This Instant Pot Mocha-Rubbed Pot Roast is a caffeinated twist on traditional pot roast! It’s fast, easy, Whole30-friendly, and a crowd pleaser!
I’m going to let you in on my secret tip for always having healthy, ready-to-reheat entrees in my fridge: I make it a habit to toss a bunch of ingredients for stew into my Instant Pot right before I sit down to dinner with my family. The stew pressure-cooks while I bond over fart jokes with my boys, and it’s ready by the time we’re done eating. It then gets packed into an air-tight container and popped into the refrigerator—it’s a scientific fact that stews taste better the next day—which means I can clean all the dinner and prep dishes at once.
You know me: meal planning ain’t mything, but my semi-weekly dinner date with my Instant Pot frees me from having to face the paralyzing question of “What the bleep am I serving for dinner tonight?”
With this in mind, I’m constantly on the hunt for new recipes I can modify for my pressure cooker. So when I received a copy of Stephanie Gaudreau’s Performance Paleo, her recipe for Mocha-Rubbed Slow Cooker Pot Roast leaped off the page as a dish that I could adapt for my favorite countertop appliance. Steph gets all the credit for the actual recipe—I just modified the cooking instructions to work in my Instant Pot. (If you don’t have a pressure cooker, make Steph’s original version with a slow cooker!)
I’ve been a big fan of Steph’s blog, Stupid Easy Paleo, for years. Her no-nonsense nutrition advice, fantastic recipes, and eye-popping photos just keep getting better and better, and her cookbook is the perfect embodiment of her many talents. I’ve given copies to a number of my active pals who want to use Paleo to fuel their weekend warrior/fire-breathing endeavors—and they love it.
Recipe note: If you’re watching your caffeine intake or you don’t want your kids to be bouncing off the walls at bedtime, use decaf coffee in the rub and/or in place of the brewed coffee. You can also leave the coffee out altogether—it’ll still taste incredible. For me, I make the recipe as-is so I can enjoy a fantastic protein-packed breakfast that also gives me an extra kick in my step!
Time to make Instant Pot Mocha-Rubbed Pot Roast!
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the mocha rub:
- 2 tablespoons finely ground coffee (you can substitute decaf)
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (you can substitute red pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the roast:
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes
- 1 cup brewed coffee (you can substitute decaf or broth)
- 1 cup beef broth or bone broth
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 6 dried figs, chopped
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Mix the ingredients for the mocha rub in a small bowl. You won’t need all of the rub, so save the extra in a tightly sealed container.
Brew a cup of coffee. When I’m making just one cup, I turn to my Aeropress—not only because it makes a mean cuppa coffee, but also because it tickles me to know that the Aeropress was invented by the same dude who made Aerobie flying rings.
Place the beef cubes in a large bowl…
…and add three to four tablespoons of the mocha rub.
Toss well until the beef is evenly coated.
Combine the brewed coffee, broth, onion, figs, and balsamic vinegar in a high-powered blender. Blitz until liquefied.
Transfer the seasoned beef to your pressure cooker and pour the sauce on top.
Cover and lock the lid of your pressure cooker.
If you’re using an Instant Pot, turn it on and press the “Meat/Stew” button to switch it to the pressure cooking mode. And if your cubes are smaller than mine, you can press the “minus” button to decrease the cooking time from the preset 35-minute cooking time. Once the pot is programmed, walk away. (Or, if you’re like me, sit down and eat dinner.)
When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a “Keep Warm” mode. At this point, turn it off and let the pressure release naturally (about 15 minutes).
(Using a stove-top pressure cooker? You won’t have all those buttons to press; instead, just cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and let the pressure release naturally.)
Pop open the lid. The meat should be fork tender. If it’s not, cook it under high pressure for 5 more minutes.
Transfer the cooked beef to a serving platter.
Shred the meat with two forks.
If desired, heat the remaining sauce to a boil to reduce and thicken it. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle the sauce on the beef…
…and dig in!
If you don’t have Stephanie Gaudreau’s The Perfomance Paleo Cookbook yet, what are you waiting for? It’s the definitive guide for fueling active folks with real food that not only boosts strength and endurance, but also tastes amazing. Seriously.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Mocha-Rubbed Pot Roast
Ingredients
- For the mocha rub:
- 2 tablespoons finely ground coffee you can substitute decaf
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper you can substitute red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- For the roast:
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes
- 1 cup brewed coffee you can substitute decaf or broth
- 1 cup beef broth or bone broth
- 1 small onion chopped
- 6 dried figs chopped
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix the ingredients for the mocha rub in a small bowl. You won’t need all of the rub, so save the extra in a tightly sealed container.
- Brew a cup of coffee. When I’m making just one cup, I turn to my Aeropress—not only because it makes a mean cuppa coffee, but also because it tickles me to know that the Aeropress was invented by the same dude who made Aerobie flying rings.
- Place the beef cubes in a large bowl and add three to four tablespoons of the mocha rub.
- Toss well until the beef is evenly coated.
- Combine the brewed coffee, broth, onion, figs, and balsamic vinegar in a high-powered blender. Blitz until liquefied.
- Transfer the seasoned beef to your pressure cooker and pour the sauce on top.
- Cover and lock the lid of your pressure cooker.
- If you’re using an Instant Pot, turn it on and press the “Meat/Stew” button to switch it to the pressure cooking mode. And if your cubes are smaller than mine, you can press the “minus” button to decrease the cooking time from the preset 35-minute cooking time. Once the pot is programmed, walk away. (Or, if you’re like me, sit down and eat dinner.)
- When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to a “Keep Warm” mode. At this point, turn it off and let the pressure release naturally (about 15 minutes).
- (Using a stove-top pressure cooker? You won’t have all those buttons to press; instead, just cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, and let the pressure release naturally.)
- Pop open the lid. The meat should be fork tender. If it’s not, cook it under high pressure for 5 more minutes.
- Transfer the cooked beef to a serving platter.
- Shred the meat with two forks.
- If desired, heat the remaining sauce to a boil to reduce and thicken it. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the sauce on the beef and dig in!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I actually have fresh figs! Would that be the same amount? This looks amazing!
I haven’t tried it, but other folks say it’s the same amount.
Thank you for turning this recipe into an instant pot possibility! I plan to make this tonight, but I don’t have figs. Do you think I could use honey instead, or would this carmelize and burn too much? Thank you so much for your help!
You can probably add a little honey! Don’t put the honey on the bottom of the insert and you’ll be okay!
Figs are not a pantry item for me, and almost all of my cooking is pantry-based now. I do keep dried plums, though (previously known as prunes.) and I used them. Result was fine.
Can’t wait to make this! Is that parsley on top?
What would you recommend serving it with?
Yes, it’s Italian parsley on top as a garnish. You can serve this with cauliflower rice, regular rice, roasted veggies, or a salad.
Excited to try this tonight, but am wondering why you don’t brown the meat first? I found another recipe for coffee seared steaks where they rub the meat with seasoning, then brown / sear meat stovetop before finishing in the oven. I guess I’m going to try rubbing meat with seasoning, browning on stovetop, then adding to instant pot. Unless there’s a reason I shouldn’t? Does the meat get tough?
Sometimes I do and for some recipes I don’t. I read this article about it https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/dining/30braise.html