This Instant Pot Venison Roast Recipe will give you fall-apart tender meat in just one hour with perfectly seasoned gravy. Cooked with onions, potatoes, and carrots, this pot roast is a complete meal ready in no time.
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With two avid hunters in my house, I have two freezers full of wild game meat. We have deer, elk, and moose meat.
Because venison is very lean, it dries out quickly when cooked and can be tough to chew. I used to always slow cook it in the crock pot, but I find that cooking venison roast in a pressure cooker makes the meat incredibly moist and tender. Even a tough deer neck roast!
If you like this recipe, check out my Instant Pot Venison Stew and 31 Ground Venison Recipes.
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Instant Pot Venison Roast
The best thing about cooking venison in the instant pot is that it breaks down the tough connective tissue in the wild meat until it's nice and tender. And there's no need to worry about overcooking; the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be!
The deer meat is so tender it falls apart easily with a fork. I sometimes shred the pressure-cooked roast, add sliced peppers, and serve it in a wrap.
You'll Also Love: Smoked Venison Roast and Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Venison Backstraps.
Ingredients
- Venison roast. I used a 2 to 3-pound roast, but you can use a larger roast or a smaller roast.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Beef broth.
- Worcestershire sauce.
- Potatoes and Carrots. Cut into 1-inch chunks.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Instant Pot Venison Roast
Sear: Add olive oil to the pressure cooker. Turn the Instant Pot to the 'Saute' setting for 10 minutes and brown the roast on all sides. Don't skip this step, it adds great flavor and helps the juices stay in the meat.
Season: Once the roast is browned on all sides, add sliced onions, minced garlic, and beef broth to the instant pot. Deglaze the pot with the beef broth by scraping off any bits that might be stuck to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle paprika, Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, and pepper on the roast.
Pressure cook: Place the lid on the instant pot. Close the valve and set the cooking time for 60 minutes on the "Meat/Stew" or high-pressure setting.
Add the vegetables: After the timer is up, let the pressure cooker naturally release. When the pin drops, remove the lid and add diced potatoes and carrots around the roast. Use a spoon to push the vegetables down the best you can underneath the beef broth. Place the lid back on the instant pot and close the valve. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. After the 12 minutes are up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure.
Make the gravy and serve: Remove the lid and transfer the tender roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Turn on the sauté function to make the gravy. Make a slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of cold water. Whisk constantly as you pour the cornstarch slurry in. Stir until it thickens.
Serve gravy over deer roast and vegetables and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Venison roast. You can use any game meat. I have used this recipe to make elk, moose, and deer roasts - even beef roasts!
- Onion. Use a yellow onion or sweet onion instead of a red onion.
- Garlic. Substitute 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Beef broth. Use chicken or vegetable broth instead.
- Worcestershire sauce. Substitute with red wine or balsamic vinegar.
- Potatoes. Use any type of potato, even sweet potatoes.
Variations
Modify the ingredients in this pressure cooker venison roast by adding different vegetables, herbs, or spices, such as:
Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or chopped jalapeno peppers.
Deluxe - add celery, fresh mushrooms, parsnips, or diced squash.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Wrap the pressure-cooked roast in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the venison without the vegetables as they may get mushy if frozen.
Reheating: Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop or microwave until hot throughout.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Do not overcook the meat when searing.
- If you're short on time, cut the roast into two to three chunks and place them in your pressure cooker for 40-50 minutes instead of 60 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Venison is the term to describe the meat of a deer, moose, elk, or antelope. It is lower in fat and calories than beef and packed with protein.
If the venison roast is too tough, it needs more time to cook. Put it back in the instant pot to cook for another 10-15 minutes. You can also cut the roast into smaller chunks so it cooks faster and has more time to tenderize.
Yes, of course! However, you will need to adjust the cooking time. For a 3 lb roast, increase the cooking time to 90-100 minutes. For anything over 4 lbs, increase the cooking time to 120 minutes. You won't be able to sear frozen meat, but you can add the spices and broth at the beginning of the cooking time.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve Instant Pot deer roast with my No Knead Sourdough Bread, Easy Sourdough Discard Bread, Homemade Biscuits (No Milk), Air Buns, or Irish Soda Bread without Buttermilk on the side to soak up the gravy.
I also like to serve it with a light garden salad, Panera Copycat Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad, or Greek Cucumber Salad.
Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Venison Roast
Equipment
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 2-3 pound venison roast trimmed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 large potatoes diced
- 3 large carrots diced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Sear: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pressure cooker. Turn the Instant Pot to the 'Saute' setting for 10 minutes and brown the venison roast on all sides. It will take about 2-3 minutes in one spot for it to brown.
- Season: Once the roast is browned, add one sliced onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, and 2 cups beef broth to the instant pot. Scrape off any bits of meat that might have stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper on the roast.
- Pressure cook: Place the lid on the instant pot and turn the valve to seal. Select 'Manual' or 'Meat/Stew' and cook for 60 minutes on high pressure.
- Add the vegetables: After the timer is up, let the pressure cooker naturally release. Remove the lid and add 5 diced potatoes and 3 diced carrots around the roast. Use a spoon to push the vegetables down the best you can underneath the beef broth. Place the lid back on the instant pot and close the valve. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. After the 12 minutes are up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure.
- Make the gravy: Remove the lid and transfer the venison roast and vegetables to a serving platter. Slice or pull apart the roast as desired. Turn on the 'Saute' function. Stir together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water and add it to the pot with the remaining juices. Whisk until the gravy has thickened.
- Serve: Serve the roast with potatoes, carrots, and gravy and enjoy!
Video
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Notes
- Do not overcook the meat when searing - just brown it to add flavor.
- If you're short on time, cut the roast into two to three chunks and place them in your pressure cooker for 40-50 minutes instead of 60 minutes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Diane says
Delicious! We raved over how yummy the venison and gravy tasted. I didn’t add potatoes; only carrots. This is a keeper. Loved the venison roast.
Jeri Walker says
Thank you so much, Diane! I'm so happy you enjoyed the venison roast and gravy! 😊 I love hearing that it was a hit with everyone. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Cathi says
Making this tonight, so excited! I am not going to add the potatoes and carrots - instead I am roasting them separate as that is how the family prefers...should I just adjust the cooking time to longer since I won't be taking the step to add the veggies at the end with extra cook time? I used two roasts both about 1.7 pounds each. Thanks!
Jeri Walker says
Hi Cathi! Yes, I would add an extra 10 minutes to the cooking time - and do a natural release. Let me know how you and your family like it! 🙂
Eliza says
Hi. When you say “set the timer for 12 minutes” after adding the vegetables, are we just letting the veggies sit in the instant pot without cooking or do you mean to pressure cook them for those 12 mins? Thanks
Jeri Walker says
Hi Eliza. Pressure cook the vegetables on high for 12 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes. I'll fix the recipe card to reflect that. Thanks! 🙂
Jan says
How long would i pressure cook 1.2 kg of venison please? Could I cut into 2 smaller joints and pressure cook each one separately - timings please. many thanks.
Jeri says
Hi Jan! 1.2 kg of venison is about 2.6 pounds, so the recipe will work perfectly. After sauteing, pressure cook for 60 minutes on high pressure. If you like, you could cut the venison into 2 smaller pieces and cook them together in the pressure cooker for 50-60 minutes. I hope this helps!
Dennis Littley says
I can't wait to try your recipe! I'll have some venison this week
Jeri says
That's great! Enjoy!
Addie says
This venison is so hearty and flavorful! Yum!
Jeri says
I'm so glad you liked it!
Oscar says
Oh I can’t wait to try this recipe next time I have some venison. Thank you.
Emily Flint says
I love that you can make this in the Instant Pot! Game-changer!
Marina Koziarovskyi says
LOVED this recipe! Added a few more spices of my own, doubled the recipe since I had 4 lbs of elk and pressure cooked on meat/stew setting for 115 minutes. Definitely saving this for future recipes, thanks for sharing!
Jeri Walker says
I'm so glad you loved the recipe Marina! Thanks so much for the kind review! 🙂