Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes are a known classic, but making Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes is a new way to make this favorite side dish! The potatoes will be ready for mashing in just about 8 minutes, making this old favorite so much easier to make! Hosting a big group is about to become so much easier with this stress-free method.
Mashed Potatoes are, without a doubt, my number one favorite food. They’re so versatile and can be enjoyed in so many different ways (like with this Horseradish Mashed Potatoes Recipe or my Garlic Redskin Mashed Potatoes).
My least favorite thing about making them, though, is how long they take to cook. You can’t just make mashed potatoes on a last-minute decision for dinner. It takes planning and boiling before dinner is served.
These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes solve this dilemma easily. The potatoes cook in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes and then you’re ready to eat dinner! Serve them with this Brown Gravy Recipe for a perfectly easy dinner side! And if you have leftovers, you can use them to make this homemade Potato Bread!
Why Make This Recipe
- Simple Recipe: This recipe gives perfect, straight to the point potatoes that are great for everything from a quick weeknight dinner to a Thanksgiving feast!
- Perfect for Feeding a Crowd: If you are hosting a family dinner or entertaining guests, cooking can be stressful! You can make a large portion of mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot without needing to increase the cook time or pay attention to a boiling pot.
- Creamy and Flavorful: The sour cream in this recipe paired with butter, milk, and the seasonings makes for flavorful, fluffy, and creamy potatoes.
Key Ingredients for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Potatoes: This recipe calls for russet potatoes for the fluffiest mashed potatoes with no gumminess. Idaho will also work for this. If you want a chunkier mashed potato that is a little richer, you can try yukon gold!
- Water: Using water to cook your potatoes is fine, but if you really want to amp up the flavor without any extra work, try using chicken broth instead.
- Butter: I recommend unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in your potatoes. To really make your potatoes taste high end, use a European-style butter that has a higher fat content and will create a richer taste. My favorite brand is Kerrygold!
- Milk: Use whole milk for the creamiest potatoes or low fat milk if you are looking for a lighter dinner.
- Sour cream: While heavy cream makes potatoes lighter, sour cream gives them more of a creamy and substantial texture, with a slightly tangy taste which I love! If you want a more neutral taste and a fluffier texture, you can substitute this for heavy whipping cream!
Recipe Variations
Mashed potatoes are so versatile, which is what makes them so beautiful. This recipe is for a very classic mashed potato, but feel free to make additions.
- Fresh Herbs and Spices: Try adding in some fresh herbs like parsley, chives or extra fresh garlic for a flavor twist
- Top it Off: Toppings like gravy, cheese, or extra butter or sour cream take these Instant Pot mashed potatoes from simple to sublime!
How to Make Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Step One: Cut your potatoes into even cubes and place them in the Instant Pot with the water and salt.
Step Two: Put the lid on the Instant Pot, then set to MANUAL or HIGH for 8 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, perform a Quick Release.
Step Three: Add the butter, milk and sour cream and mash the potatoes.
Step Four: Add the remaining spices and mix until combined.
Expert Tips
- Do your best to chop potatoes into uniform cubes so they cook evenly and mash smoothly.
- After pressure cooking, drain excess water to prevent watery potatoes.
- Slightly heat your milk, butter, and sour cream before adding to help them absorb better into your potatoes without ruining the texture.
- Use a hand masher or ricer to give you the best control over how mashed your potatoes are. Don’t use an electric hand mixer or your potatoes could turn out gluey!
- Salt the cooking water and then season again after mashing for a balanced flavor.
Recipe FAQs
You can make mashed potatoes even a few days in advance if you’d like to have things ready ahead of time.
Of course, they are always best enjoyed fresh, but if you need to prep the Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes a few days in advance, you are more than welcome to!
My parents even prep and freeze mashed potatoes for all our Christmas parties — we just reheat them in the oven for a crispy edge that tastes freshly made.
If you are going to make the mashed potatoes ahead of time, you can store them in the fridge for three days. Any longer of a time period, and I would recommend keeping them in the freezer instead.
Keeping your mashed potatoes warm in the Instant Pot is easy! If you simply keep the mashed potatoes on Keep Warm on Low, you can have beautifully warmed mashed potatoes for up to four hours.
Make sure that your Keep Warm is set to low, or you will end up with burned mashed potatoes on the bottom.
Yes! Because the lining of the Instant Pot is stainless steel, you can use a hand mashed directly in the pot without worrying about harming it.
If this happens, you may have cooked your potatoes for too long, making them waterlogged. Try cooking them for a little bit less time next time. Also make sure to transfer your potatoes to a strainer so that all of the excess liquid can drain from them before you mash.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes? If so, check out these other recipes I’ve selected just for you:
If you tried this Instant Mashed Potatoes Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 cups water
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Cut the potato into about sixteen pieces each, making equal sized cubes.
- Add 2 cups water into the Instant Pot along with about 1 tsp salt and your 3 lbs potatoes. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, then set to MANUAL or HIGH for 8 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, perform a Quick Release. Drain any remaining water.
- Add the melted 4 tbsp butter, ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup sour cream, then mash the potatoes with a potato masher until smooth and creamy, adding more milk or salt if necessary.
- Add the rest of the seasonings (½ tsp salt, ½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ tsp black pepper) into the potatoes, and use a spoon to mix until well combined. Garnish with parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Russet Potatoes: Idaho will also work for this. If you want a chunkier mashed potato that is a little richer, you can try yukon gold!
- Water: Using water to cook your potatoes is fine, but if you really want to amp up the flavor without any extra work, try using chicken broth instead.
- Butter: I recommend unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt in your potatoes. To really make your potatoes taste high end, use a European-style butter that has a higher fat content and will create a richer taste. My favorite brand is Kerrygold!
- Milk: Use whole milk for the creamiest potatoes or low fat milk if you are looking for a lighter dinner.
- Sour cream: While heavy cream makes potatoes lighter, sour cream gives them more of a creamy and substantial texture, with a slightly tangy taste which I love! If you want a more neutral taste and a fluffier texture, you can substitute this for heavy whipping cream!
- After pressure cooking, drain excess water to prevent watery potatoes.
- Slightly heat your milk, butter, and sour cream before adding to help them absorb better into your potatoes without ruining the texture.
- Use a hand masher or ricer to give you the best control over how mashed your potatoes are. Don’t use an electric hand mixer or your potatoes could turn out gluey!
- Salt the cooking water and then season again after mashing for a balanced flavor.
- Do your best to chop potatoes into uniform cubes so they cook evenly and mash smoothly.
