Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

I’d be willing to bet that mashed potatoes are in the top three sides we make when we’re looking for a quick and easy side dish that most everyone will eat.  (Mac and cheese and buttered egg noodles would round out the top three in case you were curious.) Not gonna lie – often I’ll make instant mashed potatoes because they’re quick and easy.  All that peeling and cutting and boiling and straining and the mess is a lot any time we want to enjoy mashed potatoes.  With these quick and easy Instant Pot mashed potatoes, you’ll be able to enjoy homemade mashed potatoes in no time.

What do I need to make Instant Pot mashed potatoes?

The list of ingredients to make mashed potatoes in the slow cooker might look pretty familiar to you: 

• 2lb Bag Potatoes (Peeled)
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1 Tsp Salt
• 1 Tsp Pepper

Depending on the size of your Instant Pot and how many people you’re feeding (and if you want leftovers), adjust the recipe to make the number of servings you think you’re going to need.  When I make mashed potatoes (and food in general if we’re being real), I always plan to make more than what’s needed because you never know how much people are going to eat and I like to have leftovers.

Start out by peeling your potatoes.  There’s no need to cut them up, but I’d suggest trying to keep them similar sizes.  If you’ve got some larger potatoes in a bag of smaller ones, you might want to cut them in half so they’re closer to the same sizes.  

Once they’re peeled, add them to the Instant Pot with the chicken stock.  Pressure cook the potatoes and stock for 15 minutes followed by a quick release.  

After all the pressure has released, open your Instant Pot.  You can finish making these Instant Pot mashed potatoes right in the pot or dump the potatoes into another bowl to finish them.  

Add in the butter along with the salt and pepper and some milk then start mashing your potatoes with a potato masher.  Depending on how you like your potatoes, you might not need all the milk (or you might need more).  

If you’ve got some people who like their mashed potatoes lumpy and some who like it more smooth, that’s no problem!  As you’re mashing your Instant Pot mashed potatoes and they’re still a bit lumpy, take some out and put them in a serving dish.  Keep adding milk and mashing to make the remaining potatoes more smooth.  

Instant Pot mashed potato topping ideas

A little bit of butter and some salt and pepper are my preferred toppings for mashed potatoes.  Want to mix things up and add other toppings?  Think about what you’d put on a baked potato.  Things like sour cream, shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, or even some hot sauce would all work well.  For a little bit of zesty flavor, you could even add a packet of ranch seasoning when you’re mashing your potatoes.