Firehouse Roast–tender, flavorful shredded chuck roast that’s smoky-sweet and slightly spicy. Make it low and slow in your Crockpot or speed it up in the Instant Pot.
Firehouse Roast
This roast blew me away with how flavorful it turned out using just a handful of simple ingredients. It was so tender it literally fell apart as I lifted it out of the pot. The barbecue sauce, chili powder, and hot sauce melt together into the perfect smoky-sweet little kick that makes every bite irresistible. You can pile it onto mashed potatoes, make sliders, or honestly just stand over the cutting board picking at it like Greg and I did. We could NOT stop. I even loved the leftovers the next day. And the name “Firehouse Roast” fits perfectly because it’s hearty, hands-off and made for feeding big appetites…exactly the kind of meal firefighters need when they might get called away mid-cook. It’s comforting, efficient, and totally crowd-pleasing, whether you’re in a fire station or just cooking for your family.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Canola Oil–or vegetable, olive
- Chuck Roast–or rump roast
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Water
- Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base–or beef base
- Barbecue Sauce–I used Sweet Baby Ray’s
- Hot Sauce–I used Franks
- Chili Powder
Steps
Season the roast with the salt, pepper and garlic powder by sprinkling half on each side and rubbing into the meat.
Heat a large pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot add in the oil and swirl around. Place roast into pan and brown on each side for 5 minutes.
Add water and bouillon into Instant Pot and add in the roast.
In a bowl whisk together the barbecue sauce, hot sauce and chili powder. Pour it over the top of the roast.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 90 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 20 minutes or a full natural pressure release. Move valve to venting and remove the lid.
Place roast on a cutting board and shred up.
Drizzle with some of the juices from the Instant Pot and serve.
Notes/Tips
- This would be great on slider buns, in tortillas, over mashed potatoes, or with coleslaw
- Browning is important. Those 5 minutes per side create flavor through caramelization.
- The natural pressure release is important. The 20-minute wait helps keep the meat tender and prevents it from seizing up and becoming tough.
- My roast is still tough. What happened? It just needs more time. Chuck roast turns magical only after long cooking. Pressure cook another 10–15 minutes or continue slow cooking.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with hot sauce are Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip and Instant Pot Mississippi Sin Dip.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Firehouse Roast
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Tender, flavorful shredded chuck roast that’s smoky-sweet and slightly spicy. Make it low and slow in your Crockpot or speed it up in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 3 pounds chuck roast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp Better than Bouillon chicken base
- 1 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp chili powder
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Season the roast with the salt, pepper and garlic powder by sprinkling half on each side and rubbing into the meat.
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot add in the oil and swirl around. Place roast into pan and brown on each side for 5 minutes.
- Add water and bouillon into Instant Pot and add in the roast.
- In a bowl whisk together the barbecue sauce, hot sauce and chili powder. Pour it over the top of the roast.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 90 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 20 minutes or a full natural pressure release. Move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Place roast on a cutting board and shred up.
- Drizzle with some of the juices from the Instant Pot and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Season the roast with the salt, pepper and garlic powder by sprinkling half on each side and rubbing into the meat.
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. When pan is hot add in the oil and swirl around. Place roast into pan and brown on each side for 5 minutes.
- Add water and bouillon into slow cooker and add in the roast.
- In a bowl whisk together the barbecue sauce, hot sauce and chili powder. Pour it over the top of the roast.
- Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours.
- Place roast on a cutting board and shred up.
- Drizzle with some of the juices from the slow cooker and serve.
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
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