Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes using the No Drain Method - Creamy, Fluffy (lump-free) mashed potatoes EVERY SINGLE TIME! This game-changing technique will have you saying goodbye to the traditional draining and mashing process.
TEXTURE : Lump Free, Creamy & Fluffy
Taste: Heavenly! Delicious flavors of garlic and butter.
EASE: Very Easy
Pros: Only 1 Pot; No draining
Cons : Have to Peel & Chop Potatoes before hand.
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Are you ready for the creamiest, most flavorful mashed potatoes you've ever tasted?
Your search stops here!
Not only does it save time and effort, but it also locks in all the delicious flavors of garlic and butter.
These are Super Easy Mashed Potatoes made in Instant Pot ,where you do not have to do multiple drains and pots. So you use only one pot!
Mashed potatoes are a staple on every dinner table and every household has a different recipe for them. This is usually last on my todo list because it's one of the easiest and most rewarding dishes on the menu.
And the best part about making mashed potatoes in the instant pot is that you can keep it warm in the keep warm setting and serve it fresh!
I love everything potatoes! You must try making Air fryer Hasselback Potatoes with Garlic. Between Air fryer and the instant pot, my life has just become so much easier!
Here is what we will do
- Chop & Peel the Potatoes
- Pressure Cook everything
- Mash everything - I have a crazy good technique for this.
They are Creamy, Fluffy ,Super flavorsome Garlicy mashed potatoes which are just perfect for any occasion.
Why you will love this Mashed Potato Recipe
This recipe is the most hassel free version of making potatoes. The instant pot way of making mashed potatoes is very convenient. It saves sooo much time and effort!
Here is why we love it
You can also make Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the same manner.
The other side dish that I love for the holidays is my cheesy instant pot mushroom rice! It's so delicious plus a great veggie filled option!
Ingredients for Easy Mashed Potatoes
So here are the ingredients for making mashed potatoes.
As we are using the no drain method, the quantities - especially the ratio of potato to the boiling liquid is important.
You don't want it too runny or too stiff that you end up with a burn sign!
Basic Ingredients for Mashed Potatoes
just potatoes, water, Butter- a generous amount..as mush as your can afford..lol...,garlic..as much as you like..salt and cream.You can use sour cream or cream cheese to make it richer..Especially for your special occasions and holidays! or you can make it healthier by using minimum butter(but some please! lol) and greek yogurt instead!
Potatoes
If you can, always get Yukon gold because they have higher starch content. They also make a creamier mashed potatoes with even little butter or fat because of their naturally buttery taste.
Russet potatoes are also a great choice for soft pillowy mashed potatoes. They also have high starch content.
If you can't find either, look for yellow potatoes that are not sweet tasting.
Butter
A generous amount..as mush as your can afford..lol..
For Vegan version, I would suggest you get a vegan butter instead of substituting with oil because you want that tell tale butter taste in the mashed potatoes.
If you are using salted butter, be mind-full of the salt you add while pressure cooking. You can always leave it out and adjust it at the end.
Garlic
There isn't another ingredient I love as much as garlic! You can use fresh garlic or amp up the flavor another notch by using Roasted Garlic. Here is a super easy way to Roast garlic in the Air fryer. It's takes a lot lesser time than the oven!
Milk
Use whole milk or kick up the flavour a notch by using heavy cream instead.It will give the mashed potatoes a richer feel.
You can also use sour cream or cream cheese in the mashed potatoes.
In fact, you can make slightly healthier but nonetheless heavenly version of mashed potatoes by adding greek yogurt instead.
Vegan Mashed Potatoes
You can make absolutely delicious mashed potatoes without using any dairy whatsoever! I promise!
You can use non diary milk and cream alternatives like oat milk, cashew milk or pistachio milk instead. You can also whip up vegan cream by blending soaked cashews in a blender.
For fat, instead of dairy butter, you can use non dairy butter or avocado oil. Don't use oil like coconut and extra virgin olive oil as they will alter the taste a bit.
Do you need to Peel the potatoes
When I am making the mashed potatoes just for myself or my family of 3, I am not too picky. The potato peel carries a fair bit of nutrition.
When I making these Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes using the No Drain method, all you need to do then is just cube the potatoes with the skin on.
Though, during holidays or special occiasions or When I am making mashed potatoes for a formal dinner or a gathering or a special occasion like thanksgiving or Christmas, I peel them.
If you are in the mood for something different, I suggest you try making Mashed Sweet Potatoes in the instant pot.
No Drain Method
This is a no drain method of making mashed potatoes, which means, you skip another arduous step of straining the potatoes, before mashing them.
Yes..i am Lazy and i like to find shortcuts..lol..They are worth it! Especially on Thanksgiving or Christmas when you have a hundred other dishes to make.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prep
Peel and Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Peel the garlic.
An Easy way to peel the garlic is to smash them. The garlic peel comes right off!
Step 2:Pressure Cook
Dump the potatoes, salt and Garlic in the inner pot of pressure cooker.Add ¾ Cup water and close the lid.
Pressure Cook for 6 minutes and Quick Release.
Step 3: Mash
Open the pot.Add butter to the cooked potatoes.Lightly mash with the potato masher.You can also use a fork or a large ladle for this.
Step 4: Whisk
Using a handwhisk or a stand mixer, whisk the potatoes, adding 1 tablespoon cream at a time.Whisk for 5-8 minutes till you get smooth potatoes.
If you dont have a whisk(or simply don't want to use one),skip the whisking & mash the potatoes with the potato masher instead.
Using the whisk will make your potatoes very smooth and silky in a lot lesser time than mashing them with a masher.It is worth taking out another gadget from your pantry.I promise!
Possible Variations
Here are some variation options to up your mashed potatoes game!
For Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Oven or Air fryer Roasted Garlic Cloves or Garlic Powder
For Chive & Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Chives
- Sour Cream
For Loaded Bacon Topped Mashed Potatoes
- Bacon
- Cheddar Cheese
- Scallions
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan cheese
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese
Toppings
Does turkey and gravy count as a toping? lol.
Okay so here are my favorites!
Storing & Reheating Leftover Mashed Potatoes
You can store the mashed potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for upto 4-5 days.
Mashed Potatoes freeze beautifully for upto 3-4 months! I like to freeze them in cubes that way i can take out individual sized portions whenever i want.
To serve, you can thaw the potatoes overnight or microwave with a little more liquid- milk or water.
Here is also a quick link for a thanksgiving menu .It has all the recipes you will need to make a fabulous spread with minimum fuss!
Hot Tip
Add ¼ additional cup of water if you are serving the mashed potatoes later and using the "Keep Warm" setting.
More Potato Recipes
Here are some more Potato recipes that you will love
If you make these delicious Mashed potatoes using the No drain method, do leave me a note! I would love to hear about your experience!
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If you liked my recipe, do leave a comment!
It will help others find this amazing recipe too!
Equipment Needed
- Hand Whisk(Optional)
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds Potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes
- ¾ Cup Water
- 4-5 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Tablespoon Heavy Cream or Milk/Sour Cream ;add more if needed
- 3 Tablespoon Butter
- Salt to Taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Parsley or Chives to Garnish
Instructions
- Peel and Dice the potatoes into 1 inch Chunks.
- Add the potatoes, water,Garlic* and Salt to the instant pot.
- Select PRESSURE COOK for 6 minutes on HIGH PRESSURE with the pressure valve at SEALED position.
- Quick Release and open the instant pot.
- Add the butter and start mashing the potatoes with a potato masher.(see note)
- Optional Step - Using a hand whisk, whisk the potatoes while adding heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. This will give extra smooth mashed potatoes. Add more cream to get the desired consistency.
- Scoop into a bowl, top with melted butter and garnish with chives or parsley.
Video
Notes
Important Notes
- The mashed potatoes get thicker as you whisk them and they cool down a bit.
- You can keep the potatoes in the warm setting for 1-2 hours in the instant pot.Do not keep it in that setting for longer because the bottom of the mashed potatoes will start drying up and burning.
Ingredient Notes
Potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes work best. If not, then try and pick a starchy potato which isn't sweet.Water/ Broth - Chicken broth is a great way to amp up not only the flavor but also the nutrient quotient
Garlic- Take this mashed potato a notch up by using Roasted Garlic instead!
Substitutions
Vegan Mashed Potatoes - I recommend using store-bought vegan butter and cashewor Soy cream/milk to make this recipe work.I don't recommend adding olive oil , coconut oil or coconut based milks. Richer Mashed Potatoes - Use Sour cream instead of milk.Go extra with these toppings
Here are some Flavor Options to make Mashed PotatoesFor Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Roasted Garlic Cloves or Garlic Powder
For Chive & Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes
- Chives
- Sour Cream
For Loaded Bacon Topped Mashed Potatoes
- Bacon
- Cheddar Cheese
- Scallions
Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan cheese
- Sour cream
- Cheddar cheese
Nutrition
Here are some Frequently asked questions on instant pot mashed potatoes.
In this no drain mashed potatoes recipe, we have used about 1 cup of water for 3 pounds of potatoes.
You can make the same recipe by substituting the milk with cashew milk and the cream with cashew butter.
Instead of butter, you can use either vegan butter for the feel or skip it altogether.
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