This Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes is so good and so easy it’s dangerous. Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food and now that I have a convenient way to make them, I’m pretty sure I’m going to eat so many potatoes that I’m going to make just one.
I love how you put everything in a jar and go. Simply insert your potatoes, cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, mash, season, and eat. So simple and so good. My professional advice is to use a sieve (or potato masher) to sift the potatoes instead of mashing them. You end up with super smooth and creamy mashed potatoes.
How to make the best instant mashed potatoes
- prepare the potatoes: Rub and peel (or leave the skin on if desired) the potatoes and cut into quarters.
- Place in an Instant Pot with garlic and a little chicken broth. Pressure cook on high for 7 minutes, then quickly release.
- Mashed potatoes pushing the potatoes and garlic through a fine mesh sieve or potato masher. If you like a lumpy mash, use a potato masher.
- Add butter at room temperature, then milk. Taste and season with salt (and pepper if desired) and serve hot.
Ingredients for instant mashed potatoes
- Potatoes: As I mentioned above, I always use Yukon Golds or Russet Potatoes. Both are a solid choice, and if you want, you can even mix them up for the best of both worlds.
- Afflict: Who doesn’t love garlic mashed potatoes? Give these potatoes a warm garlic flavor. Feel free to increase or decrease the number of nails used.
- The butter: Butter is essential, so use a good one – we love grass-fed butter.
- Milk or cream: I almost always use whole milk for my mash, but if you want an extra indulgent potato, use half and half or heavy cream.
- The salt: Don’t forget to season!
- Coverage: I keep it neat with just a little butter, but chopped scallions or sliced green onions are nice and add color and herbs. Ground black pepper is always good. You can always customize to your liking and add cheese, top with jalapeno bacon bits, or any bagel seasoning.
4 secrets of the best mashed potatoes:
1. Water is the enemy
Soggy potatoes mean sticky mashed potatoes. To avoid this, we are going to steam the potatoes in the Instant Pot with the minimum amount of liquid, which will make them moist, well-cooked, and full of potato flavor.
2. Season!
Season at each step. I like to steam/bake the potatoes in chicken broth to add an extra layer of flavor. If you don’t want to use chicken broth, you can use vegetable broth, or just be sure to salt the water you cook the potatoes in. You want to season when you cook the potatoes and then when you add the butter and milk so you have layers of seasoning.
3. The way you grind matters.
I like the taste of mashed potatoes when you run the potatoes through a fine mesh strainer. It gives you the smoothest, tastiest mashed potatoes you’ll ever eat. But, if you like a slightly thicker mash, use a potato masher. There are even different types of mashers: smooth masher or large masher depending on how you like your potatoes.
4. Do not over mix.
Once you’ve made the mashed potatoes, just add the liquids (butter and milk or cream) without over-mixing, which can lead to gummy potatoes.
How much water for instant mashed potatoes?
The minimum amount of liquid the Instant Pot needs for pressure cooking is 1 cup. You can use 1 cup of chicken broth or salted water. It is much less runny than almost every other Instant Pot mashed potato recipe found on the internet. It is superior for two reasons.
- Cooking potatoes in a lot of water soaks and soaks them, which reduces the flavor of the potato.
- Less water means less time for the cooker to build up pressure.
Both of these reasons mean this recipe is faster and has more of a mashed potato flavor.
How many potatoes do you need per person?
For a side of mashed potatoes, the general rule of thumb is: 1 medium to medium-large potato per person. Potatoes come in different sizes, but a good rule of thumb is that you will need a medium to medium to large potato that will fit in the palm of your hand for each person. Aim for individual 1/2-pound servings of mashed potatoes.
Vegan instant mashed potatoes
If you’re vegan or have vegan guests, it’s so easy to make tasty, smooth, and rich mashed potatoes. Follow the recipe below, but make these ingredient substitutions.
Instead of chicken broth, cook the potatoes in 1 cup mushroom dashi broth or your favorite vegetable broth.
Instead of butter, use vegan or white miso butter.
Instead of milk, use your favorite milk substitute, mushroom dashi, or white miso paste mixed with water.
What are the best types of potatoes for instant mashed potatoes?
There are only two types of potatoes that are perfect for mashed potatoes: Yukon Gold (my absolute favourite) and Russets.
- Yukon Gold Medalists They’re great for mashing because they’re starchy, very yellow, and have a rich buttery potato flavor. It’s also a denser, thin-skinned potato, and when you use them you get a more luxurious mash.
- Russets (or Idaho) potatoes They’re those big, dusty potatoes that most people use for baked potatoes. These are also great for pureeing – chewy, dry and starchy, when cooked through. Russets are the sweeter of the two potatoes I recommend and if you’re a fan of the lighter potatoes, they make a mash with a more delicate texture.
If you want the best of both worlds, use a mix!
With or without skin?
Since I’m in the smooth mashed camp, I don’t think potato skin has any place in mashed potatoes. But some people like this contrast of textures. And to those folks, I say, feel free to bare your skins!
What if I don’t have an Instant Pot?
You can still make this mashed potatoes, just steam it: place the cut potatoes on a plate or in a steamer basket. Bring 1 to 3 inches of water to a boil in a large pot and place the potatoes in the pot. Cover and cook over medium heat until very tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Read this article to learn more.
The best dishes to accompany with mashed potatoes
instant mashed potatoes
Smooth and fluffy mashed potatoes in less than 20 minutes!
Serve 4
- two kg potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 coupe chicken soup sodium is not preferred
- 2-4 cloves Afflict optional
- two Soup Butter or to taste
- 1/4-1/2 coupe Milk or to taste
- salt and freshly ground pepper
nutritional intakes
instant mashed potatoes
Amount per proportion
calories 217
Calories from fat 58
% Daily value*
big 6.4gdix%
saturated fat 3.9g24%
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 253 milligramseleven%
Potassium 937 milligrams27%
The carbohydrates 36.6g12%
5.4g fiber23%
Sugar 3.5g4%
Protein 4.5g9%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
