Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes is the quickest and easiest way to make perfect mashed potatoes.
Serve these mashed potatoes with Juicy Roast Chicken and a side of Roasted Carrots for the perfect dinner (don’t forget the Gravy).

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If you love classic Stove-top Mashed Potatoes, but want to save yourself some time and effort, this Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes recipe will become your go-to.
Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
We’re definitely making mashed potatoes way more often with the instant pot. Here’s why we love this method so much:
- Quick Cooking – Potatoes in the instant pot takes only 10 minutes on high pressure.
- Better Flavor – The potatoes are essentially steam-cooked on high pressure so the nutrients and flavor aren’t lost to the cooking water.
- No Draining Required – The potatoes absorb the liquid in the pot so you can skip the draining step.
- One-Pot – You can cook and mash all inside the bowl of the instant pot so there are fewer dishes to clean.
- Perfectly Cooked – Pressure cooking ensures the potatoes are fully cooked through, perfectly tender, and not lumpy.

The Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes:
Russet potatoes are the preferred variety for making mashed potatoes because of their lighter color and creamy texture. You can also use waxier potatoes like Yukon potatoes or gold potatoes, but they will be more yellow in color and have a slightly different consistency and flavor. We have tested both and often use whichever we have on hand.
Cooks Tip: You can use either water or low sodium chicken broth for the potato cooking liquid. Water will keep the potatoes lighter in color while broth adds more flavor.

How to Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes:
This mashed potatoes recipe is so simple. Make it once and you will probably have it memorized.
- Place metal trivet into 6 Qt instant pot and add 1 cup water (or broth) with 1 tsp salt.
- Add peeled and quartered potatoes over the trivet.
- Cover, seal and cook on manual high pressure 10 minutes with a quick pressure release. Potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove the trivet (it comes out easily) and coarsely mash potatoes.
- Add 1 cup warm milk, or add to desired consistency then blend in 6 Tbsp melted butter.
- Whip with an electric hand mixer for the smoothest mashed potatoes.

Tips for the Best Instant Pot Potatoes:
- Use a trivet so your potatoes are perfectly steam-cooked without any brown edges.
- Cut the potatoes so they are uniform in size and large enough to sit on the rack without slipping through.
- Salt to Taste after mashing and add more at the end if needed.
Have Leftover Mashed Potatoes? Use leftover potatoes to make our famous cheesy Mashed Potato Pancakes. They are family friendly, use simple ingredients and are quick and easy to make.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes is just another reason to love your instant pot. It’s a time saver and produces consistently great results every time.
More Instant Pot Recipes:
These reader favorites instant pot recipes will make you want to hug your pressure cooker (just not while it’s running please). See all of our Instant Pot recipes here.
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken – with the best chicken gravy
- Corn on the Cob – so sweet and juicy in the instant pot
- Instant Pot Chicken and Rice – a family-friendly dinner
- Ribs in the Instant Pot – super tender and juicy
- IP Crab Legs – so quicky, juicy and flavorful
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili – quick & easy meal
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients
- 5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 7 medium/large potatoes)
- 1 cup water , or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tsp of sea salt, or added to taste
- 3/4 cup warm milk, or added to desired consistency
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened or melted
- 1 Tbsp parsley or chives , (optional to garnish)
Instructions
- Insert trivet into instant pot bowl. Add 1 cup water or chicken broth and add 1 tsp salt.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters (large enough that they won’t fall under the trivet (about 1-inch thickness). Place potatoes over the trivet, adding the largest pieces first (so they don’t fall through).
- Cover with lid, set the valve to ‘sealing’ position then cook on manual high pressure for 10 min with a quick release. Once pressure has released, remove the lid then remove the trivet using tongs or an oven mitt. Don’t drain the water.
- Mash with a potato masher then add the warm milk to your desired consistency. Finally, mix in the softened butter just until blended. For a smoother consistency, blend the potatoes with an electric hand mixer until no lumps remain. Season to taste with more salt if desired.
This is the absolute easiest method to get perfect mashed potatoes! I love that it is basically hands off and it frees up stove space for big meals~
My kind of recipe! I’m so glad you enjoeyd that, Wilhelmina!
Happy Birthday, Natasha! Wishing you a wonderful day. Thanks, too, for creating NatashasKitchen.com eleven years ago! it is such a blessing to us.
Thank you so much for your nice greetings and support, Kim. Really appreciate you!
I just wanted to say Happy Birthday Natasha! We love you!
Thank you so much, Susan!
Can I make this a day before? If so, any suggestions for storage and also how should I reheat?
Hi Gee, mashed potatoes can be made almost completely ahead. Do nearly everything for up to 2 days ahead. Before serving, reheat. Adding butter at the last minute makes them taste freshly mashed.
Hi Natasha. Your recipe says don’t drain the water. I may have missed something. What are we supposed to do with it? Thank you
Hi Colette, I don’t typically drain the water but mash the potatoes into whatever is left. If you feel like it’s too much water or are worried about it, you can drain half of it off and add it back later after mashing, or you can just add milk instead of the cooking water. It will work both ways.
These are delicious!!!! And super easy. Husband and son LOVED them too:) Thanks for a great recipe…
Awesome! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a perfect rating. We appreciate you sharing your great experience with us, Cyndi!
Great results!! Best method ever for yummy mashed potatoes. I wasn’t sure about the chicken broth so I added 1/2 c water and 1/2 c chicken broth. Turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Lynn! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
I normally use a ‘ricer’ for mashed potatoes as they come out very silky and smooth especially when reheating ! (I am afraid I have a handmixer making them gluey??)
also…. do the mashed potatoes taste any better in the Insta pot, or regular stove method?
….It sounds easy and great to make them with the Insta pot for Thanksgiving tonight to take up less stove space & fast / will they stay ‘warm’ nicely in it waiting a bit…. or get gummy??
thanks ! …not sure of the max lbs of potatoes it could do (if I had the largest capacity Insta pot). Are usually do about 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes for mashed potatoes are usually do about 8 to 10 pounds of potatoes for mashed potatoes for thanksgiving
thank you
Hi Leia, gluey potatoes are usually due to overcooking the potatoes which makes them waterlogged. The instant pot method is just faster, but if you are making a lot of potatoes, I would recommend using our creamy mashed potatoes (my favorite for special occasions).
Hi, if I’m doubling the recipe should add more time for cooking? Thanks!
Hi Lena, I haven’t tried doubling in a larger pot (mainly because I don’t have a larger pot), but that should work fine to double the recipe. Make sure to add the milk to your desired consistency. You probably would need a little less milk if doubling but I’m not certain you will need to add more time. Let me know how it goes.
Do you think these would still be good if I substituted the regular milk with either coconut or almond milk?
Hi Linda, I honestly haven’t tried those substitutions so I’m not sure. It would change the flavor. If you have tried it with other mashed potatoes, it could work here also.
I make my mashed potatoes vegan (with almond milk and vegan margarine) and they turn out great!
So glad to hear that, Annie. Thank you for sharing that with us!
hi. I would not add a non-dairy milk to mashed potatoes, however,
chicken broth is an excellent liquid for mashed potatoes !!!
non-dairy milk would give a very different flavor texture, at times, when I made it with just chicken broth (no milk) nobody knew
Is it possible to half the recipe? Also, I have the 8qt instapot.
Your biggest fan!
Be safe!
Hi Rory, halving the recipe may work. I haven’t tested that in an 8qt to advise. You would need to meet the 8qt minimum liquid requirement.
these were so easy to make and came out perfectly fluffy! loved them!!
Super! Thanks for your comments, Eden.
I don’t know what happened, mine came out super lumpy. Perhaps I should have cooked them longer or maybe cut them up a little smaller? I was really excited to try this recipe because it looked super easy. My first instant pot fail
Hi Maggie, we just made these again for Easter and I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. Cutting them up smaller should have made it even easier to mash. Did you use the same proportions and follow the instructions? What I have found that helps is to use the handheld electric mixer at the end to get potatoes really smooth. You can also use a potato ricer if you have one. Also, make sure to peel the potatoes if you didn’t.
OMG these we’re The Best!
You should call these copycat KFC Mashed Potatoes . Tasted exactly like KFC mashed potatoes and that’s a compliment. GREAT
Made them for Easter and they were a Huge Hit!
Thanks so much Natatsha
I love that you enjoyed it so much! Thanks for your excellent review!
Oh my my all the recipe are soooooooo goooddd. My family always asked me what am I going to cook I call Natasha
So great to hear that, Marlene. Thank you for always trying out my recipes!
Hi Natasha I love your recipes!I am always exited to try them .
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Nadine!
I love 😍 your recipes all the time it’s easy to make
So great to hear that, Nilda. I hope that you love every recipe that you will try!
So simple and yet so delicious. I love how efficient the instant pot is even for things. So good!
Super! Thank you for your great feedback.
Yummy! I love all your recipes and this is just as simple and delicious!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. Appreciate it!
Just wondering if you can double the recipe in the instant pot for a larger group of people?
Hi Aubrey, I haven’t tried doubling in a larger pot (mainly because I don’t have a larger pot), but that should work fine to double the recipe. Make sure to add the milk to your desired consistency. You probably would need a little less milk if doubling. Let me know how it goes.
We love natashas’s recipes .
She is like butterfly. Her husband is lucky to have natashas in his life . God bless them .
Aaw you’re so sweet, Mina. I am a lucky wife too!
Agreed: the Instant Pot is ideal for mashed potatoes. But I hate peeling potatoes!
So I just halve or quarter them, and use a ricer when they’re done. Just use tongs to remove the potatoes. Use the deep inner liner when squishing the potatoes through the ricer they don’t end up all over your kitchen. The skins slide right off. But if you’re in a rustic mood or out of time you can always leave a few skins in the mashup.
Thanks for sharing your process with us, Lauren. That is some useful information and it sounds delicious!