Instant Pot Mashed Red Potatoes

Name: Instant Pot Mashed Red Potatoes
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 2½ pounds red potatoes, scrubbed or peeled (cut into 2" chunks); 1 cup chicken broth, reduced sodium; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 4 ounces (or 1/2 cup) cream cheese (softened or room temperature); salt and pepper to taste; parsley, chives, or grated parmesan

Make the creamiest, richest, most delicious Instant Pot mashed red potatoes with only 4 ingredients. This easy potato recipe takes under 30 minutes to make, and no peeling is required! Simply pressure cook, drain, and mash with butter and cream cheese, for perfectly delicious red skin mashed potatoes.

A white bowl of red skin mashed potatoes next to slices of brisket on a wooden serving board with a striped napkin and gold fork and knife in the background.

Why We Love red skin Mashed potatoes

This fantastic Instant Pot side dish combines two of my favorite pressure cooker potato recipes – IP mashed potatoes and smashed potatoes.

Quick and easy to make. You can cook red potatoes in the Instant Pot in under 15 minutes, and unlike boiling potatoes on a stove top, you don’t need to babysit. This recipe is pretty much hands off!
Few ingredients – They’re drained and mashed two ingredients; butter and cream cheese, but the texture and flavor are amazing!
Can be made ahead. If you’d like, you can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of when you plan to serve. It saves so much time, especially during the busy holidays!

These quick and easy Instant Pot mashed red potatoes are a great side dish. But don’t be surprised if people think they are the best part of the meal!

New to Instant Pot Cooking? Read How to Use the Instant Pot 101 first! And, then Tips & Hacks for the Instant Pot is terrific for new owners and seasoned IP-ers alike!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Red potatoes – Because they will be cut into chunks, the size of the red potatoes doesn’t matter too much. That being said, smaller potatoes are easier to cut.

If you want to make Instant pot mashed potatoes but don’t have any red skin potatoes, you can use Yukon Gold. It’s what I use in my recipe for Instant Pot Smashed Potatoes.
Broth or Stock – I use chicken broth for additional flavor, but vegetable broth or beef stock can be used instead. In a pinch, water will be fine.
Unsalted Butter – If all you have is salted butter, that’s fine. Just know that you may not need to add any additional salt to the dish. Always taste the red skin mashed potatoes first, just to be sure.
Cream cheese – For the best flavor and results, I recommend using full fat cream cheese for this Instant Pot mashed red potatoes recipe. Low fat cream cheese tends to be overly watery.

Plus salt and pepper to taste.

PRO TIP!
To lower the calories in this dish, use full fat, plain Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese.

Four prep bowls on a marble background. In the bowls: pats of butter, chicken broth, cream cheese, and peeled and cut potatoes.

Equipment for Instant Pot Red Potatoes

Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker)
Potato Masher

Shop This Post

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1

How to Cook Mashed Red Potatoes in Instant Pot

cut red potatoes in the Instant Pot ready to pressure cook

Pressure cook the red potatoes.

Add the red potatoes to the Instant Pot and pressure cook them for 7 minutes. Use a quick release method as soon as they’re done cooking.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes into a bowl. Keep 1/2 cup of the potato chicken broth from the pressure cooker.

Cooked red potatoes in a pressure cooker, ready to mash.

Mash the potatoes.

Add cream and butter to the potatoes, and 1/4 cup of the reserved potato cooking water. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher until they are creamy.

PRO TIP: I do not recommend using a hand mixer to mash red skin potatoes. They can easily become gummy or pasty. If needed, add more reserved potato broth.

mashed red potatoes pressure cooked in the Instant Pot

Finishing touches for serving. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also garnish with parsley, chives, or grated parmesan before serving.

a green bowl full mashed potatoes ready to serve

Tips for perfectly mashed potatoes:

Be sure the potatoes are well-drained before mashing them. I recommend using a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked potatoes to a bowl. This will help remove as much liquid as possible. Then, add broth back in while you mash to get just the right consistency.
Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes before you mash them. This will help keep their texture a little firmer and avoid making them gummy.
Save the hand mixer for heartier Russet or Gold potatoes. These reds mash easily with a potato masher.

This recipe is made with red-skinned potatoes, which are lower in starch than Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes. Red potatoes tend to be less fluffy but very creamy in texture.

If you’re looking for mashed potatoes that are light and fluffy, try my Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipes. They both use Gold or Russet potatoes.

a wooden platter of sliced beef roast and a bowl of red mashed potatoes

Recipe Variations

You can use any type of potatoes for this recipe. This includes baby potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or Russet potatoes.
Use your favorite oil instead of butter if you want a dairy-free option. You can choose olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes: To make garlic mashed red potatoes, add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic to the pot with the potatoes while they are cooking.
Cheesy mashed potatoes: Add 1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese to the mix if you want cheesy mashed potatoes. This will give your potatoes a delicious flavor.
Herbed mashed potatoes: You can also mix in other herbs like chives, rosemary, or thyme.
Potato Salad: Make potato salad if you don’t want to mash your potatoes. Add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of diced onion, and 2 tablespoons of diced celery to the potatoes.

a green bowl full of potatoes ready to serve

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my mashed potatoes turn out gummy or pasty?

Gummy mashed potatoes happen when the potatoes are mashed too much. They can also happen when the potatoes absorb too much water. That’s why I like to use an Instant Pot or pressure cooker to make mashed potatoes. These cookers use less water and steam the potatoes instead.

Can I use milk instead of cream cheese for this red potatoes recipe?

Yes, you can. Rather than use the reserved potato broth, use 1/4 cup of milk and add more (up to another 1/4 cup) as needed for creamy potatoes.

How do I make vegetarian mashed potatoes?

If you want to make this recipe vegetarian, you can swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

What can I put with my mashed red potatoes?

Serve them with baked chicken, turkey, steak, pork chops, or a roast. They also pair well with roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts, carrots, and green beans. You can also top them with shredded cheese, green onions, bacon bits, or sour cream.

Get the Red Skin mashed Potatoes Recipe Here: