Last Updated on September 16, 2023 by Harry & Johan. This post may contain affliate links, see privacy policy
Have mashed potatoes on the table in 30 minutes using your Instant Pot! These Instant Pot mashed potatoes with skin are creamy, full of flavor and so easy to make! Serve as a side dish to a large meal or make for a quick, simple lunch like I do!
I never need a reason to make mashed potatoes, and with this recipe making them so quick and easy, I make them now more than ever! If you ever need to quickly whip up a side dish for a meal, there is nothing simpler to make than these!
I love making these Instant Pot mashed potatoes with skin, they're rich, creamy and full of flavor! Keeping the skins on the potatoes saves time and keep some nutrients in the meal - what's not to like!
If you love making super simple recipes in your Instant Pot, you have to try our 15 minute Instant Pot creamy pasta! There is also our super creamy Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe that you can make in just 15 minutes!
Jump to:
🥬 Ingredients
There are only six ingredients you need for this recipe, eight if you do the optional garlic butter step. And they are all simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand!
- Potatoes
- Water
- Butter
- Garlic cloves (optional)
- Fresh herbs, like basil or rosemary (optional)
- Whole milk
- Salt & pepper
See recipe card for precise quantities and instructions.
📖 Instructions
Step 1: Wash and scrub the potatoes under running water to clean. Slice the potatoes into ½ inch (1.2cm) rounds so that they cook evenly.
Step 2: Add the sliced potatoes and water to your Instant Pot, push the potatoes down so that the water completely covers them. Cover and pressure cook for 10 minutes on high pressure.
Step 3: Release the pressure valve on top of your Instant Pot and wait for the pin to drop down. Then remove and drain the potatoes. Return the empty Instant Pot inner pot to the Instant Pot, rinsed out with water or wiped clean with paper towel.
Optional: Press Saute on your Instant Pot and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic cloves and herbs and mix to allow the flavors to infuse the butter for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the large garlic pieces and herbs. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the milk and salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes until completely smooth and creamy.
Hint: Make sure you completely mash the potatoes as any lumps will make the mash less fluffy and creamy. Mash for a few minutes and you can mash any stubborn potatoes pieces with a fork if necessary.
Step 5: Taste the mash and adjust the seasonings if needed, you can also add more milk or cream to the mash to adjust the consistency.
Step 6: Serve the mashed potatoes with pats of butter and fresh herbs to garnish.
👨🏻🍳 Questions & Answers
Nope! No need to peel your potatoes for Instant Pot mash. The high pressure softens the potatoes and their skins so when they are mashed together, the skins almost disappear into the mash. Saves you time and is healthier too!
Equally sized pieces of potatoes will cook faster in the Instant Pot. 10 - 15 minutes of pressure cooking is usually enough to soften potatoes completely.
Yes, you can make dairy-free mashed potatoes. You can substitute the milk with vegan unsweetened milk. Cashew milk or soy milk are thicker and would work for this recipe. Substitute the butter with vegan butter and this recipe is then dairy-free and vegan-friendly!
There is no need to let potatoes cool before mashing them. The heat can make them easier to mash than if they cooled slightly. This recipe leaves the potatoes to cool slightly while the garlic butter is made but it doesn't affect this recipe.
🍶 Substitutions
There are a few substitutions that can be made in order to make this recipe suit certain diets.
- What can be used instead of whole milk? - you can use any milk you prefer for this mash recipe, including plant-based milks. You can also use plant-based cream for an extra bit of creaminess!
- Dairy-free - use dairy-free butter and plant-based milk in order to make this recipe completely dairy free but still taste delicious
- Vegetarian/Vegan - this mashed potatoes recipe is already vegetarian but with some simple swaps you can make this recipe completely vegan too. Use vegan butter and plant-based milk or cream and you have yourself vegan mashed potatoes
🥘 Variations
If you want to spice up your regular mashed potatoes, why not give these variations a try?
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes to the butter while infusing it with the garlic and herbs for a spicier mashed potato
- Extra creamy - for extra creamy mashed potatoes, add some cream along with the milk or substitute the milk for half and half. Also make sure to mash the potatoes really well to get them super creamy and soft
- Bacon and Cheese Version - Fry up some crispy bacon bits and sprinkle them over the mash along with some shredded cheddar cheese. You'll add a tonne of flavor to the mash along with some crunch too!
🥔 Best Potatoes for Mash
Choosing the right potato for your mash actually makes a huge difference to the texture and taste of your mashed potatoes. Usually. Russet potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes are used for mashing.
Russet potatoes are considered the best potatoes for making mash, as they have high starch contents which make the fluffiest mash.
Yukon Gold potatoes make for a more classic and dense mashed potatoes as they have a slightly lower starch content. They will also make your mash more creamy as they have a delicate creamy taste to them. You will most likely have Yukon Golds lying around as they are a good all-purpose potato for all dishes.
Making instant pot mashed potatoes with skin
We leave the skin on the potatoes as it makes almost no difference to the taste and texture of the dish but it shaves off (pun definitely intended!) all that peeling of potatoes that I never have time for!
As long as the potatoes are cooked for long enough the skins will be super soft and almost disappear into the mash when you are mashing it up.
Potato skins are also a great source of some vitamins, fibre and Iron! All the more reason to keep them in your meal.
⏲ Equipment
This recipe has been developed and tested using an 6 quart (5.5 L) Instant Pot. I would recommend using an Instant Pot as they make the cooking of the potatoes such a breeze.
You can also use any pressure cooker for this recipe, the mashed potatoes will turn out just as creamy and delicious!
If you want to make this recipe on the stove top, then follow these steps:
- add 1 - 2 cups of water as needed while cooking the potatoes until fork tender
- drain the potatoes as normal and make the optional garlic butter on the stove top
- you then make the mash in the same pot the potatoes were cooked in!
🥣 Storage
Store any leftover mash in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
This recipe does not stand up well to freezing. It is best served immediately or for up to three days if stored correctly.
To reheat the mashed potatoes, heat on the stove top or use a microwave and heat for a few minutes at a time, stirring after each heating cycle. You might need to add more milk as the mash heats up to help smooth it out.
❗️Top tip
Making the optional garlic herb butter for this mashed potatoes recipe is really worth that tiny extra step. You just have to infuse the butter with the garlic and fresh herbs for a few minutes to add a delicious dose of flavor to your mash!
🍝 Check out the recipe here! Let's get cooking!
Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a comment below and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram!
Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Skin
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes work really well
- 4-5 cups water
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 3 garlic cloves sliced or roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp. fresh herbs roughly chopped
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 Tsp. sea salt
- 1 Tsp. black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the potatoes under running water to clean. Slice the potatoes into ½ inch (1.2cm) rounds so that they cook evenly.
- Add the sliced potatoes and water to your Instant Pot, push the potatoes down so that the water completely covers them. Cover and pressure cook for 10 minutes on high pressure.
- Release the pressure valve on top of your Instant Pot and wait for the pin to drop down. Then remove and drain the potatoes. Return the empty Instant Pot inner pot to the Instant Pot, rinsed out with water or wiped clean with paper towel.
- Optional: Press Saute on your Instant Pot and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic cloves and herbs and mix to allow the flavors to infuse the butter for 5 minutes.
- Remove the large garlic pieces and herbs. Return the potatoes to the pot. Add the milk and salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes until completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste the mash and adjust the seasonings if needed, you can also add more milk or cream to the mash to adjust the consistency.
- Serve the mashed potatoes with pats of butter and fresh herbs to garnish.
Emily
So yum! Whole family loved it!
Johan
Thanks for giving our recipe a try Emily!
Dayna Rand
I am never peeling potatoes again for mash!
Harry
That's what I like to hear! It makes it so much faster and your hands won't feel like falling off after all that peeling!
Mallory
This is the only way I’m making mashed potatoes from now on. Sooo good!!
Michelle
Made this with vegan butter and plain soymilk and it was delish!!
Shelby
Love that you can easily make this dairy-free!
Jacqui
A delicious and fun side! I used dairy free ingredients to fit it to my dietary needs and it was so good!
Nancy
Love this instant mash with skin on. Tasty and easy side to make
Cindy Mom the Lunch Lady
I love adding garlic to my mashed potatoes. This instant pot recipe looks so silky smooth and so quick!
Katie
Mashed potatoes with skin are the best! This recipe came out perfectly!