Instant Pot Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
The fluffiest, creamiest, and most buttery mashed potatoes are yours, with no need to babysit a pot of boiling water, and an easy way to keep them warm until you’re ready to serve. Instant Pot mashed potatoes change the game and make this classic side dish so easy to make from scratch!
Is there anyone who doesn’t like mashed potatoes? Especially warm, fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes? They go with everything and are the perfect side for any comfort food.
That said, I used to find mashed potatoes kind of annoying to make from scratch. Not difficult, exactly, but slightly high-maintenance.
Monitoring a boiling pot, pricking the potatoes over and over, waiting for them to reach just that perfect level of tenderness — but not too tender, lest they fall apart completely. Sorry, but no one has time for that. As a result, I pretty much made mashed potatoes once per year — on Thanksgiving Day.
Transferring my mashed potato ambitions to the Instant Pot has been one of the single best things to come of buying one. They are far lower-maintenance and, more importantly, come out fluffy and delicious each and every time.
We now enjoy mashed potatoes whenever. They make a terrific side with pork chops, meatballs, or creamy garlic chicken. And I’m actually happy to make them on Thanksgiving, too.
Ingredients
The ingredients for these are pretty similar to any standard mashed potatoes recipe. You’ll need:
- About 3 pounds of potatoes. I typically use Russets. Yukon Gold also work well and some people prefer their flavor.
- Garlic. I use 6 cloves for a noticeable but not overpowering garlic taste; feel free to adjust to suit your preference.
- Butter. I use unsalted. If you keep salted around, just reduce the amount of added salt a bit. You can always add more at the end to taste!
- Sour cream.
- Cream cheese.
- Salt, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. Again, feel free to adjust these to taste. A sprig of fresh herbs is nice for serving at a special occasion, but not needed for everyday!
Many modern mashed potato recipes recommend adding sour cream and cream cheese for, well, creaminess and the delicious flavor. But I know some who trace the idea back to The Silver Palette Cookbook. Have you heard of it? It’s one of those classics that actually changed the way Americans cook at home. Many of the recipes are more involved than most cooks have time for today, but it’s a cookbook I’m still glad to flip through for inspiration!
How to make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot
So, how do we make these amazingly creamy, buttery mashed potatoes as easy as possible? Instant Pot to the rescue! This is the version I have, love, and show here.
- Peel and chop the potatoes. You want pieces between 1-2″ thick.
- Add to the pot along with peeled garlic cloves, salt, and herbs. No need to mince the garlic, it will mash easily into the potatoes after cooking.
- Pour in the water and cook for 8 minutes on manual/high pressure.
- While the Instant Pot is doing its thing, melt the butter, then measure out the sour cream and cream cheese. I find it easiest to melt the butter in the microwave in a large glass liquid measuring cup, then add the other items.
- Quick release the pressure – watch out for the steam! – then drain the potatoes and plop ’em back into the pot. Mash, add the dairy, and give everything a good stir.
Hellooo, best mashed potatoes of your life!!
However you choose to serve these, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or, you know, Wednesday, you are going to be super glad you did.
Make ahead and reheating tips
I absolutely love using the Instant Pot for holiday mashed potatoes because it frees up room on the stove, which is great, but also because it’s so easy to keep them warm right in the pot. Just leave the finished potatoes on the “Keep Warm” setting until ready to serve.
They should stay good for at least an hour, and longer if you stir periodically and add a splash of milk or cream as they begin to dry out.
You can also make these further ahead, keep in the fridge, and just rewarm in an oven-safe dish. 20-30 minutes at a medium temperature, anywhere from 250-375 degrees F, should do the trick.
Enjoy! If you make these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or any other recipe from Nourish and Fete, please rate it and leave a comment below. We love hearing from you, and other readers will benefit from your experience!
Instant Pot Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 6 whole cloves garlic peeled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- fresh rosemary, thyme, chives, or parsley for optional garnish
Instructions
- Peel and chop potatoes into pieces 1-2 inches thick, then place in the Instant Pot. Add garlic and sprinkle with salt, rosemary, and thyme. Pour water on top, cover, seal, and cook for 8 minutes on manual/high pressure. While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in a large liquid measuring cup, then add the sour cream and cream cheese and set aside.
- When the 8 minutes are up, use the quick release function to vent the steam, and leave the pot on “keep warm.”
- Carefully open the lid and lift out the insert. Drain the potatoes, return them to the pot, and mash thoroughly with a potato masher or large spatula. This should be easy – they’ll be very soft and ready to fall apart.
- Scoop in the butter, sour cream, and cream cheese, and mix vigorously with a spatula to incorporate. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Garnish as desired and serve!
Notes
- Either reduced or full-fat sour cream and cream cheese are fine, use whichever you prefer.
- The finished potatoes are fine on the “keep warm” setting for at least an hour. If it’s much longer than that, or if you’re reheating from the fridge, add a splash of milk and stir well to lighten things back up.
Nutrition Estimate
I don’t know why, but I’d never tried making mashed potatoes in my instant pot until I saw this recipe. Now, I don’t know if I’ll ever make them any other way! So easy and soooo delicious! Love the mix of herbs. Thanks for a great recipe!
I did a trial run of this last night and they came out perfect! I am so excited that I will have enough room on my stove this Thanksgiving to make everything at once. Thank you!