Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes No Drain- Looking for a quick and simple side dish? It’s time to delegate the cooking to your pressure cooker and try these fluffy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes!
These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with No Drain are incredibly simple to make. With three flavor options (Basic Butter, Sour Cream & Chive, and Garlic Rosemary), you’ll want to include mashed potatoes in every meal. Make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot to save stovetop space at your next holiday meal!
This no-drain process has become my new favorite method for making mashed potatoes. You don’t have to think about removing the liquid from a hot insert in an uncomfortable manner. Simply pressure cook, apply flavoring mix-ins, and mash all in the Instant Pot. When I don’t have a lot of stovetop space, I use my electric pressure cooker to make mashed potatoes for holiday meals.
These luscious, fluffy mashed potatoes are the stuff of meal legends: rich, Parmesan-topped, and peppered with fresh herbs.
Serve them at a gathering, and be prepared for your family to order this exact recipe again and again! You will be the Mashed Potato Queen/King, a prestigious title.
Table of Contents
Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes No Drain:
These mashed potatoes are ridiculously easy to make. Simply chop the potatoes, place them in the Instant Pot, pressure cook for 5 minutes, then mash them with vegan butter and season to taste. You don’t even have to drain them, which means more nutrients are preserved — a win-win situation!
Depending on your preference, the potatoes can be peeled, unpeeled, or partially peeled. Peeled potatoes produce creamy mashed potatoes, whereas unpeeled potatoes have a more rustic texture and eliminate a step (yep, even easier!).
We recommend seasoning with salt and pepper. For added flavor, add fresh or roasted garlic and fresh parsley (optionally).
Why We Will Love This Recipe?
We hope you enjoy these mashed potatoes as much as we do! They’re:
- Fluffy
- Buttery
- Comforting
- Quick and simple
- & incredibly tasty!
They are the ideal side dish for the holidays and beyond! Pair with almost any main course or side dish, particularly Vegan Lentil Nut “Meatloaf,” Honey Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts, 1-Pan Garlicky Green Beans with Slivered Almonds, and/or Lemony Arugula Salad with Crispy Shallot.
Ingredients:
- 7 cup Potato (organic, peeled and diced into 1-1/2″ cubes)
- 1 1/2 cup filtered water
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed, unsalted butter (or olive oil)
- 5 tbsp. partially skimmed milk, 2% M.F. (or dairy free; like almond milk)
How To Make Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes No Drain?
- In the Instant Pot, combine the diced potatoes, broth, butter, and sea salt. Add the garlic cloves if you’re making the Garlic Rosemary flavor.
- Close the lid, set to sealing, and cook for 10 minutes on Manual High Pressure. It will take approximately 10 minutes to reach pressure.
- At the end of the cooking time, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5 to 10 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, you can release them right away and they’ll be fine. Quickly release the remaining pressure and carefully remove the lid after the natural release. Mash your flavor mix ins right in the insert (yay for one-pot recipes!). Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
Tips And Tricks:
- Because of their starch content, yellow or russet potatoes require less mashing than other varieties.
- Cut the potatoes into equal-sized pieces to ensure even pressure cooking.
- Before adding the milk/cream to the cooked potatoes, warm it up. This will make it easier for the potatoes to absorb the liquid. Simply heat for about a minute in the microwave.
- Instead of a mixer or immersion blender, use a potato masher. Gummy potatoes can result from over-mixing. A potato ricer is also useful for removing lumps, but it requires more effort and results in more dishes to clean (not my style).
Variations:
If you want to add extras to your mashed potatoes, feel free! The beauty of mashed potatoes is that, because they have such a basic flavor, there are so many ways to jazz them up.
Season with chives, cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, garlic salt, or homemade ranch seasoning to taste.
Optional Garnishes:
- chives, fresh
- rosemary, fresh
- butter, melted
- gravy with onions
Method Of Stovetop:
Although I prefer the convenience of the Instant Pot, you can make this recipe on the stovetop as well:
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 12-inch thick round slices. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with cold water, leaving at least 1 inch above the potatoes. 2 teaspoons salt, stirred in.
- Bring to a low simmer and hold it there the entire time the potatoes cook, adjusting the heat as required. Begin checking the potatoes for doneness at the 18-minute mark. Drain instantly when a paring knife easily slips into the center of one of the potato slices. Follow the recipe exactly as written.
Using the Instant Pot to Keep Mashed Potatoes Warm:
Because of the “keep warm” setting, the Instant Pot is always on my counter during holiday meals. To thoroughly reheat the mashed potatoes, use the Sauté button, then press the keep warm button to keep them warm for up to 2 or 3 hours.
If the potatoes become dry while remaining warm, you can always add a splash of water or almond milk to help make them creamy again.
What’s The Best Potato For Mashing?
Yellow potatoes, particularly the Yukon Gold variety, make the best mashed potatoes. They have a naturally creamier and buttery flavor, so you can use less (or no) butter for a healthier option.
If you can’t find Yukon Gold, any yellow fleshed variety will suffice.
I also like russet potatoes for mashing as a second (or third) option. They’re starchy and delicious, and they go well on their own or with yellow.
Do I Have To Peel Them?
It’s fine if you want mashed potatoes with skin! Simply use a thin-skin variety of potato, preferably from a new crop.
You’ll still chop them into one-inch pieces and follow the directions below, but the texture will be chunkier throughout.
How many potatoes can the Instant Pot cook?
I’ve successfully cooked up to 6 pounds of potatoes in my 6-quart Instant Pot. I think I could have gotten a few more in there, but it’s important to be aware of your machine’s max fill line to avoid overfilling your pressure cooker.
If you really need to feed a crowd, I’m sure you could fit 8 pounds of potatoes into an 8-quart Instant Pot, but if you try it, please let me know in the comments. I’ve never had to cook so many before!
How Long Do They Keep?
Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a skillet, oven, or toaster oven until creamy, adding more broth or milk as needed.
Leftovers can also be frozen. Freeze in an airtight container for up to four months. Then, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat, and serve.
How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot?
If you want to reheat mashed potatoes in your pressure cooker, add 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the pot and heat it up with the Sauté button. Break up the cold mashed potatoes into chunks to speed up the reheating process, then mash them and stir frequently until they begin to warm up. Stir frequently until thoroughly heated, adding more liquid as needed.
From now on, this is the only way I’ll make mashed potatoes.
I like how it takes up no stovetop space for a large holiday meal and makes mashed potatoes a more accessible side dish for any time of year!
Storage Suggestions:
- To keep. Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days in an airtight bag.
- To heat up again. To save potatoes from drying out, gently reheat them in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of milk.
- I don’t suggest freezing these mashed potatoes because they will become mealy when thawed.
Leftover Mashed Potatoes and Serving:
If you make them ahead of time, keep the Instant Pot on warm and serve them straight from the pot (one less bowl to wash)!
Mashed potatoes are delicious with a drizzling (or dousing) of brown gravy. Serve as a side dish with roast turkey or pot roast. Make them with our favourite meatloaf recipe, island style pork, or marinated steak for a quick dinner.
We always hope there will be leftovers! Serve as a garnish for Shepherd’s pie. Make mashed potatoes, twice baked potatoes, or even mashed potato salad with them.
Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes are delicious at any time of day!
What to serve with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes?
Serve these delicious and comforting pressure cooker mashed potatoes with:
- Whole Rotisserie Chicken in the Pressure Cooker
- Creamy chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes
- Brisket Braised in Beer with Vegetables
- Perfectly Seared Pan Seared Steak
- Oven Roasted Pork Loin with Honey Mustard and Herbs
- Skewers of Cajun Grilled Shrimp
- Turkey Brined and Roasted (the best and most juicy Thanksgiving turkey ever!)
Notes:
- 1″ of water must be added to the instant pot. The amount of water required will depend on the size of your IP.
- If you’re using russet potatoes, peel them first. Peeling Yukon gold potatoes is optional.
- If desired, add a few garlic cloves to the potatoes before cooking and mash everything together.
- It is not necessary to drain potatoes.
MORE DELICIOIUS RECIPES HERE:
CREAMY SHRIMP PASTA WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE
THE BEST LEMON PIE WITH MERINGUE RECIPE
One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
THE BEST FRENCH MACARONS RECIPE STEP BY STEP
Did you make this recipe ? be sure to follow me on Pinterest, rate the recipe and tag #saltedcaramelgirl on Instagram!

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes No Drain
These Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are incredibly simple to make. With three flavor options (basic butter, sour cream and chives, and garlic rosemary), you'll want to include mashed potatoes in every meal. Make mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot to save stovetop space at your next holiday meal!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt divided 2 12 pounds peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 cup room temperature 2 percent Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 12 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as desired
- IN THE CASE OF BASIC BUTTER
- 1/4 cup warmed whole milk or cream (or enough to reach desired consistency)
- a pinch of sea salt (to taste)
Instructions
Allow the water to run until it is very warm. 34 cup should be added to the bottom of an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. 2 teaspoons kosher salt, stirred in until dissolved Insert the steamer basket and fill it with potatoes. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes, covered. Release the strain as soon as possible.
Remove the steamer basket and any excess liquid from the Instant Pot after draining the potatoes. Return the potatoes to the Instant Pot right away. Combine the Greek yogurt, butter, pepper, chives, thyme, and the remaining 12 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl.
Beat the potatoes with a hand mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are mixed and the desired consistency is achieved, being careful not to overmix. (Alternatively, a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon may be used.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.
Notes
The nutritional value is based on the Basic Butter variety made with whole milk.
The time it takes to come to pressure plus the time it takes to release pressure after cooking is referred to as inactive time.
This recipe was tested in an Instant Pot 6-quart model.
This recipe works for both peeled and unpeeled potatoes (just scrub them clean if you want to preserve the peel). Since I prefer a creamier texture, I peeled mine!
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