Instant Pot Swiss Steak
Published March 18, 2022 • Updated March 2, 2026
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Turn tough cuts of beef like London Broil and round steak into fork-tender Swiss steak using your Instant Pot. A hearty tomato and mushroom gravy makes this low carb dinner feel like something that braised all day, but it's ready in under an hour.
I started making this Instant Pot Swiss steak about five years ago when I had a London Broil sitting in the fridge and no patience for a three-hour braise. Thirty minutes under pressure and the meat was falling apart with a fork. That was it for me. I stopped slow-braising tough cuts the old way.
What keeps me coming back to this recipe is how hands-off it is. Season the beef, get a hard sear, toss in the vegetables, and let the pressure cooker handle the rest. The tomato and mushroom sauce that builds up during cooking is rich enough that my husband ladles extra over everything on his plate. I serve it over keto spaghetti or just alongside roasted broccoli, and the sauce covers it all.
The key to this whole recipe is the sear. I pat the steaks completely dry with paper towels, then dust them with arrowroot powder before they hit the hot oil. That thin coating creates a crust that locks in the juices and helps thicken the sauce later. Skip the sear and you lose that deep, caramelized flavor in the gravy. I figured that out the hard way my first time around.
I’ve tested this with London Broil, Top Round, and Bottom Round. All three work, but London Broil is my favorite because the grain pulls apart into thick, satisfying shreds. Top Round comes out leaner but still tender. Bottom Round holds its shape more, which is nice if you want clean slices instead of shredded pieces. If you like beef dinners, my keto beef and broccoli is another fast one I keep in rotation.
This is one of my favorite keto dinners because it’s genuinely budget-friendly. The cuts I use cost a fraction of what you’d pay for ribeye or strip steak, and after pressure cooking they’re just as tender. It’s the kind of meal where the leftovers are almost better the next day because the sauce soaks into everything overnight. For more easy weeknight comfort food, my keto hamburger helper hits the same spot.
How to make pressure cooker Swiss steak
The layering order matters here. After I sear the beef and set it aside, I cook the onions, mushrooms, and garlic right in those browned bits at the bottom of the pot. That fond is the flavor base for the entire sauce. Once I add the tomatoes, broth, and wine, I nestle the beef back in, but I don’t stir after that point. I learned early on that stirring breaks apart the seared crust and the sauce comes out less rich.
Key ingredients
- Steak – I use tough, budget-friendly cuts like London Broil, Top Round, or Bottom Round. Roasts work too. I just cut them into thick slabs before searing.
- Vegetables – Mushrooms, onion, and garlic are my base. I’ve also thrown in bell peppers and celery with good results.
- Diced tomatoes – One can does double duty here. The acid helps tenderize the beef and builds the sauce base.
- Chicken broth – I usually use chicken broth for the braising liquid, but beef broth works just as well. Water in a pinch.
- Wine – I prefer red wine for depth, but it’s completely optional. The dish is still rich without it.
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Ingredients
2-3 pounds london broil, top round, bottom round steak or roast -
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder, optional
-
2 tablespoons avocado oil
-
1/2 cup diced onion
-
3 oz sliced mushrooms
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
-
14 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
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1 cup chicken broth
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1/4 cup red wine, optional
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prepare steaks or roast
Pat steaks or roast dry with a paper towel. Season generously with salt and pepper. Dust with arrowroot powder or your favorite thickener if using.
- Beef
- Salt & pepper
- Arrowroot powder (optional)
Sear steaks
Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add avocado oil. Once oil is heated through, add steaks to the liner of the Instant Pot. Do not crowd the steaks, leave room for steam to escape in order to get a proper sear and crust on the outside of each steak. You may have to work in batches. Sear on all sides. Remove steaks and set aside.
- Oil
Saute onions and mushrooms
To the liner of the Instant Pot, add diced onions, mushrooms, garlic and thyme. Sauté until almost softened. Stir in diced tomatoes, chicken broth and red wine, if using.
- Onions (diced)
- Mushrooms (sliced)
- Garlic (minced)
- Thyme
- Diced tomatoes
- Chicken broth
- Red wine (optional)
Pressure cook
Return steaks to the Instant Pot and submerge within the liquid. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and turn the vent to seal. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before sliding or pressing the knob to vent remaining pressure.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make Swiss steak without a pressure cooker?
I've made this three different ways. For the slow cooker, I sear the beef in a skillet first (don't skip this step), then add everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. For the oven, I use a Dutch oven at 325 degrees for about 2.5-3 hours with the lid on. On the stove top, same Dutch oven, bring it to a boil, then drop to low and simmer for 1.5-2 hours. All three give you tender beef, but I keep going back to the pressure cooker because the result is the same in a fraction of the time. If you like set-and-forget keto meals, my keto crack chicken works the same way in a slow cooker.
What's the difference between Swiss steak and Salisbury steak?
I get this question a lot. Salisbury steak starts with ground beef shaped into patties, which are pan-fried and served with a brown mushroom gravy. Swiss steak uses whole cuts of beef (I use round steak or London Broil) that get braised in a tomato-based sauce until they're fall-apart tender. Completely different texture, technique, and taste, even though the names sound similar.
Can I use cube steak for this recipe?
I've tried it and it works, but there's a catch. Cube steak is already mechanically tenderized, so it cooks much faster under pressure and can fall apart. When I use cube steak, I cut the cooking time to about 12-15 minutes instead of 30. The texture comes out softer and more shredded compared to a whole round steak, but the flavor is just as good.
How do I thicken the sauce if it's too thin?
After I pull the beef out, I switch to saute mode and let the sauce reduce on its own for 5-10 minutes. That usually does it. If I need it thicker faster, I stir in about a teaspoon of arrowroot powder mixed with a tablespoon of cold water. A reader asked me about using xanthan gum, and I've tested that too. It works, but use just 1/4 teaspoon at a time because too much makes the sauce slimy. Either way, keep stirring as you add the thickener so it doesn't clump.
Can I add other vegetables to this recipe?
I stick with mushrooms, onion, and garlic as my base, but I've added diced bell peppers and celery with good results. Bell peppers add a slight sweetness that pairs well with the tomato sauce. I toss them in with the onions during the saute step so they soften before pressure cooking. Broccoli and zucchini work too, but I add those after the pressure cook so they don't turn to mush. For another veggie-packed keto dinner, my keto chicken casserole is a good option.
Why do you let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes?
I've tested both quick release and natural release on this recipe. Quick release causes a sudden temperature drop that tightens the meat fibers back up, so you lose some of that tenderness you just spent 30 minutes building. Ten minutes of natural release lets the beef relax and reabsorb some of the cooking liquid. I've found 10 minutes is the sweet spot for this cut of beef. Some recipes call for 20 minutes of natural release, but I didn't notice a real difference past 10.
What sides go best with Swiss steak?
My go-to is serving it over cauliflower mash because the gravy soaks right into it. Roasted broccoli or steamed green beans work well alongside it too. When I want a full spread, I'll start with a minestrone soup and then bring out the Swiss steak as the main. The sauce is rich enough that you don't need anything heavy on the side.
Third time making this and I keep noticing the tomato gravy gets richer the next day. Made it Sunday and the Monday leftovers were almost better than the first bowl.
Made this on a Sunday with a bottom round roast I had sitting in the freezer. The thing came out falling apart tender in under an hour, which genuinely shocked me because I always thought round cuts needed all day in a slow cooker. Tomato gravy was thick and soaked into every bite. Only thing I'd say is season the meat more aggressively before you sear it. First few bites felt a little flat until the gravy hit.
Yeah, more than looks right on that sear. The gravy hits the surface but can't season all the way through. I go heavy before it goes in the pan.
Made a double batch Sunday to get through the week and the gravy just keeps getting better by day three. Meat was already falling apart when I packed it up, but somehow even more flavorful reheated. Keeping this in the Sunday rotation.
The tomatoes and thyme keep breaking down the longer it sits, so day three is genuinely the best bowl. Sunday rotation makes total sense for this one.
One tip if you're using a thicker London broil: cut it into 2-3 pieces before searing so you get more surface contact with the pot. Real difference in how the gravy builds. I also swapped the red wine for Worcestershire and the sauce came out richer, more depth against the mushrooms and thyme. Tried both ways. Sticking with the Worcestershire.
Worcestershire against mushrooms and thyme is just a better combination than the wine. I'm testing this next time. And yeah, cutting a thick London broil before searing is practical. More contact, more fond.
Made this on one of those snow days last week when I had zero plans to leave the house, and I ended up throwing in twice the mushrooms because I had a whole container sitting in the fridge that needed to go. Honestly might be the best accident I've had in the kitchen. The gravy got so thick and almost silky, way more body than I expected. I also skipped the red wine because I didn't have any open, and it still turned out freaking incredible, the chicken broth and tomatoes carry it fine on their own. I'm a total beginner and I usually follow recipes exactly because I'm scared of messing things up, but this one made me feel like I actually knew what I was doing. The steak was falling apart before I even tried to cut it. Genuinely cannot believe something this cozy came out of a pot I've owned for two years and barely used.
Double mushrooms is what got you that silky gravy. They release so much liquid as they cook, which does most of the thickening on its own. I barely miss the wine when I skip it, the tomatoes carry it fine.
My Dutch oven version takes most of a Sunday afternoon, so I was skeptical the Instant Pot could get anywhere close. It did. The round steak fell apart and the tomato mushroom gravy tasted like it had been going since morning. I double-checked the cook time because it seemed too fast.
That cook time always looks like a typo. The natural release at the end is what holds the texture, keeps the fibers from seizing back up. Round steak was basically made for pressure cooking.
First time making this and I've never seared meat in the Instant Pot before. How brown should the steaks get on the sauté step before pulling them out? I'm scared of either underdoing it or scorching the pot before a real crust forms.
You want deep golden brown, almost mahogany. Not just a light gray. I do 2-3 minutes a side on saute without touching it. If it sticks when you go to flip, give it 30 more seconds and it'll release.
This worked out very well for my family! Thank you for the recipe. The instant pot really helped the meat tenderize.
Yeah the pressure does things to those tough cuts that nothing else can. The natural release at the end matters too. Give it the full 10 minutes or the meat tightens back up.
Hi, could I use xanthum gum instead of arrowroot?
Yes, but it might make it slimy so don't add too much