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No peeling, no chopping, no fussing – creamy, fluffy, buttery Instant Pot mashed potatoes are the perfect easy side dish for just about any main course.
I had an Irish friend who loved mashed potatoes so much he could eat them as a dinner side dish every night and never get sick of them. No weird seasonings, new variations, or fun “switch ups”, just good old fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes! Needless to say, he knew his mashed potatoes well. He completely shocked me when he told me these were the best mashed potatoes of his life! What a lovely compliment.
The trick to great mashed potatoes is to boil them for just the right amount of time. Long enough so they mash easily, but not so long that they’re water-logged. Here the Instant Pot takes the guesswork out of it for us, and simplifies the process – no peeling or chopping needed! Then it’s just a matter of mashing the potatoes and adding just the right amount of cream, butter, and salt.
Welcome to your new favorite easy way to make foolproof mashed potatoes. (Bookmark this recipe for the next time you’re making roast chicken, beef stew, or turkey dinner!)
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Yellow potatoes – Such as Yukon Gold. Scrub the potatoes, but don’t peel or chop them.
- Room temperature water – You’ll need water enough to cover the potatoes in the Instant Pot (for me, this is about 4 cups).
- Salt – We salt the water that the potatoes cook in, and we also salt the potatoes when we mash them.
- Unsalted butter – We’re going for rich, buttery mashed potatoes. If you want to cut down on the butter, reduce it by half and add double the amount of milk.
- Whole milk – A generous splash of whole milk adds just enough moisture to create the perfect fluffy texture without making the potatoes soupy.
- A pat of salted butter – When I serve this, I like to add a pat of salted butter on top so it melts down over the hot potatoes, but this is optional.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
- Cook the potatoes. Add the whole potatoes to a 6 or 8-quart Instant Pot, add enough water to cover (about 4 cups), and sprinkle in 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover the Instant Pot, set the lid to “sealing”, and cook on “manual, high pressure” for 10 minutes. Once the cook time is over, immediately (carefully!) release the pressure, open the pot, and use tongs to remove the potatoes. Use potholders to remove the Instant Pot’s inner pot, dump out the water, and return the inner pot to the Instant Pot.
- Melt the butter and mash the potatoes. Add the butter and set the Instant Pot to “sauté”. Once melted, hit “cancel”, and add the milk. Add the whole potatoes and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mash until the potatoes are as smooth as you like them (I like mine with some texture).
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, topped with an extra pat of butter melted on top. (For a pop of color, you can garnish with a little minced fresh parsley if you like.)
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
Cool to room temperature and then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
You can reheat mashed potatoes on the stovetop over low heat while stirring frequently, covered in an oven-safe dish in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes, or in the microwave (in a microwave-safe dish covered with a damp paper towel at 50% power, stirring every 1 minute). (TIP: Leftover mashed potatoes tend to dry out, so I stir in a splash of milk when reheating.)
Tips For the Best Mashed Potatoes
- If possible, go for Yukon Gold potatoes. They really do make the best mash! They’re an all-purpose potato, falling somewhere between starchy and waxy, and because they have a thin skin there’s no need to peel them. They’re creamy yet fluffy when mashed, and their yellow flesh makes them look extra buttery and decadent.
- Don’t use “baby potatoes” here. The cooking time for this recipe was developed using regular-sized potatoes (about 2 to 3 potatoes per 1 pound). If you use smaller potatoes and don’t adjust the cooking time, the potatoes will be water-logged and your mash will be watery.
- I find that melting the butter is crucial to achieving perfect fluffy mashed potatoes. Melted butter is a lot easier to evenly distribute, doesn’t cool down the hot potatoes, and helps prevent gluey mashed potatoes. (Note that adding the milk to the hot melted butter warms the milk perfectly.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, and I like the way you think! This is a great way to infuse flavor into the potatoes as they cook. If you do this, I recommend reducing the amount of added salt by about half and adding more to taste.
That is entirely a matter of personal preference. My favorite way to make mashed potatoes is heavy on the butter with a generous splash of whole milk. I find that if I use cream instead of milk, the potatoes are a bit too thick and stodgy. If you prefer cream in your mashed potatoes, you may want to reduce the amount of butter called for here.
Recipes Using Leftover Mashed Potatoes
- Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner Casserole: Turkey Puff Pastry Pie with Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, and Cheese Sauce
- Cheesy Twice Baked Potato Casserole
- Garlicky Mashed Potato Cakes with Raspberry Ginger Mustard Chutney
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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yellow potatoes such as Yukon Gold, scrubbed but not peeled or chopped
- Water at room temperature (enough to cover the potatoes in the Instant Pot; about 4 cups)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt divided into 3/4 teaspoon + 3/4 teaspoon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tablespoon salted butter for the top when serving (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the potatoes. Add the whole potatoes to a 6 or 8-quart Instant Pot, add enough water to cover (about 4 cups), and sprinkle in 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cover the Instant Pot, set the lid to "sealing", and cook on "manual, high pressure" for 10 minutes. Once the cook time is over, immediately (carefully!) release the pressure, open the pot, and use tongs to remove the potatoes. Use potholders to remove the Instant Pot's inner pot, dump out the water, and return the inner pot to the Instant Pot.
- Melt the butter and mash the potatoes. Add the butter and set the Instant Pot to "sauté". Once melted, hit "cancel", and add the milk. Add the whole potatoes and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mash until the potatoes are as smooth as you like them (I like mine with some texture).
- Enjoy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, topped with an extra pat of butter melted on top.
Video
Notes
- Storage and Freezing: Cool to room temperature and then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Reheating: You can reheat mashed potatoes on the stovetop over low heat while stirring frequently, covered in an oven-safe dish in a 350F oven for about 30 minutes, or in the microwave (in a microwave-safe dish covered with a damp paper towel at 50% power, stirring every 1 minute). (TIP: Leftover mashed potatoes tend to dry out, so I stir in a splash of milk when reheating.)
- The 10-Minute “Other Time”: This is the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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