Instant Pot garlic mashed potatoes are a one-pot side dish with red skin potatoes and sour cream. No peeling or draining is required, which means very little prep work is involved!

Red skin garlic mashed potatoes are a transformation from typical mashed potatoes served with dinner.
Pressure-cooker mashed potatoes are the only way I make my mashed potatoes now. It takes all of the prep work out of dicing the potatoes and adding them to a pot once it’s boiling on the stove.
This recipe also does not have you peel the potatoes – leave the skin on! And at the end of the cooking time, you don’t even have to drain the liquid!
Instant Pot mashed red potatoes can also be used in my air fryer mashed potato ball recipe.
Ingredients for Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Medium-Sized Red Skin Potatoes
- Water or Broth, Broth gives extra flavor
- Salt
- Sour Cream
- Minced Garlic
How to Make Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Rinse potatoes and remove any debris.
- Add water, garlic, and salt to the Instant Pot and stir. Add potatoes.
- Place the lid on top, seal the vent, and use the steam setting. Set the timer to 22 minutes.
- Once the timer is done, carefully open the vent to release the pressure. Hot steam will come out so I always use an oven mitt to open the vent.
- Remove the lid. Add sour cream to the potatoes and begin mashing with a potato masher. Once they are mashed, stir the potatoes well. Serve immediately.
- If the consistency is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
Substitutes & Alternatives
- If you would like to substitute the sour cream, add 4 ounces of cream cheese and ¼ cup of milk to the potatoes instead. They get just as creamy!
- In place of minced garlic, try adding a ranch packet to the potatoes once they’re done cooking – it’s a family favorite!
- Make them into loaded mashed potatoes by adding cooked bacon bits, shredded cheddar cheese, and top with fresh chives.
- To make vegan garlic mashed potatoes, replace the sour cream with ½ cup vegan butter and ¼ cup plant-based milk of your choosing.
What to Serve with Mashed Potatoes
- Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breast
- BBQ Smoked Pork Belly Kabobs
- Cast-Iron Skillet Flank Steak
- Feta and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Honey Glazed Air Fryer Ham
- Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Ham
Enjoy!
Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Medium-Sized Red Skin Potatoes
- 1 cup Water or Broth, Broth gives extra flavor
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Sour Cream, or substitute with 4 oz cream cheese and ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons Minced Garlic
Instructions
- Rinse potatoes. If any are significantly larger than the rest, cut them in half. Place in the Instant Pot. Add water, salt, and minced garlic.
- Place the lid and seal the vent closed. Use the Steam setting and set it to 22 minutes. Allow 12-15 minutes for pressure to build up. Once the timer is done, quick release the vent and then remove the lid.
- Add sour cream to the pot. Use a potato masher to mash all of the potatoes in with the sour cream. If too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk at a time until reaching desired consistency.
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Good recipe. This was definitely the easiest mashed potato recipe that I have ever made!