Adding sour cream to mashed potatoes brings wonderful flavor and richness. This Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes recipe is totally company-worthy, yet easy enough to make as everyday dinner potatoes.
If you can’t get enough of Classic Mashed Potatoes, wait until you try these extra-flavorful and creamy sour cream mashed potatoes.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
These fluffy and buttery sour cream mashed potatoes are a family-favorite side dish. They’re totally company-worthy but so easy to make, you’ll want them on your table for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, and beyond. Pair them with Prime Rib or Juicy Roast Turkey drizzled with Turkey Gravy.
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes Recipe
We LOVE potatoes so we get creative with them, making everything from Au Gratin Potatoes to Potato Soup. We’re sharing our best tips for making super creamy sour cream mashed potatoes that the whole family will request again and again. Here’s why you will love this recipe:
- Simple – These creamy mashed potatoes are made with basic kitchen ingredients.
- Flavorful – The combination of butter, milk, and sour cream really makes these potatoes something special.
- Versatile – These fluffy sour cream mashed potatoes recipe can be made ahead and reheats well (see instructions below)
Ingredients
Below is an overview of everything you’ll need to make these velvety sour cream mashed potatoes. Don’t forget to refer to the recipe card with the full amounts:
- Potatoes – We usually use Yukon gold potatoes for this recipe, but you can use just about any starchy potato. You’ll need about 10 medium-sized potatoes.
- Milk – Adding warm milk (whole or 2%) to mashed potatoes helps lighten up the texture while keeping the potatoes warm.
- Butter – We use unsalted butter. Good quality butter adds a silky texture and flavor to the potatoes. If you’re using salted butter then add salt to taste later.
- Sour Cream – Sour cream lends extra richness and creaminess and tastes better.
- Chives – Fresh chopped chives make a great but optional garnish, for a nice pop of color.
Pro Tip: After you’ve peeled and chopped your potatoes, place them in a bowl with water to keep the potato pieces from browning.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream
Here’s how easy it is to make these simple yet flavorful sour cream mashed potatoes:
- Boil the Potatoes – Peel and cut your potatoes into chunks about an inch in size, then add them to a large pot with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender (see timing chart below).
- Heat the Milk – In a separate saucepan warm the butter and milk until it just begins to steam and the butter is fully melted, then cover and set it aside.
- Mash the Potatoes – Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash while drizzling in the milk mixture to reach your desired consistency. Be careful not to over-mash the potatoes, as they may become gluey.
- Add Sour Cream – Lastly, mash in the sour cream and season the potatoes with salt. Cover to keep them warm until you’re ready to serve.
- Serve – Load your sour cream mashed potatoes into a serving dish. If you’d like, serve with additional butter and a garnish of fresh chives and pepper.
Pro Tip: To avoid gummy mashed potatoes, avoid overcooking. Also, drain them well and mash them while the potatoes are still hot.
How Long Should I Boil Potatoes?
How long it takes to boil your potatoes for mashing depends on how large or small you cut your potato pieces. The easiest way to tell if a potato is boiled through is to poke it with a fork: if it’s pierced with little resistance, the potato is cooked.
Below are some average boiling times for different potato sizes:
- 1-inch Pieces: 10-12 minutes (start the timer after the water comes to a boil).
- Quartered Potatoes (1½-inch thick): 15 to 18 minutes.
- Whole, Peeled Potatoes (Medium-Sized): 20 to 25 minutes.
The Best Method for Mashing Potatoes
You can mash your potatoes by hand using a potato masher, but we’ve found that using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer is the fastest and easiest method for the smoothest mashed potatoes.
Common Questions
Starchy potatoes, like Yukon gold or russet potatoes, yield the best and creamiest mashed potatoes.
Certainly. Add a pinch or two of garlic powder to infuse your mashed potatoes with garlicky flavor (or, try our Garlic Mashed Potatoes Recipe).
Technically they won’t be sour cream mashed potatoes in this case, but yes. Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, and buttermilk are good substitutions for sour cream in a pinch.
If you’re making enough mashed potatoes to feed a small army, go ahead and double up the recipe!
Plan for 1/2 lb of potatoes per serving. So if you have 8 people, you will want to use 4 lbs of potatoes.
What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes
We love these creamy mashed potatoes as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish next. They’re great for entertaining, and everyone always asks for seconds. Here are more ways to serve sour cream mashed potatoes:
- Gravy – Drizzle mashed potatoes with Easy Mushroom Gravy or round out a meal of Instant Pot Chicken and Gravy, or even saucy Beef Stroganoff.
- Pot Roasts – Nothing pairs better with a cozy Mississippi Pot Roast than fluffy sour cream mashed potatoes.
- Ham – Serve sour cream mashed potatoes with Baked Ham for the holidays.
Make-Ahead
Here’s how to easily store and reheat mashed potatoes if you have leftovers or if you’re making them ahead of time.
- To keep mashed potatoes warm: A slow cooker is the best way to keep potatoes warm. Generously butter the slow cooker, spread the warm mashed potatoes inside evenly, and drizzle with more butter. Cover with the lid and set the crockpot to the “warm” setting and it can stay warm for 3-4 hours.
- To Refrigerate: Once the potatoes have cooled, store them airtight and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days. Storing in an oven-safe container makes it easy to reheat in the oven (see below).
- Freezing: Let the mashed potatoes cool completely, then seal them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat in the Oven: Ensure the potatoes are in an oven-safe casserole dish, drizzle the top with butter, then cover them with foil and warm them in the oven at 350ºF for 15 minutes, or until hot throughout. You can stir in a bit of additional milk to help loosen them up, as needed.
- To Reheat on the Stovetop: My favorite quick way to reheat mashed potatoes is on the stovetop. Transfer potatoes to a skillet and set over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until potatoes are hot.
No holiday is complete without a generous helping (or two) of delicious homemade mashed potatoes. Prepare to watch these sour cream mashed potatoes disappear from the plate!
More Easy Potato Recipes
If you love this recipe for mashed potatoes, then you won’t want to miss these other easy potato recipes.
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, 10 medium, peeled and cut into 1-inch thick pieces
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more to serve if desired
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped chives, optional, to garnish
- freshly ground black pepper, optional, to garnish
Instructions
- Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Keep them in cold water until you are ready to cook to prevent browning then transfer potatoes into a large pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes with 1-inch of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to a low boil and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork without resistance.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat milk together with the butter until butter is melted and milk just starts to steam (do not boil). Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Once potatoes are fork-tender, drain potatoes well and transfer them back to the pot, set them over very low heat for 1 minute to evaporate any extra steam. Coarsely mash potatoes right away with a potato masher or an electric hand mixer to break them up (don’t wait to mash or they can turn gummy).
- Turn off the heat and while mashing, drizzle in the hot milk and butter mixture, adding it to your desired texture. Adding more milk will make the potatoes creamier and less milk will give you thicker potatoes. Mash or beat until your potatoes are smooth. Don’t overbeat or potatoes can become gluey.
- Mash in the sour cream and salt, adding more salt to taste as needed. Keep covered with lid until ready to serve then transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with butter and garnish with freshly cracked black pepper and chives if desired.
Notes
- 1-inch pieces: 10-12 minutes once the water has come to a boil.
- Quartered potatoes (1 1/2”-thick): 15-18 minutes
- Whole peeled medium potatoes: 20-25 minutes
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi there! I looking to use this recipe for our Thanksgiving weekending coming! Is the weight of the potatoes of 4lbs before or after peeling?
HI Darrin, great question! I always weigh my potatoes before peeling. Happy Thanksgiving to you!
Hi Natasha! Thank you for confirming! I ask because a recipe will ask for 4 or 5 lbs of potatoes but by the time you’ve finished peeling you could have lost as much as a pound of potato! Will let you know how it turns out!
I entertain quite a bit and this is my go-to recipe when serving a crowd. And, needles to say, it’s always a crowd favorite! I rarely have any leftovers. Sometimes I add some cream cheese for added flavor. Its a great, but simple recipe that taste wonderful with so many main dishes. Thank You Natasha!!!!
That’s wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Connie. I’m so happy to know that this is a crowd favorite!
Personally found they needed almost triple the amount of butter — maybe I could have used more sour cream or more milk instead, but the ratio was off and too dry and starchy for me using russets. They came out nicely with almost 3 sticks of butter!
Did you use melter butter? It was just right for us but feel free to add more according to your preference.