Frozen Beef Roast in an Instant Pot

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Here’s how to cook a juicy, tender, and flavorful Frozen Beef Roast in an Instant Pot that’s a perfect dinner and makes amazing leftovers.

Frozen Chuck Roast Instant Pot Recipe

I love the ease of taking a roast right from the freezer to the Instant Pot. No more remembering to thaw the roast ahead of time!

Because I love to start my week with cooked meat already in my fridge. I try to batch-cook several meats in my Instant Pot over the weekend.

It’s just plain smart to keep cooked roast beef in your fridge for easy meals.

Roast beef is delicious stirred into pastas (like mac and cheese!) and salads,. Or even added to wraps, grilled sandwiches, and over mashed potatoes.

If you want to cook frozen beef roasts larger than 2 – 2 1/2 pounds, invest in an 8-quart Instant Pot. Standard Instant Pots are 6-quart.

A frozen roast that is larger than 2 1/2 pounds and frozen solid, typically won’t fit in a 6-quart Instant Pot.

And remember, always use the natural release on a pressure cooker when cooking meat. Keep reading to learn why!

Frozen Beef Roast in an Instant Pot recipe ingredients

• Frozen beef roast: I like a chuck roast for this recipe, but you can use any beef roast that will fit in your 6-quart Instant Pot, which is typically about 2 – 2 1/2 pounds in size.
• Beef broth: This adds flavor to the roast as it cooks. If you don’t have broth, you could use beer, wine, or even water, if needed.
• Seasonings for the beef: kosher salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano leaves, chili powder
• Aromatics: White or yellow onion; use what you have on hand. Crushed or minced garlic; may substitute 1 tsp. garlic powder, if needed.

How to cook a frozen roast in an Instant Pot

In a small bowl, combine the salt, black pepper, paprika, oregano leaves, and chili powder; reserve.

Place the frozen roast into the Instant Pot.

If you have difficulty unpackaging the frozen roast, place it into a large bowl of tepid water for a few minutes.

This will usually thaw the surface of the roast just enough to allow the packaging to release and come off.

Pour the beef broth over the roast into the pot.

Sprinkle the prepared spice blend over the wet frozen roast.

Top the roast with the sliced onions and crushed garlic. Allow the excess to fall into the broth in the Instant Pot.

Lock the Instant Pot lid into place. Use the manual setting to choose High Pressure.

Set the cook time for 90 minutes. Bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure and allow the roast to cook.

When the timer sounds, allow a natural pressure release for at least 30 minutes.

Resting your meat makes it much more tender and juicy because it allows the juices to redistribute into the roast.

When the pressure in the pot comes down naturally on its own, the protein fibers relax.

The roast will be nice and fork-tender when you open it in the Instant Pot.

Whatever you do, please don’t skip the natural pressure release when cooking any type of meat under pressure.

Carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid. Test the roast with a fork to ensure it is fully fork-tender.

If you meet any resistance when testing the roast at this point, lock the Instant Pot lid back into place.

Cook the roast for an additional 10 minutes, followed by a second natural release of 15-20 minutes.

If any pressure remains in the Instant Pot after the 30-minute natural release, perform a quick release to remove it.

Remove the cooked roast to a cutting board and use two forks to shred the meat into pieces.

Serve at once, or cool the roast fully and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How long to cook frozen roast in an Instant Pot

As a good rule of thumb, frozen roast will take approximately 50% longer to cook than a fully thawed roast.

As an example, a thawed beef roast can be cooked under pressure for 15-20 minutes per pound, while a frozen roast needs to be cooked under pressure for 25-30 minutes per pound.

Be sure to always follow that pressurized cooking time in the Instant Pot by a nice, long natural release so the roast comes out fork-tender and juicy!

This step cannot be skipped if you want a roast that’s delicious.

Can you cook a frozen roast in an Instant Pot?

As long as you add a nice spice blend (as used in this recipe) and some aromatics, such as onion and garlic, the frozen roast will cook perfectly in the Instant Pot.

This recipe delivers a beef roast with such great flavor!

How many minutes per pound to cook a frozen roast beef?

When cooking frozen roast beef, you will want to use 25-30 minutes of pressurized time per pound in the Instant Pot.

When I cook a frozen roast in the Instant Pot, I always use 30 minutes per pound.

As an example, a 2 1/2 pound frozen roast will need to cook for 75 minutes under pressure, followed by a long, natural release.

Whereas, a 2 1/2 pound thawed roast will need to cook about 50 minutes under pressure.

Other Recipes to Try

This juicy and tender Air Fryer Chuck Roast with potatoes and carrots cooks in a fraction of the time and has a crispy exterior crust that adds divine flavor.

Round Beef Roast is an economical cut of beef that simmers low and slow until it’s fall-apart tender and juicy.

You are just moments away from an outstanding chicken dish that’s easy and soooo flavorful: Instant pot sticky chicken thighs.   Make these tender chicken thighs in just minutes in your Instant Pot.