Instant Pot Venison Roast

This Instant Pot venison roast is a the perfect weekend meal!

After 3 hours of slow cooking, it comes out tender, juicy, and mouth-watering. Which means we’re using the Instant Pot as a slow cooker for this recipe. You can also prepare your pot roast using the pressure cooker function – but more on that later.

Beef broth, onion, potatoes and carrots make this deer roast balanced and absolutely delicious.

And the best part? This Instant Pot Venison Roast recipe is a one-pot meal! It has saved me many precious Sunday hours.

Although the recipe calls for a 3-hour total time, you don't have to babysit your roast. This makes the recipe ideal for last-minute dinner arrangements.

Have you ever invited guests over for a meal on short notice?

With this scrumptious  meat recipe, the minimal prep gives you plenty of time to get ready for their arrival while your roast simmers away.

There are 2 ways to make venison Roast in the Instant Pot:

1. As a pressure cooker

Using the pressure cook function is faster and use the ability of the Instant Pot to get great results in a shorter time.

2. As as slow cooker

Using the slow cook function let as make the recipe in the traditional way. In this method we are using the Instant Pot as a slow cooker. We are not taking advantage of the special abilities of the Instant Pot, and just using it as if it was a crock-pot or any other slow cooker.

Please note the the normal setting we are applying here (Slow cook button + Normal) is similar to the "low" setting on a regular slow cooker.

For more info you can check out how to use Instant Pot as a slow cooker.

Which method is better?

It's up to you. For our not-so-sophisticated taste, the pressure cooking option is enough, since we can get great result in half the time.

If you want to get a perfect result, or have a special holiday dinner, you can definitely go with the slow cooker way and make this dish overnight.

Which beef cut to use?

To get a tender, juicy, and flavorful deer roast, you need to choose the correct cuts and stick to the recommended roasting time.

Choose your venison cuts depending on the desired cooking method.

• The best cut for your venison pot roast is the lower ham. But if you’re anything like me – a fan of rich flavors – rump roast is the right option for you (it’s also more cost-effective).
• Backstrap and tenderloin are both good choices for cooked venison. With these cuts, you’ll want to add a dash more beef broth or chicken broth to your Instant Pot to keep the meat moist.

As I’ve mentioned above, you can either choose to slow cook venison in your Instant Pot or cook it under high pressure. Either way, the result is deliciously juicy meat that falls apart with a fork.

The long, slow cooking will break down your venison roast into a mouth-melting delicacy.

Preparing your roast with the pressure cooker setting will also tenderize the meat. Unlike traditional roasting, where high temperatures produce dry and chewy meat, pressure cooking only makes it tender.

The high temperature cooks your dish super fast, but the pressure “melts” the collagen into gelatin – giving the meat a velvety texture and make it fall apart.

Pressure cooking vs slow cooking

If you wanna use your Instant Pot as a pressure cooker, just follow the recipe box bellow.

For slow cooking, just throw all the ingredients and set the cooking time to 3 our 6 hours. Check out this table for more details:

Cooking method	Cooking time
Pressure cooking	140 minutes + 15 minutes
Slow cooking (set to “High”)	3 hours (180 minutes)
Slow cooking (set to “Normal”)	6 hours (360 minutes)

Do I have to use onion?

Onion gives an extra taste together with the potatoes and carrots, but you can use onion soup mix instead of raw onion.

How to serve?

This Instant Pot Venison Roast recipe is a one-pot meal! So it's great as is. If you want, feel free to serve it with jasmine rice, brown rice or even farro.

Do I have to use thyme?

I’ve used thyme in the ingredients below, but you can replace it with sage or rosemary.

How to add more spice to the recipe?

I looove experimenting with my Instant Pot recipes. To spice this one up a bit, try adding some gravy, red wine, and aromatic vegetables.

1. To make your venison au jus, take the pot juices left after the cooking and thicken them with 1 tablespoon of corn starch.
2. To make sure the gravy isn’t lumpy, mix the corn starch with a bit of the meat juice you set aside before adding it to your gravy saucepan.
3.  Cook the gravy for 5-10 minutes.

The addition of red wine will add deep flavor to your gravy, while 2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce will give it a piquant punch.

If you want less saturated fat per serving, go without the gravy. The original recipe includes 2 tablespoon olive oil, so this is the only fat you really need.

More one-pot meals ideas

If you want a one-pot meal you can make using the slow cooking function, check out the Instant Pot Ropa Vieja.

If you are looking for a similar one-pot meal with potatoes, try this Instant Pot Cornish Hen.

You can also go with the Instant Pot Jewish Brisket or the Instant Pot goulash.

If you like stews and comfort food, check out this beef stew and this chicken stew.