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Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot mashed potatoes in a serving bowl with a pat of melted butter and chopped chives.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mira Evnine

Having a good Instant Pot mashed potatoes recipe in your back pocket can free up valuable space on the stovetop. Whether cooking a Thanksgiving feast or simply trying to get dinner on the table during the workweek, utilizing an Instant Pot to make mashed potatoes from start to finish is an easy way to make a crowd-pleasing side dish. The trick is to use the machine’s pressure-cooking function, which cooks potatoes in a fraction of the time it would take to boil them.

The entire process (including the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure) clocks in at about 30 minutes—nearly half the time it takes to boil potatoes starting with a pot of cold water. After cooking and straining, you’ll slide the spuds back into the Instant Pot to take advantage of its residual heat and mash them with milk, sour cream, and a generous amount of butter. The resulting potatoes have a smooth yet fluffy texture and subtle tangy flavor. 

The best part? You can serve the silky, creamy potatoes directly from the Instant Pot by utilizing its “keep warm” function. This allows you to make the potatoes ahead of time without fear of the mash getting cold. For a showstopping appearance, use the back of a spoon to dramatically swoosh the mashed potatoes and top with a few more pats of butter and thinly sliced chives.

Head this way for more of our best Instant Pot recipes →

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