Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Quick, easy and incredibly delicious – these ultra-light and fluffy Instant Pot mashed potatoes are a holiday and sunday meal staple.

I’ve shared with you my whipped mashed potatoes recipe, but today I want to share with you my go-to mashed potato recipe! These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are so easy, buttery, and delicious. They are the perfect side dish, especially topped with turkey gravy

A bowl of Instant Pot mashed potatoes with butter and parsley on top.

Instant Pot to the Rescue

I love making mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot because they are BEYOND simple. Other than peeling and chopping the potatoes, all the magic is done in the instant pot, which means FEWER DISHES! 

These are great because you don’t have to babysit them, they don’t take up more room on the stovetop, and you can make a double batch with ease. 

We also love that they’re quick and are great for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The insert of the Instant Pot filled with mashed potatoes.

How to Make

When it comes to mashed potatoes, choose potatoes that are high in starch. They produce the fluffiest and smoothest texture.

My go-to potato is russet or yukon gold, or a mix of the two! 

To Prep: Peel and cube the potatoes. Add the cubed potatoes to the Instant Pot, then cover them with water. Or you can use low sodium chicken broth to add a little extra flavor! There’s no set amount, just use enough to cover the tops and you’ll be golden. Then, season with salt.

Cook: Pressure cook on High for 10 minutes. Manually release and drain. 

What is the best way to drain the water from the instant pot? The easiest way is to drain the water from the potatoes is to use hot pads to lift the container out of the instant pot and then pour it into a colander over the sink. Pour the potatoes back into the pot in the instant pot and add the rest of the ingredients.

What ingredients make mashed potatoes light and fluffy?

These key ingredients:

  • Butter
  • Sour cream
  • Milk

I personally prefer the taste of sour cream over cream cheese, but you can use that too. Another good tip is to leave these three ingredients out at room temperature while the Instant Pot works its magic. Room temperature ingredients will prevent the potatoes from seizing up or becoming dense and heavy.

Alternative: *If you want to skip the peeling and dicing, just wash the potatoes and place them in the instant pot. Make sure to use your trivet or steamer basket, so that none of the potatoes are sitting in water. You will need to cook a little longer (25-30 minutes). Then quick release, pierce with a fork and pull the skins off (caution: potatoes will be hot!) and continue with mashing and adding all the good stuff! 

Cubed potatoes sitting in water inside of the Instant Pot.

Variations + Additional Seasonings

Flavor-wise, you’ll want to add more salt along with some minced roasted garlic (you can find cloves in the salad bar area of bigger grocery stores or on the pasta aisle) or garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper, and either parsley or chives. My other favorite is garlic salt with parsley flakes. 😉

When I add any of these I start off with a small amount and add until it tastes great! 

What other delicious additions can you add to mashed potatoes?

  • Cheese (about 2 cups)
  • Bacon (4-8 strips of bacon, it just depends how much bacon you want!) 
  • Rosemary (½ tsp minced)

It just depends on what you plan on serving the mashed potatoes with. If you’re going to use this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner, I’d suggest following the recipe as written below. If you plan on serving this dish with pork, beef or chicken, feel free to get creative.

A close up shot of Instant Pot mashed potatoes garnished with parsley and butter.

 Make-Ahead Of Time + How to Store

Mashed potatoes can be made a couple of hours or even a couple of days ahead of time. If you want to keep them warm you can use Instant Pot’s automatic keep-warm function, which is good for up to 10 hours.  Or you can load the mashed potatoes into an aluminum container with a lid to keep it warm. This makes it easy to transport them to a thanksgiving feast!

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave by adding a splash of milk and heating until warm. Or use your instant pot (slow cooker setting) or in your Crock-Pot (on low) until the potatoes are warmed through. 

And what about freezing your leftovers? Potatoes do not have a good track record for freezing well but mashed potatoes are the exception. Just make sure that your potatoes have plenty of fat like butter/cream and they will freeze well!

Serve the potatoes with a few pats of butter and they’ll disappear in minutes. These Instant Pot mashed potatoes are so flavorful and delicious you don’t even need gravy!?

A bowl of light and fluffy Instant Pot mashed potatoes.

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A bowl of Instant Pot mashed potatoes with butter and parsley on top.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Quick, easy and incredibly delicious - these ultra-light and fluffy Instant Pot mashed potatoes are a holiday and sunday meal staple.
5 from 2 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Cream Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 217kcal
Author: Andrea
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Ingredients

  • 6 large russet potatoes - washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 1/2 tsp coarse kosher sea salt - divided
  • 1/3 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 4 cloves roasted garlic - minced OR 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp freshly minced parsley - OR chives (optional)

Instructions

  • Add cubed potatoes and ½ tsp. salt to the Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover the tops of the potatoes.
  • Place the lid on. Make sure valve is switched to sealing. Select MANUAL mode (high pressure) for 10 minutes. Once cooked, turn the valve to venting to release the pressure manually. This will take anywhere from 5-8 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot OFF.
  • Open the lid and drain the water. Return the insert to the Instant Pot. Stir in the remaining salt along with the butter, sour cream, milk, garlic, and pepper.
  • Using a potato masher, mash until desired consistency is reached.
  • Remove and garnish with parsley or chives. Serve with additional butter or gravy.

Nutrition

Serving: 8serving | Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 456mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 338IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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