This super easy keto pot roast is made with beef chuck roast and just a handful of other ingredients for a delicious low carb beef pot roast the entire family will enjoy. Make it on the stovetop, or in your Instant Pot and have it on the table in about an hour!
This easy keto pot roast is made with beef, and can then be served with or over the veggies of your choice.
Table of Contents
- Best Cut of Beef for a Pot Roast
- Best Cooking Method for Tender Pot Roast
- Thickening the Gravy without Adding Carbs
- Serving Suggestions
- More Pot Roast Recipes:
The ultimate comfort food, beef pot roast is typically made by braising a chuck roast in liquid, with veggies and other ingredients as a one pot meal. Since a traditional pot roast recipe usually contains potatoes and carrots, they aren’t easy to make keto friendly.
This keto beef pot roast is a favorite with the Hungry Dudes (though I serve theirs with regular potatoes and mine with cheesy cauliflower puree) because it’s so tasty – it’s a favorite with me because it’s so easy and reheats well all week.
Everybody wins, and I love it when that happens.
Best Cut of Beef for a Pot Roast
Almost any beef roast will work for a pot roast recipe, because the long cooking time (or pressured cooking in the Instant Pot) will break down the meat and connective tissue, leaving you with tender, delicious pot roast.
Still, I prefer a beef chuck roast for my keto pot roast because it has a great ratio of fat to meat, and will be nice and tender after cooking. You can also use beef round roast – which I find to be a little on the tougher, drier side. Or you can use beef brisket, which I find to lean just a bit too much on the fatty side – but you can skim off the extra fat in that case.
This recipe calls for a 3 pound roast, and you need to pay attention to the weight of your roast. If it is larger than 3 pounds, it’s going to take longer to cook and get tender.
Best Cooking Method for Tender Pot Roast
I think pressure cooking is the most fool-proof and easy way to get tender, delicious, fall apart beef pot roast.
With a 3 pound boneless chuck roast, 35 – 40 minutes on high pressure in the Instant Pot (or other pressure cooker) is absolutely long enough to get tender chunks of pot roast.
If you are looking for the meat to completely fall apart and shred, you should put it in for 50 minutes and allow for natural release of the steam, rather than quick release.
However, if you have lots of time on your hands, simmering the meat in a sealed pot like a cast iron dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat, or in the oven at about 350 degrees will take about 4 hours and yield delicious results.
As a side point, I first made this before I purchased my trusty Instant Pot, but now that I have it I make this keto pot roast in it all the time and it’s so easy and fast! The recipe card below includes instructions on how to make pot roast in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
Thickening the Gravy without Adding Carbs
This keto pot roast recipe calls for xanthan gum to thicken the gravy after reducing, but if you don’t have xanthan gum, arrowroot powder or konjac powder will work to thicken the gravy just as well. Just be careful not to use too much or you will get a slimy consistency to it.
If dairy isn’t a problem for you and you aren’t doing Squeaky Clean Keto, stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream after reducing for a creamy and even more delicious gravy.
Serving Suggestions
If your family isn’t eating low carb you can absolutely serve this keto pot roast with boiled or mashed potatoes, and even carrots or parsnips for a traditional pot roast dinner.
For those of you eating keto, I recommend serving this pot roast with any of the following sides:
- Better Than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower Puree
- Easy Cheesy Zucchini Gratin
- Cheesy Keto Polenta
- Cheesy Herb Muffins
- Easy Pan Roasted Radishes (Dairy Free)
- Garlic and Chive Cauliflower Mash (Dairy Free)
More Pot Roast Recipes:
Slow Cooker Pot Roast – Wholesome Yum
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Easy Keto Pot Roast
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 4 oz servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This super easy and delicious low carb beef pot roast recipe can be made on the stove, in the slow cooker, or even in your Instant Pot! Keto, Atkins and Paleo friendly!
Ingredients
- One boneless beef chuck roast, approximately 3 lbs.
- 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt (if using fine salt reduce by half)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- Fresh parsley, chopped to garnish
Instructions
- Season the beef Chuck roast with salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides.
- In a large heavy bottomed pan sear both sides of the roast until browned. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar and cook for one minute.
- Add the water and onion to the pan. Bring to a boil.
- Cover and simmer on low for 3 to 4 hours or place in the oven at 350 degrees for 4 hours.
- Carefully remove the meat from the pan to a large bowl. Break carefully into chunks and remove any large pieces of fat or other refuse.
- Whisk the xanthan gum into the broth and add the meat back to the pan.
- Serve over “Better Than Potatoes” Cheesy Cauliflower Purée, garnished with lots of fresh chopped parsley.
To make in the Instant Pot:
- Cut your chuck roast in half so you have two pieces. Season the roast with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder on all sides. Using the saute feature on the instant pot, brown the roast pieces on both sides.
- Add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 cup water, and 1/2 cup onion to the meat. Cover and seal, then using the manual button set the timer for 40 minutes. When the timer runs out, release the pressure by moving the lever to the “venting” setting. Once all the pressure is released, uncover the pot.
- Carefully remove the meat from the pan to a large bowl. Break carefully into chunks and remove any large pieces of fat or other refuse.
- Use the saute function to bring the remaining liquid to a boil in the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes to reduce.
- Whisk in the xanthan gum, then add the meat back to the pan and stir gently.
- Turn off the heat and serve hot over cauliflower puree, garnished with lots of fresh chopped parsley.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Keto Main Dishes
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup meat with sauce
- Calories: 393
- Fat: 28g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Protein: 30g
Sue says
Love this pot roast! Was simple, fast and delicious. Thanks for the tip on xanthin gum. It worked great with no flavor change. Cajan was good also, but a little hot so next time I will cut back on some of the heat spices. Next on the list is the Asian Pot Roast! I am looking forward to it.
Halle crane says
Can I change beef for pork? Would it come out well?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Should work fine, slightly different flavor profile but still tasty I’m sure.
Elinor says
Another plug for giving the Instant Pot cooking another 15 minutes, at least. The flavor was excellent but the meat was rubbery after 35 minutes on medium pressure. So, five stars if you cook the meat for longer, I suspect.
Mellissa Sevigny says
If you roasted in the oven then it’s going to cause liquid to evaporate which will concentrate the vinegar flavor. When made in the instant pot as directed you wouldn’t have had that problem.
Sheri Winston says
1 cup of water or 2? The ingredients list says 2, but the IP recipe directions say 1.
Dawn says
Instant pot takes less liquid. :)
Kendo says
I’ve tried this recipe 4 times now and the 4th time I thought I’d give the instant pot directions a shot. The stove top directions are perfect, but I’ve had to do a bit of baby-sitting to make sure the gravy doesn’t completely evaporate. I suspect my pots just aren’t forming a tight enough seal, but either way, we usually end up with just the meat by the end (which is totally fantastic and has little bits of balsamic char around the whole roast adding a ton of flavor). The instant pot directions are a big miss though. As others have noted, 35 mins is just not long enough to get the same tenderness of meat. I’m going to give it another go at a longer time and not use the quick-release to see if it makes it better, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll just go back to the stove top method.
Amy says
SO very delicious! The meat was so tender!! I didn’t make the gravy.
!
Tasty Diva says
This was my fourth IP recipe I have made and it was delicious (first being your fall apart short ribs yumyum).The whole family enjoyed this and and even went for seconds. I always read comments so these are the adjustments/additions I made.
I only had 2 1/2 Ibs meat but I still followed the receipt to the T except I added 1 bay leaf and about 8 fresh garlic smashed. I only used 1 cup of water instead of the 2 cups and cooked it for 45 min on high. Then let it natural release. When I opened my IP and took out the meat it was so tender it was falling apart. The smell was heavenly and the taste was glorious. I only used half of the Liquid that was left behind after cooking the meat to make the sauce. Then I sprinkled the xanthan iand thickened the sauce. It was wonderful over the meat that was tender. I will be making this again and again.
Melissa says
Anyone try this with a frozen chuck cut down to 4 pieces? How much more time in an IP would input it in for?
Thanks so much!
Savannah says
Can I substitute something else for the xanthan gum?
MR says
Generally cornstarch, but since this is a keto recipe, I believe Mellissa was probably trying to steer clear of it. Any thickener would work. Or, you could honestly leave it out – it just won’t be as thick. If you google Xanthan gum substitutes, there are some decent options.
Patrice Jones says
Arrowroot powder is my go to thickener.