coated with the seasonings of your choice to really lock in the moisture and those flavors.
Chicken broth is better than water to offer more flavor but you do need liquid so that the meat essentially steams under high heat to break down the connective tissues and get tender.
Onions and russet potatoes are optional but suggested as this is the way to make a complete meal in one pot to serve together.
Tips
If you have a seasoning blend you make that you love then by all means use that. There are bottled ones out there too, or use our pork chops dry rub that is both sweet and savory. I would not skip it entirely. There isn’t a ton of flavor if you leave it off so unless you’re going to drench it in some sort of sauce I would coat with some sort of blend.
After you coat and sear the outsides with some oil you want to always deglaze your pot by scraping the brown bits off the bottom. This will prevent the burn notice from appearing on your screen by doing this.
Tips for cooking the perfect pork roast
Remember, cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of the pork roast, so it’s important to rely on the internal temperature rather than a specific cooking time. With these tips in mind, to make the perfect pork roast are;
- Season generously if nothing else but liberally with salt, pepper, and any other desired spices or herbs. Rub the seasonings into the meat to ensure even distribution and maximum flavor.
- Monitor internal temperature often with a digital meat thermometer. This is the most accurate way to determine when the roast is cooked to your desired level of doneness.
- For pork, the recommended internal temperature is 145° F or 63° C for medium-rare and 160° F or 71° C for medium.
- Let meat rest once it reaches the desired internal temperature. Remove it from the heat source and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Resting allows the juices to redistribute within the meat, resulting in a more tender and juicy roast.
- Carve properly which means you should slice it against the grain to ensure tenderness. Cutting against the grain helps to shorten the muscle fibers, making the meat more tender and easier to chew.
Instant Pot Pork Roast Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lb pork roast, boneless used
- 1 c chicken broth
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder
- 2 potatoes, optional, could quarter potatoes and add if you like
Instructions
- Set pot to saute and add olive oil. Dry outside of meat with paper towels. Then rub on seasonings all around entire piece. Add meat and brown on both sides. Remove meat, set aside and turn pot off.
- Add a bit of your broth into the pot and scrape any stuck on bits off the bottom of the pot to deglaze.
- Add rest of broth, quartered onion with your meat. If you wanted to add quartered potatoes on the top you could do that as well. (large chunks of peeled fresh carrot is okay to add too)
- Close lid and steam valve. Set to high pressure for 15 minutes per pound. Then allow for a 10 minute natural release at the end.
- Lift lid, slice and serve. If you wanted to thicken liquid inside pot to make a gravy you can remove veggies and meat with slotted spoon. Leave liquid inside. Set pot to saute. In a small bowl whisk together 2 tbsp cornstarch with a bit of cold water until smooth. Add that in when liquid is bubbling. Stir to thicken, taste, adjust seasonings as desired and serve on top of meat.
Video
Notes
How to Make the Drippings into Gravy
If you wanted to thicken liquid inside pot to make a gravy you can remove veggies and meat with slotted spoon. Leave liquid inside. Set pot to saute. In a small bowl whisk together 2 tbsp cornstarch with a bit of cold water until smooth. Add that in when liquid is bubbling. Stir to thicken, taste, adjust seasonings as desired and serve on top of meat.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Other Pork Recipes You’ll Love
We have in fact made Instant Pot pork shoulder similarly, but tend to cook it longer to shred and make sliders out of that cut. Loin is another cut of pork that is quite lean, I prefer one with more of a fat pad like our pork belly in air fryer.
Fillet and Porketta Roast is super tender. Rib chop has bones so not as pleasant. Instant Pot pork belly is a beyond amazing way to make this fatty cut in less than 45 minutes. Cheek is very fatty but the most decadent. And Pork butt in Instant Pot is best cooked in a rich sauce like bbq or balsamic vinegar, to make pulled pork and served as sliders.
You can just slice it and serve, dice and put it into a stew, shredded in tacos is great and use the gravy sauce out of the pot over it all. This isn’t the only way we have done it, but a great place to start with this cut for sure. Once you try this one and fall in love you should look at our list of other Ninja Foodi pork recipes and try one of those as well.
What to do with leftovers
I hate wasting food so I get it. When done that night you will need to first wait until it is completely cooled. Then store in a freezer bag that is airtight. Use within the next 3 days. There are lots of things you can make especially if you dice it up. Sometimes I will do something simple like chop it up, toss with barbecue sauce and make pulled pork sliders with it.
FAQ
Unlike beef pork gets more tender the longer it is cooked. If you cannot slice it easily with a sharp knife or pull it apart to shred with two forks it hasn’t cooked long enough. Typically to get to 145 degrees F and safe to eat, a pork roast in Instant Pot takes 15 minutes per pound. If you want to make shredded pork though you should increase cook time to closer to 20 minutes/lb.
Always always cook meat with the fat side on the top. Reason for this makes sense as you want the fat when it melts to drip over the rest of the meat and get it nice and tender. Fat will add flavor to your proteins too so even if you don’t want to eat it at the end, leave it on for the cooking process.
