Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (5 Ingredients)

By Amy Dong
Updated Nov. 6, 2023

This 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipe is the easiest mashed potatoes ever. Fluffy, creamy, flavorful mashed potatoes can be on your table in no time. Stovetop option included.

instant pot mashed potatoes with butter in bowl.

Why this recipe Stands Out

Save Time: You can now serve up homemade mashed potatoes more often, with only 8 minutes of cook time and 5 ingredients.
Save Money: Only 5 basic pantry ingredients are needed; no cream cheese or sour cream is needed.
Less Calories: You’ll only need milk and butter for the creamiest mashed potatoes; no sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream involved.
Big Flavors: This simple recipe delivers on the flavor front, whether you choose to use amazing homemade gravy or not.

Key Recipe Ingredients

This Instant Pot mashed potatoes recipe boasts a pure buttery flavor with creamy texture. Here’s what you’ll need:

Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes: Russet potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture, resulting in a fluffier and drier texture. Yukon Golds are medium in starch level and low moister, which yields a creamier texture. The choice is yours, and if you don’t want to choose, use a combination of both.
Regular strength chicken broth or stock: many recipes use water, but we love the flavor that a good broth provides. It also adds moisture/liquid to the mashed potatoes without adding more fat.
Milk: feel free to use either whole milk or low-fat milk, but try to avoid fat-free milk, as you do need some fat for creaminess. Whole milk is the favorite here.
Real butter. Of course butter and plenty of it. Though it might sound like a lot of butter, it’s actually less than most mashed potato recipes. Start with the amount listed, and add more melted drizzles at the end if you’d like – who doesn’t like?

Substitutions and Variations

Your 5-ingredient Instant Pot mashed potatoes recipe is awesome as-is. Just a simple drizzle of butter on top or homemade gravy is drool-worthy and tastes incredible. However. If you would like to jazz things up once in awhile, here are flavor options to help you make that happen:

Roasted garlic. This is the ultimate add-on for mashed potatoes, if you’re going to add on. It’s crazy easy to roast whole heads of garlic ahead of time. If you’re a garlic fiend like myself, feel free to go wild and roast an extra head of garlic to make garlic-butter to spread on everything.
Freshly chopped herbs: play with your favorite herbs, including chives, parsley, or thyme. Just sprinkle a bit of it in at the end – remember that less is more when it comes to mashed potatoes.
Cream: If you really want to go all out with creaminess, you can add in a bit of sour cream or almost-melted cream cheese.
Cheese: Sprinkle in a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese or other cheese, for all the cheese lovers.

instant pot mashed potatoes with butter.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Pour broth into the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Place potatoes onto steamer rack. Close lid and lock in place. Turn steam release handle/valve to correct position, if needed. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
While potatoes are cooking, combine milk and softened butter slices into a saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter is completely melted and milk is warmed through. Turn heat off and keep warm.
Once pressure cooker is done, do a Quick Release. Gently remove lid and remove steamer rack, sliding potatoes into the pot with broth. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes.
Add warm milk/butter mixture and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt – any optional seasonings can be added now as well.Keeping Instant Pot on “warm,” continue to hand-mash potatoes to your desired texture.

Stovetop Cooking Option

You can opt to make this recipe using stovetop alternative as well. Simply boil peeled/cubed potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 15 minutes, or just until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and proceed with recipe as written.

For complete list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.

What to Serve With mashed potatoes

Roasts

Tender Roast Turkey, which is super delicious for any and all holidays.
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with Gravy, so you can have the roast cooking while you’re at work all day and just snap together the Instant Pot mashed potatoes afterwards.
Beef Tenderloin with Garlic Wine Sauce, which is my favorite dish to serve when friends come over for dinner

Sides

Homemade Stuffing with Apples and Sausage – if it’s the holiday season, you simply cannot go wrong with this beautiful side.
Kale Brussel Sprouts Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing – this salad makes kale and brussels sprouts taste almost like candy.
Easy Dinner Rolls (Less Than 1 Hour) – these are the best, fluffy, tender homemade rolls that go from flour to table in about an hour.

Also Try Greek Chicken with Potatoes

Did you make this?

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