Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are the creamiest, easiest, no-fuss Mashed Potato Recipe you’ll find! Making Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot takes minutes to make and you don’t even have to babysit a pot of boiling water! You’ll never make Mashed Potatoes any other way!
Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot for one or a crowd (Up to 5 pounds at once!)
One of my favorite things about the Instant Pot is the fact that time doesn’t change when cooking larger quantities. So you can follow this ‘recipe’ as a guideline for 1 potato or an entire 5 lb bag of potatoes!
Sometimes I just get a hankering for a big ol’ bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. If you haven’t made some sort of protein to go along with your mashed potatoes, you can actually easily make your own chicken gravy from scratch without drippings.
No matter what you put on it, this will be your go to mashed potato recipe from here on out! Love sweet potatoes? Try this Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe!
Mashed Potatoes Instant Pot Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes (washed, peeled and cut)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp cream (or milk)
How to make Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot
- Wash, peel and cut the potatoes. To cut the potatoes, cut each potato in half and then quarter each half. You will end up with 8 similar sized potato cubes.
- Add the water to the Instant Pot liner, add in the cut potatoes.
- Secure lid, set the vent to sealing. Cook on Manual (pressure cook) HIGH for 6 minutes. Quick Release the pressure.
- Drain any remaining water.
- Add in the butter, salt, pepper and cream. Mash until no longer lumpy.
Use either a potato masher or an electric hand mixer to mash the potatoes until they are no longer lumpy.
Be careful to insure you do not over mash/mix the potatoes. Over mashed potatoes will turn gluey. Only mash or mix just until it is no longer lumpy.
Reheating Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Reheating mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot is such an easy thing to do. Place your mashed potatoes in the liner of your Instant Pot a few hours before you want to serve them. Turn your Instant Pot onto the highest slow cook setting. Let your mashed potatoes sit and warm up, giving them a stir every 30 minutes or so until the mashed potatoes have heated through. Mashed potatoes do tend to dry out while reheating, so you may need to add a splash of milk to fluff them back up.
Instant Pot Mashed Potato Recipe Variations
You can doctor up your mashed potatoes any way you like- here are some of my favorite ways:
- Buttermilk and garlic
- cream cheese and chives,
- bbq sauce and bacon (with lots of cheese, of course)
- and you just can’t go wrong with the classic butter, cream, salt and pepper.
What to serve with this Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Mashed potatoes are a great side for a number of main dishes, really you can’t go wrong! I love to serve Instant Pot mashed potatoes as a side to pot roast, French dip sandwiches, grilled chicken, Philly cheesesteaks, or even crock pot ham!
These mashed potatoes are great as a side to some BBQ Chicken or doused with gravy.
Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot FAQs
Why are my instant mashed potatoes rubbery?
When mashed potatoes go rubbery or gluey, that means they have been worked too much and too much liquid has been added.
What is the trick to good mashed potatoes?
The trick to good mashed potatoes is cooking. your potatoes thoroughly, adding butter first, mashing by hand and then slowly adding in a little liquid of your choice at a time, mixing until the liquid is just mixed in. Do not over mix and you should be golden!
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Check out my other Easy Instant Pot Recipes!
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Squash
- Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Twice Baked Potatoes
- Instant Pot Creamy Ziti
- Instant Pot Chicken Lo Mein
- Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie
- Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup
- Instant Pot Applesauce
- Instant Pot Broccoli
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes washed, peeled and cut
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3 tbsp cream or milk
Instructions
- Wash, peel and cut the potatoes. To cut the potatoes, cut each potato in half and then quarter each half. You will end up with 8 similar sized potato cubes.
- Add the water to the Instant Pot liner, add in the cut potatoes.
- Secure lid, set the vent to sealing. Cook on Manual (pressure cook) HIGH for 6 minutes. Quick Release the pressure.
- Drain any remaining water.
- Add in the butter, salt, pepper and cream. Mash until no longer lumpy.
Denise says
These are the best and fastest mashed potatoes ever. I’m in love.
Nicole says
Can I make these ahead of time and reheat? How would you suggest reheating?
Karen says
I cook mine in chicken broth with a few cloves of garlic!
Sometimes after they are cooked I will add some cream cheese with the milk or heavy cream
Karli Bitner says
I love those additions! I will have to try that next time!
Karli Bitner says
Hi Nicole! Yes, you can definitely make them ahead of time. I would just reheat in either your Instant Pot (on sauté low and then keep warm) or in your crock pot on high, stirring every 30 minutes or so.
Brin says
Is peeling the potatoes optional? I like leaving the skins on for mine.
Thanks in advance!
Karli Bitner says
Definiltey optional! You can leave your skins on if you’d prefer. 🙂 Enjoy!
Ruby says
Hi. About how long does it take for 5lbs of potatoes to come to pressure? Cooking for a crowd for Christmas. Thank you.
Karli Bitner says
Hi Ruby- This should take about 40 mints from start to finish.
Molly says
Very excited to try this recipe! However, I only have a 3qt IP since it’s just me. My best friends bday is coming up and mashed potatoes are her favorite, but, I was wondering if everything stays the same (time) if I use less than 5lbs of potatoes? Thanks!
Karli Bitner says
Hey Molly, thanks for the question. The cook time will stay the same. Just make sure that the potatoes are about the same size. If you have a super big potatoes in with small ones, some will be cooked and others won’t be. Let me know how it goes!
Pam says
I made these potatoes last Thanksgiving and they were so delicious and easy to make! They’ve already been requested for this Thanksgiving:)
Amanda says
Hi there! I’m new to instant pot and have an 8 qt. I was going to be making 3-4lbs for thanksgiving….does the amount of liquid change?
Karli Bitner says
Nope, everything will stay the same! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Karli Bitner says
Yay! I hope you and your family enjoy them!! Thanks for the comment and stars!
Adria says
Help! I don’t know what I did wrong. These potatoes were so dry. I used russet potatoes and drained the extra water off. Used only 3T of cream. They weren’t creamy at all. Any idea what I did wrong?
Karli Bitner says
Sounds like you needed more liquid in there!
Patty says
Can you use yellow potatoes instead and if so does everything remain the same?
June says
Making the mashed potatoes this way for Christmas dinner. Is there an increased cook time for high altitude? 7000 ft and find normal times don’t work.
Karli Bitner says
You should be okay! But with mashed potatoes, you can’t really overcook them because you are just going to mash them so it won’t hurt to add a minute or two on to the cook time.