Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes come together in just 20 minutes with 5 simple ingredients. As a former chef and caterer who has made mashed potatoes for crowds of 300+, I can confidently say this method is the easiest way to get creamy, fluffy, and perfectly seasoned results every time.
Peace is this moment without judgment. That is all. This moment in the Heart-space where everything is welcome. ~Dorothy Hunt
I've made a lot of mashed potatoes in my life, especially during my catering days when we'd prepare enough to feed 300-400 people. Truthfully, some of those memories still give me a little PTSD (just the logistics of storing, keeping warm, and transporting them was a feat in itself!). Over the years, I learned exactly what works and what doesn't when it comes to getting consistently creamy, flavorful mashed potatoes.
That's why I love this Instant Pot method so much. It's fast, reliable, and the potatoes can be kept warm right in the pot until you're ready to serve, whether you're cooking for a family dinner or a big holiday spread. With just a few chef-tested tips, you'll get mashed potatoes that are rich, fluffy, and absolutely delicious every single time.
Why you’ll love Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Quick and easy to make. Preparing mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot makes this recipe (and all of your Thanksgiving prep) SO much easier. These mashed potatoes only take 20 minutes!
- They’ll stay warm! Storing them in the Instant Pot helps them stay warm right up until serving time. 🙂
- Perfect for the holidays. Not only do these creamy instant pot mashed potatoes taste delicious, but they don’t take up any precious space in the oven or on the stove! Kind of perfect.
- Vegan adaptable. Simply use vegan butter and vegan sour cream!
- So versatile! Try adding roasted garlic, or a little goat cheese, or some truffle oil ( my favorite) or a little horseradish to bring the flavor over the top! Sooooooooo yummy!
INSTANT POT MASHED POTATO Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Thinned-skinned potatoes, don’t need to be peeled, saving a step! Yukons have a creamy and buttery texture, making the mashed potatoes smooth and velvety. Substitute any thin-skinned potato!
- Butter (or vegan butter): Adds richness and depth of flavor to the mashed potatoes.
- Sour Cream (or vegan sour cream): Makes the mashed potatoes creamy and tangy. It adds a pleasant acidity to the dish.
- Granulated garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Variations and Optional Additions
- Roasted Garlic: These cloves of garlic add a sweet and nutty flavor to the mashed potatoes. It brings a delicious aroma and depth to the dish.
- Goat Cheese: Adds creaminess and tanginess to the mashed potatoes. It also adds a subtle savory flavor.
- Horseradish: Brings a bold and pungent flavor to the mashed potatoes. It adds a spicy kick and complements the creamy taste.
- Truffle Oil: Adds a luxurious and earthy flavor to the mashed potatoes. It provides a unique and aromatic taste.
Garnishes
- Chives or Scallions: Add a fresh and mild onion flavor. They also provide a pop of color to the dish.
- Mushroom Gravy: A delicious accompaniment to mashed potatoes. It adds savory, rich, and umami flavors and complements the creamy texture.
What type of potato is best for mashed potatoes?
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: The creamy texture and buttery flavor makes them perfect!
- Thin-skinned New Potatoes: Use red, white, yellow or even purple!
- Russet potatoes: If you use these, remember to peel them first. Adds a touch of extra prep time.
Potato peels are actually extremely nutritious so I try to leave them on if possible. Plus it’s just easier. 🙂 If you want to do it this way, I recommend using Yukon Gold Potatoes.
How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
1. Cut potatoes in half and place in the instant pot. No need to peel! Add 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
2. Close the lid to seal and set to high pressure to pressure cook for 6 minutes. Manually release the valve, placing a kitchen towel over the steam spout.
3. Drain, saving 1 cup of the potato water.
4. Add the drained potatoes, butter, sour cream, garlic powder, salt and pepper back into the Instant pot on the warm setting. Use a potato masher to mash and then whip until smooth.
5. Add some or all of the potato water to loosen the potatoes if you like. If keeping these warm for a long period of time- I’ll add the full cup.
6. Season. Stir in any additions you like. Taste and adjust salt.
Seriously, the easiest mashed potatoes I’ve ever made.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with your favorite protein- Chicken Marsala, Classic Shrimp Scampi, Homemade Meatloaf or Oven Brisket. Or for a tasty vegetarian meal, serve with Vegan Meatloaf, simple sauteed mushrooms or try this Lion's Mane recipe!
When ready to serve just garnish with a little pepper, fresh chives, maybe even a drizzle of melted butter! Fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary make a nice addition too!
Health Benefits of Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Vitamin C: Yukon Gold potatoes are rich in vitamin C, which is an essential antioxidant that helps boost the immune system, promote collagen production for healthy skin, and protect against cellular damage.
- Dietary Fiber: These potatoes contain a good amount of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
- Potassium: Yukon Gold potatoes are a good source of potassium, an electrolyte that plays a vital role in maintaining proper heart and muscle function, regulating blood pressure, and balancing fluid levels in the body.
- B Vitamins: They provide various B vitamins, including thiamine (vitamin B1), niacin (vitamin B3), and pyridoxine (vitamin B6), which are important for converting food into energy, supporting brain function, and maintaining a healthy nervous system.
- Resistant Starch: These potatoes contain resistant starch, a type of dietary fiber that acts as a prebiotic, nourishing beneficial gut bacteria. Resistant starch can also help improve insulin sensitivity and promote a feeling of fullness.
Storing Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
You can store these mashed potatoes in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze them for a month.
Mashed Potatoes Instant Pot FAQs
In the Instant Pot, the potatoes only need 6 minutes to cook before draining and adding the remaining ingredients. Don’t forget to save some potato water!
This recipe calls for 6 cups of water to cook the potatoes. The water is salted for even more flavor!
Using this pressure cooker method is the best way to keep mashed potatoes warm. The potatoes will stay warm for an hour or two! Simply use the “Keep Warm” button. Adding potato water helps preserve the creamy texture.
Using a potato masher keeps them light and fluffy, while an electric mixer can make them more dense and creamy. It depends on what type of texture you prefer! If using the mixer, just be careful to stop when they get silky. Over-mixing them can turn them gluey.
And of course, you could pair these amazing instant pot mashed potatoes with our tasty Mushroom Gravy.
Such a delicious combo! Give these Instant Pot Mashed potatoes a try, I know you’ll love them!
xoxo
More recipes you’ll enjoy!
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: side dish, instant pot, vegan adaptable
- Method: instant pot,
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are easy to make with 5 ingredients in just 20 minutes! Rich, creamy and fluffy, they turn out perfect every time!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes ( any thin-skinned potato will work, see notes)
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter (or vegan butter)
- 1/2 cup-1 cup sour cream ( or sub-Kite’s Hill Vegan Cream Cheese)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1–3 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- optional additions: 10-15 roasted garlic cloves (mashed) 1/4 cup-1/2 cup goat cheese or 1-2 tablespoons horseradish (to taste) or truffle oil, to taste.
Garnish: chives or scallions, mushroom gravy
Instructions
- Cut potatoes in half and place in the instant pot. Add 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.
- Set to high pressure, 6 minutes. Manually release, placing a kitchen towel over the steam spout.
- Drain, saving 1 cup of the potato water.
- Set Instant pot to Warm. Add the drained potatoes, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and mash and stir, mash and stir until smooth.
- Add some or all of the potato water to loosen the potatoes if you like. If keeping these warm for a long period of time- I’ll add the full cup.
- Stir in any additions you like. Taste and adjust salt.
- Keep warm until ready to serve, garnishing with chives, melted butter and pepper.
Notes
I love using Yukon Gold potatoes in mashed potatoes! Not only do they have a creamy texture, there is no need to peel then, their skins are so thin.
Make this vegan by using vegan butter and vegan sour cream!
Double the butter for extra-rich potatoes.
Not sure how much sour cream to add? Start conservatively ( 1/2 cup) and you can always add more to taste.
Feel free to double this recipe in a 6 -8 Quart Instant Pot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 162
- Sugar: 1.7 g
- Sodium: 621.8 mg
- Fat: 6.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 16.5 mg
I LOVE this recipe! I have used it several times and always turns out amazingly well.
The time it saves when cooking for occasions is a total game changer- you can focus on other dishes, or your guests, knowing your potatoes will be fantastic! So grateful.
Thank you Sylvia.
Great to hear Heather! Appreciate your helpful review. 🙂
Keen to try this. Can Greek yogurt be used instead of sour cream?
Yes, Greek yogurt works great!
Finally tried this with Greek yogurt tonight. Delicious! So quick and easy to make. Love not having to peel the potatoes too!
Awesome, so much easier!
Love these! The salt when you move to half portion doesn’t change as well as a couple of others, I just wanted to note that does happen in several of the recipes. But, I am a huge FAN!
Hi Rachel, so happy you liked this! Our multiplier is glitchy at times I am so sorry.
These are very easy and so delicious! Have made them several times. Thank you!
Awesome to hear and so happy you are enjoying!
Loved this Instant Pot technique, especially keeping them warm while prparing other things! I did peel some of the taters, cut the peels into long thin strips, and fried them crisp in butter. I used these, haystack like, to garnish the potatoes along with fresh chives, and drizzled what became brown butter over the top. Delicious. Thanks.
YUM Joseph, I love that idea with the peels!
I’ve made these several times now and I love them! Turn out great every time. I will definitely be using this recipe several times for the rest of this year with all of the holiday gatherings. Thank you, Sylvia!
Awesome Angie- glad this one works for you!
We made this with Thanksgiving dinner and it was easy and the results were amazing! Thanks!
Why do you put a kitchen towel over the spout?
So the steam doesn’t go everywhere when manually releasing. 🙂 Just a personal preference.
Think i could use whole milk? Did my shopping and not going back out cuz of COVID.
Do you mean instead of sour cream? If so, I’d also add a little cheese to give it some richness.
can i make this in a 6 qt instant pot with the same amount of ingredients? doubling it will make way too much!
I made it in a 6 quart, but haven’t tried doubling it.