Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
This post may contain affiliate links.
Want to know my two secrets for making THE BEST Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes of all time? It’s easy, just pressure cook russet potatoes in broth, instead of water, then add sour cream! And I promise, these will be the most flavorful and creamy mashed potatoes you’ve ever had!
This recipe is perfect for a special occasion, like Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s also easy enough to whip up for a weeknight meal! Whether you pair the potatoes with Bacon Wrapped Turkey Breast or Slow Cooker French Onion Pork Chops, I guarantee they’ll always be a hit on your dinner table!
Table of contents
We’re big mashed potato fans around our house and for years, my go-to mashed potato recipe has been this recipe for Rosemary Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes. They’re so incredibly flavorful and a fun spin on traditional mashed potatoes.
But when we’re looking for that classic creamy traditional mashed potato recipe, this Instant Pot recipe is our go-to! I have two secrets that make these THE BEST mashed potatoes ever!
- Pressure cooking the potatoes in broth instead of water. This imparts SO MUCH FLAVOR into the potatoes! You can use vegetable broth if you’re vegetarian, but otherwise, I recommend chicken or turkey broth. Yes, you will drain the broth from the potatoes after you cook them, but you can re-use the broth to make an incredible gravy to go with your potatoes!
- Adding sour cream to the mashed potatoes. Growing up, we always made mashed potatoes the “old-school way” with milk, butter, salt and pepper. Let me tell you, swapping out the milk for sour cream takes these mashed potatoes to ANOTHER LEVEL OF CREAMINESS!!!
Not only are these the best mashed potatoes ever, they’re also super easy to make in an Instant Pot, or any electric pressure cooker! I don’t know about you, but easy and delicious is my favorite combo in the kitchen!
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes – you can also use yukon gold potatoes. I’ve tested them both and they both work great in this recipe.
- To peel or not to peel? That’s totally up to you! I’ve made this recipe with skins on and off. Sometimes, I like the skin for a little texture and other times, I peel the skins to make the mashed potatoes perfectly smooth and creamy. I’ll let you make the call on your preference!
- Garlic Cloves
- Chicken Broth – vegetable or turkey broth can also be used in this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – since we’re cooking the potatoes in broth, which has a high salt content, and adding salt at the end, I recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe.
- Sour Cream – the secret ingredient that makes these potatoes so creamy!
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Step by step instructions
- Add cubed potatoes and garlic cloves to an Instant Pot.
- Add chicken broth to the Instant Pot, covering all of the potatoes. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, set the pressure valve to the sealing position and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Note: Remember, the cook time is 8 minutes, but it will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressure up and start the cooking time.
- Quick release the pressure from the lid after the timer is up on the Instant Pot by moving the pressure valve to the venting position. Be sure to use an oven mitt or long spoon to release the pressure, as to not burn your fingers. Remove the lid and remove 1/4 cup of the broth from the Instant Pot and set aside. Drain the remaining broth from the Instant Pot.
- Quick Tip! If you’d like to use the broth to make gravy, drain the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer and into a bowl or pot.
- Add the 1/4 cup reserved broth, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot with the drained potatoes.
- Use an electric hand mixer or potato masher to mash the potatoes in the Instant Pot.
One of the best things about this recipe is that you can serve the potatoes immediately or keep them warm in the Instant Pot for up to one hour. Feel free to serve them with chopped parsley or diced chives as a garnish.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you keep mashed potatoes warm in the Instant Pot? Yes! One of the hardest parts of making a meal with mashed potatoes is keeping the potatoes warm until the rest of the meal is ready. Luckily these Instant Pot mashed potatoes can stay right in the Instant Pot on the “keep warm” setting, with the lid on the Instant Pot. They’ll stay warm until you’re ready to serve them! Yay!!
- Are mashed potatoes gluten free? Yes, these mashed potatoes are naturally gluten free.
- Are mashed potatoes vegetarian? Yes, when vegetable broth is used, these mashed potatoes are vegetarian.
- How do you reheat mashed potatoes? I recommend reheating the mashed potatoes in the microwave for 3 minutes. I then stir 1-2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream into the mashed potatoes and heat them for another 1-2 minutes in the microwave.
- You can also reheat them in the oven. To do this, place the mashed potatoes in an oven safe dish, cover with foil and place in a 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes. Remove and stir in 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream before serving.
- Can you make more mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot? Yes, as long as you have an Instant Pot that is 8 quarts or larger, you can easily double the recipe. Just hover over the “servings” number in the recipe card below and adjust it to the number of servings you need. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update for the number of servings.
- How many mashed potatoes should you make per person? I recommend 1/2 pound potatoes per person. This recipe uses 3 pounds of potatoes and therefore serves 6 people. If you’re serving this recipe at a holiday, like Thanksgiving, that might have 4-6 other side dishes, you might only need about 1/3 pound per person and therefore this recipe will serve 9 people.
What to serve with them
Pork chops, meatloaf, Thanksgiving turkey and more! Mashed potatoes pair perfectly with so many delicious main dishes. Try it with one of these popular recipes for dinner tonight!
- French Onion Pot Roast – easily made in an Instant Pot or slow cooker!
- Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf – because meatloaf + mashed potatoes = a match made in dinner heaven!
- Dad’s Famous Captain Crunch Fried Chicken
- Grilled Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Smoked Turkey Breast + Mushroom Gravy
- Sous Vide Steak
- Grilled New York Strip Steak with Peppercorn Crust
- Lemon Rosemary Chicken
- Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken
- Roasted Prime Rib
- Beef Wellington
And if you have leftover mashed potatoes, don’t miss my Mashed Potato Bacon Pizza!
More side dish recipes
Looking for more easy side dishes for Thanksgiving and beyond? Check out these delicious dishes!
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, cut into large cubes – skins on or off, your choice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the cubed potatoes and garlic cloves to the Instant Pot, cover with the chicken broth.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and secure, set to the sealing position.
- Cook on manual high for 8 minutes.
- Quick release the pressure from the Instant Pot and remove the lid.
- Remove ¼ cup chicken broth from the Instant Pot and set aside.
- Drain the potatoes from the remaining chicken broth, then add them back to the Instant Pot with the reserved ¼ cup chicken broth, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
- Use a handheld potato masher or electric hand mixer to mash the potatoes.
Video
Notes
- To keep these potatoes warm after you’ve mashed them in the Instant Pot, simply place the lid back on the Instant Pot and turn on the “keep warm” setting. This will keep the mashed potatoes warm until you’re ready to serve them.
- Vegetarian Option: use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make the potatoes vegetarian.
- Instant Pot Size: You will need a 6 quart or larger Instant Pot to make this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
We are 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.
