You’ve got an Instant Pot and can’t wait to cook a delicious roast for family and friends in it.
Do you know how long to cook a roast for in your Instant Pot pressure cooker though?
If you are looking for a quick answer, check the table below:
| Type of meat | Time |
|---|---|
| Most meats | 15 min per pound |
| Chicken | 6 min per pound |
| Duck | 8 min per pound |
| Beef, mutton, and pork | 15 min per pound |
*Adding other ingredients like potatoes and onions, you can pressure cook for about half the time
Pressure cooking in an Instant Pot can be exciting, terrifying, and confusing all at the same time! Roasts are expensive and you don’t want to ruin it.
Safety first!
For some people, the pressure cooker is a bit of a time bomb sitting around in their kitchen and waiting for the right moment to explode. You may have heard stories from your grandmother about exploding pots and food all over the ceiling.
We’d like to put your fears to rest once and for all. Modern Instant Pots are certainly no death traps. They are now a lot safer than their old counterparts.
The electric types are perfectly safe and won’t allow you to remove the lid until it has released all the pressure that’s built up during the cooking period.
If you’re still doubtful of their safety, you may like to try the ‘walk away’ trick each time you’ve finished pressure cooking a dish: walk away and let the cooker rest for 20 minutes after cooking to let off some steam.
You really have nothing to worry about with the modern instant cooking pots. They are perfectly safe to use in your kitchen.
Money-saving
For many, these pots are a savior. It’s their number one go-to for a tantalizing meal of tender, savory, heart-warming stews, soups, and meat roasts. They allow you to cook the cheaper cuts of meat to fall-off-the-bone tenderness.
Now that you have a pressure cooker, you’ll be able to afford to buy roasts more often. That’s because the less you use your regular hob and oven for preparing meals, the more electricity you will save.
Stoves use a considerable amount of energy and to cook a roast they may have to be on for up to three hours. Your Instant Pot will cook the food much faster. This will save you energy bills and keep your kitchen cooler.
An Instant Pot can reduce your stove’s energy consumption by as much as 70%. Your Instant Pot will also save you money by reducing your air conditioning use…remember…your kitchen will be cooler.
Cooking your roast for the correct amount of time will save your electricity too.
Let’s do a roast!
So, you have your roast and you have your Instant Pot. Read on and we’ll tell you exactly how long to cook it for to get a perfect roast with all the delectable juices retained.
How Long Do You Cook a Roast in An Instant Pot Pressure Cooker?
Now for the confusing part: how long should you cook a roast in an Instant Pot?
Instant Pots have become a bit of a craze and there’s a lot of different information online. No wonder some people are confused. Different blogs will give you different times.
We’re here to clear up the confusion and give you a couple of very simple principles to work with.
Cooking time depends on 3 things
The time you’ll need to cook a roast in your Instant Pot depends on 3 things:
- the size of your piece of meat,
- what type of meat it is (mutton, lamb, beef, pork, chicken, or duck),
- and whether it is frozen or thawed.
We recommend never cooking meat from frozen…thaw it first for tenderest and juiciest results. It can be done, however, and we’ve provided times for that method too.
Don’t overdo it
Remember, once you have overcooked a piece of meat, you cannot undo it. If overcooked, it will be dry, grainy, and sometimes inedible. You can always cook an undercooked piece a few minutes longer though.
So, principle number one is this: no matter how ridiculously short the cooking time in the instructions sounds, try it. You can always add a little more time after checking.
If you’re unsure, use a meat thermometer to check. The internal temperature of the meat should be 145˚F/63˚C when done.
Let’s look at size first
- For a thawed roast, the general rule for most meats is that you will need *15 min per pound*. Therefore, for a 3-pound roast, you’ll need to pressure cook for 45-minuteson high heat.
- For a 5-pound roast, you’ll need 75 minutes of cooking time on high. Remember, your cooking time starts from when the pot gets up to temperature.
- If you absolutely must cook the roast from frozen, add on an extra 20-25 minutes of cooking time.
- If you plan on adding other ingredients like potatoes and onions, you can pressure cook for about half the time, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes and then add your potatoes and continue cooking.
Now let’s look at types of meat
If you’re roasting a chicken, you will need just 6 min per pound. So, for a 3–4-pound chicken, you should cook it for 18-25 minutes. If frozen, add another 3 min for each pound.
A duck will require a little longer. Give it 8 min per pound.
Beef, mutton, and pork should be cooked for the same 15 min per pound as spoken of earlier.
How to prepare a roast for the pressure cooker
Cooking a roast in an Instant Pot is quite easy and should take you little more than 10 minutes of prep time.
- First off, we advise defrosting the meat.
- You’ll need to season your roast generously on all sides with your chosen seasoning. Simple salt and pepper are good on any meat but you can be more adventurous if you like. There are many recipes for different rubs and seasonings so we encourage you to explore those.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the Instant Pot and set it to Sauté. Sear the meat quickly on all sides to get it nicely caramelized. This will help to seal the juices in and will also give it a lovely umami flavor.
- Set the pot to high heat.
- Pour in some broth, stock, wine, or the liquid suggested by your recipe. Some people use cola while others swear by ginger ale. The choice is yours. Meat done in the pressure cooker can be a little bland so be sure to use a well-flavored liquid. About a cupful is usually enough.
- Add a sliced onion and a carrot for flavor too.
- Cover and allow to cook for the correct time. Let it do a natural release for 10-15 more minutes and you’re all set.
- Remove the roast from the pot, check for doneness, cover, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
- Remember to use the liquid in the pot to make a tasty gravy to serve with your roast. This can be done while the roast is resting.
We hope you’re excited to get going with cooking your family a perfect roast and that you’re feeling more confident now. Until next time!