Name: Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 lbs red potatoes; 1 oz garlic; 2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth; salt; fresh cracked black pepper; 3 tbsp butter; 1/4 cup leftover broth from cooking potatoes; 1/4 cup whole milk ((more or less if needed))

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These are the best tasting mashed potatoes with the best texture. Soft and fluffy Garlic Mashed Potatoes cooked easily in an instant pot. This comforting side dish is ready in about 30 minutes.

scooping out some mashed potatoes from a white bowl.

Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot

Making a side of homemade mashed potatoes just got so much easier. Just let the pressure cooker do all of the work for you! Also, when you make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot instead of on your stove-top, it reduces your time in the kitchen by about 10 to 15 minutes. While that time is certainly valuable, the real reason I love this method as much as I do isn’t for the ease and quickness… It’s for the consistency.

When the potatoes are pressure cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot, the consistency is oh so soft and smooth. Mashing them doesn’t require sore arms afterwards because they’re incredibly tender. Also, when you prepare this recipe in the Instant Pot, the garlicky flavor really gets sealed in so much better than it would on your stove-top. If you’re a garlic lover like me, you’ll love how pronounced that flavor is in this simple recipe.

When it comes to comfort foods, I always prefer potatoes over pasta, and this potato side dish sits at the tip top of my list of favorites. I love serving it with hearty entrees like Prime Rib with Au Jus, especially during the colder winter months when I need something filling, flavorful, and wholly satisfying on my plate. Trust me, these potatoes will help bulk up any plate and make sure that no one’s leaving the dinner table hungry!

Ingredient Notes

This budget-friendly recipe utilizes kitchen staples that you likely already have on hand.

Russet Potatoes – I prefer them peeled, but you can leave the peels on the quartered potatoes if you don’t mind the texture. Potato peels actually contain plenty of nutrients if that’s the route you’d like to take.
Garlic – For the BEST flavor and aroma, be sure to use fresh garlic cloves, not pre-minced or dried garlic.
Chicken or Vegetable Broth – While you can use store-bought broth, I recommend using either Homemade Chicken Stock or Homemade Vegetable Stock for the best flavor.
Seasonings – A simple sprinkle of coarse or flaky salt with some freshly cracked black pepper is all you need to help create the best flavor to compliment the garlic.
Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter, whichever you prefer, just watch the salt addition.
Whole Milk – You can use more or less than what’s called for to achieve the desired consistency.

What are the Best Potatoes to Use? I prefer using Idaho (Russet) potatoes for any mashed potatoes.

Cooking Instructions:

Prepare the potatoes.

Peel and quarter the potatoes. You can also choose to leave the skins on if you prefer, just note that your final product will have an added texture to it.

If you choose to leave the skin on, be sure to rinse the potatoes well and make sure there’s no residue on them.

cubed potatoes with garlic and seasoning in instant pot.

adding broth to the cubed potatoes in instant pot.

Add the ingredients to the pressure cooker.

Place the prepared potatoes, pressed garlic, salt, and pepper in the Instant Pot. Pour in enough broth to cover the potatoes.

Pressure cook the potatoes.

Close the lid and make sure it’s latched. Turn the valve to “seal” and set the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure cook mode for 15 minutes.

Carefully do a quick release. Make sure to press cancel first, then open the lid after all of the pressure has been released.

Drain off the water, but be sure to save some for the mashed potatoes.

cooked potatoes in broth in a pot of instant pot.

adding milk to cooked cubed potatoes in a pot.

Add the final ingredients and mash.

Add the butter, about 1/4 cup of cooking broth, and about 1/4 cup of milk to the potatoes. Mash the potatoes well and taste to see if you need more salt or black pepper. Add more milk if necessary until the desired consistency is achieved.

If you’re using a metal potato masher, transfer the cooked potatoes to a separate mixing bowl so that you don’t scratch the Instant Pot bowl!

mashed cooped potatoes in a silver bowl.

Tips for the Best Results

Do NOT replace the broth with water! Both chicken and vegetable broth lend so much flavor to the potatoes.
Plan on serving these mashed potatoes with a beef entrée or gravy? Feel free to use Beef Stock instead of vegetable or chicken.
Be very careful when you’re draining the water and mashing the potatoes as they will be quite hot.
Want to save a little time? You can use quick release on the pressure cooker instead of natural release. Natural release normally takes an additional 10-15 minutes. As always, be careful because the steam is hot.

Storing Instructions

You can store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored properly, your mashed potatoes should stay fresh for up to 3-5 days. Note that some milks affect the shelf life and could be closer to 3 days.

closeup of mashed potatoes in a bowl topped with melted butter.

Some More Comforting Side Dish Recipes:

Stove-top Mashed Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole

Creamy Baked Brussels Sprouts

top view of mashed potatoes in a white bowl with a spoon.

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