Instant Pot Italian Pork Roast

This Italian Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe makes tender, juicy meat from a pork shoulder roast in the pressure cooker in less than two hours. You could make pulled pork sandwiches with it or serve it with gravy and mashed potatoes for a delicious dinner everyone will love!

Originally published March 5, 2019 and updated January 20, 2021.

I was so excited to get my Instant Pot this Christmas! (Although it was actually a gift to myself!) I wasn’t sure what to expect with my new Instant Pot, but the first recipe I made was pulled pork and after some trial and error it turned out beautifully. Flash forward a few months, and I’ve now mastered cooking a pork roast in an Instant Pot!

I know that March is here and we are even pushing the clocks forward again this weekend. But there is still snow in so many places! Snow means you crave comfort food. If I lived in a snowy place, I would crave comfort food. Even living in a hot place I crave comfort food. You see where this is going.

What’s Needed for Instant Pot Pork Roast?

To make this Instant Pot pork shoulder roast, you’ll need:

• Pork shoulder or pork butt roast
• Paprika
• Fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Onion
• Broth
• Water
• White wine

And if you’d like to make some gravy using the pork roast drippings, you’ll need:

• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Broth
• Mushrooms

What is a Pork Butt?

The cut of pork that is called butt roast or Boston Butt is from the shoulder area of the pig. It got the name “butt” because New England butchers during the Colonial era would take these cuts of the pork that were not as easy to sell and would place them in wooden barrels to store them. They were also transported in these wooden barrels that were called "butts."

Should I Use Bone-In or Boneless Pork Roast?

To make this Italian pork roast recipe, you’ll want to use a pork butt roast or a pork shoulder roast. You can use a bone-in roast or a boneless one. I’ve used both, and I didn’t notice any difference in flavor.

How to Cook Pork Roast in the Instant Pot

Cooking pork roast in the Instant Pot is easier than you’d think! Here are the basic steps for making an Italian pork roast in your Instant Pot: 

Season the pork roast, then sear on all sides using the “Saute” function on your Instant Pot.

Remove the pork roast from the Instant Pot and place a trivet inside. Return the pork to the Instant Pot.
Add the liquid you are using to the bottom of the Instant Pot (I used homemade broth, water, and a little white wine), and also add the onion and the fresh herbs.

Cover the Instant Pot and set the valve to the sealing position.

Turn the Instant Pot to “Manual” pressure and cook on high until done. Allow for natural release.

How Long to Cook Pork Roast in an Instant Pot

This Instant Pot pork roast cook time is roughly 45 minutes. I then use the natural release, and I also keep it on “Warm” for about 30 minutes while preparing the gravy and side dishes.

All in all, it takes a little over 1 hour to get the most tender Italian pork roast!

How to Make Gravy from Pork Roast Drippings

The pork roast gravy is so easy to put together! I had some sauteéd porcini and regular mushrooms on hand from another recipe so I added them to the gravy, but you could totally make your gravy without mushrooms if desired.

Here are the basic steps for making gravy for Instant Pot pork roast:  

• Melt the butter in a saucepan.
• Whisk flour into the melted butter, followed by the broth.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes until thickened to your liking.
• Stir in sauteed mushrooms, if using.

Can I Make Italian Pork Roast in a Slow Cooker?

If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can definitely make this in your slow cooker.Check out this Slow Roasted Italian Pork with Polenta recipe (so good!!).

When I cook in my slow cooker, I sear the roast and onions in a heavy bottomed pot, remove and season with salt and pepper. THEN transfer to the slow cooker. Add the liquid (broth, water, wine) and fresh herbs, then cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low or until the pork roast is fall-apart-tender.

What to serve with pork roast

This Instant Pot pork shoulder roast pairs perfectly with any number of comforting side dishes! A few of my favorite sides to serve with this Italian pork roast include:

• Honey Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
• Tomato Gratin
• Cauliflower and Potato Gratin
• Tabbouleh
• Maple Soy Glazed Carrots

Tips for making Instant Pot pork roast

Depending on the size of your pork shoulder roast, you may need to cut it in half to fit comfortably inside your Instant Pot. I had to cut mine in half this time, but that’s because I bought a 7-pound roast!

If you’d prefer to omit the white wine from this recipe, you’re welcome to use additional water or broth in its place. However, if you do use white wine I recommend buying a bottle you’d happily drink. (You want to use the best quality ingredients!)

Lastly, you should note that I added a little extra liquid to the Italian pork roast as I wanted to have more left over to add to my gravy.

Make this paleo! In the gravy, sub the all-purpose flour tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.

More Italian dinner recipes:

• Slow Roasted Italian Pork with Polenta
• Polpettone (Italian Meatloaf)
• Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese
• Slow Cooker Italian Beef Stew
• Rosemary and Garlic Pork Tenderloin

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Italian Instant Pot Pork Roast

This Italian Instant Pot Pork Roast recipe makes tender, juicy meat from a pork shoulder roast in the pressure cooker in less than two hours!

Prep Time3 hrs

Cook Time1 hr 30 mins

Total Time4 hrs 30 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Pork Roast

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Lora

Ingredients

For the pork:

• ▢ 7- pound boneless pork shoulder
• ▢ salt and freshly ground pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mild paprika
• ▢ 2 cups packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• ▢ ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 Tablespoon
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ▢ 1 large onion , sliced
• ▢ 2 cups broth (I used my own chicken broth)
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 1 cup white wine (optional)*

For the gravy:

• ▢ 5 Tbsp butter
• ▢ 5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 cups broth , plus the juices from the Instant Pot after the pork cooks
• ▢ ½ cup mushrooms (I used porcini and regular mushrooms that were already cooked up)
• ▢ Salt and Pepper , to taste

Instructions

Cook the pork:

• Cut the roast into two large pieces. Rub the pork with 1 Tablespoon salt and pepper, and a teaspoon of paprika. Place in a plastic zip bag or plastic storage container. Store in the fridge overnight or a for a few hours before cooking.
• When ready to cook, turn Instant Pot on "Sauté”, and add 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Rub the pork loin with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and sear the sides of the pork loin to a nice golden brown. Press Cancel and remove roast from the Instant Pot. Place on a plate and set aside.
• Add the roast onto the trivet inside the Instant Pot. Add the liquid (water, broth, wine if you are using, or more broth/water if you don’t like to cook with wine). Add the sliced onion and fresh herbs on top of the roast. Drizzle on about 1 Tablespoon extra virign olive oil.
• Cover and move the valve to sealing position.Turn the instant pot to MANUAL pressure ‘HIGH’ and cook time 45 minutes *depending on size & preferred doneness. Allow for a natural release. When the top unlocks (I left mine on warm for almost 30 minutes while I made my side dishes), slice the roast or you could shred the pork with two forks (if making pulled pork sandwiches).

Make the gravy:

• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat.
• Whisk flour into butter.
• Whisk in 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Whisk in another half cup. Keep adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time stirring together so it’s smooth.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer a few minutes.
• Taste and add salt and pepper (and the mushrooms if you are using them(already cooked up). Serve the pork with the gravy, mashed potatoes or polenta, your favorite green vegetable. If you like, drizzle on a little more of the extra virgin olive oil on the pork before serving.

Notes

• *A note about the wine: I used a Pinot Grigio I had on hand already opened. However, you could use more water or broth if you prefer to omit the wine altogether. 
• Make this PALEO: in the gravy, sub all-purpose flour for tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.

Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!