Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
You don’t get much easier than these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes. Fluffy, creamy and ready in minutes, this is the ultimate last-minute Thanksgiving recipe and is equally perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients Needed
- Potatoes. Any floury/starchy potato is good for mashing as they deliver light, fluffy mashed potatoes. Varieties to look for: Yukon Gold potatoes, Russet potatoes, Idaho, Maris Piper, King Edward.
- Milk and heavy whipping cream. For special occasions I prefer using cream but half and half works well too. Sour cream or cream cheese can be added for a richer finished dish.
- Fresh herbs. I used fresh thyme, sage and a bay leaf but rosemary, parsley and oregano will also be delicious.
- Fresh garlic cloves. Garlic powder can be substituted.
- Butter. I use salted butter but unsalted butter can be substituted.
- Salt and black pepper.
How to make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Peel and slice potatoes into 1cm/½-inch slices and add to the Instant Pot (you can make this recipe on the stove too if you don’t have a pressure cooker). Add a teaspoon of salt then add enough water (or chicken broth/stock for even more flavor) to cover the potatoes. Cover with the lid, ensuring the valve is in the sealing position, then cook the potatoes on high pressure for 10 minutes. Quick release the pressure then drain the potatoes.
While the potatoes are cooking, combine the milk, cream and aromatics in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes then allow to infuse for another 5 before straining out the solids. Add the milk and butter then mash with a potato masher until smooth. You can use a electric hand mixer or potato ricer too for ultra-smooth mashed potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste then transfer to a serving dish, add a few pats of butter and garnish with fresh chives or thyme then serve.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes! Mashed potatoes are a great make-ahead side dish. They can be fully prepped the day in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. Simply reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan set over medium-low heat. You could also cook the potatoes then mash them and transfer to a container and only add the liquid and butter right before serving.
Serving suggestions
Instant Pot mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish for almost any main dish. We love it with crispy Chicken Schnitzel, it’s fantastic with Slow-Braised Short Ribs and Chicken Fried Steak and of course no holiday table will be complete without it. It will be perfect served alongside my Garlic Herb Roast Turkey or Sage Orange Christmas Chicken for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
FAQ
Sliced into 1cm/½-inch slices, potatoes should take around 8-10 minutes cooked at high pressure. For the smoothest, creamiest mashed potatoes, I prefer 10 minutes followed by a quick release of the pressure.
Yes, to guarantee even cooking, it’s best to submerge potatoes in the Instant Pot.
Using the “Keep Warm” function to keep mashed potatoes warm means you can fully prepare the mash 2-3 hours in advance and keep them warm until you’re ready to serve. Simply give the potatoes a stir occasionally.
Mashed Potato Recipes
This recipe is sponsored by Instant Brands South Africa. I used my Instant Pot Pro for this recipe, as I do all my Instant Pot recipes on Simply Delicious.
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 lb (2kg) potatoes
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sage leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves smashed
- 3 tbsp butter + more for serving
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes then slice them into ½-inch/2cm slices.
- Place the potatoes into the Instant Pot then cover with water and season with a teaspoon of salt.
- Cover with the lid, ensuring the vent is in sealing position.
- Cook the potatoes on high pressure for 10 minutes then quick release pressure and drain the potatoes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, combine the milk, cream, herbs and garlic in a saucepan and allow to simmer for 5 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to infuse for another 5 minutes before straining out the aromatics.
- When the potatoes are cooked, mash them with the infused cream and butter. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, add a few pats of butter and garnish with fresh thyme then serve.