Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

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Can you even believe that Thanksgiving is next week?? Jorge and I aren’t doing our big Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I still want to bring some new dishes to the small celebration that we’re having with just the two of us. These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are simple, delicious and come together in about 20 minutes!

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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (1)

Mashed regular potatoes are not something that I usually prepare for my Thanksgiving dinner table. Typically, I make some sort of mashed sweet potato, and one of my guests will bring the mashed regular potatoes. Since we’re not having guests this year, I need to make both!

For me, this has been the year of the Instant Pot, so I thought I’d take my mashed potatoes in that direction. You start by cooking peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes in an Instant Pot for just 10 minutes. The tender potatoes are then mashed with garlic-infused cream, butter, black pepper, sour cream and chives.

This finished mashed potatoes are light, creamy and packed with flavor. The garlic and chive are present without overpowering while the sour cream adds a pleasant tang. Continue reading for the recipe.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2)

The tuber of choice here is a Yukon Gold potato, because of its smooth, creamy texture that mashes up like a dream. The potatoes cook in a steamer basket in an Instant Pot until tender but not falling apart, so when you mash them, they’ll be silky with just a little texture throughout.

I prefer peeled potatoes for this recipe, but you could certainly try leaving the skins on if you want some extra texture.

  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (3)
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (4)

Next, let’s talk flavorings. I love pairing potatoes with garlic, chives and sour cream. Also, I find the combination of butter and cream to be optimal for mashed potatoes. Butter adds richness and flavor while the cream thins out the consistency of the mash.

In this recipe, three garlic cloves are simmered in heavy cream until the cream thickens a bit. The warm cream is then mashed into the potatoes along with room temperature sour cream, butter, chives and black pepper. Mashed potatoes usually need a lot of salt, so make sure you taste and season accordingly.

You can keep the potatoes warm in the Instant Pot until ready to serve. Just thin them out with some warm cream if needed.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (5)

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (6)

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Adapted from Melissa Clark's Dinner in an Instant.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Side Dish

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt
  • 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, plus more for sprinkling

Instructions

  • Place 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon salt in the Instant Pot, stirring to dissolve. Place potatoes in a steamer basket in the Instant Pot. Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes. Release pressure manually.

  • While the potatoes are cooking, bring cream and garlic to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the cream has thickened a bit (about 10 minutes), stirring occasionally. Keep a watchful eye here, because the cream can boil over. Fish out the garlic, then season to taste with salt and a lot of black pepper. Take the cream off the heat and set aside. Rewarm before adding to the potatoes if needed.

  • Rinse out and dry the Instant Pot, then add the potatoes, warm cream mixture, sour cream and butter. Using a fork or potato masher, mash everything together until smooth and well-combined. Stir the chives, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

  • Keep the mashed potatoes on the warm setting until ready to serve. If holding for a while, you may need to stir in a little more warm cream to loosen up the mash. When ready to serve, transfer potatoes to a serving bowl and top with a sprinkling of chives.

Keyword instant pot mashed potatoes, mashed potatoes recipe, thanksgiving side dish

Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!

Looking for some other Thanksgiving side dishes? Try these recipes on Kitchen Konfidence:

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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (13)

12

Brandon

I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, co*cktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the ratio of water and milk for instant mashed potatoes? ›

Pour 1 c (240 mL) of water and 0.5 c (120 mL) of milk into a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 g) of butter or margarine. Substitute the milk with chicken stock, vegetable stock, or extra water for a dairy-free option.

Can you overcook potatoes in the Instant Pot? ›

The Best Kind of Potatoes for Pressure Cooking

Cut them into 1 1/2-inch chunks, and they're ready in under 15 minutes (about ten minutes for the pot to come up to pressure, then three minutes for the potatoes to steam.) Take 'em out right when the timer goes off so they don't overcook, then use them however you like!

How many potatoes per person for mashed potatoes? ›

How much Mashed Potatoes should you make? As a side dish, you should plan on ½ pound of potatoes per person. That means if you are planning on 10 people, use 5 pounds of potatoes. 4 people use 2 pounds of potatoes.

How much water do I need for 1 cup of instant mashed potatoes? ›

Then, prepare the potatoes: Bring 1¼ cups water to boil in a small saucepan. Once bubbling away, remove from heat, add 1 cup instant mashed potatoes (2 oz.), and gently fluff with a fork.

Should you use milk instead of water for instant mashed potatoes? ›

Most instant potato varieties call for you to combine the potatoes with water, but if you want your potatoes to taste a bit more indulgent, use milk instead. Whole milk will yield delightfully rich potatoes, but 2 percent milk works well too.

How do you make instant mashed potatoes better? ›

Add Heft with Dairy. Heavy cream can make instant mashed potatoes taste indulgent. Half and half or even regular milk (whole is better than skim, but 2% will do) adds extra creaminess. To give your mashed potatoes a light tanginess, go with buttermilk or sour cream.

How much water do you use for instant potatoes? ›

Prep Instructions
ServingsPan SizeWater
21 qt2/3 cup
31 qt1 cup
41 1/2 qt1 1/3 cup
82 qt2 2/3 cup
2 more rows

How much instant mashed potatoes for 2 cups of water? ›

1 package of instant mashed potatoes. 2 cups of hot water. 4 tablespoons of butter. 1/2 cup of milk.

Do potatoes need to be submerged in pressure cooker? ›

The potatoes could sit on the bottom in the small amount of water needed (wrapped or not). Or you could elevate them over the water on some kind of riser and use the “pot-in-pot” method (wrapped or not, or maybe put in an open container perhaps lightly covered).

How long do you can potatoes in a pressure cooker? ›

The potatoes need to be processed in a weighted pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure for 35 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes of quart jars if you live at an altitude of 1,000 feet above sea level or less (Image 3).

Is it healthy to cook potatoes in a pressure cooker? ›

bottom line. It is not possible to create carcinogenic acrylamide when cooking potatoes at the high temperatures that can be achieved by household pressure cookers. Pressure cooking and cooling potatoes produces a nutritional insoluble starch which has a lower glycemic impact.

How many potatoes to serve 20 people mashed potatoes? ›

Add the butter and warm milk to the bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork (or pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill for a smoother mash). Season with salt and pepper. Plan on 1/3 to 1/2 pound potatoes per person for your feast.

How many people does a 5 lb bag of mashed potatoes feed? ›

How many pounds of potatoes per person for mashed potatoes? A 5-pound bag of potatoes makes 10 to 12 servings of mashed potatoes.

How many potatoes for mashed potatoes for 12 people? ›

How Many Pounds of Potatoes Per Person You'll Need
Number of peoplePounds of potatoes
63 lb.
84 lb.
105 lb.
126 lb.
2 more rows
Jan 5, 2024

How much milk to add to Idahoan mashed potatoes? ›

If you were making two packages of Idahoan Scalloped Homestyle Casserole you would add 3 cups of water 1-½ cups of milk, 3 Tbsp. of margarine or butter and two packages of potatoes. If you were making 3 Idahoan Buttery Homestyle mashed potatoes you would boil 6 cups of water and 3 packages of potatoes.)

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