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These creamy, dreamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes are pretty much foolproof. They’re cooked in broth, mashed with a garlicky, herb-infused butter, and come out impossibly rich and smooth every time. The perfect side dish for weeknights, Sunday dinners, holidays, or whenever you need something cozy and carb-y on the side.
This Instant Pot mashed potato situation just makes life easier. No waiting for water to boil, no hovering over the stove, no poking potatoes to see if they’re done. The Instant Pot does all the heavy lifting while you focus on the main event.
If you’re more of a purist, there’s always my classic mashed potato recipe. And if you’d rather skip the mashing altogether, my oven-roasted mini potatoes are the move—crispy, golden, and dangerously snackable.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It basically makes itself. Aside from melting a little butter with garlic and herbs (which, technically, you don’t even have to do), this recipe is pure autopilot.
- The flavor? Unreal. Cooking the potatoes in chicken broth changes everything, and that herby, garlicky situation? It takes the whole thing from good to insanely good.
Ingredients & Swaps
Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Potatoes—The best potatoes for mashing really come down to texture preference. Russets give you that classic light, fluffy mash—like clouds made of butter. Yukon Golds, on the other hand, are naturally rich and creamy, perfect if you like your mashed potatoes a little more decadent and buttery.
- Milk—You can add either milk or cream as you mash the potatoes to help get a smooth and creamy texture.
- Greek yogurt—I like adding plain Greek yogurt as a more nourishing option to enhance the creaminess and tanginess, but sour cream works as well. You could also use cream cheese.
- Herbs—Rosemary and thyme are my go-tos in this recipe. They offer warm and cozy flavors. I also add parsley sometimes. Depending on the flavors in your main course, you can play around with dill, oregano, and basil!
How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Step 1: Prep the Potatoes
Peel your potatoes, then cut them into halves or even quarters, depending on the size. Make sure the potatoes are cut to be around the same size to ensure an even cook on all of them.
Step 2: Cook the Potatoes
Place the cut potatoes into the Instant Pot and add the broth until the potatoes are just covered. If you need more liquid, you can add a bit of water. Secure and lock the lid into place, position the valve to sealing, and cook the potatoes on high pressure for 8 minutes. (Proceed to Step 3 while the potatoes cook.) When the timer goes off, do a quick release, then drain the potatoes.
Step 3: Make the Garlic Butter
While the potatoes are pressure cooking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat on the stove. Once the butter is melted, add the grated garlic and chopped fresh herbs. Stir often to keep the butter from separating. If your butter separates, simply heat it up again and keep stirring.
Step 4: Mash the Potatoes
Give the cooked potatoes a quick mash with a potato masher or the beaters on your handheld mixer, if you’re using that. Add the butter, milk, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper, and mash/beat the potatoes until creamy. Add more milk if necessary until you reach the level of creaminess you want, and add more salt and pepper until you get the flavor you want.
Step 5: Dress Them Up to Serve
Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, add a few knobs of butter on top, and garnish with some freshly chopped parsley and/or thyme. (Raw rosemary is too potent, so I don’t recommend it as a garnish.)
What to Serve With Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Turkey—Air Fryer Turkey Breast or Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast
- Chicken—Chicken Marsala, Spinach Artichoke Skillet Chicken, Chicken With Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets
- Pork—Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin, French Onion Pork Chops, Cast Iron Pork Chops
- Beef—Tender Slow Cooker Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast, Salt & Pepper Crusted Roast Beef
- Fish—Poached Salmon, Pan-Fried Flounder, Baked Alaska Pollock
Frequently Asked Questions
Just enough liquid to completely cover the potatoes.
Gummy mashed potatoes occur if you’ve overmixed them or added too much liquid.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
- Leftover mashed potatoes can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, let the leftover mashed potatoes cool, then pop them into a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to a year. Transfer them to the fridge to thaw the day before use.
- To reheat, transfer the mashed potatoes to a large pan and heat on the stove over medium-low. Add a few splashes of milk here and there while stirring to revive the mashed potatoes and attain a nice creamy texture again.
Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Potato masher or hand mixer
Ingredients
- 3 lbs of potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size
- 4 cups cups of chicken broth, Or vegetable broth.
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, grated to a paste or finely minced, Use a microplane to grate to a paste.
- 1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, Or sour cream.
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley or thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on the size. You want them to be about the same size to ensure an even cook.
- Transfer the cut potatoes into the Instant Pot. Add the broth until the potatoes are just covered. If you need more liquid, you can use water.
- Secure and lock the lid into place. Position the valve to sealing, and cook the potatoes on high pressure for 8 minutes. (Proceed to the next step while the potatoes cook.) When the timer goes off, do a quick release and drain the potatoes, then return them to the Instant Pot.
- While the potatoes are cooking, melt the butter over medium-low heat on the stove in a small saucepan. When the butter is melted, add the grated garlic and chopped fresh herbs. Stir often to keep the butter from separating. If the butter separates, heat it again and keep stirring.
- Give the cooked potatoes a quick mash with a potato masher or with the beaters from your handheld mixer, depending on what you're using. Add the butter, milk, Greek yogurt, salt, and pepper, and mash/beat the potatoes until creamy. (Don't overmix or they will become gummy.) Add more milk if necessary until you reach the texture and creaminess you prefer. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
- Transfer the potatoes to a serving dish, add a few knobs of butter on top, and garnish with some freshly chopped herbs like parsley, thyme, or chives. I don't recommend raw rosemary as it's very tough and potent.
So quick and easy and delicious! Loved not having to watch the pot boil or dirty a bunch of dishes. Will be using this recipe again for sure!
I’m so glad, Marisa! I love this recipe.