These steamed instant pot mashed potatoes are quite possibly the fastest and least labor-intensive method for making tasty, flavorful mashed potatoes. Creamy, buttery, and infused with garlic and aromatic herbs, these mashed potatoes are a delectable and comforting side dish perfect for the holidays or any fall or winter meal. Less than 30 minutes to make!

Comfort and carbs and butter pools infused with garlic and herbs. I’m here for it.
And if you’re still wondering what you should be doing with that Instant Pot sitting in the depths of your pantry that you bought or perhaps were gifted back when life could not be lived without one (dedicating this post to my mother, hi mom!), these silky, fluffy mashed potatoes are the answer. The Instant Pot was born for this moment. (And no, they did not sponsor this post.)
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🌟 Why you’ll love this recipe
How do I love thee oh most dreamy steamy mashed potatoes? Let me count the ways…
- These mashed potatoes are steamed (not boiled) allowing them to absorb just the right amount of moisture becoming perfectly soft while also retaining their mild, earthy flavor. Say goodbye to boiled, waterlogged potatoes.
- Forget peeling the potatoes and save yourself some prep time. Just rinse the taters, cut them into big chunks, and steam. The potato skins will slip right off after they steam. This crazy easy time saver is a big win in my book.
- Set it and forget it with an Instant Pot. Set the IP to Steam for 12 minutes and let it work its magic while you focus on making the rest of your meal (like these honey-glazed roasted root vegetables!).
- And the most obvious love…buttery, garlicky, herby mashed potatoes that sing of perfect texture and swoon-worthy flavor. It’s heavenly potato bliss. You may sob. Slightly dramatic? Perhaps.
🛒 Ingredients & suggestions

- Russet potatoes: Russet potatoes are the classic potatoes for creating fluffy mashed potatoes, but Yukon Gold and red potatoes are tasty too. Yukon Gold potatoes will create a slightly heavier, creamier mashed potato with a wonderful natural buttery flavor. Red potatoes don’t mash quite as well but they are delicious if you’re aiming for mashed potatoes that are more rustic and chunky. Yukon Gold and red potatoes are also perfect for skin-on mashed potatoes. Or try a 50/50 mix of Russet and Yukon Gold potatoes to create mashed potatoes that are lighter in texture than if you went with solely Yukon Golds but more flavorful than if you went with only Russet. See how I love you by providing SO many options to consider? 🙂
- Milk: Opt for whole milk in mashed potatoes. The fat in whole milk is important for creating that creamy, fluffy texture. Heavy cream or half-and-half (half-cream, half-milk) are great as well and can be substituted for the milk in a 1:1 ratio.
- Herbs: Rosemary, thyme, Italian parsley, and chives are the lineup, but these herbs aim to please so add more or use less to your liking. If one of these herbs doesn’t meet your fancy, just leave it out.
- Garlic: Sautéed in butter is a quick, easy, and tasty way to turn this mash into garlicky heaven but if you have the time or happen to have other dishes already cooking in a oven, try these mashed potatoes with roasted garlic. –> Trim a ¼ inch off of a whole garlic bulb, place it cut-side up on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, wrap it up, and let it roast in the oven for 40 to 60 minutes. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes are next level delish.
- Unsalted butter: I always opt for unsalted butter so that I can easily adjust the salt to my preferred taste.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities see the recipe card at the end of this post.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Place a steamer basket into the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water.
Step 2: Cut the potatoes into 2-inch chunks and add them to the steamer basket. Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot. Position the steam release handle to Sealing. Press the Steam function and use the [+] or [-] button to set the steaming time to 12 minutes. Press the Pressure Level function to set the cooking pressure to High.

Step 3: Once the potatoes have finished steaming, they’ll need an extra 5 minutes to rest. While they rest, let’s make the butter garlic herb mixture. First melt some butter in a saucepan.
Step 4: Add garlic, rosemary, and thyme to the butter and allow it to gently cook for just a few minutes to infuse the butter with deliciousness.

Step 5: Add salt and a cup of milk to the garlic butter and cook gently for a few more minutes until the mixture is warm. Avoid boiling the butter milk mixture.
Step 6: If you’re aiming for smooth and creamy mashed potatoes, slip the potato skins off the potato chunks before mashing. If you’d like a more rustic, chunky mashed potato leave them on!

Step 7: Mash the potatoes. For creamy, smooth mashed potatoes use a potato ricer or a smooth potato masher. For chunkier mashed potatoes use a wire masher or the back of a wooden spoon.
Step 8: Pour the herby garlic butter mixture over the potatoes.

Step 9: Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, Italian parsley, and chives and blend just until combined using either an electric hand mixer or a spoon.
Step 10: Top the mashed potatoes with a dash of paprika, a pat or two of butter (hello dreamy butter pools), and another sprinkle of Parmigiano and fresh parsley. Then serve up those tasty spuds.

👩🍳 Recipe tips!
- Don’t overmix! It’s important to mix the garlic butter mixture into the potatoes until just combined. Starch is released when potatoes are mashed so if you overmix, more starch is released from the potatoes and your fluffy, silky mashed potatoes will turn into gummy mashed potatoes (ew).
- Don’t forget the salt! Salt and potatoes are like Romeo and Juliet. One can’t live without the other. Begin with two teaspoons of Kosher salt dissolved in the garlic butter mixture but be sure to taste your mashed potatoes once everything is combined. If the mashed potatoes don’t pop with flavor or they taste a little boring, you probably just need to add a little bit more salt.
- Use the handy ‘Keep Warm’ function on the Instant Pot. If you’re not quite ready to serve the mashed potatoes, keep them warm by leaving them in the Instant Pot and setting it to the Keep Warm function. Just give them a stir every once in a while along with a splash of milk to help prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
💭 Frequently asked questions
Mashed potatoes can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
Definitely! If using Yukon Gold, red potatoes, or golden potatoes (potatoes with a thin, smooth skin) the skins can be left on if you don’t mind a more rustic, textured mashed potato. Russet potato skins, while they can be left on, are a bit more more chewy and hearty in texture so I typically remove them when using this type of potato.
Yes. 😉 (Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either.)

Whatta we waiting for? Let’s dig in! ♡
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Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a star rating below! I greatly appreciate your feedback and it is also so helpful for other PMST readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Remember to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!
📖 Recipe
Steamed Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes with Garlic & Herbs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 17 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings (1 ¼ cups each) 1x
Description
Creamy, buttery, and infused with garlic and aromatic herbs, these mashed potatoes are a delectable and comforting side dish perfect for the holidays or any fall or winter meal. Less than 30 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, washed and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- 2 ounces (½ cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
- freshly ground black pepper
- paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Add water to the Instant Pot insert. Place the steamer basket in the Instant Pot insert. Spread the potatoes on the steamer basket.
- Steam: Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot. Position the steam release handle to Sealing. Press the Steam function and use the [+] or [-] button to set the steaming time to 12 minutes. Press the Pressure Level function to set the cooking pressure to High. Once the potatoes finish steaming, allow them to rest for 5 minutes, then release the pressure.
- Make the garlic herb butter: While the potatoes are resting, make the garlic herb butter. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add garlic, rosemary, and thyme to the butter and allow it to gently cook for 2-3 minutes until the herbs and garlic have softened. Add salt and a cup of milk to the garlic butter and cook gently for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is warm. Avoid boiling the mixture.
- Remove potato skins: If you’re aiming for smooth and creamy mashed potatoes, slip the potato skins off the potato chunks before mashing. If you’d like a more rustic, chunky mashed potato leave the potato skins on.
- Mash potatoes: For creamy, smooth mashed potatoes use a potato ricer or a smooth potato masher to mash the potatoes. For chunkier mashed potatoes use a wire masher or the back of a wooden spoon.
- Combine: Pour the herby garlic butter mixture over the mashed potatoes. Then add Parmigiano-Reggiano, Italian parsley, and chives and blend just until combined using either an electric hand mixer or a spoon. Be careful not to overmix. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the mashed potatoes don’t pop with flavor or they taste a little boring, you probably just need to add a little bit more salt.
- Serve: Top the mashed potatoes with a dash of paprika, a pat or two of butter (hello dreamy butter pools), and another sprinkle of Parmigiano and fresh parsley. Then serve up those tasty spuds. Enjoy!
Equipment

Notes
Storage: Mashed potatoes can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
Keeping the mashed potatoes warm until ready to serve: If you’re not quite ready to serve the mashed potatoes, keep them warm by leaving the mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot and setting the IP to the Keep Warm function. Just give them a stir every once in a while along with a splash of milk to help prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
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Ali says
Delicious and easy to make! The instant pot has become my favorite way of making mashed potatoes (plus easy cleanup!)
Joe says
These mashed potatoes set a new standard in my book, I love them! Thanks Pass Me Some Tasty!