Our arm roast recipe in a pressure cooker is good! Made with balsamic vinegar and onions it's packed with flavor and super tender in a Ninja Foodi or cooked as an Instant Pot recipe to fork tender.

Chunks of braised beef, prepared using a classic beef arm roast recipe, in a rich, glossy sauce with onions, served in a glass bowl with tongs.

Ok so we was determined to come up with the best beef arm roast recipe this week and scored! This cheap cut is often overlooked but with the right sauce and seasonings it can be an excellent and.

Pressure Cooker Arm Roast Recipe

We've told you before that we buy half a cow at the beginning of each year from local farmers. If you're new to Pynmi blog welcome, and you can buy bulk meat online too. It's been a game changer for us.

Similar to a chuck roast, an arm roast has a wonderfully beefy flavor and can get nice and tender if cooked right. You can make this as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe too if that is the pot you have.

If you are new to pressure cooking we have a lot of easy one pot meal recipes for you here. To begin with let's start with a few basic tips:

You can PRINT this —–> Instant Pot cooking times cheat sheet that will help you understand how long meat, vegetables and beans take to cook in your pressure cooker.
We HIGHLY recommend you buy this non stick pot.
- You should know how to deglaze a pressure cooker after sautéing but it won't have as many issues with this better liner.

For reference, this is the model we have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations.

A white Instant Pot with a Star Wars theme sits on the kitchen counter, ready to tackle your favorite beef arm roast recipe. The digital display glows "On." Next to it lie a patterned cloth and some green onions, all against the backdrop of blue kitchen cabinets and a stovetop.

Have you seen one of these at your local grocery store with a little price tag on it but you thought “whaaaaat am we supposed to do with that?” we kinda' did too when we got 2 packages in our cow delivery.

It wasn't anything we had ever bought, cooked, or even eaten as far as we can remember. BUT we are always up for a challenge so we started experimenting.

We looked back at our Instant Pot carnitas recipe as far as the cook time was concerned. Like that one we decided to remove the bone, trim a bit, and cut into large chunks.

Arm Roast with Balsamic

You could saute and brown on all sides at first with a bit of olive oil, but we threw it in with our favorite flavors, balsamic vinegar. Sometimes we are in the mood for an EASY throw together one pot meal.

A raw cut of beef arm roast on a white surface, featuring a bone in the center. The meat has a marbled texture and a reddish-brown color, solid for your next savory recipe.

You can see here about how large the chunks were. We wanted it to shred easily and this is key. Smaller pieces means fork tender and good if you ask us. Don't ask us about specifics, “chunk it” alrighty. Cooked under high pressure is key, and the best way to cook beef arm roast. In the Foodi you'll need the lid that isn't attached.

How to Cook Frozen Arm Roast

You can, a few different ways. If you use an electric pressure cooker the timing isn't any different actually. the biggest issue is getting it to fit. If it does then you'd use this same sauce but the timing for our Instant Pot frozen roast timing. Believe us, it comes out as tender, you will be amazed.

Chopped pieces of raw beef arm roast pieces are placed on a white cutting board, solid for starting a beef arm roast recipe. The meat is marbled with fat, and the board rests on a kitchen counter. The background features a green-patterned cloth and part of a round, gray object.

Is arm roast tough?

It is less tough than a shoulder roast actually. It can become quite tender if cooked low and slow in a Crockpot or using high pressure in an Instant Pot. We compare it to our Instant Pot tri tip kinda'. Let us show you what we added to our meat to make it ultra good.

Balsamic vinegarwe mean this stuff is pretty darn good. There are tons of different flavors, brands and price points out there you can get. This one we bought at a local fair in Idaho and is good.

Not sponsored at all, like to support local when we find something good, and this is one of those things. Used as is as a dipping sauce for steaks, or a sort of marinade as we did here it takes meat from good to out of this world.

A hand holds a bottle of La Vita Bella Olive Oil Company's Tuscan Balsamic Vinegar, solid for enhancing your beef arm roast recipe. The label features images of herbs and garlic, beautifully showcased against a blurred background.

Ingredient notes

Ok so our arm roast was about 3.5 lbs. before trimming and removing the bone. We would say this is typical, from 3-4 pounds is likely what you will find and that range will work with the cook time listed below.

The key to toning down the strong beefy flavor this cut has and giving it the most good flavor is cooking it in some Balsamic vinegar. Use the good stuff that is nice and thick this is most similar to the one we used.

Beef broth or stock is better than water
Onion sliced is great for flavor and texture
Salt is a basic seasoning
Garlic minced or diced
Worcestershire sauce
Soy sauce or gluten free aminos
A bit of honey for a touch of sweet
Red pepper flakes – a bit but not to make it spicy
If you feel like you must put bay leaves in with any large piece of meat, go ahead. remember to remove it once cook time is up.

Thinned out with a bit of beef broth it made a great “sauce” or beef marinade of sorts for sure. We used a bit of cornstarch at the end to thicken the “gravy” at the end. Now keep in mind that it will take 20 minutes to 30 minutes for the pot to even reach pressure and start the cook time count down. Beef roasts take longer than other foods.

We think it's great to make shredded beef served over Ninja foodi rice or to make sliders. If cut into smaller pieces and cooked under pressure it falls apart nicely and has a rich beefy flavor.

A hand is pouring a balsamic vinegar from a measuring cup into an electric cooker containing sliced onions and beef arm roast. The cooker's lid is open, spotlighting the ingredients as they meld into a mouthwatering recipe.

Arm Roast with Gravy

A roux isn't necessarily we guess but boy is it nice to pour that thick sauce on the top when you serve it. takes a few minutes on saute after the initial cook time to get to this solid pressure cooker gravy consistency. You remove everything other than the liquid when done, set to saute, whisk 1 tbsp of cornstarch + 3 tbsp cold water until smooth and stir that in, heat until thick to your liking and serve.

How Long to Cook Arm Roast in Instant Pot

You are going to want to pressure cook on high for 45 minutes if it is cubed into large bite size pieces like you see here. Then allow steam to naturally release for 15 minutes. Release rest of steam quickly, there won't be much. Then you will thicken sauce into a gravy.

Shred meat with forks in bowl. Pour this on top so it is coated well and serve over white or brown rice! Thicken sauce over medium high heat on the stovetop alternatively…..but why would you dirty another pot?

Whether you needed a fresh, defrosted or Frozen roast in the oven instructions <—– you would follow these directions here. In a dish with wonderful drippings you can make in to a gravy at the end it is a wonderful way to break down the connective tissues for perfectly tender shredded beef.

A close-up of a steaming pot in instant pot reveals a dark, bubbling gravy brimming with spices. The well-worn pot cradles a savory beef arm roast recipe, its contents simmering energetically.

Kitchen questions

What is the best way to cook an arm roast?

This is a tough piece of meat with a lot of connective tissue so you want either a long time cooked low and slow or under high pressure like we did here. That way it loosens them to make it less chewy and more melt in your mouth texture.

What is arm roast good for?

If cooked like we share here in a pressure cooker with our balsamic vinegar sauce you will get the most flavorful moist beef ever that can be served a number of different ways. Inside tortillas it's great for beef arm roast tacos. Served over rice or alongside vegetables is wonderful too.

Why is our arm roast tough?

We doubt you would have this issue cooking under high pressure but if you made it on the stove and it isn't as tender as you would like, cook it longer in that wonderful sauce. The longer it cooks the more the connective tissues will break down in order for you to shred it with 2 forks.

You can see how fall apart tender this turns out, like barbacoa. Use some red wine instead of beef stock if you preferred. We add a sprinkle of salt and pepper once this is done but it doesn't need much.

Yes you could use this same recipe with other cuts of meat if you wanted too. Of course a chuck roast would work the same way. It would be a good Ninja Foodi pot roast recipe too if cut into smaller chunks at the beginning.

Beef Arm Roast Recipe

By This beef arm roast recipe is good! With balsamic vinegar and onions it's packed with flavor and super tender in a pressure cooker. Prep: 15 minutes minsCook: 45 minutes minsServings: 6 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

3-4 lb arm roast, trimmed, bone removed, cut into large chunks
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp salt, plus salt and pepper to taste when done
1/2 cup beef broth
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar thick, dark
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
3 tbsp cornstarchoptional, to thicken broth at end

Instructions

Remove bone and fat from arm roast. Then cut it into large chunks. Put into pressure cooker and sprinkle salt on top of meat.
Slice onion and put that on top and around meat.
Pour in all other ingredients in EXCEPT cornstarch, close lid. Seal steam valve and set to high pressure for 45 minutes.
Allow steam to naturally release for 15 minutes, then release rest.
Lift lid and remove meat and onions into a bowl. Set pot to saute. In a small bowl add 1/2 c of your hot broth from pot. Add cornstarch and whisk together until you create a smooth roux.
When liquid is bubbling pour your cornstarch mixture in. Stir continuously for about 3 minutes allowing this sauce to thicken.
Shred meat with forks in bowl. Pour this on top of meat so it is coated well and serve over rice!

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main CourseCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

What sides go good with roast?

Air fryer vegetables are soft with a bit of crispness on the edges and solid with this as a side dish. You could make slow cooker mashed potatoes and corn on the cob with it too which are low in saturated fat.

What is the difference between an arm roast and a chuck roast?

The arm is less expensive and leaner than chuck, go figure right? Some people braise it but we used it as an easy Ninja Foodi recipe in pressure cooker mode this time. Any pressure cooker will do and our preferred method of cooking this.