This is the best recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes that you will find, promise! They are creamy and rich in flavor. The best part is they cook in a flash in your Instant Pot, just pop the lid on and they are ready in 11 minutes, no draining required!!
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After the potatoes cook in the electric pressure cooker you add big flavor; a little sour cream, cream cheese, butter, a garlic clove and milk. Blend them up to a creamy consistency and they are ready to be the star of the dinner table.
If you do not have an Instant Pot, not to worry, hop over to this Yukon Gold Mashed Potato recipe!
You should also check out this recipe for Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Or if you don’t have an Instant Pot this one for Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes will be great!
If you are looking for a baked potato recipe, these Instant Pot Baked Potatoes are perfect and easy!
Ingredients You Will Need
Don’t skip a single ingredient for this Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipe, they all blend together for a perfect mashed potato:
- Russet Potatoes
- kosher salt
- cream cheese
- butter
- sour cream (could use a plain Greek yogurt)
- milk or half & half
- 1 garlic clove
How Many Potatoes to Make
When you are serving a crowd, especially during the Holidays, it is hard to know how many potatoes to cook! Use this to make sure you have the right amount of mashed potatoes every time!
- Plan on making ½ lb of potatoes per person. Therefore this recipe will feed 6 people because it is 3 pounds of potatoes.
Step by Step Picture Instructions
You are going to start by peeling and washing 3 lbs. of russet potatoes. Cut the peeled potatoes into 2-3 inch chunks. This is the perfect size so they cook through without getting soggy.
Place the potato chunks in the Instant Pot. Pour ½ cup water over the potatoes and sprinkle with 2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
Pop the lid on and set to cook on high pressure for 11 minutes. Then do a quick release of pressure.
SUPER BONUS- NO NEED TO DRAIN ANY LIQUID FROM THE POT!!!!
Add the sour cream, cream cheese, and butter to the potatoes. Blend with a hand held mixer.
Pro Tip: save a pot and blend them up right in the Instant Pot!
Finally add 2 tablespoon milk and 1 minced garlic clove and mix again.
Taste for additional seasonings; salt, pepper or butter.
Time to serve!
Listen To The Recipe
Gravy
These mashed potatoes are absolutely flavorful enough to stand on their own!!!!!!!
But if you want to add a gravy you can definitely do that. If you don’t have a roast or bird that will provide drippings for gravy, here are two excellent “no dripping” gravy recipes:
Doubling The Recipe
You can absolutely double this recipe, just make sure not to overfill your Instant Pot. There should be a max fill line on the inside of the metal liner.
When doubling you DO NOT NEED TO DOUBLE THE TIME. Simply double the ingredients.
Recipe Card Tip For Doubling: An easy way to do this is by hovering over the “servings” in the recipe card, a slider will appear and you can slide it up and down for your serving amount. The ingredient amounts will change based on how many people you are serving.
Freezing Mashed Potatoes
Have you ever purchased frozen mashed potatoes at the store? They come in these convenient little pucks that you sauté in a pan with water. Guess what?! You can freeze your homemade mashed potatoes too!
Simply scoop the cooled Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with a small ice cream scoop or large spoon onto a baking sheet. Make sure to pick a pan that will fit in the freezer.
Freeze the pucks and then transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container. They will be good in the freezer for about 3 months.
Thawing Frozen Mashed Potatoes
To “thaw” frozen mashed potatoes for serving, place the frozen pucks in a non stick skillet over low heat, add a couple tablespoons of water or milk.
Pop the lid on and sauté/simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are thawed and creamy.
Add extra butter, milk, and/or salt for desired consistency and taste.
Another option is to thaw in the fridge overnight and then place in a baking dish, top with butter and cream, cover with foil, and pop in a 350 degree oven until they are heated through.
More Serving Ideas for Mashed Potatoes
Obviously mashed potatoes make a perfect side dish! BUT they also make a great base for some other recipes.
- Serve Swedish Meatballs over mashed potatoes.
- Or make these Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs!
- Use these mashed potatoes to cover a Turkey Shepherd’s Pie.
- This Instant Pot Coq Au Vin is AMAZING spooned over mashed potatoes.
Watch or Listen to the Recipe
Besides making the recipe from the card below you can also watch these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes being made on Pin TV, or you can listen to the full audio recipe on the Let’s Make Dinner Podcast (a player is also included in the recipe card below!).
More Mashed Potato Recipes!
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Did you make this recipe?
I would love to hear your review, especially if you have tips and tricks to add! Pop down to the comment section and connect with me
The BEST Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes - washed peeled and cut into 2-3 inch chunks
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz cream cheese - , softened
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoon milk or half & half
- 1 garlic clove - , minced
Instructions
- Wash and peel the russet potatoes. Cut each potato into 2-3 inch chunks.
- Place all the potatoes in the pot and then pour ½ cup water over the potatoes, sprinkle 2 teaspoon kosher salt over top.
- Pop the lid on and close the pressure valve. Set the pot to cook on high pressure, manual mode for 11 minutes .
- Do a quick release. No need to drain any liquid!
- Add the sour cream, cream cheese, and butter to the potatoes. Mix the potatoes with a hand held mixer until it is well combined and creamy. (you can do this right in the Instant Pot!)4 oz cream cheese, ½ cup sour cream, 4 tablespoon butter
- Add in the milk and minced garlic clove. Mix again with the hand held mixer.2 tablespoon milk or half & half, 1 garlic clove
- Taste for additional seasoning (salt, pepper, butter)
- These are flavorful enough to serve by themselves as a great side dish!!! Or you can add gravy, there are two no dripping gravy recipes linked below.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
Add extra butter, milk, salt and desired for consistency and taste. Another option is to thaw in the fridge overnight and then place in a baking dish, top with butter and cream, cover with foil, and pop in a 350 degree oven until they are heated through. NO DRIPPING GRAVY RECIPES: GRAVY WITHOUT DRIPPINGS INSTANT POT GRAVY RECIPE
Terri
Just made them. Just shy of 3 pounds and they turned out amazing! Will never cook them on the stove again love love, love them!
Effie
Perfect every time
Joel
Fan-freaking-tastic. So easy, so good. Will be making EVERY TIME we need mashed potatoes.
Lori
I love how creamy these are!! Making these again for Thanksgiving and probably Christmas too!!
Steph
Such a quick and easy recipe and so very delicious too!
Terri D
Made this recipe tonight to go to top a shepherd’s pie recipe. I forgot to get the cream cheese so I didn’t have that, but I added a little more sour cream and butter. This is a fabulous recipe! Cooked 5 lb of potatoes and added a little bit more water than called for and it was perfect! Didn’t have to drain anything and the potatoes were cooked to perfection! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
Jean Rebecca
What a great recipe❤️ I chopped my garlic finely and sat them on top of potatoes.. they melted into all the other ingredients at the end.. I also added dried chives to the sour cream and let it sit for a while.. it turned out amazing.. thankyou! for a great recipe.
Susie Weinrich
Dried chives are a GREAT addition!!!! Love that!
Jennifer
Just made these tonight and holy moly I love them. Definitely making these again!
Lorraine
First time cooking potatoes in instapot. Followed recipe and mashed potatoes came out perfect. Less work and less equipment. Will use more garlic next time. If I use 5 lbs of potatoes do I increase the time?
Susie Weinrich
I’m so glad you loved them! Even if you use more potatoes it should still be the same cooking time, just make sure you add a little more liquid.
Lisa Weness
The most easy and delicious mashed potatoes ever! Every time I have serve them I have had rave reviews
Leanne
This is exactly what I was looking for, and the taste meets the expectations! My mom made a version of these mashed potatoes several years ago and lost the recipe—this is just as good, and using the instant pot makes transport easy!
Liz Gregg
Made this last year and everyone loved it so I was assigned to making it again! Love how easy it is!
Therese Burch
Do you put in the little strainer and then cook them above the water??
Susie Weinrich
You use such a little amount of water, that doesn’t get strained off, so it isn’t really necessary to use the trivet.
Colleen
Would like to cook 5# potatoes in an 8 qt IP. Is this possible? Add more water to cook?
Susie Weinrich
That should work. I would increase the water to 1 cup, but the cook time should stay the same.
Then I would increase the other ingredients to
3-3.5 teaspoon kosher salt
6 oz cream cheese, softened
6 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup sour cream
3-4 tablespoon milk or half & half
2-3 garlic clove, minced
Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.
Alice
This is my new mashed potato recipe! Made with meatloaf and mushroom gravy. Heavenly!!! The best!!!
Susie Weinrich
So glad you loved it! mushroom gravy sounds awesome.
John
Had them! Loved them!! I could even make them!!! The trifecta of recipes!!