These easy Instant Pot Potatoes are super convenient and perfect for meal prepping! You can quickly have cooked potatoes for soups, casseroles, sides, and more with this easy pressure cooker recipe.
Potatoes in the Instant Pot
Cooking potatoes in the Instant Pot is a genius-level kitchen tip that will help you quickly meal prep tons of recipes with barely any effort at all! This quick tutorial will help you figure out the right cooking time for your size of potatoes so that you end up with perfectly soft, fluffy potatoes.
These are great served like a baked potato with cheese, bacon, and other toppings, but there are also so many other options! Use these cooked potatoes to make a delicious potato salad or add fillings for twice baked potatoes. They can bulk up soups or speed up a delicious casserole. If you can’t think of any way to use them right now, you can still freeze them for later!
Why you’ll love it:
- Easy – This is perfect for beginner cooks or those new to the Instant Pot! We’re not seasoning, searing, chopping, or doing anything remotely complicated.
- Quick – Boiling, baking, or steaming russet potatoes take longer, so this is a great option when you need cooked potatoes fast.
- Hands-Off – This is an easy meal prep recipe that you can have going on in the background without the need to stir or worry about burning.
- Convenient – These potatoes are unseasoned, so you can use them for anything! They’re great to add into soups or casseroles, use for baked potato side dishes, or to turn into gnocchi.
- Inexpensive – You can also freeze the potatoes after cooking, so this is a great way to use up bulk sale potatoes to save money.
Instant Pot Potato Ingredients
Here’s a quick (very quick) overview of what you’ll need. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Russet or Idaho Potatoes – These are known for becoming nice and fluffy with a great delicate flavor that pairs well with all sorts of things. Other potatoes (like red, yellow, waxy varieties) would likely need less time and may be overcooked if you use them in this method.
- Water – The Instant Pot has to have moisture to operate, so this water will steam the potatoes until they’re perfectly tender.
You’ll also need an Instant Pot and the trivet insert. If you’ve been cooking heavily seasoned dishes in your Instant Pot, you might have noticed that strong odors can get trapped in the Instant Pot sealing ring. For potatoes that taste like nothing but perfect potatoes, you might want to start with a fresh sealing ring.
Can I cook sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot?
Sweet potatoes take longer to cook, but they are great in the Instant Pot. If cooking sweet potatoes instead of russets, add an additional 2 minutes to the corresponding size potato detailed here, and allow pressure to naturally release 10 minutes.
Looking for ways to use cooked sweet potatoes? Consider these Sweet Potato Pancakes with Bacon for breakfast or these Sweet Potato & White Cheddar Corn Muffins with dinner.
How to Cook Potatoes in the Instant Pot
This is the incredibly easy recipe! There’s no chopping or seasoning, and the Instant Pot does all the work. Here’s a quick step-by-step tutorial for these meal prep potatoes.
Prep
You want to make sure your potatoes are washed well and dried with a towel. Prick or stab each potato with a knife or fork, then place it on a trivet in the Instant Pot. Don’t skip this step–The punctures to the skin help release steam from the potato, making sure it doesn’t explode.
Cook
Once all of your potatoes have been pricked, add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and make sure the valve is closed. Select the pressure cooking function on high and cook for the correct time based on size:
- 14 minutes for small
- 16 minutes for medium
- 18 minutes for large
- 22 minutes for extra large.
When cooking time has ended, allow the machine to NATURALLY RELEASE PRESSURE FOR 10 MINUTES. Then carefully release the remaining pressure manually.
How to Serve Instant Pot Potatoes
We love to split these potatoes open and stuff them with our favorite toppings like sour cream, cheese, bacon, salt, and pepper! Green onions add the best flavor and a great texture, too.
If you prefer a crispy skin, you can place the whole potatoes in a bowl, drizzle with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil, add salt and butter to taste, then broil 30-60 seconds on all sides until it reaches your preferred level of crispiness. Then stuff with delicious fillings and toppings!
More ways to use cooked potatoes:
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes – You can skip the boiling and use these I.P. potatoes to make these super flavorful, creamy mashed potatoes.
- Pesto Smashed Potatoes – This works best with smaller potatoes, but we LOVE the crispy edges! Skip the first step when using Instant Pot potatoes.
- Potato Skins with Buffalo Chicken – A major favorite around football season! Just skip the first step as this one has you baking potatoes first.
- Breakfast Potatoes – When you love quiche but need to enjoy potatoes for every meal, this is the perfect breakfast! Skip to step #5 if you’ve already cooked your potatoes in the Instant Pot.
- Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Potatoes – Another great appetizer that’s actually filling enough to enjoy as an actual meal!
Store
You should allow potatoes to cool completely, then you can store them in an airtight container all together, separately, or just wrap each potato in foil or plastic. They’ll last in the fridge 3-4 days.
Can I freeze cooked potatoes?
Yes, this recipe is great for stocking the freezer, but here are some tips for the most convenience and best texture:
- Let them cool completely first – Residual heat will turn into condensation which can lead to freezer burn. Make sure potatoes are completely cooled before moving on.
- Protect them from air – More air means more freezer burn. After the potatoes have cooled completely, wrap in multiple layers of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. For more protection, place them in a freezer-safe bag, then press or suck out as much air as possible.
- Enjoy within 1-3 months – The process of freezing, thawing, and reheating can all change the texture of the potatoes. Because of this, it’s best to consume all the potatoes within 1-3 months. The sooner you eat them, the better they’ll be.
Reheat
Cooked potatoes can be reheated in the microwave, oven, or air fryer. No matter your method, you’ll want your potatoes unwrapped for the best texture on the skin. Here are tips for each method (including how to reheat from frozen):
- Microwave: Slice potatoes in half, place on a plate (cut side up), and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat for 2-3 minutes on 100% power or until heated through. You can microwave them whole, but they’re more likely to dry out and take longer to heat up. If frozen, keep whole and microwave on high for 5 minutes, rotate and flip potato, then blast again for 4-5 minutes until warmed throughout.
- Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potatoes on a baking sheet (preferably with silicone liner to prevent any sticking), then heat for 15-20 minutes or until warmed throughout. If potatoes are frozen, set oven to 400 degrees instead. It will likely take about 30-40 minutes.
- Air Fryer: Preheat to 350 degrees for 3 minutes, place in whole potatoes, then heat for about 3 minutes or until warmed throughout. If frozen, set air fryer to 320 degrees instead and cook for 25-30 minutes.
If you like this easy meal prep recipe, check out these Instant Pot recipes!
- Instant Pot Collard Greens – Pressure cooking brings out the best in tender, delicious collard greens! The ham and bacon adds a great salty, savory punch!
- Instant Pot BBQ Chicken – This is a great meal prep dinner idea! It’s amazing on chaffles, in a wrap, or over a salad. Would be GREAT in a baked potato with some cheddar, too!
- Easy Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes – You will LOVE how easy this side dish is! There’s only a 7-minute cooking time, and you don’t even have to drain out the water.
- Instant Pot Italian Pork – This meal prep protein is a great switch up from the usual, and the sauce is absolutely devine.
- Instant Pot Artichokes – This is a surprisingly easy, delicious recipe! You’ll love these tender artichokes dipped in garlic butter.
Instant Pot Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 whole russet or Idaho potatoes
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and prick them with a fork or knife several times. Place the trivet in the base of the Instant Pot, and place the uncooked potatoes on the trivet.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and close the valve. For small potatoes, cook for 14 minutes, medium potatoes for 16 minutes, large potatoes for 18, extra large for 22 minutes.
- Once the cooking time has ended, allow the machine to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Then manually release the pressure.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes take longer to cook. If cooking sweet potatoes add an additional 2 minutes to the corresponding size potato, then allow pressure to naturally release 10 minutes.