This Easy Delicious Pressure Cooker Garlic Roast Beef is made in under an hour with the help of an Instant Pot, Pressure Cooker or a Ninja Foodi All-in-One. Perfectly tender with a garlicky gravy, this Keto, Whole30 and Paleo easy Roast Beef is great for any Sunday dinner, holiday celebrations and is easy enough for a weeknight meal!

I have to be honest and let you know that this was my first attempt at cooking roast beef.

Intimidated by the simple fact that more than once, I have experienced a dry and flavourless roast beef, I have shied away from making one myself.

But since buying a Ninja Foodi which is not only an Air Fryer but also a dehydrator and pressure cooker, I have successfully made a vast variety of deliciously easy and super quick meals.

Some of my top recipes on my blog are the result of my pressure cooker including my Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Lemon Chicken - Whole30 as well as my Air Fryer or Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf and my Whole30 Instant Pot French Onion Soup.

And so it was time to attempt the daunting roast beef!

What makes this Pressure Cooker Garlic Roast Beef so amazing?

it only takes about 10 minutes of "hands-on" time
it only requires a handful of ingredients
dinner can be made and served in under 1 hour
it uses an Eye of Round which is a cheaper cut of beef
the "au jus" is made at the same time as the beef
it is fancy enough for a holiday meal but also easy enough to serve on a busy weeknight!

What ingredients do you need to make this Instant Pot Delicious Garlicky Roast Beef?

Eye of Round
garlic cloves
onion
low sodium (or unsalted) broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
olive oil
bay leaves
thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper
OPTIONAL - Trader Joe's Multipurpose Umami

What kind of cut is Eye of Round?

According to Wikipedia, round steak is a beef steak from the "round", the rear leg of the cow.

The round is divided into cuts including the eye (of) round, bottom round, and top round, with or without the "round" bone (femur), and may include the knuckle (sirloin tip), depending on how the round is separated from the loin.

This is a lean cut and it is moderately tough. Lack of fat and marbling makes round dry out when cooked with dry-heat cooking methods like roasting or grilling.

Round steak is commonly prepared with slow moist-heat methods including braising, to tenderize the meat and maintain moisture. The cut is often sliced thin, then dried or smoked at low temperature to make jerky.

Why does the recipe call for "Low Sodium" or "Sodium-Free" stock?

Since the beef is seasoned in the pot itself, some of the salt that is used on the beef will end up in the pot.

If you use a regular chicken, vegetable or beef stock, you may find that your "au jus" is a little too salty.

I have made this recipe several times and since we are only dipping the roast beef in the "au jus", we actually don't mind using the regular broth. However, if you do not like salty food, make sure you use salt-free or low sodium broth so that you can adjust the level of saltiness to suit your tastes.

What is "Au Jus"?

These French words literally translate to "in juice". Typically, it uses Worcestershire or soy sauce along with the drippings from the cut of beef that is being cooked.

To keep this "au jus" Whole30 approved (you can read more about the Whole30 diet in this post), I wanted to eliminate any soy or Worcestershire sauce.

However, to get the "umami" flavour that is so characteristic of these ingredients, I used Trader Joe's Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend which is a combination of spices as well as dried mushrooms.

If you don't have this seasoning blend or what to use soy or Worcestershire sauce, feel free to taste your "au jus" and add 1-2 tablespoon of either of these 2 ingredients.

What is Umami?

The umami taste is often described as a meaty, broth-like, or savoury taste, and is independent of the four traditional basic tastes — sweet, sour, salty and bitter. The appreciation of taste starts with the taste receptors on the tongue.

It has recently been labelled as the "Fifth Taste".

How do you make this Pressure Cooker Garlic Roast Beef?

Trim any excess fat from beef
Press the “Saute” button to heat up the pressure cooker
Make sure Instant Pot is as hot as it can be in order to induce a Maillard reaction.
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and using a dish towel, lift the pot and swirl the oil to ensure that the oil has covered the bottom of the pot
Pat the beef dry with a paper towel
Generously season one side of the beef roast with salt, garlic powder and black pepper.
Place the beef roast in the pressure cooker with the seasoned side facing down
Brown the one side for 4 minutes
While beef is browning, season the top side with salt, pepper and garlic powder
Flip the beef and sear the other side for 3 minutes
Remove beef and set it aside
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan along with onion, scraping the bottom to remove any brown bits
Saute for 3 minutes and then add the bay leaves, minced garlic, rosemary, umami (if using) and sage and stir for 1 minute
Add 1 cup of salt-free or low sodium chicken stock and stir to incorporate all the ingredients
Add the trivet and place the roast beef on the trivet
Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes + 30 minutes Natural Release
Remove the roast beef and set it aside, wrapped in aluminum foil
Pour the remaining liquid and onions into a high-speed blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes

What is the Maillard Reaction?

Maillard reaction is the chemical reaction that occurs between amino acids and reducing sugars in the presence of heat that results in the browning of food while forming new aromas and flavours. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins that can be found in our food.

What temperature should the roast beef be when cooked?

For medium-rare roast beef: 120 degrees F.

For medium roast beef: 145 degrees F.

What if my roast beef is not cooked all the way?

If the temperature of the roast beef is too low, simply place the roast beef back in the pressure cooker on the trivet and close the lid.

Do not pressure cook again but simply leave the pressure cooker on the “Keep Warm” mode to slow roast the beef roast.

The temperature should rise 7°F – 10°F per 5 minutes.

Tips and Tricks for this Pressure Cooker Garlic Roast Beef:

the directions for this recipe use an eye of round that is about 3 lbs and is about 3.25 inches in thickness
try to find a cut of beef that is uniform in thickness to ensure even cooking
make sure to get the pot hot before searing beef for the Maillard reaction to occur
add additional salt to the "au jus" depending on preference
for larger or thicker pieces of beef, leave the beef in the pressure cooker on "warm" and check it every 7-10 minutes until the desired temperature has been reached
Medium-rare roast beef internal temperature should read 120 degrees F.
Medium roast beef internal temperature should read 145 degrees F.
take the temperature from the middle and thickest section of the beef
slice the roast beef against the grain
I used my Ninja Foodi All-in-One to create the recipe

If you like this Pressure Cooker Garlic Roast Beef recipe, you may also enjoy:

Instant Pot Corned Beef with Whole30 Dill Sauce

Italian Pepper Pulled Pork - 3 Ingredients!

Whole30 30-Minute Ribs - Made in a pressure cooker