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Learn how to make instant pot mashed potatoes flavored with garlic and herbs in 20 minutes! These potatoes are creamy and smooth. Plus, you can easily double or triple this side dish for larger parties.
Look at those pillowy, soft, instant pot mashed potatoes!
Have Merrrrcyyyy. These are quite possibly the best potatoes to come out of an instant pot.
If you can load a few ingredients into the inner pot of a pressure cooker, you can make some of the best, weeknight-friendly mashed potatoes. The smell of rosemary, thyme, and GARLIC spread throughout my kitchen and it is so glorious.
Very good! Love the silky texture of the mashed potatoes. Flavor is delicious as well!
Nothing funny or weird to see here, folks. These mashed potatoes require just one pot, take less than 30 minutes, and only a handful of everyday ingredients. That makes for some excellent news for those of us that like to fix shepherd’s pie or other types of casseroles that require mashed potatoes. I mean who needs the instant kind when you can have homemade mashed potatoes in almost the same amount of time?
So here they are, you’re just 20 minutes away from the world’s best instant pot mashed potatoes.
Ingredients for instant pot mashed potatoes recipe
- Potatoes: I like to use russet potatoes for this recipe as the texture of russet potatoes is perfect! You can also use Yukon gold potatoes or white potatoes if you’d like.
- Water: We’ll cook the potatoes in water so you’ll need just enough to bring the instant pot to high pressure.
- Seasonings: salt and pepper are what I use. I prefer to use white pepper when making mashed potatoes so that the black pepper speckles don’t show up in your fluffy potatoes! However, you do you!
- Garlic: A few garlic cloves go right in with the potatoes. Don’t fish them out if you’re a garlic fan, mash them with the potatoes, you’ll be glad you did.
- Fresh Herbs: I use a sprig of fresh rosemary, a bunch of fresh thyme, and a few chopped chives or parsley to finish the potatoes at the end.
- Butter: melted unsalted butter gets stirred into the potatoes once we’ve cooked them in the pressure cooker.
- Sour Cream: A dollop of sour cream adds a nice tang and richness to the potatoes. You could also use greek yogurt instead, but sour cream gives these better flavor!
- Cream Cheese: softened cream cheese adds flavor and a delicious texture to fluffy mashed potatoes!
Tips for best instant pot mashed potatoes
- Use the right potato. russet potatoes work best for mashed potatoes because they become light and fluffy and take on the flavor of anything you add them to. Yukon golds would also work though.
- Use the correct technique. When I shared the stove-top mashers with cheddar, I added a few cloves of garlic along with the potatoes when they were boiling. This allows the flavor to really get in there, especially when you leave the garlic in and mash it right tup with the potatoes.
- Herbs add depth. I add fresh rosemary and thyme to my potatoes and finished them off with a handful of chopped chives.
- Use a potato ricer. For the smoothest mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer and push them through for fluffy mashed potatoes. I’ll be honest, I typically save this just for Thanksgiving!
- Make them the traditional way. I started using softened cream cheese back in the day because cream cheese was having a moment. In recent years, I’ve reverted back to the butter, sour cream, and buttermilk trifecta. I find that it’s a classic for a reason!
Finally, can we just agree that instant pot mashed potatoes are one of the best things to come out of our instant pots?
Just look at those super smooth swoops!
Other Recipes to Try
20 Minute Garlic Herb Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-2¼ pounds russet potatoes
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt or this seasoning plus more to taste
- 4-6 whole cloves garlic peeled
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary + a small bunch of thyme sprigs
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3-4 tablespoons buttermilk (or 4 ounces cream cheese, softened)
- chopped chives or parsley for topping
Instructions
- PREP: peel the potatoes and chop them into 4-6 pieces depending on the size of the potato. If each of your potatoes weighs a pound, I'd suggest chopping them into 8 pieces.
- LOAD: Add the potatoes, water, salt, garlic, rosemary, and thyme into the instant pot. Cover, seal the valve and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes.
- QUICK RELEASE: Don't wait for natural pressure release on this one, immediately turn the knob to 'vent'. If you're worried about sputter, cover the valve with a kitchen towel, although there isn't enough liquid in here to fireback, but it doesn't hurt to be safe! Drain the potatoes, and discard the herb sprigs. Keep the garlic with the potatoes to make it garlicky, or discard. I left it in (they mash and blend in so well!)
- MASHED POTATOES: Using a potato masher, break down the potatoes. This should be easy, the potatoes won't push back. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the melted butter, sour cream or buttermilk), and cream cheese.
- ADJUST: Taste and adjust salt to preference. I needed an additional 1/2 teaspoon for our sweet spot. Plate and serve with chopped chives on top!
Notes
- Potatoes: I highly recommend using russet potatoes for these mashed potatoes and they yield the lightest, fluffiest texture. Yukon golds will also work but I find they have a slightly more dense feel overall.
- Cream Cheese Subs: Recently I’ve started to nix the cream cheese and 2-3 tablespoons of buttermilk instead. If the consistency isn’t smooth or creamy enough, I’ll add a bit more. But feel free to use either ingredient!
- Creamy Consistency: keep in mind that all mashed potatoes (even the instant kind) thicken as they sit. To bring leftovers back to your favorite consistency, you can stir in addition sour cream, (buttermilk) milk, or butter. I find a splash of milk works best here.
- Options: If you’re a mashed potato purist, you can simply leave out the garlic and herb (but, omg, please don’t) and make regular mashed potatoes. Just as delicious and perfect with almost anything!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
When using the potato ricer, I just cook the potatoes with the skins on. When they are done, I put them through the ricer and it peels them at the same time. I pull the peels out between loading the ricer again.
These were delicious! What would the cook time be if I wanted to triple the batch? I’m going to make these for Thanksgiving for 20 people.
Hi Samantha! I’m so glad you enjoyed these mashed potatoes. I think if you were to make a triple batch, you may need to do so in an 8-10 qrt pressure cooker or in batches. The cooking time should remain about the same, maybe another minute or two!
I made this recipe twice and it was so good. I really like how everything is done in the instant pot and how quick it comes together. I made extra the first time so I would have enough for a second meal. The great thing was that because no cream or milk is used (causing liquid to separate from potatoes) it stays exactly the same for the second meal. I plan on making this for Thanksgiving as well. Thank you for such an easy and tasty recipe.
Hi Mary! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed these! And what a great idea to make extra so you have leftovers for a second meal! Hope everyone at Thanksgiving enjoys them to the fullest 🙂
These are fantastic! Mine came out creamier than I normally prefer but that’s not a slight….still great. Perhaps I’ll lower cook time down to 6-7 minutes or larger chunks of potatoes. The herbs came off the stalks but I think it’s adding more flavor. Incredibly easy to make. Like another reader, I pre-made these & will reheat in the oven.
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Do you use unsalted or salted butter?
I usually only keep salted butter at home, so I used that but either would work here! If you’re using unsalted, just add a little more salt to preference! 🙂
Made it ahead in the afternoon so I can use my instant for your beef stew later on for dinner. Instead of water I used 3 cups of chicken broth. Didn’t have fresh thyme so I used half a teaspoon of dried thyme. Once I was finished, I Put it in a small glass pan in the fridge until dinner time and warmed it up (covered with foil) for about 45 minutes in the oven at 250°. So so so Delicious! Especially paired with your beef stew. Definitely making it again!
Very good! Love the silky texture of the mashed potatoes. Flavor is delicious as well!
Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Talk about a recipe that LOOKS like you’ve slaved over the stove for hours! Bookmarking this creamy, dreamy potatoes recipe!
Sorry, rereading a second time, gave me the answer!
You don’t drain the water off like you would when you cook on the stove? They look amazing. I may have to do a trial run for Thanksgiving.