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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are incredibly creamy and full of flavour. Cooked in the instant pot they are quick and easy and perfect every time.

Mashed potatoes in a serving dish drizzled with melted butter and sprinkled with fresh parsley.
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Mashed potatoes are one of the most frequently served side dishes.

And for good reason. They go well with almost everything and there are endless ways to season them.

They are great smothered in butter, drenched in gravy, or simply served as is.

While mashed potatoes are not difficult to make on the stove, they are even easier when made in the instant pot.

With the instant pot you can just turn it on and walk away. No need to worry about boiling over or forgetting they are on the stove. And they turn out perfectly every time.

Ingredients

To make these instant pot mashed potatoes you will need:

  • Potatoes – Russet potatoes are most commonly used for mashing, but yellow potatoes will also work well. You can even use a blend of the two. Stay away from red potatoes as they have a different texture and are best when served cubed or whole.
  • Milk – You can use any milk you like. I use 2%, but skim or whole milk work just as well.
  • Sour cream – Provides a slight tangy flavour that goes so well with with the starchy potatoes.
  • Salted butter – If you prefer you can replace this with margarine.
  • Seasonings – I like chives, garlic and salt. The simple flavours will go well with any meal. But you can use whatever you like here, ranch dressing mix works very well too.
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Pro Tip – If you want to keep your mashed potatoes lower fat, you can replace the butter with additional milk. Chicken broth also works well and gives a nice flavour.

Instructions

Prepare the Potatoes

Scrub the potatoes, then peel and dice into cubes, about 1-inch in size.

Place the potatoes into the instant pot and add the water. Close the lid, turn the valve to seal and set to high pressure for 8 minutes.

Once the timer is complete, turn the valve to release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid then drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.

Diced potatoes in a stainless steel liner in an instant pot.

Season and Mash the Potatoes

Add the milk, butter, sour cream and seasonings to the pot.

Cooked, diced potatoes and mashed potato fixings in a stainless steel liner in an instant pot.

Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes and ingredients until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.

Pro Tip – Be careful not to over mash the potatoes. Add all of the ingredients to the cooked, diced potatoes before mashing and mash only until smooth and creamy. potatoes that are over worked with become starchy, gummy and grey.

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Serving Suggestions

Mashed potatoes can be served with almost anything.

I love mashed potatoes with chicken drumsticks, or flank steak. They are also the perfect side to roasted chicken and gravy or prime rib.

Left over mashed potatoes are delicious when fried and topped with bacon and poached eggs.

For an easier version of twice baked potatoes you could add some cheese and chopped bacon, spoon them into oven safe dishes, top with cheese and bake until the top is crisp and bubbly.

The options are endless.

Scoop of mashed potatoes on a wooden spoon.  The potatoes are in a serving dish garnished with melted butter and chopped parsley.

Instant Pot Cooking Tips

  • Don’t forget the inner liner before turning on and adding food to the pot.
  • Cook time does not include time for the pot to come to pressure. It will take approximately 10-12 minutes to come to pressure depending on the size of your pot, the temperature of the pot before starting the timer, and how full it is.
  • This recipe calls for a quick release. If it starts to spurt you can do a controlled release by carefully releasing just a bit of pressure in quick bursts until it has released enough pressure that the spurting stops.
  • To double the recipe simply double all of the ingredients. Cook time will remain the same.

FAQS

Can I make mashed potatoes ahead of time?

You can make these ahead of time and use the keep-warm setting until you are ready to serve. If you find they’ve lost a bit of their creaminess you can add a bit more butter or milk right before serving.

How should I store leftover mashed potatoes?

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. You can reheat in the microwave, or in a small saucepan or skillet. Adding a bit of butter, cream or milk will help make them creamy again.

Mashed potatoes can also be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

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More Instant Pot Recipes

Printable Recipe

Mashed potatoes in a serving dish drizzled with melted butter and sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

These mashed potatoes are incredibly creamy and full of flavour. Cooked in the instant pot they are quick and easy and perfect every time.
4.96 from 25 votes
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 254kcal
Author: Deanna

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds russet potatoes peeled
  • 1 Cup water
  • ½ Cup sour cream
  • ½ Cup milk
  • ¼ Cup salted butter
  • 1 tablespoon dried chives
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Peel the potatoes and dice into approximatly 1 inch cubes.
  • Place the potatoes into the instant pot and add 1 cup water.
  • Close the lid, turn the valve to seal and set to high pressure for 8 minutes.
  • When the timer is complete, turn the valve to quick release the pressure. When the pin drops carefully remove the lid, drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and, using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until they are smooth and creamy.
  • Transfer to a serving bowl and serve. If desired drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with fresh parsley, chives or green onion.

Notes

Yellow potatoes can be used in place of russet, or you can use a blend of the two.
Butter can be replaced with margarine, milk or chicken broth.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 374mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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