You might have noticed I haven’t posted an Instant Pot recipe for a while. I was in Georgia, visiting over the holidays, and no Instant Pot. Honestly, I went through withdrawal! But when I got back, and met a friend at Panera, I knew exactly what I wanted to make next! A 30 Minute Total Time Instant Pot Roast. So I could copycat those famous Panera Steak & White Cheddar Panini.

Copycat Panera White Cheddar & Steak Paninis, made from 30 minute Instant Pot Roast Beef

Or so I could make a few other things! This was the same friend I cooked with when we made the Roasted Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprouts and the Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche. The best thing we did that day was recreated Panera’s Steak & White Cheddar Panini. And then later in the week, I made French Dips (a childhood fave! Recipe is below) and they were pretty awesome, too.

About 30 Minute Total Time Instant Pot Roast:

First, before we could make either sandwich, we needed the beef! Let’s talk about the 30 Minute Total Time Instant Pot Roast. It’s like the “Mother” and the Panini & French Dip the “child” recipes. (There are lots of other ways to refashion your Leftover Beef, too.)

Rump was on sale, two for one, so it was an obvious no-brainer. The Rump usually isn’t my first choice in a roast. It’s a little dense, it’s lean and if it’s not perfectly cooked and on the rare side, it can be dry, tough & chewy. On the plus side: the price was great and cooked right, it can be fantastic. And as you can see, the Instant Pot cooks up 30 Minute Total Time Instant Pot Roast just right.

I keep emphasizing the 30-minute total time because the Instant Pot needs to heat up and get to pressure and then when it’s finished cooking, it takes more time to cool down. So a lot of recipes use the actual “cook time” as the amount of time a recipe takes, which can be really deceiving. My recipe takes into account the heat up, cook time and cool down time all in that 30 minutes. It’s a little miracle!

French Dip Sandwiches from 30 minute Instant Pot Roast Beef

Saving Money on 30 Minute Total Time Instant Pot Roast:

Let’s talk first about the on sale Rump roast I used. The Rump Roast is a cut from the Bottom Round, found on the rear leg of the cow. That’s a pretty big muscle. You have basically three options for cooking:

• Braise it, like this Slow Cooker Barbacoa, in a slow or pressure cooker or in the oven until it is literally falling apart.
• Slice it and pound the heck out of it, like I do for several recipes for other parts of the Round. (See my Beef menu.)
• Sear it, roast it (or in this case, pressure cook it) until it’s just medium rare. Sharpen up those knives and slice it thinly against the grain.

As you can see, The Instant Pot came to the rescue, turning out a gorgeous, medium rare roast. In minutes. With a flavorful, onion-y au jus and caramelized onions to lay on top of the French Dips. I was very happy with the way my Instant Pot turned that cheap cut into something gorgeous: my Instant Pot Roast Beef.

30 minute Instant Pot Roast, medium rare

Cooking 30 Minute Total Time Instant Pot Roast:

There is no peeking with the Instant Pot, so it helps to have a little flexibility in your expectations. There’s a range of doneness, but if rare isn’t your thing, slice and immerse those slices in the au jus to gently cook a minute or two longer in the residual heat. That will keep it tender.

When pressure cooking, the timing isn’t just about weight, it’s also about shape. Thicker roasts will be less rare than smaller ones, in the same amount of time. It’s really counter-intuitive. This timing and method for Instant Pot Roast will work for a wide range of roasts, though I haven’t made one that was over about 4 1/2″ inches thick.

Since these roasts were about 6 pounds, I divided the one I used in two. You’ll generally want to count on about 6 ounces per person, and a little less when refashioning into something like sandwiches. Two &  half pounds = 40 ounces. Divided by 6 ounces per person, it’s 6 1/2 servings. That’s enough for a meal and a few leftovers. And leftovers lets you “cost average” the price of this beef over two meals.

30 minute Instant Pot Roast, medium rare (mostly)

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I’ll be linking up this week at Fiesta Friday 208. Be sure to stop by and see all the posts. 🙂