Everyone's favorite comfort food side dish, made incredibly easy! This recipe for Instant Pot mashed potatoes is totally drool-worthy. Make the most creamy and rich mashed potatoes with minimal effort.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Who doesn't love a big ol' bowl of creamy mashed potatoes? They go with pretty much anything and are one of those side dishes that you just can't get tired of!
However, if you don't have a good mashed potato recipe then you can end up with a final product that is not nearly as satisfying as it could be. This recipe for Instant Pot mashed potatoes is a total game changer.
Not only is it very low effort, but it makes the most perfect mashed potatoes every single time! Really all you have to do is dice up the potatoes, add the ingredients to the pressure cooker, then mash them when they're done. Easy peasy!
Serve these creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes with all of your favorite main courses, like steak and grilled pork chops. They are a wonderful addition to any meal on your dinner table.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
So much buttery flavor and creamy texture — what's not to love about this recipe? It really is one of my favorite go-to recipes:
- Making food in the Instant Pot is most often a guarantee of easy clean-up. You won't have to wash a whole lot of dishes after making this perfect side dish!
- You only need about 10 minutes to prep this dish. Then just let the pressure cooker work it's magic until the potatoes are cooked to perfection.
- This is a wonderful recipe for Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving dinner, and any other holiday meal. The low effort prep and cooking is a great way to conserve time and energy when you are cooking a feast!
Ingredients
You only need four simple ingredients and a bit of salt and pepper to make this easy side dish.
- potatoes
- chicken or vegetable broth or water
- unsalted butter
- milk
- salt and black pepper to taste
Substitutions and Variations
I personally think that the best kind of potatoes to use are yukon gold potatoes or medium russet potatoes. If you'd like to leave skins on the potato, then I recommend using red potatoes that have been washed throughly.
Want to add more protein to this recipe? Then use bone broth instead of regular chicken broth! It will also make the flavor a bit more rich.
You can use salted butter if you prefer, just keep in mind that you may need to reduce the amount of salt used to season the potatoes.
For the most creamy potatoes, I recommend using whole milk. However, you can use any milk that you have on hand. You can also use heavy cream or half and half for extra creamy mashed potatoes.
Make some extra flavorful mashed potatoes by mixing in some sautéed minced garlic, shredded cheese, bacon bits, or green onions. Some tasty cheeses would be sharp cheddar, Parmesan, or Gruyère. You could also mix in a bit of sour cream or Greek yogurt!
Fresh herbs and spices like garlic powder and onion powder would add loads of flavor to these mashed potatoes.
How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Whether you're making a batch of mashed potatoes for special occasions or weeknight dinners, this is the best mashed potatoes recipe to use. Here's how to make it:
Wash your potatoes well and then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Dice them into even chunks and then transfer to the Instant Pot.
Add two cups of the broth or water and then close the IP lid.
Set the vent to the sealing position and select the "manual" or "pressure cook" function.
Cook on high pressure for about 8 minutes if you diced small chunks of potatoes, or 10 minutes for larger chunks.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, then perform a quick release to release the pressure. Carefully open the lid and drain off any excess liquid from the potatoes.
Add butter, milk, salt and pepper to the cooked potatoes. Then use a hand masher or hand mixer until the potatoes are thoroughly mashed. If needed, adjust the consistency by mixing in more milk.
Taste the mashed potatoes and season to taste. Then transfer the Instant Pot mashed potatoes to a serving bowl and top with chopped chives and melted butter.
Serve and enjoy!
How to Store Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Transfer leftovers an airtight container and allow to cool. Then store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and reheat when ready to serve.
You can freeze leftover mashed potatoes if you want, but it is likely that the texture will change slightly. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
When reheating, add a little bit of milk to achieve the right consistency. I recommend reheating on the stove top for best results.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Pair this delicious side dish with main course like grilled pork tenderloin, slow cooker pulled pork, and even baked chicken meatballs.
You could also go classic southern and serve these mashed potatoes with some fried chicken and green beans!
It'd also be a great side for an easy dinner of sheet pan chicken and veggies. Mashed potatoes can pretty much go with any of your favorite main dishes!
Tips for Success
Check out these few tips for these simple Instant Pot mashed potatoes:
- Yukon Gold potatoes are often recommended for mashed potatoes because of their creamy texture. However, Russet potatoes work well too. You can also try a mix for a different flavor.
- Control the consistency of your mashed potatoes by adjusting the amount of milk. If you decide to add more, then add it gradually until you reach your preferred texture.
- I recommend dicing your potatoes into about 1 inch size chunks so that they cook easily. Make sure that all of the potato chunks are similar in size so that they all finish cooking at the same time.
FAQ
This is a great dish to make ahead of time! Prepare the mashed potatoes as instructed, let them cool, and then refrigerate until needed. When you reheat on the stovetop, just add a splash extra milk or some butter as needed.
Yes! The Instant Pot essentially just speeds up the process that is normally done on the stove top. Instead of boiling potatoes in a pot, you let the Instant Pot take care of that for you!
Easily adjust the quantities to suit your needs! However, keep in mind that the cooking time will remain the same.
More Easy Side Dish Recipes
If you make and love this recipe, please leave a ★★★★★ review below! It means so much to me when you try my recipes, and I'd love to know how it goes. Please leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 pounds of potatoes such as Yukon Gold or Russet, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth or water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup milk whole milk or cream for creamier mashed potatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings:
- chopped chives
- melted butter
- grated cheese
- sour cream
Instructions
- Place the potato chunks in the Instant Pot. Add 2 cups of the broth or water.
- Close the Instant Pot lid, set the vent to the sealing position, and select the "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" function.
- Cook on high pressure for about 8 minutes for small chunks or 10 minutes for larger chunks.
- Once the cooking cycle is complete, perform a quick pressure release. Carefully open the Instant Pot lid. Drain any excess liquid from the potatoes.
- Add butter, milk (or cream), salt, and pepper to the potatoes.
- Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or an electric hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if needed.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer the mashed potatoes to a serving bowl. Optionally, top with chopped chives and melted butter.
- Serve the Instant Pot mashed potatoes hot as a side dish with your favorite main course.
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