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    Home » Recipes » Side dishes

    Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

    Published: Nov 25, 2019 · Updated: Nov 17, 2020 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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    Instant pot mashed potatoes in a white instant pot.
    Instant pot mashed potatoes in a white instant pot.

    The Instant Pot will revolutionize your opinion of an already easy task. Make mashed potatoes without the mess in the instant pot and you'll never make them in a pot of boiling water again!

    A white instant pot full of mashed potatoes with butter and parsley on top.

    I've long professed my love for the potato. It's my favorite vegetable! It's versatile and delicious! It can be fried, roasted, baked, hashed, or... MASHED! And that my friends, is what we're making today! Garlic Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot!

    I keep telling people how awesome mashed potatoes are to make in the instant pot. Then they look at me perplexed, like big deal, it's mashed potatoes, aren't they already easy to make?! And I say, well yes, but don't you hate the mess? All that boiling water, the boiling over the pot of the water, and the draining of the water? The best part of making mashed potatoes in the instant pot is that it's self-contained! You cook the potatoes in only 1 cup of water, mash them directly in the pot, and then keep them warm in the same pot! It's truly amazing to me and I refuse to ever make them any other way! (I had this same reaction with corn on the cob, by the way.) Now that I've convinced you...

    Steps

    Step 1: Peel and chunk the potatoes, big 2-inch chunks are fine. (You can peel the potatoes and then leave them whole but the cooking time is much longer and unpredictable.) For traditional mashed potatoes, use Russet or Idaho potatoes.

    Step 2: Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, add garlic cloves (optional, although it adds great flavor!) and 1 cup of water.

    Pouring water over diced potatoes in the instant pot.

    Step 3: Place the lid on the pot and cook for 10 minutes.

    Step 4: Add butter and sour cream. Then mash.

    Okay, so this is where it gets a little unconventional and somewhat mind-blowing. When you make mashed potatoes in the instant pot, you don't have to drain off the cooking water! You can, but I have made mashed potatoes many, many times this way and I don't drain the water! This also helps the flavor because you aren't dumping it all down the drain! ? (One caveat, if I'm cooking 3 pounds or less of potatoes, I do drain some of the water. I just tip the side of the pot over the sink and drain as much as I can without losing any potatoes. No need for a colander/another dirty dish!)

    Using a potato masher to mash the potatoes directly in the instant pot.

    Step 5: Keep the mashed potatoes warm with the "Keep Warm" setting on the Instant Pot until ready to serve!

    This is another huge plus for the use of the Instant Pot! Put a few extra pats of butter on top of the potatoes, put the lid on, and just keep the mashed potatoes warm right in the pot. No extra dirty bowls. No casserole dishes. Just the already dirty instant pot liner. Yes, Ma'am!

    How many pounds of potatoes?

    When trying to estimate how many potatoes are needed to make mashed potatoes for a crowd, figure ½ pound of potatoes for each person.

    • So to feed 8 people, make 4 pounds. To feed 10 people, make 5 pounds. Adding in a few extra potatoes never hurts, especially if you like leftovers.

    Best Tools for Mashing Potatoes

    Just in case you were wondering, the type of tool you use to make mashed potatoes makes a big difference on how smooth they will be. These are your options:

    • The Good Option: Potato Mashers come in many forms. Traditional mashers with wavy tines may leave you with a few lumps. Look for a perforated model if you like smoother mashed potatoes.
    • The Best Option: A Potato Ricer will create perfectly smooth, light and fluffy mashed potatoes. Ricing the potatoes is a little more labor intensive but it makes the best mashed potatoes.
    • The Worst Option: NEVER use a hand or standing mixer for mashed potatoes. They can quickly become overworked and turn gluey. Once this happens, there really is no fix other than starting over.
    Mashed potatoes swirled in a white instant pot with melted butter and parsley sprinkled on top.

    Now all you need is some gluten-free gravy to go on top!

    A white instant pot full of mashed potatoes with butter and parsley on top.

    Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
    The Instant Pot is absolutely the easiest, no-mess, no-fuss way to make mashed potatoes. Adding a few cloves of garlic takes the flavor to the next level!
    5 from 2 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 10 people
    Calories 283 kcal
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    Ingredients
      

    • 5 pounds Idaho or Russet potatoes
    • 1 cup water
    • 3 cloves garlic,, optional
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup butter
    • ½ cup sour cream
    • extra salt,pepper, butter, sour cream, and/or milk,, as needed to reach desired flavor and texture.

    Instructions
     

    Cook the Potatoes

    • Peel and dice potatoes into large 2-inch chunks and place in Instant Pot liner.
    • Pour in 1 cup of water. Close lid and turn valve to sealing.
    • Set to manual/pressure cook for 10 minutes.

    Mash the Potatoes

    • Allow the pressure to manually release and remove the lid.
    • Add in the butter and sour cream. Mash the potatoes, taking care not to overwork the potatoes. *see note about draining water.
    • Taste for seasoning and add more salt/pepper, butter, sour cream, and/or milk as desired.

    Keep the Potatoes Warm

    • Put a few extra pats of butter on top of the potatoes.
    • Place the lid back on the pot and hold on the keep warm setting until serving.

    Notes

    • If making a large batch (4 or more pounds) of mashed potatoes, it is not necessary to drain the water from the potatoes after cooking.  
    • If making a smaller batch (less than 4-5 pounds) of potatoes, drain some water off before mashing.  To dain, tip the pot over the side of the sink and drain as much liquid without losing potatoes.  (No need to drain fully in a collander.)

    Nutrition

    Calories: 283kcal
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

    P.S. If you would like to see more of my Thanksgiving recipes, click here!
    Or to check out more of my Instant Pot recipes, click here!

    Shop This Post

    *This post contains affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

    More Gluten-free Side Dish Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Garlic Bread: Quick & Easy Recipe
    • Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage and Apples
    • Gluten-Free Caprese Pasta Salad
    • Easy Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Salad

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    1. Kathy

      November 24, 2021 at 10:28 am

      5 stars
      This recipe makes making mashed potatoes so much easier! No more watching over a boiling pot. No more poking the potatoes to see if they’re soft enough to mash!

      Reply

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    Katie Olesen headshot.

    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

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