How to cook bottom round roast in instant pot

Instant Pot Rare Roast Beef is a sliceable roast that you can make as rare as you like. This easy method of cooking a beef roast yields a juicy, delicious result. You can have a pressure cooker rare roast beef ready in about an hour! How to make a beef roast in the Instant Pot pressure cooker.

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What is the Best Cut of Beef for a Rare Roast?
Crisp Up the Outside
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Does a bottom round roast get more tender the longer you cook it?
Why is my roast tough in instant pot?
Is bottom round good for pot roast?
How long do you slow cook a beef roast in an instant pot?

As much as a fork tender beef pot roast is nice for dinner, sometimes a roast beef that I can slice is what I want. Medium rare is my favorite.

We usually use our Instant Pots to make meat, especially pot roasts, that are falling apart. Did you know that you can make your roast rare or medium rare in your pressure cooker?

It’s very simple, and I use this method with any meat that I don’t want to overcook, such as pork tenderloin.

What is the Best Cut of Beef for a Rare Roast?

• A Top Loin roast is my favorite cut of beef for this method. It has lots of flavor. Slice it thin for amazing roast beef sandwiches!
• The roast pictured is an Eye of Round roast, which is a little less expensive, and still produces excellent results.
• You could also try a Bottom Round roast, and have a wonderful, sliceable beef roast.

You will get the best results from a thicker roast. This roast is about 2.5 pounds, and just 3 inches thick. I won’t cook this one as long as a larger, thicker roast.

Here are the steps to make a nice rare or medium rare beef roast in the Instant Pot:

When you trim the fat, don’t take all of it off. Leave some for flavor!

When you add the roast back into the pot to pressure cook it, use the metal trivet/rack and set the roast on it.

You don’t HAVE to do this, but I like the results a little better as the sear stays a little crisper.

Sometimes I forget the trivet, as I did below, and the results are still awesome!

If you are making the roast to have slices for roast beef sandwiches, you can skip the gravy making steps.

Maybe save the juices and make some French Dip sandwiches? Strain the au jus before serving so it is nice and clear of bits.

If you don’t want your roast to be rare, but you still want it to be sliceable, just let it cook an extra minute or two. Then let it Naturally release a little longer.

Take the temperature, and for Medium you want 140° F, and for Medium-Well you want 150° F. Anything higher than about 155° F will be Well Done.

Crisp Up the Outside

If you have an Air Fryer Lid, you can air fry the roast for a few minutes on each side to crisp up the outside. Keep track of the roast temperature so it doesn’t get overcooked!

You could also set your oven to broil and crisp it that way.

Instant Pot Beef Stew
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If you make this delicious pressure cooker rare roast beef recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I would like to know how you liked it!

Electric Pressure Cooker

2-4 lb Beef Roast eye of round, rump roast, etc. Not chuck
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon Cooking Oil
1 Onion, thickly sliced (optional)
1 cup Beef Broth
½ cup Red Wine or more beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary Leaves, minced
4 Tablespoons Flour
¼ cup Water

Season the roast with salt and pepper on both sides.
Turn on the Sauté setting. When the pot is hot, add the oil. Then place the roast in the pot and brown on all sides.
Remove the roast to a plate.
Add the onion (if using), broth, wine, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (called deglazing).
Add the garlic and the thyme and rosemary leaves.
Put the trivet/rack in the pot and set the roast on it.
Cancel the sauté function. Close the lid and set the steam vent knob to the Sealing position.
Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button, then press the +/- button to select 3 minutes* (See Notes about cook time). High Pressure. Also, be sure that the Keep Warm setting is ON.
When the cook time is finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for a 20 to 45 minute Natural Release. This time is important as it will determine how rare your roast ends up** (Please see the Notes).
Take the temperature with an instant read thermometer. For a Rare roast, you want 115-120° F. For Medium Rare, you want about 125° F. Medium=140°, Medium Well=150 (add a minute to cook time).
Remove the roast to a plate and loosely cover with foil.

Make the Gravy

Remove the trivet from the pot and turn on the Sauté setting.
Whisk together the flour and water, then stir into the simmering liquid. Keep stirring until the gravy thickens. Then turn off the pot.
Serve the roast sliced with some of the gravy, if desired.

*This cook time will depend on the shape and thickness of your roast. A round shaped roast will be thicker and need 3 minutes. A 2 pound roast, or a flatter, thinner roast, may only need to have a 2 minute cook time.

**The Natural Release time for a 3 lb roast is 20-30 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes).
Larger roasts will need longer, so start checking at 30 minutes. If you take the temperature and it's not quite ready, just put the lid back on quickly and let it sit longer. Then check the temperature again. You will need an instant read thermometer.

Crisp the Outside of the Roast

If you have an Air Fryer Lid, you can air fry the roast for a few minutes on each side to crisp up the outside. Keep track of the roast temperature so it doesn't get overcooked!

You could also set your oven to broil and crisp it that way.

Serving: 3oz | Calories: 225kcal

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Does a bottom round roast get more tender the longer you cook it?

Slow Cooking Also, the slower that you cook your bottom round beef, the more time you'll be giving to your connective tissue to break down, which will ultimately give you a much more tender roast at the end.

Why is my roast tough in instant pot?

What if my pot roast is tough? If after cooking the pot roast, it is still tough, all you need to do is cook it longer. If the beef is still tough, it just needs more time for the braise to do it's magic and break down the connective tissues in the beef.

Is bottom round good for pot roast?

The bottom round roast is typically used for roast beef but can make an excellent pot roast. This roast comes from the round primal or the rear part of the cow. It is leaner than either the brisket or chuck, so you may need to add some additional fat to prevent your pot roast from drying out.

How long do you slow cook a beef roast in an instant pot?

Add in the roast, place the lid on the instant pot with the vent open. Select slow cook, and set to high heat for 4 – 5 hours. Depending how thick your roast is, you may need an additional time. Chuck roasts should be ok for 4 hours.